Oak Ridge Today

Council to receive briefing on Manhattan Project park from Park Service on Tuesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Niki-Nicholas-National-Park-Service

Niki Nicholas

The Oak Ridge City Council will receive a briefing on the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park on Tuesday.

The briefing by Niki Nicholas, superintendent of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, will be during a Tuesday evening work session on January 21. It will follow a special 6 p.m. City Council meeting for boards and commissions elections in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom. (See the work session agenda here. See the special meeting agenda here.)

There will also be an orientation session next week for those interested in volunteering for the new park, which includes Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Hanford, Washington; and Los Alamos, New Mexico. That orientation session starts at 10 a.m. Thursday, January 21, at the Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road. [Read more…]

Learn about volunteering in the Manhattan Project National Park on Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

National-Park-Service-Employees

You can learn more about volunteering for the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a meeting at the Midtown Community Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. National Park Service employees are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

You can learn more about volunteering for the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a meeting at the Midtown Community Center on Thursday.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park-Oak Ridge will host a volunteer opportunities information session starting at 10 a.m. Thursday. It’s scheduled to last until 12 p.m.

The new park, which also includes Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, was formally established on November 10, 2015, in a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C. The signing ceremony featured U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II. [Read more…]

Council agenda: Preschool report, Waste Connections contract extension

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Elm Grove Park Oct. 21, 2015

Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge has been proposed as a site for a new preschool, and it’s considered the best potential location. The Oak Ridge City Council will consider accepting a report recommending that site during a 7 p.m. meeting on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Other items on the Oak Ridge City Council agenda tonight include possible acceptance of a report that recommends building a new preschool at Elm Grove Park and a five-year contract extension for Waste Connections of Tennessee, the city’s garbage and recyclables contractor.

As previously reported, tonight’s meeting (Monday, January 11) will also include a report on city manager evaluations, with possible discussion of a one-year contract extension and 2 percent pay raise, and a brief update on Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The preschool report was presented to Oak Ridge City Council and Oak Ridge Board of Education in October. It came from the Joint City/Schools Preschool Planning Committee, which determined whether to remodel the 70-year-old Preschool building on New York Avenue, lease and renovate a building, or build a new one. [Read more…]

Evans, city’s retail consultant, to give brief mall update Monday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Mall

The Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as Main Street Oak Ridge, a multi-use project with retailers, restaurants, residential units, and a hotel, is pictured above. Also known as the former Oak Ridge Mall, the L-shaped building is at center. The white building at center left is Walmart, and it is not part of the proposed redevelopment. Neither is the white building at center top, the Cinemark Tinseltown Theater. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Ray Evans, the city’s retail consultant, will give a brief update on Main Street Oak Ridge, the project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall, during a Monday evening meeting.

Evans will give the update during an Oak Ridge City Council meeting that starts at 7 p.m. Monday, January 11, in the Municipal Building Courtroom.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission approved a re-subdivision for the $80 million project on Thursday. City officials said the re-subdivision was a required condition for the closing on the property.

RealtyLink, the new developer, has said they still plan to have some stores open at the site by the Christmas 2016 holiday shopping season. [Read more…]

Dine and Donate in 2016 starts Monday, raises money for ADFAC

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Cande Seay

Cande Seay

Dine and Donate, a popular fundraiser for Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, launches its 2016 season on Monday, January 11, at five local restaurants.

“Dine and Donate is a great way for local residents to try new restaurants or visit their favorites,” said Dine and Donate Chair Cande Seay. “Last year, hundreds of local families and over 20 restaurants came together to raise thousands of dollars to support ADFAC’s mission.”

On Dine and Donate Mondays (the second Monday of each month), local restaurants donate a significant portion of their daily sales to ADFAC. Restaurants participating on Monday, January 11, are Hoskins and Riverview Grill in Clinton, and Mediterranean Delight, Papa Murphy’s, and Razzleberry’s in Oak Ridge.

Several business and media sponsors have also stepped up to support Dine and Donate 2016, including Oak Ridge Today, Leidos, UT-Battelle, Enrichment Federal Credit Union, J&M’s Butcher Shop, and Randy Mcfarland-State Farm Agent, a press release said. [Read more…]

City manager evals: Mostly meets, exceeds expectations; one Council member asks for resignation

Posted at
By 5 Comments

Mark Watson

Mark Watson

Note: This story was last updated at 11:25 a.m.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson has mostly met or exceeded expectations while performing his job, and a 2 percent pay raise and one-year contract extension could be considered on Monday, according to evaluations by six City Council members and the chair of an evaluation committee.

But one City Council member, Trina Baughn, said Watson needs improvement in all 30 areas that she rated, and she asked the city manager to consider voluntarily resigning.

“I don’t plan to resign,” Watson said in December. “Hopefully, we can continue to improve upon relationships.”

