Oak Ridge Today

In first run for office, Farmer seeks seat on Charter Commission

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Howard Farmer

Howard Farmer

Howard Farmer, a longtime educator and farmer, is seeking one of eight seats on the Anderson County Charter Commission. It’s Farmer’s first run for public office, a press release said.

Farmer wants to represent District 5, which includes the Dutch Valley, Clinton High School, Marlow, and Norwood precincts.

“I’ve voted my entire adult life, but this is the first time I’ve stepped forward to run for an office,” Farmer said. “I’m running because it is so important that we exact term limits. We have a lot of great people in Anderson County, but we’re not tapping into their talent and potential because of career politicians. We need term limits so we can benefit from new and fresh ideas.” [Read more…]

Moore cites city, county government experience in run for Charter Commission

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Kathy Moore

Kathy Moore

Longtime Oak Ridger Kathy Moore has announced that she is running for one of eight seats on the Anderson County Charter Commission, a press release said.

Moore supports term limits. The press release said term limits would give more people an opportunity to participate in local government as candidates and as board members.

Moore said she wants to use her experiences to serve as the representative from the Eighth District. That district includes the Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, and Woodland voting precincts.

“As a lifelong Oak Ridger with experience in both city and county government, I believe I can provide knowledgeable input into the charter process,” Moore said. “A charter has worked well for the City of Oak Ridge, ensuring that citizens are an active part of our government. I want the same for Anderson County in order to move us forward.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Housing Authority director retiring after 33 years

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Jim Carson

Jim Carson

Jim Carson, executive director of the Oak Ridge Housing Authority, is retiring after 33 years.

Carson, an Oak Ridge resident, announced his intent to retire on December 31 at the September 26 ORHA board meeting, a press release said. Carson has been ORHA executive director for 33 years.

ORHA has an operating budget of about $1 million, and it has about nine employees, the press release said. It manages 128 public housing units on sites scattered around the city, and it currently issues roughly 230 Housing Choice Vouchers and 35 Veterans Assisted Supportive Housing vouchers. [Read more…]

League of Women Voters cancels Tuesday candidate forum

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The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge has canceled the candidate forum that had been scheduled for Tuesday, October 18. The forum was for Tennessee legislative and Third District congressional candidates.

The League of Women Voters said it announced the cancellation “with extreme regret.”

Several of the candidates were unable to attend due to prior commitments or other issues, a press release said. [Read more…]

Emergency crews use boat to rescue injured mountain biker

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Emergency crews use a boat to rescue an injured mountain biker from Haw Ridge Park on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016. (Submitted photo)

 

Emergency crews used a boat to rescue a mountain biker with a broken ankle in Haw Ridge Park on Sunday, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responded at 5:12 p.m. Sunday, October 16. Dispatchers had received a reported a man down on a Haw Ridge bike trail with a broken ankle.

The Oak Ridge 911 dispatchers were able to ping the caller’s cell phone and determine the approximate location of the accident, a press release said. They determined the biker was near the water on the southeast side of the trail.

Oak Ridge paramedics from Engine 3 and Rescue 1 began hiking to the incident while the rescue boat responded and was launched from Solway Park boat ramp. The ORFD boat located the patient within 25 minutes of the call, the press release said. [Read more…]

Education Foundation’s Lawler Scholarship helps student; applications accepted

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Tiffany Potok and Scotland architecture (Submitted photo)

 

Tiffany Potok met students from throughout the world as an honors student at University of Glasgow, one of Europe’s oldest universities. Along with Scottish students, she met Canadians and lived in a flat with students from Brazil, China, Cyprus, and Malaysia during the spring semester this year.

She studied the Scottish enlightenment and took neuroscience courses while there. And she brought home some life lessons as well.

“One of the main take-aways I have is this: We focus way too much on cultural differences and how that separates us,” Potok said. “We need to focus more on what makes us all human.”

