Oak Ridge Today

City receives $433K grant for traffic signal, pedestrian improvements at two intersections

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A $433,000 grant awarded to the City of Oak Ridge would be used to make traffic signal and pedestrian improvements at two intersections on Oak Ridge Turnpike, including at South Tulane Avenue. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge has received a $433,000 grant for improvements at two intersections on Oak Ridge Turnpike, one at South Tulane Avenue and the other at East Division Road/Tennyson Road. The improvements, which require a 20 percent local match of roughly $108,000, will include marked crosswalks, ramps, and upgrades to help pedestrians.

The project will include traffic signal and pedestrian feature upgrades at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Tulane Avenue, between the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and Oak Ridge Municipal Building. The upgrades will include the addition of handicap ramps, crosswalks, countdown pedestrian signals with push buttons, and radar vehicle detection, Oak Ridge Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin said in a December 1 memo to City Manager Mark Watson. A traffic signal pole will be relocated to avoid conflicts with overhead utilities.

Improvements at East Division Road/Tennyson Road, near Methodist Medical Center, will include the addition of handicap ramps, crosswalks, and countdown pedestrian signals with push buttons and radar vehicle detection. Sidewalks could be added where there are gaps or where new handicap ramps are disconnected from existing sidewalks, Baldwin said. [Read more…]

Council to consider $325,000 for operations at Centennial Golf Course

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Centennial Golf Course Dec 10, 2015

The Tennessee Centennial Golf Course in Oak Ridge is pictured above on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider a $325,000 transfer for operations at Tennessee Centennial Golf Course. If approved, the operating transfer would be the first non-debt related transfer from the city’s General Fund to the Golf Course Fund since the golf course was built, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said.

About $225,000 of the transfer, a cash infusion, would be for outstanding accounts payable. Another $100,000 would be operational funding for the winter, including maintenance of the greens.

The General Fund would still have a balance equivalent to two months of operations after the transfer, Watson said in a memo to City Council members.

Watson said the golf course was affected by several factors this past year, most notably weather. [Read more…]

D. Ray Smith could be named honorary city historian

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Bill Wilcox and Ray Smith

Bill Wilcox, right, and D. Ray Smith are pictured above. Wilcox was city historian before he died in 2013, and Smith, a friend of Wilcox’s, could be named honorary city historian during an Oak Ridge City Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 14, 2015. (Submitted photo)

 

D. Ray Smith, who is known for his love of Oak Ridge history, could be named honorary city historian on Monday.

Among other activities, Smith is historian at the Y-12 National Security Complex, has been a guide on U.S. Department of Energy tour buses at federal sites in Oak Ridge, writes a weekly newspaper history column, testified before Congress on the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, and frequently photographs community events.

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider naming Smith as honorary city historian during a regular meeting on Monday.

Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley drafted the proposal. He said Smith is also a leader in the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association, has been a featured speaker in talks on Oak Ridge heritage, was central to creating a history center at Y-12’s New Hope Center, and serves in a support role for implementation of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. [Read more…]

Basketball: Eight games in two days at ORHS in Rick McGill Toyota Classic

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Boys Basketball Team Nov. 17, 2015

Members of the Oak Ridge Wildcats boys basketball team are pictured above during an 87-67 season-opening win over Grace Christian at home on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. From left are juniors Tyshawn Young (15), Tajion Jones (3), and E.J. Bush (2), seniors Geevantay Gee (12) and Javien Johnson (11), junior Deandre Gibson (10), and senior Darel Middleton (33). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Rick McGill Toyota Classic will feature eight basketball games in two days at Oak Ridge High School this month.

The classic is December 18-19 at ORHS. The participating teams are high school boys and girls teams from Cleveland, Dobyns Bennett, Oak Ridge, and Science Hill.

Here is the schedule: [Read more…]

AAUW has fundraising holiday tea on Sunday, Dec. 13

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AAUW-Holiday-Tea

AAUW members Joanne King, Mayme Crowell, and Fay Martin are
among the hosts for the AAUW Holiday Green Tea Sunday, Dec.
13, 2015, from 3-5 p.m. in Room 102 of the Oak Ridge First Presbyterian
Church activities Building. (Submitted photo)

 

The AAUW Holiday Green Tea on Sunday will help raise money for scholarships for non-traditional female students; national fellowships, scholarships, and grants; and the AAUW Oak Ridge Branch’s Operating Fund.

The tea is scheduled from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, December 13, in Room 102 of the First Presbyterian Church Activities Building in Oak Ridge, a press release said.

