Oak Ridge Today

Democratic Women’s Club to discuss organizing a political campaign

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Kris Murphy

Kris Murphy

Kris Murphy, senior political director for the Tennessee Democratic Party, will be the guest speaker for the Monday, March 27, meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club. The group will meet at 6 p.m. at Swifty’s Atomic Bar and Grill, which is at 119 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Murphy’s topic will be “Organizing a Political Campaign,” a press release said. Born into a political family, Murphy started campaigning when he was a one-year-old in his father’s state representative campaigns. Since then, he has worked on a number of campaigns and consulted for labor unions and progressive organizations across Tennessee, the press release said.

No reservations are necessary. Those attending may order from the menu at Swifty’s. For more information, please email Ann Mostoller at amostoller@msw-law.com or call Mary Matheny at (865) 483-8937.

This press release was submitted by Kay Brookshire.

World Wise Wednesdays begin at Oak Ridge Public Library

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Oak Ridge Public Library is hosting a new series of programs on the third Wednesday of every month at 10:30 a.m.

World Wise Wednesdays are open to the public, and they will offer discussions on a variety of topics from gardening and seed swapping to how to get the most for your vacation money by cruising, to the natural history of hummingbirds.

The March program featured Ijam’s naturalist and author Stephen Lyn Bales, who talked about hummingbirds, their life cycle, and which ones we can hope to see this summer.

On April 19, Betty Longworth of Countryside Gardens will demonstrate flower arranging for bouquets and window boxes. [Read more…]

County taking steps to move General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge

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Anderson-County-General-Sessions-Court-Exterior-Nov-19-2015

Anderson County officials are taking steps to move General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge from a privately owned building on Bus Terminal Road, pictured above, to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 12:50 p.m.

Anderson County officials are taking steps to move General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge from a privately owned building on Bus Terminal Road to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road.

An 18-month lease on the current privately owned building, where the court has been since 2009, expires in June, officials said Wednesday.

Renovations are planned at the county-owned building on Emory Valley Road before the court moves there. Bid packages for the renovation work could go out to contractors this week, and the bid could be awarded in mid-April, said Anderson County Commissioner Phil Yager, one of two commissioners who represent District 8 in Oak Ridge.

The renovation work could take two to three months, Yager said. Michael Brady Inc., a Knoxville architectural firm helping Anderson County, has estimated the renovations could cost around $300,000. [Read more…]

‘Pearls and Politics’ political forum scheduled for April 6

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Pearls and Politics Political Forum April 6 2017

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Oak Ridge Chapter, is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge and the NAACP of Anderson County to present “Pearls and Politics” on Thursday, April 6, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church.

The political forum starts at 6 p.m. April 6. The church is at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

This nonpartisan voter education event will feature city and county officials, school board members, and state legislators, a press release said. Heavy hors d’ouerves will be served. The event is free and open to the public.

See the event flyer here: Pearls and Politics.

City household trash pickup starts Monday

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The citywide household trash pick-up program will begin Monday, March 27. Household rubbish, old appliances, and minor remodeling materials will be picked up. City collection efforts will follow the accompanying schedule as closely as possible.

Residents have always been very cooperative and we ask for their continued cooperation this year by following a few guidelines:

  • Residents should place all materials near, but not beyond, the curb. Keep materials off sidewalks and out of parking areas and gutters.
  • There is a limit of one truckload of material per residence. A truckload is defined as one pickup truck or approximately 3′ high x 4′ wide x 8′ long, approximately 100 cubic feet maximum.
  • Crews will not pick up hazardous items, paint, tires, or piles of rubbish that are mixed with brush or limbs. Compressors must be removed from refrigerators and air conditioners before collection by crews.
  • All materials must be in place no later than 7:30 a.m. on the scheduled pick-up day. Any materials put out after 7:30 a.m. on the scheduled day may not be picked up.

[Read more…]

Community listening event in Rocky Top to focus on painkillers, substance abuse, addiction

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Terry-Frank-Aug-15-2016

Terry Frank

A community listening event in Rocky Top in April will focus on painkillers, substance abuse, addiction, and overdoses.

The listening event will be at the Rocky Top Community Center on Monday, April 3, from 6-7:15 p.m. It will be hosted by Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and concerned citizen Patricia Adkins, a press release said.

“The open invitation event will focus on receiving community comments about opiate abuse, addiction issues, and/or treatment, and any concern surrounding substance abuse issues in the community,” the press release said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses now account for more deaths in the U.S. than motor vehicle accidents, with 52 percent attributed to prescription medications. [Read more…]

Breakfast with Legislators is Monday

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McNally-Ragan-Calfee-at-Breakfast-with-Legislators-April-25-2016

The next Breakfast with the Legislators is at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Monday, March 27, 2017. Pictured above in a breakfast in 2016 are Sen. Randy McNally (now lieutenant governor), Rep. John Ragan, and Rep. Kent Calfee. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The next Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday morning at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. The breakfast is scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 27, in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The Civic Center is at 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike. A light continental breakfast will be provided at no charge. The public is encouraged to attend, a press release said.

Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally, who is now lieutenant governor, and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to bring everyone up to date on what’s happening in the Tennessee General Assembly, the press release said. Members of the audience may ask questions and give opinions. [Read more…]

Reminder: Community meeting Thursday to discuss site for new preschool

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The new preschool could be located at Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge or Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, and the city's school board expects to recommend one of the two sites on Monday, Feb. 27, a school official said Friday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The new preschool could be located at Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. The Oak Ridge Board of Education selected the site on Monday, Feb. 27, but after hearing from a few residents in March, the Oak Ridge City Council delayed a vote in order to allow a community meeting at the Scarboro Community Center on Thursday, March 23. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

This is a reminder: There is a community meeting on Thursday to discuss the new site for the Oak Ridge Preschool.

Oak Ridge City Council delayed the vote on a new preschool location at its regular meeting on Monday, March 13. Council members wanted to allow time for more community discussion and input. They delayed the vote on the preschool site after hearing from a few residents who had questions about using Scarboro Park.

As part of the effort to allow more community input, a public meeting has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Scarboro Community Center.

The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools have been working to choose a site for the new preschool for about two years, a press release said. The preschool would relocate from the School Administration Building on New York Avenue. Members of a committee formed to recommend possible sites looked at city-owned properties and many factors that would affect future students, their families, and the community as a whole, the press release said.

Two locations were ultimately identified as possible sites for the new preschool: Scarboro Park and Elm Grove Park. [Read more…]

Learn more about Oak Ridge, bike with a park ranger on Saturday

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

You can join a park ranger for a bike ride down Melton Lake Greenway on Saturday.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, will present a free program on Saturday, March 25, at 10 a.m. The program will begin at Elza Gate Park, former entry point to the Secret City, and continue down Melton Lake Greenway. Rangers will stop several times along the bike ride to point out the rich history that is found within the Oak Ridge area, a press release said.

Elza Gate Park is located at 101 Oak Ridge Turnpike in east Oak Ridge. If you need directions, maps are available at the National Park desk in the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, or you can call (865) 576-6767. [Read more…]

Two international events proposed for 75th anniversary of DOE, Oak Ridge

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ORHPA Logo

The Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association has proposed that the U.S. Department of Energy and the City of Oak Ridge host two international events during their 75th anniversary.

The events are: (a) an exhibit on the international scientific progress made during the seven decades since World War II and (b) a remembrance of the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with special invitations going to representatives of the 25 countries that suffered the highest casualties during the war, a press release said.

Both the U.S. Department of Energy nuclear complex and the City of Oak Ridge were born in the turbulent year following the Pearl Harbor attack (1942) as part of President Roosevelt’s massive—and super-secret—effort to build the first atomic bomb, the press release said.

“Including these two events in this year’s anniversary would showcase DOE’s important contributions to mankind and enhance international understanding and cooperation,” said Martin McBride, who heads the ORHPA committee on the proposal. “It would also honor all who fell during World War II.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge home owner shares energy efficiency success story

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MORE2 Logo“I have won the lottery!” That is an emotional response from one Oak Ridge homeowner who recently received a Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient, or MORE2, home energy makeover.

Ronald Jackson, an Oak Ridge resident for nearly 50 years, said he “could not believe my luck in finding this program.” Jackson, who has lived in his home for 10 years, learned about the MORE2 program from a poster while visiting the Oak Ridge Library and decided it was worth a try to apply. His application was approved, and in recent months, his home has received a new HVAC unit as well as new duct work and insulation—all at no cost to Jackson.

“This program is so wonderful I want to tell everyone about it!” Jackson said in a press release.

The program responsible for his enthusiasm is called MORE2, and it is helping Oak Ridgers lower their home energy use and their electric bills, the press release said. [Read more…]

Slides: See more information on the Oak Ridge Airport project

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Oak Ridge Airport Funding Sources March 15 2017

A Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority committee on Wednesday approved a layout plan for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport. The plan will now be sent to the Federal Aviation Administration for review and approval.

As reported in a Wednesday story, there are additional steps and approvals required. But if all goes well, construction on the airport could start in late 2018 or early 2019, officials said Wednesday.

Slides included in this story include more information about the proposed airport. We encourage you to read the earlier story as well.

The airport could cost an estimated $35 million to $40 million, officials said Wednesday. It would be funded with a mix of federal funding, state aeronautical commission funding, and local funding from the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, or MKAA. [Read more…]