Oak Ridge Today

Former astronaut on mission to promote math and science

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Astronaut Bernard Harris at ORNL

Astronaut Bernard A. Harris Jr., right, talks to Scott Wood, an Oak Ridge National Laboratory computer analyst and Roane State Community College observatory volunteer, after a Friday morning talk at ORNL.

He had prepared for this space mission for years, starting as a boy fascinated by the Apollo program and continuing through rigorous astronaut training.

Still, as Bernard A. Harris Jr. stepped out of the space shuttle Discovery in 1995—the first African-American to walk in space—he hesitated, afraid he might get sucked out of the craft’s air lock and fall 250 miles to Earth.

Holy cow, Harris thought as the Earth flew by far below at 17,500 miles per hour.

“I am really doing this,” Harris recalled thinking. “It was just incredible.”

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Manhattan Project apartments honored Thursday

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Oak Ridge officials, business leaders, and historic preservationists will honor an apartment complex built during the Manhattan Project, the top-secret World War II program to develop the world’s first atomic bombs.

The Thursday evening ceremony at the Rolling Hills Apartments will include city leaders, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association.

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Grand Oaks rummage sale raises money for fifth-grade trip

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The parent-teacher organization at Grand Oaks Elementary School is raising money for fifth-graders to go to Washington, D.C., for an AAA Safety Patrol Trip.

To raise money, the PTO is hosting a rummage sale early next month. It will be held at Grand Oaks Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 6.

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Oak Ridge celebrates 70th birthday

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Oak Ridge 70th Birthday

Local historians, officials, volunteers, and former Manhattan Project workers celebrate Oak Ridge’s 70th birthday on Wednesday. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

Residents, officials, and historic preservationists celebrated Oak Ridge’s birthday on Wednesday with cake, historical displays, speeches, a preservation award, and a special free showing of “Fat Man and Little Boy.”

The celebration at Jackson Square marked the 70th anniversary of the day that Gen. Leslie Groves selected Oak Ridge as the first Manhattan Project site. The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II.

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Council member discusses economic development Monday

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Oak Ridge City Council member Anne Garcia Garland will discuss local economic development during a Monday evening meeting of the local branch of the American Association of University Women.

Garcia Garland’s talk is titled “Vision and Economic Development: What is Going on in the City.” It starts at 7 p.m. in the Social Room of the Unitarian Universalist Church.

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House majority supports Manhattan Project park, but two-thirds required

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Note: This story was updated at 9:10 p.m.

A majority of U.S. House members voted for a bill Thursday to set up a Manhattan Project National Historical Park that would include Oak Ridge, but the vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass the legislation under special rules.

The vote on the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act was 237-180, about 50 votes short of a two-thirds supermajority, said Cindy Kelly, president of the nonprofit Atomic Heritage Foundation.

Though it didn’t pass Thursday in a maneuver that could have quickly sent the bill to the Senate, supporters said the bill has bipartisan support. They remained optimistic that it could still be approved soon.

“We’ve shown there is support for this park and will be working towards the goal of enacting this into law before the end of this year,” said U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, a Washington Republican who has championed the legislation to recognize Manhattan Project sites in Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, N.M., and Hanford, Wash. The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II.

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Oak Ridge Community Band begins next concert series on Oct. 14

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The Oak Ridge Community Band begins its next concert series on Sunday, Oct. 14, with a “Cane Mutiny” performance.

The concert starts at 3:30 p.m. at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

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UT’s Cronan to speak at Boys, Girls Club campaign kickoff

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Joan Cronan, former University of Tennessee women’s athletic director, will be the guest speaker at a “Great Futures Campaign Kick-Off” for the Boys & Girls Club of Oak Ridge next week.

The kickoff is at 7:30 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Boys & Girls Club at 102 South Jefferson Circle.

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Cold War Patriots fair offers free health care screenings, information

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Nuclear workers and seniors will be offered free health care screenings, information, and entertainment during the fourth annual Cold War Patriots Resource Fair next week, a press release said.

The fair is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 27 in the New Hope Center at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

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Oak Ridge celebrates 70th birthday at Jackson Square this afternoon

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Oak Ridge will celebrate its 70th birthday today with historic displays and talks in Jackson Square, special games and activities, a preservation award, and a special free showing of “Fat Man and Little Boy.”

Gen. Leslie R. Groves selected the area that is now Oak Ridge—it was then 90 square miles of East Tennessee farmland—as the first site for Manhattan Project facilities on Sept. 19, 1942. The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II.

The 70th birthday festivities kick off at 3 p.m. today in Jackson Square.

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B&W Y-12 donates $15,000 to Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge

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B&W Y-12 recently donated $15,000 to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, a press release said.

The money will be used to turn the museum’s current space exhibit into a “Rocket Room,” taking children on an imaginary trip to Mars. An existing model rocket at the museum will be refurbished, and new interactive activities will bring outer space to preschoolers and other young children, the release said.

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TDOT offers $1 million in litter grants for special projects

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The Tennessee Department of Transportation is sponsoring a statewide competition for $1 million of grant funds for special litter projects that go beyond routine maintenance.

Local governments, community organizations, and nonprofits can apply, a press release said. Winning proposals may receive a total of $25,000 to $100,000, which will be used to reimburse expenses each quarter for up to three years.

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