Oak Ridge Today

ORAU, Thurgood Marshall College Fund expand STEM opportunities for HBCU students, faculty

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ORAU and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund have joined forces to expand STEM research opportunities for students and faculty at historically black colleges and universities. On hand to sign a memorandum of understanding on March 29, 2019, were, left to right, Harry Williams, president of TMCF; Joyce Payne, founder; Andy Page, ORAU president and CEO; Desmond Stubbs, ORAU director of diversity initiatives; and Michael Stubblefield, vice chancellor for research and strategic initiatives at Southern University and A&M College, an ORAU consortium member institution. (Photo by ORAU)

ORAU and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund have joined forces to expand STEM research opportunities for students and faculty at historically black colleges and universities. On hand to sign a memorandum of understanding on March 29, 2019, were, left to right, Harry Williams, president of TMCF; Joyce Payne, founder; Andy Page, ORAU president and CEO; Desmond Stubbs, ORAU director of diversity initiatives; and Michael Stubblefield, vice chancellor for research and strategic initiatives at Southern University and A&M College, an ORAU consortium member institution. (Photo by ORAU)

 

The nation’s historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving educational institutions are often untapped resources abounding in talent, ingenuity, and expertise, but lacking in the material resources necessary for scientific research, a press release said.

Tapping into those resources is a big part of the reason ORAU and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund officially began a working relationship with the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Oak Ridge on Friday, March 29, the press release said.

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is the nation’s largest organization exclusively supporting all 47 public historically black colleges and universities.

ORAU is a national leader in connecting the best and most diverse students, recent graduates, faculty members, and professionals with meaningful mentored research experiences at national labs and other federal research facilities around the country, the press release said. [Read more…]

Kiwanis Club to hear about Oak Ridge Library on Tuesday

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Julie Forkner

Julie Forkner

The Kiwanis Club will hear about the Oak Ridge Public Library on Tuesday, April 9.

At noon meeting will include a program by Julie Forkner, who is director of the Oak Ridge Public Library. She will describe library facilities and services. Included are the Oak Ridge Room, Center for Oak Ridge Oral History (COROH), the Library’s Organizations Index of Non Profit Groups, and the help that can be given to the Library through the Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library (FOL).

Kiwanis Club of Oak Ridge meets at the Golden Oak Buffet in Oak Ridge. There is an optional luncheon at 11:40 a.m., and the program will start at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday. The meeting will be held in the small meeting room at the Golden Oak Buffet on the right side of the entrance door. The restaurant is located on 401 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge, near the stores in the Main Street Oak Ridge shopping center. [Read more…]

ADFAC’s Dine & Donate is Monday

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Joey and Steve Sherman at the Mediterranean Delight (Submitted photo)

Joey and Steve Sherman at the Mediterranean Delight (Submitted photo)

 

On Monday, April 8, several area restaurants are donating a portion of their sales to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC).

“Enjoy a fantastic lunch or dinner out, and help a valuable organization at the same time,” a press release said. “It’s a win-win!”

The featured partner restaurant for April is Mediterranean Delight, located at 160 Bus Terminal Rd, #A, in Oak Ridge.

“This little restaurant is one of the Secret City’s best kept secrets!” the press release said. “Fresh treats that you just can’t get anywhere else in town!” [Read more…]

ORNL FCU has free Community Shred Day on April 13

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ORNL Federal Credit Union will offer a free Community Shred Day on Saturday, April 13, at 9 a.m. at its Northshore and Oak Ridge branches.

ORNL FCU members, as well as the public, are invited to bring any unwanted documents, especially ones containing personal information, to one of the Community Shred Day locations and have it safely and securely destroyed at no charge by Shred-it, a press release said. A maximum of three boxes (24 inches by 12 inches by 10 inches or smaller) or 13-gallon trash bags per vehicle will be accepted.

ORNL FCU’s Northshore Branch is located at 2077 Town Center Boulevard. The Oak Ridge Branch is located at 215 South Rutgers Avenue.

Community meeting to discuss Bull Run closure on Tuesday

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Copy of Claxton Community Meeting

There will be a community meeting in Claxton on Tuesday evening to discuss the closure of the Bull Run Fossil Plant. The Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors agreed in February to close the coal-burning plant by 2023.

The meeting is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, in the Claxton Community Center at 1071 Edgemoor Road. It will include Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM) and nonprofit partners, a press release said.

“The meeting’s purpose is to give concerned residents of the community around TVA’s Bull Run Fossil Plant an opportunity to connect and to share their concerns, hopes, and questions around TVA’s recent decision to retire the Bull Run coal plant by 2023 or sooner,” the press release said. “Now is the time to begin a dialog to protect our community’s common interests.”

Organizers said they are urging environmental engineers, scientists, community leaders, officials from Anderson County, the cities of Oak Ridge and Clinton, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and others to be available to share information and expertise, provide support, and address residents’ questions on coal ash, air pollution, health, worker transition, economic impacts, safe demolition and site reclamation, future site use, and property values. [Read more…]

Faith & science lecture on archaeology of Israeli women on Tuesday

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Erin Darby

Erin Darby

Were the women depicted in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible more than mothers of the children of Israel? Did they contribute to Israelite tribal survival by experimenting with food plants and seeds, shearing wool and weaving cloth, making pots and devising ways to cook, preserve, and store food? And what about their religious lives?

The second talk in the First Presbyterian–First United Methodist Church Faith-and-Science Lecture Series will be on “The Archaeology of Women in Ancient Israel.” The lecture will be presented by Erin Darby, associate professor of religious studies and co-director of the ‘Ayn Gharandal Archaeological Project at the University of Tennessee.

