Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge wins two tourism awards

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Pictured above are, from left, Rebecca Williams and Barbara Ferrell of the Lavender Festival; Katy Watt, president of Explore Oak Ridge; and Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourism at a recent awards ceremony. (Photo courtesy Explore Oak Ridge/City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge has won two awards for promoting tourism in middle East Tennessee, an area that includes the Knoxville metropolitan area.

The Oak Ridge Lavender Festival was awarded the 2022 Best Annual Festival or Event Award, a press release said.

Explore Oak Ridge was awarded the Excellence in Tourism Award for Best Advertising or Marketing Campaign for the “Katie the Calutron Girl” marketing promotion.

The 2022 awards were presented by the Middle East Tennessee Tourism Council in a December 1 ceremony. The METTC promotes tourism activities and represents a 16-county region including Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cooke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union counties.

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City offices closed for Christmas, New Year’s

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The Oak Ridge Municipal Building is pictured above on Tuesday evening, May 5, 2020. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

City of Oak Ridge offices will be closed for Christmas and New Year’s Day.

City administrative offices and Oak Ridge City Court will be closed from Friday, December 23, to Monday, December 26, for Christmas.

They will also be closed on Monday, January 2, for New Year’s Day.

Offices and the court will re-open on Tuesday, January 3, a press release said.

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ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal; More than $1 million raised in past 10 years benefits United Way and Community Shares nonprofit organizations

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Oak Ridge, Tenn. —ORAU exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 in donations as part of its internal annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares, making total donations more than $1 million for the past 10 years.

As part of the 2022 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign, a total of $117,747.50 was pledged. Employees donate via payroll deduction and could earmark their donation for United Way, Community Shares or both nonprofit organizations.

“ORAU has remained a strong pillar in the community for more than 75 years, and we encourage our employees to consider participating in our Annual Giving Campaign each year to help our less fortunate neighbors in need,” said ORAU President and CEO Andy Page. “We emphasize that each one of our employees has the power to positively impact the lives of those who need it in our communities near ORAU locations across the country and demonstrate the ORAU way – taking care of each other.”

ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, provides science, health and workforce solutions that address national priorities and serve the public interest. Through our specialized teams of experts and access to a consortium of more than 150 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to provide innovative scientific and technical solutions and help advance their missions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org.

Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org.
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Fire damages home on Lansing Road

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A fire on Friday afternoon damaged a home on South Lansing Road, according to the City of Oak Ridge.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responded to the fire at 12:45 p.m. Friday.

“Multiple callers to 911 reported fire was visible through the windows and roof,” the city said in a press release. “ORFD crews arrived within five minutes of the call with 17 personnel. The first unit arrived on scene and found heavy fire from the rear of the structure. A hose line was taken in the home to begin suppression efforts. The Oak Ridge Electric Department also responded to secure power to the affected building. The fire heavily damaged one half of the building, while the other half had smoke and water damage.”

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ORISE names safety, facilities director

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Chad Becker (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education has named Chad Becker as the director of the new Office of Safety and Facilities.

Becker previously served as director of Facilities and Transportation, a role he has held for more than seven years, a press release said.

The new office was formed from a re-organization that merges the Facilities and Transportation Department (FTD) and the previously existing Environment Safety and Health Office (ES&H) into one unit.

“FTD and ES&H have long been critical programs supporting our government customers, including our flagship ORISE contract with the U.S. Department of Energy,” the press release said. “ES&H is an integral component of the ORISE Contractor Assurance Program.”

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Learn about secrecy, spies on Dec. 17

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The Oak Ridge Turnpike Gatehouse is pictured above on the west end of town. (Submitted photo)

You can learn about secrecy, security, and spies during the Manhattan Project in World War II in Oak Ridge on Saturday, December 17.

This National Park Service program is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. December 17 at the Oak Ridge Turnpike gatehouse on the west end of town.

“The program is accessible to all visitors and will give insight to what life was like in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project with heightened security, need for secrecy, and worry of spies,” the NPS said in a newsletter.

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Indoor pool to close temporarily for resurfacing

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The Oak Ridge Indoor Swimming Pool will close on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, and will remain closed through at least January 2023 for resurfacing. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Indoor Swimming Pool will close on Monday, December 12, and will remain closed through at least January 2023 for resurfacing.

An exact re-opening date has not been set because of the uncertainty that comes with construction and delays in product delivery, a press release said.

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Disability issues to be discussed Tuesday

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The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will host Marian Wildgruber on Tuesday, December 6. Wildgruber will discuss her work with the Mobility Justice Working Group and the new Disability Advisory Board for the City of Oak Ridge. Her topics will include outreach, priorities, paratransit, and sidewalk/crosswalk infrastructure, a press release said.

This event will be held at 12 p.m. Tuesday at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Church Social Hall. It will also be available via Zoom. A link for Zoom access will be distributed later. You should bring your lunch if you want one. Lunches from The Soup Kitchen will be available beginning in 2023, the press release said.

Wildgruber grew up in Seattle and got her bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Washington. She worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 12 years in Washington, Oregon, California, and Washington, D.C., during which time she got her master’s degree in public administration, the press release said.

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City accepting applications for boards, commissions

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The City of Oak Ridge is accepting applications for board members on 15 city boards or commissions.

Oak Ridge residency is required for appointments, and members serve without compensation, a press release said.

People interested in serving on any of the boards or commissions must submit a completed Boards and Commissions Application online or to the City Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m. on Friday, December 30.

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Roane State will have manufacturing job fair

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Roane State Community College will host a manufacturing industry job fair this week at its Campbell County Campus. The job fair will include employers from Anderson County, Campbell County, and Clinton.

The job fair is scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, November 29.

“The manufacturing companies attending this job fair represent hundreds of job and career opportunities,” said Tracy Powers, Roane State’s Campbell County Campus director. “These employers are offering positions with great wages and benefits, including top-tier healthcare and paid vacations. What a way to start a new year with a fantastic new job.”

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Pre-World War II settlements to be discussed during Saturday hike

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Canning was a part of life in agricultural East Tennessee before World War II. (Photo credit: Tennessee Valley Authority)

During a hike on Saturday, the National Park Service will discuss settlements in the area before World War II and the drastic changes to the area during the war.

The hike is scheduled on North Boundary Greenway. It will start at the East Quarry Road Trailhead at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 26.

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Chamber’s Christmas Parade is Saturday, Dec. 10

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A photo from a previous Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade. (File photo by Eli Welton)

The annual Christmas Parade in Oak Ridge will be Saturday, December 10.

It’s organized by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by The Cowperwood Company.

This year’s theme is “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

More than 80 floats are expected to participate in the parade, which is scheduled from 6 p.m. to roughly 8 p.m. The parade route will include Lafayette Road, then Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]