Oak Ridge Today

Letter: Former Children’s Museum director endorses Dodson for City Council

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To the Editor:

I strongly endorse Jim Dodson as a candidate for the Oak Ridge City Council. During the 19 years that I have known Jim, I have always found him to have the good of the community at heart. While serving as executive director of Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, collaborating with Jim was always a highlight. His fairness and sincerity are outstanding qualities that I have experienced and observed through the years. He has the ability to draw people together and is extremely adept at working with a group to accomplish set goals.

He has worked with Children’s Museum staff to bring educational experiences to the children of our area and served on the museum’s Board of Trustees. His educational endeavors are known throughout the state, accordingly earning him several well-deserved honors for his work. [Read more…]

Letter: Make Vogel one of your three choices for City Council

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To the Editor:

We are very fortunate to have several candidates running for City Council on issues that Council actually works on. Continuing good schools seems to be on all platforms and should be. Safety for citizens and the community is also very important. How to pay for these without raising taxes is probably the most important part of the platform. Oak Ridge is a city dependent on the U.S. government more than most Tennessee cities. During the early years, scientists and engineers from the “plants” lived in Oak Ridge and made it a well-run, highly educated city that was famous the world over.

Some of the “plants” are still here and now are making scientific breakthroughs that are changing manufacturing in this country. 3-D printing, carbon fibers, and the Spallation Neutron Source are part of great scientific achievements. However, less than one-half of the employees live in Oak Ridge, and almost no new manufacturing is moving here to take advantage of this great success coming out of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex. That can change. [Read more…]

Letter: Dodson has positive outlook, believes passionately in Oak Ridge

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To Oak Ridge Today:

We have known Jim Dodson, candidate for City Council, for almost 30 years. We first met him when he began teaching art at Jefferson Middle School, where he still teaches. A superb artist himself, Jim has fostered the artistic talents of many students who have gone on to win local and regional art competitions.

Jim has a positive outlook on life. No matter what the circumstances, Jim looks for the best in every person and every situation. This has made him a fantastic teacher and leader. He has served on the board of directors for several arts and civic organizations and is highly respected for his leadership abilities and his work ethic. I served on the Arts Council when he was president. He was always highly organized and prepared for every meeting. He researched the issues involved before each meeting and treated every board member with respect. [Read more…]

Letter: Motorcyclist thanks medical responders, travelers, THP Trooper Kennedy

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Note: This letter was submitted by John Such. He was part of the motorcycle group involved in one of the two crashes that injured eight people on Interstate 75 near Rocky Top on Saturday morning.

I was part of the mororcycle group yesterday involved in the crash on I-75. The semi crash happened immediately after the bikes went down. Cars traveling southbound stopped to either look and/or offer assistance to our riders down. The semi that was unable to stop crashed into traffic that had slowed down or stopped.

I can’t thank all those medical responders and travelers who offered hope, encouragement, water—anything they could to comfort all those in need. [Read more…]

Letter: McNutt an involved citizen, small business owner with desire to serve District 8

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To the Editor:

I would like to ask other District 8 voters to join me in supporting Angeleque McNutt for County Commissioner.

While I certainly don’t want to discredit the other candidates who are running for this seat, and I appreciate their willingness to be involved in our county operations, I do feel that Angeleque has handled herself in a professional, informed, and non-confrontational manner since she was appointed in August 2015, and has proven herself to be a quick study on the issues affecting Anderson County, and in particular District 8.

In addition to her sworn duties as our District 8 representative, she has also demonstrated her desire for a deeper level of involvement through her participation in several committees within county government, as well as her general involvement in many community events/activities throughout Anderson County. [Read more…]

Letter: Yager has experience, education, volunteer spirit for District 8 seat

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To the Editor:

I am writing this letter in support of Phil Yager, candidate for County Commission in the Eighth District. In the past year, I have come to know Phil, and having attended the recent Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum and listening to Phil discuss his experience, education, and volunteer spirit, he is the best candidate to represent our district on the Anderson County Commission.

Phil and his wife have been homeowners in Oak Ridge since 2006. He has a B.S. degree in Business Administration and has had a 30-year career in the investment industry. His background in financial management will be a great asset to the County Commission. He also has experience in the areas of mediation and arbitration, having served as Director of Mediation and Arbitration for the Better Business Bureau. This position gave him experience in conflict resolution and will enhance his ability to work with other commissioners and city, county, and state official to facilitate positive opportunities for our residents. [Read more…]

Letter: Yager’s experience, education help make him best-qualified for AC Commission

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To the Editor:

We support Phil Yager for Anderson County Commission’s Eighth District. Phil has a long list of experience, education, and attributes that make him easily the best-qualified candidate in this election.

In the area of finance, his B.S. degree in Business Administration coupled with 30 years of work in financial management and investment give him a great background for making wise and prudent decisions about budgets and fiscal decisions. Phil’s work as Director of Mediation and Arbitration for the Better Business Bureau give him insight into the importance of making impartial and fair decisions after careful consideration of multiple sides of an issue.

