Oak Ridge Today

League of Women Voters having three candidate forums

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The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge is having three candidate forums in October.

The first will be on Tuesday, October 4, at the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater. This will include the candidates for the Oak Ridge Board of Education and the Oak Ridge City Council. It will be from 7 to 9 p.m. October 4 with candidates being briefed at 6:45 p.m.

The second forum will be on Thursday, October 6, at Roane State Community College City Room on the Oak Ridge campus. This will include the Oak Ridge candidates for the Anderson County Charter Commission. To begin the forum, there will be a short presentation from a subject matter expert on the process of reviewing and changing a county charter. This forum will be from 7 to 9 p.m., with candidates being briefed at 6:45 p.m. [Read more…]

Not sure what the Charter Commission is? Hear from candidates on Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has a forum for candidates for the Anderson County Charter Commission on Tuesday morning.

It’s the first candidate forum for the November 8 election.

The Charter Commission candidate forum will start at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 20, in the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Joyce Conference Room. It’s free and open to the public.

There are 20 candidates for eight seats on the new Charter Commission. The Tuesday morning forum at the Oak Ridge Chamber will feature candidates from the county’s District 6, District 7, and District 8, which all include parts of Oak Ridge.

There are seven candidates for those three seats: [Read more…]

Mansfield focuses on reading, math, support for all students in school board race

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Myra Mansfield is pictured above with her granddaughters Kyrstin and Kennedy. (Submitted photo)

Myra Mansfield has focused on reading and math proficiency and support for all students in her campaign for Oak Ridge Board of Education.

“Every child in our schools should achieve proficiency in reading and math,” Mansfield said in a press release announcing her campaign.

Mansfield is one of three candidates to qualify to run for one of two school board seats in the November 8 election. The other two candidates are the two incumbents, Angi Agle and Keys Fillauer.

In the press release, Mansfield said she is running because she believes that all children, regardless of their background, are capable of achieving greatness.

“I was compelled by what I read in the local newspapers,” Mansfield said. “Students are underachieving from all backgrounds across the city and that demands our attention.”

Mansfield said she is the daughter of K-25 retiree Stanley Finch and Oak Ridge National Laboratory retiree Shirley Garrison (Finch) Frykman. She said she is a lifelong Oak Ridger and proud product of Woodland Elementary, Jefferson Middle, and Oak Ridge High schools. She has degrees in accounting, business management, and a master’s degree focused in counseling, the press release said. Her daughters Esther and Elizabeth are graduates of MTSU and son Jonathan is a student at Roane State Community College. [Read more…]

Former county commissioner running for Charter Commission, supports term limits

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Dusty Irwin

Dusty Irwin

Former Anderson County Commissioner Dusty Irwin is running for one of eight seats on the Anderson County Charter Commission, and he said he supports term limits.

Irwin is running for a seat in District 3, which includes the Andersonville, Norris, Fairview, and Glen Alpine precincts.

In a press release, Irwin said he was an active part of the petition effort to give citizens the opportunity to have term limits through charter—or Home Rule—government.

“I am committed to giving the voters an opportunity to vote on term limits for two consecutive terms for county commissioners and the office of mayor,” Irwin said in the release. “I feel strongly about citizen service on county committees, open and transparent meetings, and ensuring citizens have a right to speak at all meetings.” [Read more…]

Council election: Hensley explains withdrawal; lists successes, hopes; endorses three

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Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley is pictured above during a meeting on Sept. 14, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This is a copy of a withdrawal statement submitted by Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley on Tuesday, when he withdrew as a candidate from the November 8 municipal election.

Citizens of Oak Ridge,

Thank you for your confidence, support, advice, and patience during my nine-plus years serving on our City Council, the Municipal Planning Commission, and Land Bank Board. It has been, and continues to be, an honor to serve the city.

I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for another term on City Council. This is a difficult decision but is made because I have my son’s family and two wonderful grandchildren living in the local area and with whom I want to spend more time. Also, I want to spend time with other volunteer interests, hobbies, and related activities. Finally, there are some personal but manageable health issues that require attention.

Looking back and reviewing my involvements during my service since 2007, the contributions that have most fulfilled my hopes to have made a difference are listed below. None of these contributions could have been possible without teamwork and consensus with others, including Council, commissioners, staff, and citizens:

Successful projects and advocacies where I played a major role: [Read more…]

Hensley withdraws from City Council race

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Oak Ridge City Council Charlie Hensley and Kelly Callison Sept. 14, 2015

Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley, left, is pictured above with Kelly Callison during a meeting on Sept. 24, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:15 p.m. Aug. 24.

Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley has withdrawn as a candidate in the November 8 election, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Hensley was one of eight candidates for three seats on the seven-member Council.

The withdrawal was confirmed by the Anderson County Election Commission on Tuesday afternoon.

“This is a difficult decision but is made because I have my son’s family and two wonderful grandchildren living in the local area and with whom I want to spend more time,” Hensley said in a Tuesday statement. “Also, I want to spend time with other volunteer interests, hobbies, and related activities. Finally, there are some personal but manageable health issues that require attention.”

