Oak Ridge Today

Starting Monday, 12 local restaurants to participate in ADFAC’s Dine & Donate

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

burchfields_2016_small

ADFAC volunteer Carol Smallridge, left, and Burchfield’s Food and Beverage Manager Walter Duebler are pictured above. Burchfield’s, located at the DoubleTree in Oak Ridge, has been a loyal supporter of ADFAC for many years, and ADFAC says it’s proud Burchfield’s is participating in “A Year of Dine & Donate!” (Photo courtesy ADFAC)

 

Starting on Monday, 12 local restaurants will participate in ADFAC’s “A Year of Dine & Donate.”

On Dine & Donate Mondays (the second Monday of each month), the restaurants listed below will donate a significant portion of their daily sales to ADFAC.

In Clinton:

  • Gondolier
  • Hoskins
  • Riverview Grill

In Oak Ridge:

  • Burchfield’s
  • Dean’s
  • Gallo Loco
  • Mediterranean Delight
  • Outback
  • Popeyes
  • Razzleberry’s
  • Soup Kitchen

Both Subways in Clinton will participate and so will the Subway at 1968 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge, and the Subways in Oliver Springs and Rocky Top. [Read more…]

First United Methodist Church celebrates renovation in open house Sunday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

first-united-methodist-church-sign-2-nov-2016

A new cross is installed at First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge in November 2016. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

First United Methodist Church has an open house today to celebrate a recent renovation.

The open house is from 5-7 p.m. Sunday, January 8.

During the $600,000 renovation, the church upgraded audio visuals in both worship spaces, erected two new signs, and completely renovated the youth loft, second floor restrooms, hallways, welcome center, and classrooms. [Read more…]

UCOR, DOE cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, earns 94 percent of award fee

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ucor-k-27-building-fall-2016

UCOR workers take down the final portion of Building K-27, achieving Vision 2016, a DOE goal to remove all of the former uranium enrichment buildings at the East Tennessee Technology Park by the end of 2016. K-27 was the fifth and final gaseous diffusion building to be demolished at the site. Successful demolitions of the four other buildings were completed from 2006 to 2015. (U.S. Department of Energy photo)

 

UCOR, the U.S. Department of Energy’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, received about $3.4 million for its performance from April through September 2016, or 94 percent of the total award fee available, federal officials said.

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, recently issued the six-month fee determination scorecard for UCOR, or URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, after completing its evaluation.

“Contractor award fee evaluations determine what will be paid based on performance against stated objectives in accordance with annual award fee plans,” the DOE Office of Environmental Management, or EM, said in the EM Update electronic newsletter on December 29. “EM releases information relating to contractor fee payments to further transparency.”

According to UCOR’s scorecard, the company received an overall rating of “very good” for project management and “high confidence” for cost and schedule based on cost and schedule indexes, the newsletter said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management cuts costs by $5.4 million

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

k-27-demolition-aug-30-2016-cange-web

Sue Cange, who was manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and is now EM principal deputy assistant secretary in Washington, D.C., is pictured above at the end of demolition of the K-27 Building on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, has cut costs by $5.4 million, federal officials said.

OREM is one of several U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management, or EM, sites that reduced costs by more than $100 million in fiscal year 2016, which ended September 30.

The costs were reduced in response to a challenge from EM leaders to free more funding for cleanup, DOE said in a December 29 EM Update electronic newsletter.

The Savannah River Operations Office realized more than $34.1 million in cost reductions, officials said. It was followed by the Richland Operations Office with more than $31.6 million; Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office with more than $16.8 million; Office of River Protection with more than $12.7 million; Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management with $5.4 million; and Idaho Site with more than $4 million.

“Reducing our costs by more than $100 million is a tremendous accomplishment, and we are going to continue to look for ways to work smarter and identify further savings in fiscal year 2017,” EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Sue Cange said. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs fire rating improves

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

tennessee-fire-classifications

The Oliver Springs Fire Department announced last year that effective October 1, 2016, the department was to be an ISO class 4/4y department. That was an improvement from its previous rating of 6/9.