She was the recipient of the 2016 Dr. Adrian R. Lawler Exchange Student Scholarship, which provided funds to assist with her international studies experience. [Read more…]

Free small business start-up seminar on Oct. 28

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The Tennessee Small Business Development Center is offering a free workshop on how to start a small business.

It will be held on Friday, October 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, which is at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

You can register at (865) 483-2668 or jbangs@tsbdc.org.

This press release was submitted by Jutta Bangs.

MORE2 helping Oak Ridger save money on utility bills

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New HVAC for Mike Holmes (Submitted photo)

 

Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient, or MORE2, is making great changes for some Oak Ridge residents. “Saving money” was the response of a recent participant as the most important—and his favorite part—of MORE2.

Saving energy, which can lower utility bills, is one of the primary goals of MORE2, a program funded by the Tennessee Valley Authority that kicked off in April and began retrofitting the homes of qualified Oak Ridge residents with no-cost energy upgrades, such as new HVAC and water heating units.

“My favorite part of this program is saving money, followed by how professional everyone was,” said Mike Holmes, a truck driver who recently retired early due to medical challenges. [Read more…]

Refugee resettlement in Tennessee the topic at Lunch with League on Tuesday

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Holly Johnson

Holly Johnson

What exactly is a refugee? How do they get to the United States? Are they screened and vetted? What services do they receive when they get here? Why should I care?

Holly Johnson will answer all of these questions when she addresses the hot-button issue of refugee resettlement in Tennessee at the next Lunch with the League. The program will be held on Tuesday, October 18, at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The community is invited to attend.

Lunch with the League is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber to host City Council forum on Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy Committee is hosting its final forum of the 2016 election season. The forum for candidates running for Oak Ridge City Council will be held at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 18, in the Joyce Conference Room at the Chamber, which is at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The forum is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. All candidates for City Council—Jim Dodson, Wende Doolittle, Anne Garcia Garland, Chuck Hope, Joe Lee, Mark LeNoir, and Hans Vogel—have indicated their intention to participate in the forum, a press release said. [Read more…]

Cuban-U.S. relations the topic of Oct. 31 lecture

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Henry Heredia

Henry Heredia

 

The social, cultural, and environmental development of Cuban society will be the topic of the next lecture in the third annual Roane State Community College–Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning Intergenerational Lecture Series.
Henry Heredia, an international relations specialist from Havana, Cuba, will speak on Monday, October 31, at 4 p.m. in the City Room (A-111) in Roane State’s Coffey-McNally Building on the Oak Ridge Campus at the corner of Briarcliff Avenue and Laboratory Road.

He will also speak on how the perceptions that Cubans and Americans have of each other have changed since President Barack Obama’s announcement in December 2014 that normalized American relations with the island nation. People across the U.S. are curious to know more about Cuba and its people, and some Americans have already visited Cuba, prompting changes in perceptions.

An engaging lecturer who speaks English fluently, Heredia can address many questions Americans have regarding Cuban culture, education, history, and social and environmental policies, a press release said. Since 2013, he has lectured at numerous prestigious institutions in the U.S. [Read more…]

Attorney to discuss charter government at Democratic Women’s Club Meeting

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Joe Jarret

Joe Jarret

 

Joe Jarret, an attorney who has served two different charter county governments as law director-chief legal counsel, will speak next week at the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club. The meeting, which includes a pot luck dinner, will start at 6 p.m. Monday, October 24, in the Club Room of the Clinton Community Center, which is at 101 South Hicks Street in Clinton.

Jarret will discuss the mechanics and practical effects of a charter form of government. He has served three different government entities as chief legal counsel, the most recent being Knox County. During his service there, he provided legal advice to the 27-member Charter Review Commission during months of public hearings.

A federal and state mediator, the attorney has practiced law for more than 24 years. He is chair of the Tennessee Bar Association City/County/Local Government Law Section, and past president of the East Tennessee Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration and the Tennessee Valley Mediation Association. [Read more…]