Hensley has served since 2007, or two terms. (Hensley served more than eight years because City Council terms were extended on a one-time basis from June 2011 to November 2012 when the dates of Oak Ridge municipal elections changed due to a revision of the City Charter that was approved by voters in November 2010.) [Read more…]

Eight candidates for City Council, three for School Board, 20 for Charter Commission

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Note: This story was last updated at 1:40 p.m.

There are eight candidates who qualified to run for three seats on Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election, and three candidates qualified for two seats on Oak Ridge Board of Education. There are also 20 candidates for eight seats on a new Anderson County Charter Commission.

Here are the Oak Ridge City Council candidates (elect three):

  • Jim Dodson
  • Wende Doolittle
  • Anne Garcia Garland
  • L.C. “Charlie” Hensley
  • Charles “Chuck” Hope Jr.
  • Joseph Lee
  • Mark LeNoir
  • Hans Vogel

Current City Council member Trina Baughn will not be on the ballot. Hensley and Hope are incumbents. Garcia Garland is a former Council member.

The City Council has seven members who serve staggered terms, meaning the other four seats are up for election in November 2018.

Here are the Board of Education candidates (elect two): [Read more…]

Active in community organizations, former Council member seeks to serve again

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Anne Garcia Garland

Anne Garcia Garland

 

She was the first to pick up a petition and the first to qualify for the 2016 ballot, and now Anne Garcia Garland, a former Oak Ridge City Council member, has formally announced her desire to serve again, a press release said. She’s running for one of three seats on the seven-member Council in the November 8 election.

In the press release, Garcia Garland said she has no business or political agenda, only a continuing desire “to be responsive and accountable to the citizens and help this city thrive.”

She said her primary goals for the city are to:

  1. seek a clear return on investment in commercial and industrial development outlays,
  2. focus on what the community does exceedingly well in education and city management,
  3. develop an equitable relationship with U.S. Department of Energy headquarters, and
  4. publicize the extraordinary assets the city already enjoys to a much wider audience of prospective residents and visitors.

Garcia Garland said she works affably with corporate, government, and private organizations. She is active in the League of Women Voters, the American Association of University Women, United Church Chapel on the Hill, and the NAACP. Before retiring, she and her husband T.J. Garland established Noble Metals Inc., a small business that recycles metal scrap and continues to employ local workers. [Read more…]

Engineer, Army veteran, community volunteer running for City Council

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Hans Vogel

Hans Vogel

Hans Vogel, current vice chair of the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, is running for one of three seats on the Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.

Vogel is also a member of the Board of Directors for Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, and he is a graduate of the Leadership Oak Ridge 2015 class, a press release said.

He is also an engineer and Army veteran, according to the press release.

The release said Vogel has a strong vision for the city of Oak Ridge that centers around working together to achieve a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable community where people choose to live, work, and play.

“Oak Ridge has unlimited potential if the City Council, business community, and Department of Energy can join together with our citizens to address community priorities,” Vogel said in the release. “In order to achieve this goal, the city must have a plan.” [Read more…]

Dodson has campaign kickoff party, fundraiser on Tuesday

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Jim Dodson is having a kickoff party and fundraiser for his campaign for Oak Ridge City Council at Razzleberry’s in Jackson Square on Tuesday, August 15. (Submitted photo)

 

Jim Dodson is having a kickoff party and fundraiser for his campaign for Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday, August 15.

The kickoff will be from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, August 15, at Razzleberry’s restaurant in Jackson Square. Ridge City Ramblers, a local musical group, will perform. Those interested in showing their support or getting to know Dodson are invited to stop by, a press release said.

Dodson is a 30-year-teacher at Jefferson Middle School. He has a history of community involvement that includes United Way, Explore Oak Ridge (formerly the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau), Secret City Festival, Arts Council, and more, the press release said.

It said Dodson hopes to expand his community coalition building experience by bringing these skills to the Oak Ridge City Council. [Read more…]

Yager wins special election for Anderson County Commission, District 8

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Phil Yager

Phil Yager

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:05 a.m.

Phil Yager beat two other candidates to win a seat on Anderson County Commission in District 8 in Oak Ridge on Thursday.

The special election for the District 8 seat was held along with the county general election and state and federal primaries on Thursday, August 4. District 8 includes the Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, and Woodland voting precincts in Oak Ridge.

Yager finished with 542 votes, compared to 239 for Angeleque McNutt and 227 for Myra Mansfield, according to unofficial results posted on the Anderson County Election Commission website.

The final results from all 27 precincts, plus early, absentee, and write-in ballots, were posted at 10:41 p.m. Thursday. [Read more…]

Anderson County Democratic Party Headquarters now open

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Anderson County Democratic Headquarters July 2016

Anderson County Democratic Party Headquarters is pictured above at 136 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

The Anderson County Democratic Party celebrated the grand opening of its headquarters at 136 South Illinois Avenue with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, a press release said. The headquarters are in the former Polaris Travel Building.

After the ribbon cutting, there was a watch party for the historic acceptance speech of Hillary Clinton, the press release said.

“We had such a large turnout, that headquarters couldn’t hold everyone, and some of the people met at Swifty’s across the street to watch it,” the release said. “The party headquarters will become the one-stop shop for all matters related to Team Hillary 2016.”

Among those attending were Melody Shekari, a candidate for the United States House of Representatives Third District and Herman Collins, write-in candidate for State Representative for the 33rd District. [Read more…]