Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge city, schools kick off Biggest Loser Competition

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The City of Oak Ridge Wellness Committee and Oak Ridge Coordinated School Health will kick off their 2015 Biggest Loser competition at 12:30 p.m. today (Monday, January 5) in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Social Room.

Employees with the City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools will compete against one another during a three-month weight loss challenge. A winner from each organization will be awarded, as well as overall male and female Biggest Loser. The competition will run from January 5 through April 6, a press release said.

Today’s first official weigh-in of the challenge will feature Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch and members of Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, Oak Ridge Schools Director of Pupil Services Larrissa Henderson, and municipal and school employees.

Register for ORICL courses, trips by Jan. 7; term starts Feb. 2

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ORICL Tours ORNL Manufacturing Demonstration Facility

Uri Gat and other ORICL members enjoy a tour of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. Here, they observe and handle items produced at MDF by its 3D printers. (Submitted photo)

 

Want to know how to improve your bidding in the game of bridge? Analyze your dreams? Identify area birds? Play the guitar?

Would you like to better understand how 3D printing works, how to write computer code with the software Scratch and how people mine data of importance to you? Or do you just want to learn how to relax?

These are among the courses offered during the winter-spring 2015 term of the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning, starting February 2. [Read more…]

Registration under way for Wilderness First Responder course at Roane State

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Wilderness First Responder

Rescue workers train during Roane State’s Wilderness First Responder course. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

 

Roane State Community College’s Continuing Healthcare and Safety Education Department is accepting sign-ups for its Wilderness First Responder course.

Held at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, the class is designed for those who operate extensively in the outdoors, such as outdoors enthusiasts, wilderness guides, environmental educators, and missionaries, a press release said. [Read more…]

Youth Board shopped for Christmas for children through Mission of Hope

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YAB Christmas Shopping Mission of Hope

Pictured above from left to right in front are Marie Denorme and Hannah Oran; second row are Camille Martinez, Claire DiFazio, Ovi Kabir, Caroline Bradshaw, Elizabeth Bradshaw, Shichen Zhang, Lauren Collier, Riley Mosby, Catherine Humphries, and Candace Pang; and back are Julie Heten, Kolton Reedy, Peter Magill, Kevin Reedy, Curtis Rookard, Tyler Boullie, Wesley Robinson, Stella Powell, Mandy Pitz, Brent Robinson, Brandon Stanley, Lewis Wang, and Masa Kato. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board members recently voted to spend time and money Christmas shopping at Kmart for area children through Mission of Hope.

The board raises funds at various events throughout the year to make this possible, a press release said.

The board spent a total of $1,664.73 on gifts. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has inaugural New Year’s Day Walk

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UT Arboretum Trail Junipers

UT Arboretum trail junipers (Photo courtesy UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center)

Submitted

Do you want to get some exercise on New Year’s Day? Come to the University of Tennessee Arboretum for a short hike.

If you are overloaded on football, food, and festivities, the UT Arboretum Society is offering a great alternative: the inaugural New Year’s Day Walk at the UT Arboretum at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Guest column: Glad she went on schools’ tour, encourages others to go

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Art and Science Class

The microscope pictured above was in a combined class taught by art teacher Jim Dodson and science teacher John Beard at Jefferson Middle School. (Photos courtesy Mary Layton)

 

By Mary Layton

On Tuesday, December 16, I went on the inaugural Oak Ridge School’s Community Tour.

We met at the American Museum of Science and Energy bright and early at 8 am. We were divided into two groups. The Einstein Group was hosted by Tracey Beckendorf-Edou, and the Curie Group had as its leader Chris Marczak.

We began with a short history of Oak Ridge given by Ken Mayes. We were reminded of the important role our city played in World War II.

Bruce Borchers, superintendent of Oak Ridge Schools, welcomed us to the tour. He told us about the Keys to College and Career Readiness. These goals were developed by interviewing and surveying Oak Ridge students, parents, staff, and community in late 2013. The goal of the keys is to prepare students to go to college, obtain industry certification in a skill, or receive military preparation by graduation. Borchers told us that our tour would show us how they were working to obtain these goals. [Read more…]

Former ORNL employee in inaugural engineering Hall of Fame at UT

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UT Mabe Hall of Fame

Clockwise from upper left are William Snyder, Richard Rosenberg, Rinehart Bright, and Henry Hartsfield. (Photo courtesy UT)

 

Former chancellor, astronaut also honored

KNOXVILLE—In 1847, a course offering studies in mechanical philosophies and mechanics appeared in what was then East Tennessee University.