Darby will deliver her lecture at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 2, in the fellowship hall of the sanctuary building of First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge, 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Refreshments will be served.

An archaeologist, Darby takes UT students to Jordan every other summer to learn about human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. [Read more…]

Challenges in public education to be discussed Tuesday

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The next Lunch with the League program will be held on Tuesday, April 2. The speaker will be Benita Albert, author and long-time educator in Oak Ridge.

Albert will discuss “Challenges in Public Education: Present and Future,” a press release said. She taught mathematics at Oak Ridge High School for 44 years, retiring in 2012. She has served as a college board consultant in Advanced Placement Calculus, conducting training programs for teachers across the country, since 1975.

Albert has authored or co-authored for many textbook publishers and mathematics ancillaries. Her honors include Presidential Awardee for Mathematics in 1991 and selection to the USA Today All-American Teacher Team in 2007.

As a member of the board of the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, Albert has served as co-editor-in-chief of the book “Celebrating 75 Years of Excellence in the Oak Ridge Schools, 1944-2018.” [Read more…]

ASAP of Anderson, Oak Ridge Schools, ORPD collaborate to launch new school safety app

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Oak Ridge Schools is collaborating with Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County and the Oak Ridge Police Department to launch a new monitoring program that will allow parents and students to anonymously report concerns about student safety 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

The program includes an anonymous tip reporting application, which is part of the P3 Campus family of apps designed specifically for use in schools as part of student safety and mental health, a press release said. The local version app will be branded AlertORS, and will be available to all students in the Oak Ridge School district on Tuesday, April 2. Reports can be made through the P3 Campus mobile app or through any web browser at P3Campus.com.

“AlertORS will help students and community members be proactive in the emotional and physical well-being of their peers by giving them a tool to make anonymous reports quickly, easily, and interactively,” the press release said. “Users can report a wide range of concerns from mental health issues to threats of violence. ORS has designated team members for two-way communication when a tip is reported so that staff members are able to respond to students directly through the P3 Campus app and keep the conversation completely anonymous.” [Read more…]

Design forum for Pennsylvania-North Tulane intersection is Wednesday

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UT Intersection Project Open Forum April 3 2019

Students from the University of Tennessee are planning to host a virtual open forum as they continue to explore alternative designs for the intersection at Pennsylvania and North Tulane Avenues in Oak Ridge, a press release said. The event will be accessible via Facebook Live on Wednesday, April 3, from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m.

The effort is part of a senior project for the students from UT’s College of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the press release said. The Oak Ridge Public Works Department teamed up with the group to evaluate designs that would potentially realign the intersections of North Tulane Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Providence Road, and East Pasadena Road.

The students held their first open forum in early March at Oak Ridge Public Library, where they introduced themselves and gathered public opinions and concerns. In the upcoming open forum, students will build on the feedback received so far and present conceptual drawings of alternatives that are under consideration, the press release said. [Read more…]

Thanks to Tennessee Reconnect grant, school bus driver pursuing her dream to become a teacher

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Gioconda "Gio" Duran

Gioconda “Gio” Duran

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

This school bus driver is hitting the books in between routes in her quest to become a teacher.

Gioconda “Gio” Duran, 44, is a Tennessee Reconnect student at Roane State Community College. Thanks to the Tennessee Reconnect grant, eligible adults can now attend Roane State tuition-free.

Duran said Tennessee Reconnect “is a big reason why I wanted to go back to school.”

Her 19-year-old son, John Duran Jr., is also enrolled with scholarships at the college’s Roane County campus. [Read more…]

Celebrity jewelry featured in show at Karen’s Jewelers

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Estate jewelry, including many pieces previously owned by celebrities, will be on display on Thursday, April 11, and on Friday, April 12, at Karen’s Jewelers in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

Estate jewelry, including many pieces previously owned by celebrities, will be on display on Thursday, April 11, and on Friday, April 12, at Karen’s Jewelers in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

A necklace that once belonged to Prince—the late singer, songwriter, and musician—and a money clip owned by actor and dancer Patrick Swayze, famed for his roles in “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost,” will be among celebrity items featured at an Estate Jewelry Show and Sale on Thursday and Friday, April 11 and 12, at Karen’s Jewelers in Oak Ridge.

The show and sale will offer hundreds of jewelry pieces priced from $500 to more than $50,000, including rings, bracelets, earrings, brooches, pendants, and necklaces. The event will take place from 1-7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Karen’s Jewelers, which is located at 1120 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

“The show will feature an array of precious and semi-precious gems, as well as platinum and a wide selection of colors and karats of gold, reflecting the beauty and craftmanship of bygone eras,” said Martha Hart, of Karen’s Jewelers. Jewelry is considered estate jewelry if it is previously owned, though not always from an estate, she said. Such jewelry is considered antique if it is more than 100 years old.

Among other celebrity jewelry featured at the show and sale will be pieces that belonged to actors Bette Midler, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Basinger, Bea Arthur, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Linda Gray, and child star Shirley Temple. Other famous names represented in the show and sale are Gene Autry, Elvis Presley, Hugh Hefner, Joan Rivers, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis. [Read more…]

Fiberology Lab has grand opening today

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The Fiberology Lab

A new business in Jackson Square, The Fiberology Lab, has a grand opening today (Saturday, March 30).

The grand opening is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was scheduled at 9 a.m. with the Jackson Square Business Association.

Demonstrative activities will be available throughout the day for all ages, including spinning, sewing, scissor sharping, making a mini project, and more, a press release said.

“The Fiberology Lab is a locally owned business that will cater to all fiber enthusiasts,” the press release said. “There will be yarn and fabric in a variety of colors and textures. The Fiberology Lab will offer classes to learn techniques for all skill levels.” [Read more…]