Oak Ridge Today

Medal of Honor recipients honored at Y-12

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Medal of Honor Recipients at Y-12 National Security Complex

Medal of Honor recipients Herschel “Woody” Williams (USMC, WWII, Iwo Jima); Ron Rosser (US Army, Ponggilli, Korea); and Wesley Fox (USMC, Quang Tri, Vietnam) were welcomed by CNS President Jim Haynes (far left) and NNSA Production Office Manager Steve Erhart (far right) at the Medal of Honor Town Hall Forum held at Y-12’s New Hope Center on Friday. (Photo courtesy CNS)

 

Three Medal of Honor recipients were honored at the Y-12 National Security Complex during a Town Hall Forum on Friday, part of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s annual convention held in Knoxville last week.

The Medal of Honor recipients honored at Y-12 were Herschel “Woody” Williams (U.S. Marine Corps, Iwo Jima, World War II), Ron Rosser (U.S. Army, Ponggilli, Korea) and Wesley Fox (USMC, Quang Tri, Vietnam). They were welcomed at Y-12’s New Hope Center by CNS President Jim Haynes and Steve Erhart, manager of the National Nuclear Security Administration Production Office.

The three recipients discussed their experiences and answered questions from the public. Williams and Rosser also toured the Y-12 National Security complex with Haynes and Y-12 Historian Ray Smith. The group visited 9731, Y-12’s pilot plant during the Manhattan Project, and the south ridge of the site.

Many of the honorees also visited area schools, where Tennessee leads the nation in adopting the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation’s Character Development Program. To learn more about the program, go to http://www.mohknoxville.com/character-development/.

See also this story from the Medal of Honor Town Hall at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

ORHS Class of 1994 has 20-year reunion on Friday, Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge High School Class of 1994 has its 20th reunion on Friday and Saturday, September 12 and 13.

Here is the website with more information and to register: http://1994orhsreunion.bigcartel.com/.

Girl Scouts have recruitment event on Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Girl Scouts Troop 20509 Brownies

Brownies from Girl Scout Troop 20509 are, from left to right, Becca Seay, Daphne Seay, Kaitlynn Perkins, and Kayla Howard. They display the “stained glass butterflies” they completed to earn the Bug Badge. (Submitted photos)

 

Oak Ridge Girl Scouts and the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians are holding a recruitment event from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Oak Ridge Civic Center (Rooms A and B) on Saturday, September 13. All girls who would like to join Girl Scouts, the largest volunteer organization for girls and women in the world, are encouraged to come with their parents to the event, where they will be able to register to become a Girl Scout and find out more about scouting, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge Girl Scout service unit will have activities and information exhibits about girl scouting. The Oak Ridge  Girl Scouts are sponsoring a toy drive to benefit the Holiday Bureau and girls who bring new or gently used toys to donate will receive a “toy drive” service patch to wear on their GS uniform, the release said. [Read more…]

ORRA hosts Learn to Row class for visually impaired, blind

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Rowing Association Boathouse

The Oak Ridge Rowing Association boathouse at Melton Lake Park on the Clinch River.

The Oak Ridge Rowing Association will host a special Learn to Row class for the visually impaired and blind on Sunday, September 14.

ORRA is partnering with Visually Impaired/Blind Enhanced Services, or Club VIBES, to offer the class, which starts at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Club VIBES is a nonprofit organization with a mission to assist blind and visually impaired young people in the Knoxville area to live independent and productive lives by identifying their unique capacities and developing their individual strengths, a press release said. Club VIBES provides a free mentoring service for visually impaired or blind youth and their parents/guardians residing in or around the Knoxville area.

Twelve to 13 participants will launch on Sunday afternoon to engage in a new activity for those who have always wanted to try the sport but have not had the opportunity. [Read more…]

ORHPA celebrates 15th anniversary at Scarboro Road gatehouse

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Bobbie Martin at Oak Ridge City Council

Bobbie Martin, one of the people who helped start the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association 15 years ago this month, accepts the keys to the Midtown Community Center, which includes the historic “Wildcat Den.” This was the culmination of close to two years of work that began with a newspaper article Bobbie wrote and the contact by Mick Wiest that brought the two of them and several others together in September 1999 and to ultimately to form ORHPA. (Submitted photos)

 

The Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association will celebrate its 15th anniversary during a Thursday night meeting at the “Midway Gatehouse” on Scarboro Road. That’s the location of the group’s original meeting.

The anniversary meeting is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, September 11. Parking is limited there. Organizers said those attending should consider parking at the nearby Y-12 Federal Credit Union and carpooling from there, or they could carpool with friends from the Midtown Community Center parking lot.

“Come by the Gatehouse anytime between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to enjoy refreshments, see displays, and view the historic building and its artifacts, as well as help celebrate 15 years as an organization,” a press release said.

Here is the story of how the ORHPA began: [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from Sept. 11-17

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge from Thursday, September 11, and continuing through September 17.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

UT-Battelle donates $100K to Emory Valley Center for capital campaign

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

UT-Battelle Check to Emory Valley Center

Jennifer Enderson, Emory Valley Center president, accepts a check for the organization’s Capital Campaign from Alan Icenhour, UT-Battelle’s associate lab director for nuclear science and engineering and EVC board member. Also pictured (from left) are Dottie Thompson, Capital Campaign co-chair; John Eschenberg, Emory Valley Center board president; Gene Caldwell, Capital Campaign co-chair, and several Emory Valley Center clients. (Submitted photo)

 

UT-Battelle recently presented a check to Emory Valley Center in support of their ongoing 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. UT-Battelle manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.

The check was a $100,000 contribution toward UT-Battelle’s pledge of $250,000, the Emory Valley Center said.