Now, almost 170 years later, the school is the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and the course has grown into the College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, or MABE, two-thirds of which would have been considered science fiction to those many years ago.

Now, the department is calling upon that legacy as it prepares to open its Hall of Fame.

The honor of being in the inaugural class belongs to a chancellor, an astronaut, an automotive pioneer, and a person who had a longtime presence in various Oak Ridge facilities. [Read more…]

Roane State: Prepare for a health care career in just one to three semesters

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For those interested in behind-the-scenes health care careers, Roane State Community College has a variety of options, and spaces are available for spring semester.

Options include:

  • Healthcare Documentation Specialist (Medical Transcription/Speech-Editing): Students learn to transcribe and edit speech-generated medical record reports dictated by physicians. Healthcare documentation specialists work in physician’s offices, clinics, hospitals, and medical transcription services. Classes are offered online. Opportunities to work from home are available with experience.
  • Health Unit Coordinator: The health unit coordinator courses can be completed in just two semesters. Health unit coordinators typically work in a hospital’s nursing unit. Their duties include maintaining patient records, scheduling tests for patients, ordering supplies, and acting as a liaison between the patient, medical staff, patient’s family, and visitors. Classes are offered in a combination of the traditional classroom and online.
  • Medical Scribe: The medical scribe series of courses can be completed in just one or two semesters. Medical scribes work alongside physicians and document patient care as it happens. All classes are online.

For more information about these options, contact Linda Marsh at (865) 481-2012 or marshls@roanestate.edu. Spring classes begin January 20.

Roane State Foundation High Tea to raise funds for student scholarships

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Linda Brown and Cindy Whaley Plan High Tea

From left, Linda Brown and Cindy Whaley work on planning the Roane State Foundation’s Upstairs/Downstairs High Tea, an event inspired by the PBS hit “Downton Abbey.” (Photo courtesy Roane State)

 

More tea, Lord Crawley?

If you enjoy the PBS hit “Downton Abbey,” then take a moment to experience a taste of manor life at the Roane State Community College Foundation’s Upstairs/Downstairs High Tea.

The High Tea will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 24, at the Whitestone Country Inn in Kingston.

Tickets are $50 for individuals and $75 for couples, and they will go on sale Monday, January 5. Table sponsorships are available. Proceeds will be used for student scholarships. [Read more…]

Angel Tree recipients visit Clinton police

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Angel Tree at Clinton Police

Angel Tree recipients at Clinton Police Department. (Submitted photos)

 

Six area children will have a little bit brighter Christmas this year, thanks to the efforts of Clinton Police Department officers.

On Tuesday, the kids, ranging in age from two to 12 years, went to the Police Department, where Santa had left several large bags of toys. Officers were there to help them unwrap a big assortment of games, dolls, videos, and more, a press release said.

Patrolman Anthony Godwin obtained the names of the children from the Clinton City Schools Angel Tree, then asked his fellow officers to donate. Godwin says the response was great. Nearly $800 was collected to purchase gifts. [Read more…]

Key Club, Kiwanis members, friends help with toy project at Holiday Bureau

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CHS and ORHS Key Club at Holiday Bureau

Clinton and Oak Ridge High School Key Club Members helped move toys at the Holiday Bureau on December 9. (Submitted photos)

 

Key Club and Kiwanis members and friends helped with a Toy Moving Project at the Holiday Bureau on December 9, a press release said.

The Key Club members were from Clinton and Oak Ridge high schools. They joined members and friends of Oak Ridge Kiwanis. Toys were moved from storage areas, and related tasks were completed such as filling grab bags with small gifts, the press release said.

Toys and gifts were selected by family representatives for their children and youth beginning Thursday, December 11. Toy selection followed clothing and food voucher distributions to families who registered with The Holiday Bureau at 728-B Emory Valley Rd in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Kick off new year with January Jaunt at Clark Center Park, Gallaher Bend Greenway

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Clark Center Park Picnic Area

One of two large picnic areas at Clark Center Park. The park also includes a small playground, two ball fields, boat ramp, fishing trails, and beach. (File photo)

 

The City of Oak Ridge Wellness Committee and Oak Ridge Coordinated School Health will kick off the new year with a January Jaunt at Gallaher Bend Greenway and Clark Center Park. The community is invited to take part, a press release said.

The January Jaunt is a beautiful hike and walk that will showcase the greenway and park, the press release said. It will start at 9 a.m. January 10.

“The Gallaher Bend Greenway offers a quiet, forested trail with lovely vistas of Melton Lake,” the release said. [Read more…]