Oak Ridge Today

Party In The Park on Saturday will feature free family fun

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Party in the Park on Saturday will feature family-friendly activities for children and adults, crime prevention presentations and information, free food, and more.

It’s free and presented by the Oak Ridge Police Department and Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program.

Party in the Park is scheduled from 12 to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 29, from 12 to 5 p.m. at Alvin K. Bissell Park near the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

Party in the Park is designed to heighten awareness of crime and drug prevention, to generate support for local anti-crime programs, and to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, a press release said. [Read more…]

Gem Show at Karen’s Jewelers this week to feature 60,000 rough, cut gemstones

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Gary Bowersox, right, joins a miner at a Colombia emerald mine after lecturing at the First International Emerald Symposium there. (Submitted photo)

 

Explorer and gem hunter Gary Bowersox will bring a Smithsonian-style gem show to Karen’s Jewelers this week that will feature more than 60,000 rough and cut gemstones and jewelry. The show will feature many new cut gems, including finished jewelry pieces of Afghanistan emerald, Tajikistan ruby, and Vietnam aquamarine.

The gem show, “Magnificent Gemstones of the World,” will be presented from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, October 27 and 28, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, October 29, at Karen’s Jewelers, which is at 1120 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The Lady of the Nile aquamarine, a designer piece valued at $86,000, will be among one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry at the show, which will include gems valued from $5 to $100,000. Bowersox purchased the rough aquamarine at Thuong Xuan, Vietnam, then took it to fourth-generation carver Uli Pauly in Germany for carving in the Egyptian theme. Jewelry designer Gregg Crawford finished the piece, which is set in an 18-carat gold Egyptian motif with 12 platinum prongs surrounded by three Afghanistan emeralds and 1.14 carats of fine diamonds.

Besides emerald, ruby, and aquamarine, the exhibit includes garnet, tourmaline, lapis lazuli, amethyst, topaz, sapphire, and kunzite. The exhibit features gems often seen only in museums. [Read more…]

Column: Hope, the incumbent, responds to PAC endorsements

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Chuck Hope

Chuck Hope

By Chuck Hope

First of all, I want to say congratulations to Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, and Hans Vogel on being endorsed by the Chamber’s Progress PAC political action committee. I think it is important for the citizens of Oak Ridge to know that those three candidates are not the only candidates who support a vital economic development plan for Oak Ridge.

My community involvement has been extensive, serving on both the Chamber Board and the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the City’s Beer Permit Board before being appointed to Council. I was selected by a council majority in July 2011 to fill a vacated council seat and successfully ran for election in 2012. My vision for economic development is to continue to grow our retail sector while continuing to work harder on industrial growth opportunities. Growth like carbon fiber, whose industry is showing a lot of promise right now.

I want voters to know that I was the top vote-getter in my first election, and I am one of just a few Council members that have been on both the Chamber of Commerce Board (chairman in 2010) and City Council. I have been a businessman in Oak Ridge since 1982, and during the past 15 years, I have supported the City/Chamber contracts and aligned myself with what I thought to be the Chamber’s “mission, vision, and legislative priorities,” and worked closely with the Oak Ridge Board of Education. [Read more…]

Children’s mental health advocate to discuss AWARE program in AC Schools on Monday

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Kim Guinn

Kim Guinn

Kim Guinn, an advocate for children’s mental health, will discuss the Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education, or AWARE, program in Anderson County Schools during a meeting on Monday.

Guinn is director of the Project AWARE initiative for Anderson County Schools.

The Monday program is at 11:30 a.m. October 24 in Room 102 of the Activities Building of First Presbyterian Church. It’s presented by the AAUW, Oak Ridge Branch.

The AWARE program is supported by a federal five-year-grant to help students with mental health or substance abuse issues, a press release said. In this program, teachers and other adults who interact with young people are taught “mental health first aid.” [Read more…]

Owl Prowl at UT Arboretum on Saturday

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Owl Prowl is Saturday. It’s one of the most popular events offered at the University of Tennessee Arboretum.

Owl Prowl is sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society and the Clinch River Raptor Center. Kathy Strunk and Katie Cottrell, naturalists from the Clinch River Raptor Center, will bring live owls for display and will give information about their natural history, a press release said.

Owl Prowl is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, October 22, at the UT Arboretum, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Get rid of expired, unused medicines on Saturday

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You can get rid of unused, unwanted, or expired prescription or non-prescription medicines on Saturday. It’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

You can drop off the medications at locations in Clinton, Norris, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, and Rocky Top.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications, a press release said.