Funds raised from the tea will go to the Local Education Projects Fund, which provides scholarship for non-traditional women students at Roane State Community College; the tax-deductible AAUW Educational Opportunities Fund, which provides national fellowships, scholarships and grants; and the AAUW Oak Ridge Branch’s Operating Fund. [Read more…]

Santa makes early visit to Oak Ridge: Pancakes with Santa

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Santa-Lee-Morris-Dec-2015

Santa (aka: Lee Morris, of Oak Ridge) will be at Applebee’s Restaurant this Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, from 8 to 10 a.m. (Submitted photo)

 

Santa will make an early stop in Oak Ridge this Saturday, December 12, from 8 to 10 a.m. at Applebee’s Restaurant.

The public is invited to join Santa (aka: long time Oak Ridge resident Lee Morris) for a pancake breakfast to benefit CONTACT Care Line of East Tennessee.  Breakfast and an opportunity for a picture with Santa is $5.

Applebee’s is at 1213 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge churches founded CONTACT in 1973, and the nonprofit agency now serves Knoxville and surrounding communities as well. Volunteers field approximately 10,000 calls per year. [Read more…]

ORISE accepting grad, undergrad applications for Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship

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Women and minorities encouraged to apply; deadline is Dec. 21, 2015

ORISE is currently accepting applications for the 2016 Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program, or MLEF, which is a 10-week summer program for students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math.

The MLEF Program provides students who are U.S. citizens with the opportunity to gain and develop research skills by training under the mentorship of program officials and scientists within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy. This program is open to currently enrolled full-time degree-seeking students in a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) program at an accredited college or university at the bachelor’s (sophomore or higher), master’s, or doctoral level with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

Participants will support Office of Fossil Energy mission-related research while gaining insight into how DOE is working to meet the energy challenges of the future. Although all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply, the goal of the program is to improve the opportunities for women and minority students in the STEM fields.

The summer program may place students at one of several possible sites, including: [Read more…]

Democrats host holiday party Tuesday

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Anderson County Democrats are hosting a winter holiday party at 6 p.m. Tuesday, December 8, a press release said.

The gathering, sponsored by the Anderson County Democratic Women and Anderson County Democratic Party, will be held at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The release said the main dish and drinks will be provided, and guests attending are invited to bring a side dish to share.

Guests are also invited to contribute to the Free Medical Clinic, the local nonprofit organization that will benefit from this year’s holiday party.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Celebrate Christmas with Community Band on Dec. 13

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Members of the Oak Ridge Community Band perform at Canterfield Senior Living in December 2014. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble will perform in a free sing-along concert on Sunday, December 13.

“Come ring in the Christmas season,” a press release said.

The performance begins at 3:30 p.m. December 13 in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church at 1101 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Dress is casual, and there will be refreshments at the end of the program, the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge has meetings on Dec. 10, 14 for Community Development Block Grant program

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City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee—Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

Notice of Public Hearings for Potential Projects For Program Year 2016/Fiscal Year 2017

July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017

The City of Oak Ridge will hold two public meetings in the coming weeks to gather community input for activities associated with the Community Development Block Grant program for the 2016 program year.

The funding must meet a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) national objective and benefit low/moderate income individuals.

The first meeting will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church (323 Vermont Avenue) in their Columbus Hall (next to the gym), on Thursday, December 10, from noon to 1:30 p.m. [Read more…]

ORHS Orchestra performs in Winter Concert on Thursday

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Oak-Ridge-High-School-Orchestra-Logo

Oak Ridge High School Orchestra will present its 2015 Winter Concert on Thursday, December 10. The concert starts at 7 p.m. Thursday at ORHS Auditorium.

The concert will feature something for everyone, including Christmas concertos by Corelli and Torelli, as well as rocking contemporary music by Trans Siberian Orchestra, a press release said.

Tickets are on sale at the door for $3 each. All proceeds benefit the ORHS Orchestra program and help purchase and repair string instruments.

For more information, visit www.orhsorchestra.org.

Public invited to League’s holiday luncheon on Sunday

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Stewart Clifton

Stewart Clifton

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge has a holiday luncheon on Sunday, December 6, and the public is invited, a press release said. The luncheon is at Burchfield’s at the Doubletree Hotel in Oak Ridge.

The invitation is being extended to anyone interested in learning how the LWVOR and other League chapters across the state strive to make democracy work for Tennessee residents, the press release said.

The invited guest speaker, Stewart Clifton, will discuss the League’s work in Tennessee on issues such as education, climate change, homelessness, hazardous waste, mental health, immigration, and others that affect our families and communities, the release said. [Read more…]