To say that Phil Yager cares about the community he lives in is an extreme understatement. In the 10 years that he and his wife have owned a home in Oak Ridge, he has amassed an impressive list of boards and organizations that he has been appointed to or has joined. Included in this group are the Industrial Development Board, the Board of Housing Code Appeals, the City Charter Review Committee, and the Site Specific Advisory Board. He also has volunteered in various capacities with Emory Valley Center and the Emory Valley Center Foundation; the Rowing Association; Keep Anderson County Beautiful; United Way of Anderson County; and Neighborhood Watch. [Read more…]

Opinion: Let’s keep the Secret City Festival, could still honor vets in November

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To the Editor:

Hopefully, the City Council will think long and hard before ending the Secret City Festival as we know it and move “something” to the fall. The Festival now has many activities for children, music by community and aspiring groups, community booths, and much more that might not be possible outside in November. Not to mention the plethora of festivals, football, and other events in the fall already, making October an impossible time to schedule things.

One thing that will definitely be gone is the TN CREATES fine art and craft show, which the city asked the Oak Ridge Art Center to develop nine years ago. It has gown in scope and interest over the years and is one reason many people come to the festival. The Art Center has had its own show in November for 30 years (November 9 this year), plus there are already numerous other shows in the fall, including Museum of Appalachia and Southern Highlands and Foothills in November, plus the non-juried Pilot Club show here in November, two weeks after the Art Center Gallery of Holiday Shops.

Has this small group, which did not ask for input from many who had led the Secret City Festival for ages, thought about a seven- to 14-day festival in late June, culminating with July 4, which is already a time of family visits home to Oak Ridge (I met dozens of my kids’ friends at Secret City last year)? What the task force seems to be envisioning as a time to honor veterans could still be held in November. We keep saying we want activities to attract younger families—let’s keep the great one we have now, which had its biggest attendance ever this past June and is a great summer family time.

Judy Kidd

Oak Ridge

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Note: The submitted letters and columns published in the Opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of Oak Ridge Today or its staff.

Opinion: A thought about promoting war at a time of solemn remembrance

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To Members of City Council:

The idea of emphasizing weapons of war in the fall around November 11 is highly ironic since Armistice Day originated in the desire for peace and the hope that the First World War was fought to end all wars.

November 11 originally was to remember an entire generation which was wiped out by war. Poppies were worn in hopes there would be no more war.

I have to say that trying to co-opt this solemn time of remembrance in order to show off expensive war toys is highly offensive.

Virginia M. Jones

Oak Ridge

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Note: The submitted letters and columns published in the Opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of Oak Ridge Today or its staff.

Opinion: Alarmed by proposal to privatize library, calls for feasibility study

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Dear Council Members:

I am both alarmed and dismayed at the current proposal to privatize the Oak Ridge Public Library beginning January 2016. I understand the City Council’s need to create a workable budget for the upcoming year, but we must beware of making sudden major changes to a valuable city resource on the vague promise of saving money. It is unconscionable that the city would make such a change without a full feasibility study of particulars, both positive and negative, along with full documentation of public comment and thoughtful analysis and response to those comments. Such a study is crucial because it would reveal the extent to which privatization would affect the city’s long-term ability to meet its citizens’ needs as well as its finances. More importantly, the study is necessary in order for our Council and citizens to exercise informed consent or dissent on the matter. [Read more…]

Letter: Rich Construction, city ‘should be ashamed’ over Jackson Square work

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To the Editor:

The Rich Construction Company leadership and some officials of the City of Oak Ridge should be ashamed of themselves for the total disaster that is the reconstruction allegedly going on at Jackson Square.

My family and I have been steady customers of Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery as well as some of the other businesses there for over a year. We have seen the “progress” on the project at least weekly since its beginning. The rate of progress has been abysmal at best. There have many, many clear weather days throughout last winter and spring where work could have been going on, but there was no one in sight. In fact, the only time there seemed to be ANY sign of urgency was the two days before the Lavender Festival in June. The work then was only to minimally accommodate that event. And as soon as it was over, work stopped again.

The initial completion date the business owners were promised was in June. By that time they had suffered through over five months of loss of business and disappointed customers. When it wasn’t completed by then, the owners were promised a completion date of mid-August. Well, that didn’t happen either! Now the latest promised completion date is in mid-September. Almost 10 months after the project started. Unbelievable! [Read more…]

Letter: Chamber board lists spending priorities

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Note: This is a copy of a June 8 letter from the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and its Board of Directors to Mayor Warren Gooch and members of City Council, and Chairman Keys Fillauer and the Board of Education.

Mayor Gooch and Chairman Fillauer:

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted, following the recommendation of our Advocacy Committee, to request the following be given serious consideration as discussions and voting occurs for your respective Fiscal Year 2016 budgets.

Spending Priorities:

  • Development and funding of a prioritized capital improvement plan for infrastructure improvements such as city/school buildings, streets, utilities, etc.
  • Pay increase for Oak Ridge Schools teachers and staff and City of Oak Ridge staff.
  • Waterfront improvements.

While we understand that the city is faced with adjusting the tax rate to reconcile with lower property appraisals, we do feel strongly that the city needs to prioritize spending around these three areas in order to position Oak Ridge as a community of choice for new and expanding businesses and residents.

Sincerely,

Melinda Hillman

Chairman of the Board

 

Parker Hardy

President/CEO