Donations from individuals and companies, as well as grant awards, have helped fundraisers reach 75 percent of the total Capital Campaign goal, a press release said. Emory Valley Center is continuing to accept donations for the Capital Campaign from individual and business supporters throughout the community. If you would like to donate, contact EVC Development Director Janet Wood via email at janet.wood@emoryvalleycenter.com or call (865) 813-0576. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge celebrates 200th anniversary of national anthem on Sunday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Star-Spangled Banner Day Oak Ridge

The City of Oak Ridge will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the national anthem on Sunday afternoon at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. (Submitted image)

Oak Ridge will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the national anthem on Sunday afternoon at the Oak Ridge Civic Center Amphitheater.

The Star-Spangled Banner Day celebration starts at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The Oak Ridge Civic Center complex is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

A short program honoring the national anthem will begin at 4:30 p.m., and the national anthem will be sung at 5:00 p.m., a press release said.

“We’d like to invite families across Tennessee to join America’s Secret City in honoring this important national anniversary,” said Jane Miller, Oak Ridge mayor pro tem. “This will be a wonderful event as we celebrate the birthday of our national anthem and pay honor to the great United States of America.”

The event is jointly sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, Anderson County, Roane County, the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Knoxville/Oak Ridge Staybridge Suites Hotel, and the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. Everyone is invited to this community event, the press release said. Families are welcome to bring their own chairs and blankets to sit on. [Read more…]

Hospital discharge options to be discussed Sept. 18

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Meg Tonne

Meg Tonne, parish nurse at First Presbyterian Church, will moderate a panel on hospital discharge options on Sept. 18.

Imagine you’re in the hospital for five days. You receive medications, diagnostic tests, and other hospital services, and you have Medicare.

Then, when your doctor wants to send you to a skilled nursing facility like NHC, you find out you’re classified as “outpatient observation.” Medicare will not cover your stay at such a facility unless you’ve been in the hospital for three nights as an inpatient.

After you’ve been discharged from the hospital and taken home, your son decides to hire a private caregiver for you. The caregiver does not work for a licensed home-assistance agency.

The caregiver, who is not bonded and has not had a background check, steals your expensive jewelry, camera, and some cash, but you can’t prove it. Your son fires the caregiver and hires a contract worker with a licensed agency.

The new caregiver hurts her back lifting you. Could you be sued? How can you avoid getting in such bad situations?

“When you are discharged from the hospital, you face many choices when your stress levels are high and time is limited,” said Meg Tonne, parish nurse at the church who coordinates the luncheons. “You may not understand what the options are for different levels of care and whether you qualify for the level you think you need.” [Read more…]

Education Foundation names new director

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jessica Steed

Jessica Steed

Jessica Steed was recently named executive director of the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation.

The Foundation’s board of directors chose Steed to replace Jenna Whitney, who resigned after her husband Mark, who was the manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management for the U.S. Department of Energy, accepted a new job with DOE in Washington, D.C.

Steed, a certified public accountant since 2001, worked for more than six years in public accounting as an auditor and tax accountant before becoming a full-time parent and community volunteer for the last nine years.

Since Steed moved to Oak Ridge four years ago, she has served as a classroom volunteer, as treasurer for both Woodland Elementary and Jefferson Middle School PTOs, and as an active member of the PTO Council. The Foundation’s selection committee noted that Steed comes to the position with a strong financial and accounting background and with knowledge of issues that affect the Oak Ridge school system.

“Although I have thoroughly enjoyed volunteering in the school system, I am ready to move into a position that allows me to help support not only my own children’s schools, but the whole school system I have grown to appreciate,” Steed said in a press release. “My experience in public accounting and volunteer work in the schools will serve as a great foundation as I strive to support the mission of the ORPSEF.” [Read more…]

ADFAC: Celebrate a year of ‘Dine and Donate’ by eating out Monday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Gallo Loco

Submitted

Nearly a year ago, Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, launched the “Dine and Donate” fundraiser. A successor of the agency’s longtime “Feed the Need” campaign, Dine and Donate allows the entire community to eat out at participating restaurants on the second Monday of each month. The restaurants, in turn, provide a portion of their sales to support ADFAC’s many charitable programs.

The first year of Dine and Donate wraps up Monday, September 8, with the following participating restaurants: Burchfield’s in Oak Ridge, Gallo Loco in Oak Ridge, Hoskins in Clinton, Mediterranean Delight in Oak Ridge, and Razzleberry’s in Oak Ridge.

“It’s hard to believe a year has already passed!” said Cande Seay, ADFAC board member and Dine and Donate chair. “Dine and Donate has been a success beyond our expectations, with thousands of dollar already raised to bring hope and stability to our less fortunate neighbors.” [Read more…]

Tuskan honored as SADD National Advisor of the Year

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Mary Tuskan and Julie Strike

Above are Clinton High School counselor Mary Tuskan, left, and Julie Strike, SADD state coordinator for Tennessee.

Mary Tuskan, counselor at Clinton High School, was chosen from a large number of qualified applicants as the SADD National Advisor of the Year, a press release said.

SADD President and Chief Executive Officer Penny Wells said that Tuskan, through her work at Clinton High School, has “exemplified our idea of a successful SADD advisor,” the press release said.

It said Tuskan led the members of the SADD chapter and Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) of Anderson County Youth Coalition to CHS’s repeat victory in this past January’s Red Ribbon Rivalry and continues to support the students in their efforts such as the “Will you stay sober with me?” prom campaign.

Anderson County Director of Schools Larry Foster said: “We were very pleased to hear the news of Ms. Tuskan being named National SADD Advisor of the Year. She is very deserving of such an honor. She has worked extremely hard with our students in Anderson County. Her commitment and dedication to substance abuse prevention is outstanding and she is always giving of her time. Her work is recognized throughout our system and is very much appreciated.” [Read more…]