Oak Ridge Today

County Commission considers ‘In God We Trust’ signs after legal, design review

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Anderson County Operations Committee National Motto

Anderson County Commisisoner Robert McKamey, left, who has made motions to put the national motto “In God We Trust” on the County Courthouse in Clinton, and Commissioner Whitey Hitchcock, who has voted against the proposals.

They’ve already approved a proposal to put “In God We Trust” on the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton, and county commissioners this evening will consider a committee’s recommendation to install the national motto on black metal signs above the courthouse’s four entrances.

The Anderson County Operations Committee endorsed the signs in a 5-3 vote last week. They would have white lettering that says “In God We Trust,” and they are expected to cost $500 or less.

The County Commission agreed to put the motto on the courthouse in a 12-4 vote last month, but members asked the Operations Committee and Anderson County Law Director Jay Yeager to review legal, liability, and design issues. The committee has now referred the specific sign proposal back to the full commission.

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Clinton Council again considers appointing school board member

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Clinton City Council will meet this afternoon at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Among the items on the agenda will be a second try at appointing a new school board member to replace R.C. Hutchins. Last month, Council voted to have the city attorney determine if there would be a conflict of interest if Curtis Isabell were to be appointed to the seat vacated by Hutchins’ retirement.

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Kayaks, bikes could be rented at Oak Ridge Marina

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Melton Lake Park Marina Dock

An Oliver Springs company could replace an existing dock at the Oak Ridge Marina with a kayak dock under a five-year lease that could follow a pilot program. (Submitted photo)

An Oliver Springs company could rent kayaks and bicycles to the public at Melton Lake Park under a contract to be considered by Oak Ridge City Council on Monday.

Adventures Outdoors would use temporary space on Houseboat Row at Melton Lake Park as well as the bar area in the former New China Palace restaurant to rent and store the recreational equipment as part of a pilot program that could lead to a lease agreement.

It’s the next step in implementing a waterfront development plan approved by Oak Ridge City Council in December 2009, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Josh Collins said in a memo to City Manager Mark S. Watson. That plan included key features such as a new picnic pavilion, walking trails, new playground, permanent restrooms, enhanced lighting and landscaping, outdoor casual dining, and recreational equipment rental.

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Flashing pedestrian signs could be installed at three crosswalks on Melton Lake Drive

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Melton Lake Drive Pedestrian Warning Signs

New solar-powered pedestrian warning signs could be installed at three crosswalks on Melton Lake Drive under a contract to be considered by Oak Ridge City Council on Monday. (Submitted photo)

Solar-powered pedestrian warning signs and new pavement markings could be installed at three crosswalks on Melton Lake Drive.

The crosswalk improvements are proposed at Amanda Drive, Emory Valley Road, and Rivers Run. They will be considered by Oak Ridge City Council on Monday night.

The Oak Ridge city staff has recommended awarding a roughly $38,000 contract to First Place Finish of Oak Ridge for the crosswalk work, which could start in April and be completed in four to six weeks. The bid was the lowest of four received, City Engineer Steven R. Byrd said in a memo to City Manager Mark S. Watson.

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Anderson not included in latest judicial redistricting, but legislative session not over

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Dave Clark

Dave Clark

The most recent proposal to redraw judicial districts in Tennessee did not include Anderson County, but the battle isn’t over yet, an official said Wednesday.

Roane County also would not be affected under the proposal, announced Monday by Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, a Blountville Republican. The proposal could affect 22 of the state’s 95 counties, said Dave Clark, Anderson County district attorney general.

Still, there is a month or more left in the legislative session in the Tennessee General Assembly in Nashville, and the proposals—there are more than a dozen—are subject to amendment, Clark said during a Wednesday morning presentation to the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club.

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Manhattan Project national park bill also reintroduced in U.S. House

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K-25 Building Aerial View

Now mostly demolished, the former mile-long, U-shaped K-25 Building is pictured above. The site has previously been identified for possible inclusion in a Manhattan Project National Historical Park. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy)

A bill to set up a Manhattan Project national park that would include Oak Ridge has been reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bipartisan legislation was reintroduced on Friday in the U.S. House by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings, a Washington Republican;  Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican; and Rep. Ben Luján, a New Mexico Democrat.

The legislation—H.R. 1208—would establish a Manhattan Project National Historical Park that would include facilities in Oak Ridge; Hanford, Wash.; and Los Alamos, N.M.

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Parks Board has March 21 open house on dog park

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Oak Ridge Dog Park Layout Draft

A draft layout of the proposed dog park at Big Turtle Park in west Oak Ridge. (Submitted image)

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Advisory Board will have an open house on Thursday, March 21, to discuss the city’s first dog park, including a concept plan and proposed rules.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Social Room.

Radio Systems Corp. has agreed to give the city $100,000 through Legacy Parks to help build the dog park, which could be at Big Turtle Park in west Oak Ridge.

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Controlled burns on Oak Ridge Reservation start Friday

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office is initiating a series of controlled burns of grassland areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation for prescribed burning at the East Tennessee Technology Park and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory during March and April.

On March 15, weather permitting, controlled burns are taking place:

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Planning Commission to discuss electronic signs this evening

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Oak Ridge officials will continue to discuss the the city’s ordinance on electronic signs during a work session this evening.

City officials have been trying to write new regulations for the signs, considering how to govern brightness, display times, and transitions between messages.

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Energy Communities Alliance supports Manhattan Project park bill

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Tom Beehan

Tom Beehan

A group of local governments associated with U.S. Department of Energy sites has reaffirmed its support for a Manhattan Project national park.

Proposed through legislation in the U.S. Congress, the park would commemorate the Manhattan Project, the top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II. The park would include Oak Ridge; Los Alamos, N.M.; and Hanford, Wash.

“We are thrilled to see this step toward making the new national park a reality,” said Steve Young, secretary of the nonprofit Energy Communities Alliance and mayor of Kennewick, Wash. “There’s no question that the story of the Manhattan Project and the contributions of the men and women who supported it are of high interest to the American public. This creates a real opportunity for our communities to share our collective history while realizing the benefits of the heritage tourism industry a national park is likely to create.”

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Anderson County committee endorses ‘In God We Trust’ signs

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Public Hearing on In God We Trust Motto

Philip Warfield of Andersonville says county residents should be able to decide what goes on the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton during a Monday committee hearing on putting the national motto “In God We Trust” on the three-story building.

CLINTON—After hearing from the Anderson County law director, a county committee on Monday endorsed a proposal to put the national motto “In God We Trust” above each of the four doors at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

The motion by Anderson County Commissioner Robert McKamey was endorsed in a 5-3 vote at an Anderson County Operations Committee meeting on Monday evening. All three “no” votes came from Oak Ridge commissioners.

McKamey’s motion called for installing black metal signs above the doors with white lettering that says “In God We Trust.” The total estimated cost is $500 or less, and the signs would be installed by a professional firm.

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Anderson committee to discuss ‘In God We Trust’ motto, county vehicle

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An Anderson County committee this evening will discuss legal and liability issues associated with placing the national motto “In God We Trust” on the County Courthouse in Clinton.

The Anderson County Commission agreed in a 12-4 vote last month to put the motto on the courthouse, although there were some unanswered questions about design and legal liability. The commission referred the decision to the Anderson County Operations Committee, which will discuss it at 6 p.m. today in Room 312 of the County Courthouse.

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