The city manager was rated in surveys submitted by six of the seven City Council members. The results were reviewed by the City Manager Evaluation Committee, which is chaired by Council member Charlie Hensley. [Read more…]

Tennessee education commissioner to visit Oak Ridge Schools on Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Candice McQueen

Candice McQueen

Candice McQueen, Tennessee’s education commissioner, will visit Oak Ridge Schools on Thursday, January 7.

During her visit, McQueen will tour Glenwood Elementary School, Robertsville Middle School, and Oak Ridge High School. She will also take part in an afternoon roundtable discussion that will feature about 30 administrators and teachers across a wide cross-section of grade levels, subject areas, and schools. They will discuss successes and challenges that educators are facing in their jobs, Oak Ridge Schools said.

Included in the discussion will be the Tennessee Department of Education’s “New Goals to Measure Education Progress,” which align with Oak Ridge Schools’ Seven Keys to College and Career Readiness. [Read more…]

Class on Islam starts Sunday at First Presbyterian

Posted at
By 3 Comments

Phillip-Sherman

Phillip Sherman

Phillip Sherman, associate professor of religion at Maryville College, will present a free course on Islam for five Sundays at 1 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, which is at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Lafayette Drive.

The classes will start this Sunday, January 10, in the fellowship hall of the sanctuary building.

“This will be an excellent opportunity to separate fact from fiction with respect to the beliefs of our Muslim brothers and sisters,” said the Reverend Sharon Youngs, church pastor. The lecture-and-discussion course, which will end on February 7, is open to the public.

With about 1.6 billion followers, or 23 percent of the global population, Islam is the second-largest religion (after Christianity) by number of adherents (Muslims). According to many sources, it’s the fastest-growing major religion in the world. Most Muslims are of two denominations: Sunni (75 to 90 percent) and Shia (10 to 20 percent). [Read more…]

School board to consider extending superintendent’s contract to 2020

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Bruce Borchers

Bruce Borchers

The Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider extending Superintendent Bruce Borchers’ contract through 2020 during a Monday evening meeting.

If approved, the contract extension would take effect June 18, 2016, and continue through June 17, 2020.

Borchers was hired in April 2013, and he started two months later, on June 18. He was previously superintendent of the Rockwood School District in Eureka, Missouri. [Read more…]

Quinn to discuss homelessness, TORCH in Monday program

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Torch Logo

The director of an organization that helps homeless families in Oak Ridge and Anderson County will discuss homelessness during a Monday morning program in Oak Ridge.

Anthony “Andy” O. Quinn is executive director of TORCH, or Trinity Out-Reach Center of Hope.

Besides homelessness, Quinn will also discuss TORCH during the Monday program, which starts at 11 a.m. January 4 at the Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge, which is at 101 West Madison Lane. The program is presented by the Women’s Interfaith Dialogue of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Planning Commission to consider re-subdivision for Main Street Oak Ridge on Jan. 7

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Main-Street-Oak-Ridge-Sign-Dec-21-2015

Workers from Masstar Signs of Greenville, S.C., install a new shopping center pylon sign at South Illinois Avenue and East Tulsa Road that announces Main Street Oak Ridge, the planned $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. Pictured above on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, is Will Biggs of Masstar Signs. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A re-subdivision for Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall, will be considered on Thursday, January 7.

Ray Evans, retail consultant for the City of Oak Ridge, has previously said that a subdivision plat has to be approved by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission before RealtyLink, the new developer, can close on the 58-acre site in the center of Oak Ridge.

The re-subdivision will be considered by the Planning Commission in a special-called meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, January 7, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Training Room. [Read more…]

Wildcats beat 2014 Arby’s Classic champion to play for 5th place on Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

This photo is property of Allen Greene. Unauthorized use of this photo is not permitted without consent.

Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins (5) hit two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to beat North Mecklenburg of North Carolina, 56-54, in the 2015 Arby’s Classic in Bristol on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. (Photo by Allen Greene / TriCitiesSports.com)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:25 a.m. Dec. 31.

Oak Ridge lost an Arby’s Classic tournament game on free throws on Tuesday, and then won one on free throws on Wednesday. The Wildcats beat last year’s Arby’s Classic champion on Wednesday to play for fifth place in Bristol on Thursday.

Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins hit two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to beat North Mecklenburg of North Carolina, 56-54, in the 2015 Arby’s Classic. North Mecklenburg was the champion in the 2014 Arby’s Classic.

Higgins, a University of Tennessee football commit who had a one-handed dunk early in the third quarter, finished with 11 points. Junior Tajion Jones, who had a three-pointer in each of the first three quarters, scored 11 for the Wildcats. Higgins pulled down five rebounds and had three assists, while Jones had four rebounds and a block. Senior Geevantay Gee had 10 points, two rebounds, and two assists for Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge will play for fifth place in this year’s Arby’s Classic against the winner of a Wednesday afternoon game between Urspring, Germany, and Taylor County, Kentucky. (Thursday, December 31 update: Oak Ridge will play Taylor County.) The fifth-place game starts at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, December 31. [Read more…]