“This could mean a possible savings on your homeowners insurance if you live within the Town of Oliver Springs,” the Fire Department said. “This is also dependent upon your individual insurance carrier.” [Read more…]

Senior Advisory Board to continue discussing move to Civic Center

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Senior Advisory Board on Monday is scheduled to continue discussing the move of the Oak Ridge Senior Center to the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. Monday, January 9, in Room 54 of the Senior Center, which is at 728 Emory Valley Road.

See previous story here.

Middle School Math Competition is Saturday

Posted at
By 3 Comments

The Oak Ridge High School Mu Alpha Theta Math Club is hosting its first Mini Mu for any interested middle school students.

The club will have several types of math competitions, open to all levels of middle school students, on Saturday, January 7. Registration is from 8:30 to 9 a.m., and the competition is until 2 p.m. in the ORHS cafeteria, a press release said. Competitions include ciphering, individual and team tests, mental and speed math, and a poster competition. [Read more…]

Cumberland Piano Trio to perform in Oak Ridge on Jan. 21

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

cumberland-trio-2

The Cumberland Piano Trio is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

The Cumberland Piano Trio will perform in Oak Ridge on Saturday, January 21.

The concert is presented by the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association. It starts at 7 p.m. January 21 at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church.

The Cumberland Piano Trio includes violinist Susan Eddlemon, cellist Dan Allcott, and pianist Emi Kagawa. It

The January 21 concert will feature Gabriel Faure’s “Piano Trio in D minor” and Johannes Brahms’ “Piano Trio No. 1 in B major.” [Read more…]

Three more organizations raise concerns about school vouchers, to be discussed at Tuesday forum

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Three more Oak Ridge organizations have raised concerns about school vouchers, or the use of public funds for private schools. Some officials expect the issue of vouchers to be raised in the upcoming state legislative session.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education unanimously approved a voucher-related resolution in November. The school board doesn’t think vouchers should be adopted until the state’s Basic Education Program is adequately funded, and until all schools are on the same playing field. That means they would take the same tests and the same students, regardless of disabilities, Oak Ridge Board of Education Member Angi Agle said.

Although it was amended slightly, the resolution approved by the Oak Ridge school board in November “strongly opposes” taking funds from public education in any community in the state without agreement from a local school board, without a legal guarantee that the schools receiving the funds will comply with the same curriculum and testing standards required of public schools, and until the state’s Basic Education Program, or BEP, is adequately funded by the Tennessee General Assembly.

The resolution says the Tennessee General Assembly, the state’s legislature, will consider legislation in 2017 that would use public funds to pay tuition costs for students to attend private, religious, and non-religious schools. [Read more…]

New Charter Commission meets Tuesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The new Anderson County Charter Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Room 312 in the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

Agenda items include a consideration of rules, according to an agenda submitted by Charter Commission Chair V.L. Stonecipher.

The Charter Commission members are Stonecipher (District 1), Mark Alderson (District 2), Steve Emert (District 3), Tim Isbel (District 4), Jerry White (District 5), Steve Mead (District 6), David Stanley (District 7), and Bob Smallridge (District 8). [Read more…]

Lunch with the League: Making Sense of the Election

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jon Shefner

Jon Shefner

Submitted

Since the presidential election, a variety of explanations have emerged for the victory of President-elect Donald Trump, a win that surprised many political analysts and pollsters. These explanations have addressed demographic, cultural, and political shifts.

Jon Shefner, head of the Sociology Department at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville will examine these explanations, offer his own analysis, and think about the way forward in this new political landscape at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, January 3. The lunch is from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

ORNL researcher to discuss stream ecology research on Tuesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Natalie Griffiths

Natalie Griffiths (Submitted photo)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher Natalie Griffiths will talk about stream ecology research she’s been involved in and the lessons to be learned from her research at the upcoming Emory River Watershed Association, or ERWA, Annual Meeting on Tuesday, January 3, at the Obed Wild and Scenic River Visitor Center.

The 6 p.m. meeting will also feature a report on the Crooked Fork project by Mike Sale. There is no charge for attending the meeting, and there will be a potluck supper. ERWA will provide sandwiches and beverages, plates, etc., a press release said. There will be a silent dessert auction. [Read more…]