Oak Ridge and Anderson County participate by encouraging residents across the city and county to properly dispose of their unused, unwanted, or expired prescription or non-prescription medicines, the press release said. Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) of Anderson County has partnered with the Oak Ridge Police Department and other law enforcement agencies throughout the county to give two convenient options to residents for proper medicine disposal. [Read more…]

Lockdown lifted at Oak Ridge High School

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A lockdown was lifted at Oak Ridge High School Thursday morning after a staff member called police saying she spotted an unknown person walking outside one of the buildings.

The initial call came into the Oak Ridge Police Department at 10:52 a.m. Thursday, authorities said. The first officers were on scene within minutes and the school was placed on a level three lockdown.

The staff member told officers she saw a man dressed in all black clothing walking by the windows of the Secret City Academy building. She and other staff said they were alarmed after seeing the man act suspiciously, possibly jumping over a fence and several railings, so they called police, a City of Oak Ridge press release said.

ORPD officers searched the exterior school property while the school resource officer assisted staff inside the school. No one was found. Officers believe the person left the area before they arrived. [Read more…]

Cooper, a Vietnam veteran, longtime industrial recruiter, running for Charter Commission in District 2

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Jim Cooper

Jim Cooper

Jim Cooper, a Vietnam veteran and former president of the Melton Hill Regional Industrial Association, is running for one of eight seats on the Anderson County Charter Commission in the November 8 election.

Cooper is running for the District 2 seat. District 2 includes the Clinton Community Center, South Clinton, and North Clinton voting precincts.

“The City of Clinton has had a charter form of government since 1954, and instituting a charter government in Anderson County presents our county with the opportunity to enact term limits,” Cooper said. “I support term limits (two consecutive four-year terms) for the offices of county commissioners and mayor. I also support electing commissioners for staggered terms—meaning we don’t elect all 16 in just one election year.” [Read more…]

Letter: Dodson a leader with knowledge, temperament to make Oak Ridge the community of choice

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This election season is one of the most important one in years. There are clear choices as to leadership and style as to who will lead us. Yes, the Presidential election is one of them, but the most important election for Oak Ridge is who will serve on our City Council.

I will be voting for Jim Dodson. He is a leader with the knowledge and temperament to make Oak Ridge the community of choice for those who want to live and work in a community that has safe neighborhoods, good schools, and steady economic growth. [Read more…]

Letter: Dodson works well with others, listens and encourages, helps achieve compromise and goals

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To the Editor:

I am asking for your vote for Jim Dodson for Oak Ridge City Council. I think that Jim’s greatest strength is his ability to work well with other people, listening and encouraging their ideas, helping to achieve compromise and workable goals. Because of his innately respectful attitude, he brings people together to reach consensus. This is what we need for city council to function effectively and look to the future.

Jim has served this community in so many ways. Always as a talented art teacher first with that being extended to include the Arts Council, the Dogwood Chalk Drawing Contest on Market Square, the Children’s Museum, and the Regional Student Art Exhibitions. He has also given of himself to United Way, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Sunset Rotary Club. I now have the pleasure of serving with Jim on the Celebrate Oak Ridge board, the independent board that began as the Secret City Task Force. [Read more…]

Anderson County Chamber has Job Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 26

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The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce will host a Job Fair to recruit employees for local businesses and industries on Wednesday, October 26. The Job Fair is scheduled from 3-7 p.m. at Anderson County High School, which is at 130 Maverick Circle in Clinton.

This one-day event allows job seekers to connect face-to-face with local businesses and industries seeking employees, a press release said.

Job Fair exhibitors to date include: 3M, Aisin Automotive Casting Tennessee, American Employer Group, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, Clayton Homes, Eagle Bend Manufacturing, East Tennessee Personal Care Service, Emory Valley Center, Express Employment Professionals, Greenfield Senior Living, Health Markets, Home Helpers of East Tennessee, King University, MAG-USA, Inc., Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), Powder Cote II, Protomet Corporation, Regions Bank, Roane State Community College, Sears, SL Tennessee, Techmer PM, TempSystems/TSI Industrial, Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville, Tennessee Truck Driving School, and WoodmenLife. Additional employers are being added until October 24. [Read more…]

Scott, county commissioner in District 7, running for Charter Commission

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Theresa Scott

Theresa Scott

Anderson County Commissioner Theresa Scott, who represents District 7 in Oak Ridge, is running for Charter Commission in the November 8 election.

In a press release, Scott said she thinks it is extremely important that the representation of Anderson County residents continues to be both non-partisan and knowledgeable of current government processes.

One of the proposals the Anderson County Charter Commission could consider, Scott said, is changing how the county attorney is selected, possibly making it an elected position.

In Tennessee, 91 of 95 counties appoint their county attorney, rather than electing them, Scott said. [Read more…]