Oak Ridge Today

Password storage programs to be discussed at PC Users Group meeting Thursday

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Tired of trying to find where you saved your computer passwords? In these days of hacks, we need a strong, unique, and often-changed password for every site. Using the same password over and over is a really bad idea, but remembering dozens of passwords just isn’t feasible. That’s where a password storage program can help.

The Oak Ridge PC Users Group will be discussing their favorite password storage programs at the monthly meeting on Thursday, January 15, at 7 p.m. at New Life Church of the Nazarene at 200 Lafayette Drive in Oak Ridge. The meeting begins with a question-and-answer session on computer problems and solutions. All PC users are invited to attend.

ORPCUG strives to provide an opportunity for computer users to exchange ideas, knowledge, and experience in order to increase the understanding and use of personal computers. For more information, contact George Murphy at (865) 482-9175.

Cold hands, warm hearts: Leaders to sleep outside to raise awareness of homelessness

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Several community leaders will spend the night of Thursday, January 15, sleeping outside at First United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge to raise awareness of homelessness and to collect linens and personal care items for the upcoming Warming Center project and bring attention to the need for volunteers to help with the Point in Time Count.

The community is invited to participate by coming out to support the sleep-out participants from 6-7 p.m. Thursday. There will be a free soup dinner. All community members are invited to attend.

Local homeless providers will be present to talk about their agencies and what they are providing to homeless individuals in our community. Information on the warming center project and the Point in Time Count will also be available. [Read more…]

ORAU, MCLinc donate services to Emory Valley Center Capital Campaign

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ORAU Survey Team

An environmental survey team from ORAU partnered with Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc. to provide sampling and laboratory analysis for Emory Valley Center, which is in the initial stages of demolishing an old building on its campus to make room for a new facility. The ORAU survey team consisting of Tim Vitkus, Adam Kirthlink, Jason Lee, Daniel Edds, Evan Harpeneau, and Mark Berkheimer donated their time and performed sampling to identify any contaminants that may be present at the site. (Submitted photo)

 

Oak Ridge Associated Universities and Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc. recently joined together to donate a total of $9,000 in services to Emory Valley Center in support of their Capital Campaign for a new facility.

The new building will incorporate many features to enhance the lives of people with disabilities being served, including a Job Training Center, Life Enrichment Classrooms, Adult Day Center, Medical Clinic, Speech, Physical and Occupational Services, Gym, and more, a press release said.

An environmental survey team from ORAU partnered with Oak Ridge-based Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc., or MCLinc, to provide sampling and laboratory analysis for Emory Valley Center, which is in the initial stages of demolishing an old building on its campus to make room for the new facility. [Read more…]

Friends of Oak Ridge Library has winter book sale Thursday-Sunday

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Oak Ridge Public Library

The Oak Ridge Public Library is pictured above.

The Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library has its winter 2015 Book Sale from Thursday evening, January 15, through Sunday, January 18.

The book sale will be held in the Oak Ridge Public Library Auditorium at 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The sale will include fiction and nonfiction books, magazines, LP records, and other publications, a press release said. Most titles are 50 cents or $1 each. Titles withdrawn from the Library are half-price from Thursday through Saturday. [Read more…]

ORNL Federal Credit Union raises $65K for United Way

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ORNL FCU Donation to United Way

Pictured above from left to right are Chris Outland (ORNL FCU title services manager), Lydia Birk (2014 UWAC campaign chair), Ben Jones (ORNL FCU Maryville Branch manager), and Bethany Rush (branch floater). (Photo courtesy United Way)

 

ORNL Federal Credit Union raised $64,861 for the United Way of Anderson County’s annual giving campaign, bringing the total for the last two years to more than $131,000, a press release said.

“At ORNL Federal Credit Union, we are committed to making a difference by giving back and helping to improve the quality of life for others in our communities,” said Colin Anderson, ORNL FCU executive vice president and chief financial officer. “An investment in the United Way is an investment in our community.”

Donations to UWAC are an investment in the community, a United Way press release said. [Read more…]

Guest column: Investments—who do you trust?

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Lydia Birk

Lydia Birk

By Lydia Birk

The air waves are filled with commercials regarding which investment firm you should rely on; after all, you want to eventually retire and live comfortably and healthy and maintain your lifestyle. Yet, how much do you personally know about investing: the timing, the company’s track records, transparency, can they be trusted? There is an overload of information spinning around, and for many of us, it is confusing and time-consuming, so we trust our investments to the professionals.

