Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge’s first female Eagle Scout expands church’s community garden

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Haley Snyder and the Welcome Garden she built at First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge, earning her the rank of Eagle Scout. She is the first female to achieve this honor in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

Haley Snyder, a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and currently a freshman at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, is the first female in Oak Ridge to have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. She is a member of Troop 42G of the Boy Scouts of America, which is chartered by First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge.

In 2019, the Boy Scouts of America changed its policies to allow girls to form their own Scouts BSA troops and follow the path to Eagle Scout. The session of the Oak Ridge church voted that year to support Troop 42 in forming a female troop.

Haley’s Eagle Scout project was to expand the church’s community garden by building fenced-in garden plots beside the church’s education building, which houses the Early Head Start of Anderson County program. “The new garden consists of seven garden beds, each 4 feet by 16 feet, and a chain link fence surrounding it,” Haley said.

She added that the new garden will allow food-insecure community members access to fresh vegetables distributed through the church’s Welcome Table monthly meal-and-groceries program, as well as provide learning opportunities for Early Head Start students. Early Head Start programs provide family-centered services for low-income families with young children. [Read more…]

Scott Jamison receives Children’s Museum Friend of the Child Award

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Scott Jamison, a Children’s Museum volunteer who received the Friend of the Child Award, teaches a summer camp annually in the Museum’s Craft and Science Room. (Submitted photo)

Submitted

When Scott Jamison is teaching children about crime scene investigation or sharing his telecommunications skills at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, he arrives with a smile that shows his selflessness and generosity.

Jamison recently received the museum’s annual Friend of the Child Award for volunteering his business and telecommunications skills, as well as his teaching skills, when the staff seeks his help.

“When Scott walks in the door, frequently responding to urgent pleas for help, there is only one desire—and that is to make things work,” said Ronnie Bogard, former museum board member who presented the award to Jamison.

The award is presented in memory of Selma Shapiro, Bogard’s mother and the museum’s executive director for its first 31 years. With her vision and resourcefulness, Shapiro built the museum from a its single-room beginnings to fill a former school building. The award was established to honor an individual who has contributed in a big way to the success of the museum. [Read more…]

First Presbyterian offers free meal & groceries Thursday

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First Presbyterian Church will provide a free meal and bag of groceries to food-insecure guests who drive by the church between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 11, a press release said.

The church’s monthly “Welcome Table” community meal program plans to supply each guest with a hot meal consisting of taco soup, Fritos chips, fresh fruit, and brownies or cookies.

In addition, a bag of groceries will be delivered to each car. The bag contains these ingredients for an Easter meal: canned ham, macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables, canned fruit, and cookies or Little Debbie cakes for dessert, the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Library to re-open in phases starting March 29

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Oak Ridge Public Library
The Oak Ridge Public Library is pictured above.

After a year of the coronavirus pandemic and renovations to the building, Oak Ridge Public Library will re-open on March 29. The library will re-open in two phases, the city said in a press release.

The first phase, from March 29 through May 29, will allow patrons to browse the main library and Children’s Room, use public computers, and enjoy the newly renovated library space, the press release said. Library hours will be limited to Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Curbside pickup will continue during this first phase. Curbside hours, however, will change to Monday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., the press release said.

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NNSA has virtual hiring event on March 31

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration will have a virtual hiring event on Wednesday, March 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Registration for the event is now open. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, a press release said, although candidates will have the opportunity to register and submit resumes up until the day of the event.

Registration is available here.

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Ray Burney promoted to ORFD battalion chief

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Ray Burney

Ray Burney has been promoted to battalion chief in the Oak Ridge Fire Department.

Burney, who has recently served as an Oak Ridge Fire Department captain, takes on the new role following Eric Rackard’s promotion to fire marshal last month, the city said in a press release.

Burney will be battalion chief of the ORFD’s A Shift.

“I truly do appreciate Chief (Travis) Solomon for giving me this opportunity in my career, and I look forward to working with everyone,” Burney said.

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Victim of Claxton shooting reported to be in critical but stable condition

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The victim of a shooting in Claxton on Thursday was reported to be in critical but stable condition on Friday.

The shooting was reported Thursday on Edgemoor Road at Mooncrest Lane, across from the Dollar General Store.

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Oak Ridge man dies in motorcycle crash on Oak Ridge Turnpike

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A 66-year-old man died Thursday after police said he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed on Oak Ridge Turnpike, according to the city.

The Oak Ridge Police Department responded to the crash, which was in front of Oak Ridge High School, at about 6:13 p.m. Thursday. The initial investigation shows that James Lynch lost control of the motorcycle, which then slid on its side for about 50 feet before hitting the back of a small van, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

Lynch later died at Methodist Medical Center.

