Oak Ridge Today

Retired nuclear, power engineer running for City Council

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Pedro Otaduy

Pedro Otaduy

Pedro Otaduy, a retired nuclear and power engineer, is running for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 4 municipal election.

In a press release, Otaduy said he agrees with the current mayor, Tom Beehan, who is not seeking re-election, that “it is time for new leadership to take a fresh look at moving Oak Ridge forward.”

“I am a candidate because I care and feel strongly about the need for change in this city,” Otaduy said. “Fresh looks though, are not enough: Actions and new ideas are needed. Looking without a vision does not help either.”

Otaduy said he is a proud Oak Ridger, born a Basque with the gene of independence. [Read more…]

Traffic Safety, Environmental Advisory board member running for City Council

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Aditya "Doc" Savara

Aditya “Doc” Savara

Aditya “Doc” Savara, a member of two city boards, is running for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 4 municipal election.

In a press release, Savara said he has been involved in local politics during the past two years and served on the Traffic Safety Advisory Board and the Environmental Quality Advisory Board. Savara said he has attended and commented during public comment periods at City Council meetings, is knowledgeable about the issues facing the city, and has been vocal about them.

“In 2012-2013, an ordinance came before Oak Ridge City Council regarding whether property owners Jack and Myra Mansfield could build a single home on their property in a neighborhood zoned as R1, for single-family dwellings,” Savara said in the release. “Adjacent homeowners asserted property values would drop if the Mansfields were allowed to build a home on the open space. I pointed out that the neighbors could have bought the open property themselves if they wanted to keep it as open space. I stated that the neighbors didn’t want to buy the cow, but wanted to have the milk for free, and that it was not too late for the neighbors to make the Mansfields a fair offer. [Read more…]

OREA has ‘Meet the Candidates, Meet the Educators’ at ORHS today

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The Oak Ridge Education Association is having a “Meet the Candidates, Meet the Educators” event at the high school this afternoon.

It’s scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. today (Wednesday, October 22) at the Oak Ridge High School amphitheater.

“Because of the plethora of candidate forums in recent weeks (and the number of candidates), our event will not be so much a traditional candidate forum as much as a ‘conversation’ about public education,” a press release said. “Each candidate will have the opportunity to speak for three-five minutes on their views on educational issues pertinent to the office that he/she is seeking. Once each candidate has spoken, the event will transition into a ‘meet and greet,’ during which you can chat with individual candidates about questions that you have. [Read more…]

Watson to discuss State of the City at Lunch with League on Tuesday

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson will discuss the State of the City with the League of Women Voters on Tuesday.

During the annual event, Watson is also expected to give his perspective on issues facing the city, a press release said.

The Tuesday meeting starts at noon Tuesday, October 21, in the Social Hall of the new Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church location at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike (north of the Joe L. Evins Federal Building, which is home to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office). [Read more…]

AC Commission replaces Phillips with Bates

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Zach Bates

Zach Bates

WYSH Radio/Oak Ridge Today

The Anderson County Commission has voted to replace Chris Phillips in Commission District 4 with the man whose vacated seat he won in August.

Phillips resigned his Commission seat—won in the August 7 election—so that he could return to work as the county’s budget and accounts director after leaving that post earlier this year to become city recorder in his native Rocky Top. Phillips left the county government to help the town update its accounting practices as it makes the transition from Lake City to Rocky Top and prepares for what is expected to be a busy time for the city. [Read more…]

County Commission to consider OR mall TIF, District 4 appointment

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Oak Ridge Village Area Rendering

 

The Anderson County Commission will consider extending the tax increment financing agreement for the former Oak Ridge Mall from 20 years to 30 on Monday morning.

The Anderson County Operations Committee recommended approving the 10-year TIF extension during a meeting last week. The TIF would use new property tax revenues generated at the mall site and 120 surrounding acres included in the TIF area to help pay for the redevelopment. [Read more…]

Garcia Garland running for re-election to City Council

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Anne Garcia Garland

Anne Garcia Garland

Oak Ridge City Council member Anne Garcia Garland is running for re-election in the November 4 municipal election.

In a press release, Garcia Garland said the City Council has now begun to function like a team, the vision she had for it when she was first elected.

“The five members who have been meeting to consider policy and long-term planning have begun to realize how much more can be accomplished in this way,” Garcia Garland said. “I believe that if we can do this as a Council, then we should be able to work in a similar manner with the Board of Education and move forward together.”

Actions by the city government have shown that TIFs (tax increment financing) are useful for investing in new businesses, and the growth of the Illinois Avenue corridor is healthy, Garcia Garland said. She said Council encouraged the Kroger development by changing zoning and permitting traffic signals, and that center inspired the investment in Oak Ridge by the new mall developers. [Read more…]

Savara has meet and greet this evening

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Aditya "Doc" Savara

Aditya “Doc” Savara

Aditya “Doc” Savara, a candidate for Oak Ridge City Council, has a meet-and-greet this evening.

“With so many people entering the race for Oak Ridge City Council, it’s helpful to have a chance to get your questions and issues heard,” Savara said.

The meet-and-greet is on East Drive between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. today (Sunday, October 19).

To RSVP and receive further details, send an email to [email protected].

Safety, health, business manager running for OS Town Council

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Nathan Benson

Nathan Benson

OLIVER SPRINGS—Nathan Benson of Oliver Springs is running for Oliver Springs alderman in Ward 4 in the November 4 municipal election.

Benson and his wife Jennifer (Wright) Benson graduated from Oliver Springs High School in 2001. They have two children named Riley and Addison Benson that attend Norwood Middle and Elementary schools.

Benson served in the Tennessee Army National Guard 278th Armored Calvary Regiment as a calvary scout after graduating from high school. During his six years in the service, he was deployed to Iraq as a sergeant assigned to the Regimental Protective Services Detail.

Benson is now employed with Canberra Industries in Oak Ridge as the safety, health, and business improvement manager, a press release said. He has been employed with them for nearly 12 years, including his leave of absence to serve overseas. [Read more…]

Progress PAC endorses three each for City Council, BOE

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Kelly Callison

Kelly Callison

Ellen Smith

Ellen Smith

Warren L. Gooch

Warren L. Gooch

 

The new Progress PAC political action committee has endorsed three candidates each for Oak Ridge City Council and Oak Ridge Board of Education.

The three candidates endorsed in the City Council race are Kelly Callison, Warren Gooch, and Ellen Smith. The three endorsed in the School Board race are Bob Eby, Paige Marshall, and Laura McLean.

“PAC board members feel these candidates best support exceptional schools and jobs in Oak Ridge via teamwork between the Board of Education and City Council,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Mosby seeks re-election to City Council

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David Mosby

David Mosby

David Mosby is seeking re-election to the Oak Ridge City Council in the November 4 municipal election.

“I am ready to continue my service to the citizens,” Mosby said in a press release.

Mosby was first elected to Council in 2001, and he said he remains committed to listening and acting to make Oak Ridge a great place to live, work, and visit.

“His Council record reflects a thoughtful and balanced approach to decision making based on his concern for people, fiscal responsibility, and support for new initiatives that enhance our quality of life,” the press release said. “He is active in the community and holds the belief that ‘We become better by working together!'” [Read more…]

Early voting begins Wednesday, October 15

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Vote Logo

Information from WYSH Radio

Early voting for the November 4 general election in Anderson County begins Wednesday, October 15, and runs through Thursday, October 30.

Early voting hours Monday through Friday will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at the Clinton Community Center, the Midtown Community Center in Oak Ridge, and at the North Anderson Government Office in the Anderson Crossing Shopping Center in the Norris/Andersonville area. [Read more…]