Those of you who donate to the United Way of Anderson County and check the box to have Fund Distribution Volunteers make investment decisions are doing the same thing. Trusting educated, informed, committed people to invest your dollars where they will do the most good. In Anderson County, we have a multitude of programs that serve the needs of youth through food programs, backpack programs, after-school programs, preschool programs, utility assistance so they don’t shiver at night, programs to inspire, to encourage, to challenge. And programs that address the mental and physical health of our youth. Which of these programs are most effective, which ones address the most pressing issues, which ones are transparent in managing your gifts, do you chose to put a roof over their heads or food in their bellies? [Read more…]

Manhattan Project National Historical Park to be discussed at Altrusa meeting Wednesday

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Ray Smith

Ray Smith

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will be the focus of the Wednesday luncheon meeting of Altrusa International of Oak Ridge.

Ray Smith, Y-12 National Security Complex historian, will be discussing the honor and importance in having a national park site in Oak Ridge, a press release said. Smith’s presentation will include the potential implications of a national park site in Oak Ridge as well as the probable timeframe for implementation of the national park bill, the release said.

Smith will be covering the potential meaning of the park for the City of Oak Ridge, the American Museum of Science and Energy, the Y-12 National Security Complex Calutrons, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Graphite Reactor, and the East Tennessee Technology Park’s Heritage Center K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Building site. Smith will also discuss how the newly renovated Guest House at the Alexander Inn in Oak Ridge might contribute to the overall national park strategy. [Read more…]

ORICL to show three film classics on Tuesdays

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The Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning will present three movie classics to the public on the three remaining Tuesdays of this month. The showings are free.

The movies will be shown at 1 p.m. in the City Room, or A-111, in the Coffey-McNally Building of the Oak Ridge campus of Roane State Community College at 701 Briarcliff Road.

The movies are “Maltese Falcon” on January 13, “Amadeus” on January 20, and “Doctor Zhivago” on January 27. [Read more…]

Family Day at the Civic Center on Valentines Day

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the Third Annual Family Day at the Civic Center on February 14 from noon to 4 p.m.

All activities except public swim and concessions will be free, a press release said. Concession items will include hot dogs, nachos, chips, juice, and soft drinks. A free cookie decorating activity will be offered.

Discounted public swim times, in 30-minute increments, will be offered for $1. Children 2 and under are free. The public swim is open to everyone and is scheduled at the indoor swimming pool from 12:30-1 p.m., 1:15-1:45 p.m., 2-2:30 p.m., and 2:45-3:15 p.m. [Read more…]

Sponsored: Tai Chi for better health

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Tai Chi Health Recovery Class

The Oak Ridge branch of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society offers a Health Recovery class. (Submitted photo)

 

By Marian Varner

January—it’s a time when many of us think about our health objectives for the coming year. We would all like to enjoy good health, but sometimes that is not easy. For some, finding an interesting, fun exercise can be a challenge. Tai Chi is one exercise option that even those who experience health difficulties of various kinds can try.

The Oak Ridge branch of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society has been teaching Tai Chi locally for about 30 years. This charitable organization includes a Health Recovery class as one of its offerings, in addition to the usual beginner and continuing classes. The Health Recovery class enables students to work with various exercises, adapted to whatever limitations each student has.

Tai Chi is known for improving the health of its practitioners in numerous ways. Most students of this ancient Chinese art discover better balance, increased flexibility, and relief from stress. With regular practice of Tai Chi, students have reported improvement in conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, back pain, low spirits, joint immobility, respiratory problems, digestive disorders, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, the long-term consequences of trauma or stroke, and fibromyalgia. [Read more…]

DOE Oak Ridge has MLK program Tuesday featuring Beck Center CEO

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office will hold its annual observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with a program entitled “Change Starts with Me.” The program is free and open to the public.

This year’s event features a keynote address by Reverend Reneé Kesler. She is the president and chief executive officer of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center Inc. and a licensed ordained associate minister at Mount Calvary Baptist Church. Kesler is also a professional instructor with the University of Tennessee’s Department of Professional and Personal Development in Continuing Education. [Read more…]

Start off 2015 with ‘Dine and Donate,’ help ADFAC

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Dine and Donate at Dean's

Oak Ridge High School students Keegan Yearwood and Camille Mauk-Olson know the best way to beat the winter chill: Dine and Donate! By dining out at Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery on Monday, January 12, the pair get to choose from a variety of hot home-cooked favorites including savory beef pot roast, pulled park barbecue, and turkey and dressing. Dean’s is located in Jackson Square. (Photo courtesy ADFAC)

 

On Monday, January 12, several local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC. As the first ‘Dine and Donate’ of the new year, this special event gives local residents the opportunity to start off 2015 by supporting local eateries as well as raising funds to help the needy in our community.

Restaurants participating on Monday, January 12 are:

  • Dean’s in Oak Ridge,
  • Hoskins in Clinton,
  • Mediterranean Delight in Oak Ridge,
  • Papa Murphy’s in Oak Ridge,
  • Razzleberry’s in Oak Ridge,
  • Riverview Grill in Clinton, and
  • Salsarita’s in Oak Ridge.

[Read more…]