Witnesses told investigators the sun was in Lynch’s eyes. Investigators also believe speed was a factor, the press release said. No use of drugs or alcohol are suspected.

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Roane State helps with experiment to provide high-speed Internet access to rural communities

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Roane State Community College played a crucial role in an experiment to get high-speed Internet to rural communities currently lacking what’s become an essential component of modern life. (Photo by Yvette Gooden/University of Tennessee)

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Roane State Community College played a crucial role in an experiment to get high-speed Internet to rural communities currently lacking what’s become an essential component of modern life.

It’s an effort to bridge the digital divide in Roane County, where about 30 percent of households lack access to robust, affordable broadband internet.

That includes some 6,000 students who must have internet access for online learning.

Internet access “is paramount in current situations such as COVID-19 and the remote learning requirements it presents,” said Egon Hillermann. He’s the director of ROANEnet, an organization that advocates for improving high-speed internet access.

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Parking at Melton Lake Park to be closed for regatta March 13 & 14

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Rowing at Melton Hill Lake (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The parking lots at Melton Lake Park will be closed to the public during a regatta next week.

The regatta, the 2021 Oak Ridge Louisville Cardinal Invitational Regatta, is scheduled on Saturday, March 13, and Sunday, March 14. It’s hosted by the City of Oak Ridge in partnership with the Oak Ridge Rowing Association, a press release said.

It’s an invitation-only event, and it will feature elite college women’s rowing teams who will compete in one of the first events of the season, the press release said.

To comply with ACC and Big 10 COVID-19 guidelines, this is a “no spectator” event, the press release said. As a result, the parking lots at Melton Lake Park will be closed to the public during the regatta, the release said.

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ORISE receives DOE silver award for GreenBuy program

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OAK RIDGE, Tenn.— The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education was recognized recently as a silver-level recipient of the U.S. Department of Energy’s GreenBuy award for fiscal year 2020. The GreenBuy Award Program recognizes DOE sites for achieving stringent sustainable acquisition goals which extend beyond the government’s “green” minimum compliance requirements.

ORISE received the bronze level award in the fiscal years of 2019, 2018 and 2015. The sliver level achieved this past fiscal year required meeting more stringent goals of select products in categories. For example, the bronze level required that ORISE meet the goals of four products in at least two categories. Under the silver level, those requirements increased to six products in at least three categories.

“Environmental stewardship is fundamental to ORISE and our commitment that all programmatic and business functions will operate in a way that is both safe and environmentally sustainable; we are also proud that we have recycled more than we threw away for the past several years,” said ORISE Director Jim Vosburg. “ORISE is honored for our purchasing efforts to be recognized with DOE’s silver-level GreenBuy award; we were able to achieve it through exceptional multi-departmental coordination to integrate sustainable products and energy-efficient equipment and systems into our facilities and operations.”

ORISE’s silver-level award is based on six products/goals: 1) Mobile Phones, 2) Imaging Equipment (Copiers, Multifunctional Devices, Printers), 3) Computers & Displays (Desktops, Integrated, Monitors, Notebooks, Tablets, Thin Clients, Workstations), 4) Chillers, 5) IT Calculation Goal, and 6) IT Recycling Goal. These products spanned three GreenBuy Program product categories; 1) Construction, 2) Electronics, and 3) Other.

Fiscal year 2020 products had to meet one, and in some cases multiple, environmental standards, including Energy Star® certified; EPEAT GOLD, SILVER and/or BRONZE registered; and Federal Energy Management Program standards. The IT Recycling goal, new to the GreenBuy Program in fiscal year 2020, was achieved by ORISE since 100 percent of the electronic equipment sent for recycling was recycled by R2 Certified Recyclers, which is the leading standard for electronics repair and recycling. The R2 Standard provides a common set of processes, safety measures, and documentation requirements for businesses that repair and recycle used electronics.

For more information on the DOE GreenBuy Award Program, visit https://www.energy.gov/ehss/greenbuy-awards

About ORISE
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is a U.S. Department of Energy asset that is dedicated to enabling critical scientific, research, and health initiatives of the department and its laboratory system by providing world-class expertise in STEM workforce development, scientific and technical reviews, and the evaluation of radiation exposure and environmental contamination. ORISE is managed by ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and federal contractor, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science

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Visit our website: https://orise.orau.gov

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Blasius to discuss Downtown Oak Ridge on Tuesday

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Wayne Blasius

Wayne Blasius, community development director for the City of Oak Ridge, will discuss the current status of Downtown Oak Ridge during a lunchtime meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting will be hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, and it will be online. League members and nonmembers receiving this announcement will receive the zoom link before March 2, a press release said.

For instructions on how to access the presentation on Tuesday, send an email to maryannreeves1@att.net. A couple of days following the presentation, you may view the recorded session on the League’s website at https://my.lwv.org/tennessee/oak-ridge.

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