Oak Ridge Today

Tree limb temporarily knocks out power to about 900 customers

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A Friday morning power outage caused by a tree limb temporarily knocked out power to about 900 customers, the City of Oak Ridge said.

Oak Ridge Electric Department Director Jack Suggs said electric service was interrupted at about 7:15 a.m. Friday to an area centered on Highland Avenue, including portions of Robertsville Road, West Outer Drive, and adjacent streets. The outage was caused by a tree limb that blew into the line near Robertsville, Suggs said.

The limb was located and removed. The system was inspected, and power was restored by about 8:25 a.m., Suggs said.

ORHPA having 75th anniversary for Oak Ridge on Sept. 15

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ORHPA city 75th Birthday Celeb Flyer 2

Photographer Ed Westcott will be the honored guest and author Denise Kiernan will be the guest speaker at a 75th anniversary celebration for Oak Ridge on September 15.

The 75th anniversary celebration is presented by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. It’s scheduled to start with historical displays at the Historic Grove Theater at 2 p.m. Friday, September 15.

The celebration is free and open to the public, an event flyer said, but donations to Friends of the Grove and the ORHPA are welcome.

Westcott was the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during the top-secret Manhattan Project during World War II. He will be the honored guest from 4 to 5:30 p.m. September 15. There will be a photo slide show presented by Don and Emily Hunnicutt, as well as a question-and-answer session. [Read more…]

‘Race to Space’ photos focus on Manhattan Project scientists who later joined U.S. space program

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Edward Teller

Edward Teller

 

A photo exhibition that opens next week at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will focus on Manhattan Project scientists who went on to join the United States space program.

The “Race to Space” photo exhibition is hosted by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and Explore Oak Ridge. The month-long exhibit will open Tuesday, August 15, with a reception from 8 to 9 a.m. The photo exhibit is sponsored by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and Explore Oak Ridge.

It is part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park’s activities that highlight this month’s once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is located at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike. It is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. [Read more…]

City wants to renovate fire station as DOE, contractors work on K-25 History Center

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K-25 History Center and Equipment Building

An image showing the K-25 History Center on the second floor of the city-owned fire station, right, at East Tennessee Technology Park, with the Equipment Building and Viewing Tower at left. (Graphic by David Brown/U.S. Department of Energy)

 

Note: This story was updated at 4:30 p.m.

Oak Ridge wants to renovate the fire station where the federal government and its contractors are building the K-25 History Center, a project that is expected to help preserve the history of the World War II-era Manhattan Project.

The K-25 History Center will be built on the second floor of Oak Ridge’s Fire Station Number 4. The fire station is at East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge.

K-25 was one of three major federal sites built in Oak Ridge during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. That was a federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons, before Germany could.

K-25’s signature facility, the K-25 Building, has been demolished. But a 2012 agreement that allowed the complete demolition of that building, once the world’s largest building under one roof, called for the history center at the fire station, among other projects.

Work is proceeding on the K-25 History Center, Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said in a July 21 memo to City Manager Mark Watson. The K-25 History Center is a project of the U.S. Department of Energy and UCOR, DOE’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge.

As that project proceeds, several upgrades will be needed to the first floor of the city-owned fire station in order to create the required living space for fire department personnel, Kerley said. [Read more…]

Nuclear Suppliers Workshop in Oak Ridge in September

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Nuclear Suppliers Workshop Oak Ridge September 6-7 2017 Oak Ridge

The East Tennessee Economic Council and the U.S. Nuclear Infrastructure Council are having a Nuclear Suppliers Workshop in Oak Ridge in September.

The workshop is September 6-7 at the Pollard Technology Conference Center in Oak Ridge.

The focus of the event will be on manufacturing opportunities arising in the southeastern United States around small modular reactors, next generation nuclear technology, nuclear medicine, and national security programs, a press release said.

Invited speakers include senior executives from the Tennessee Valley Authority, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, NuScale Power, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Terrestrial Energy, University of Tennessee, Duke Energy, and others. The final agenda is still under development, the press release said. [Read more…]

Second Annual Puppy Pool Party is Saturday, Aug. 19

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A dog enjoys the Puppy Pool Party at the Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road in 2016. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

A dog enjoys the Puppy Pool Party at the Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road in 2016. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Second Annual Puppy Pool Party is at the Outdoor Municipal Swimming Pool on Saturday, August 19.

It’s scheduled for the day after public swimming ends for the season. The last day for public swimming will be Friday, August 18, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. The puppy pool party will take place on Saturday, August 19, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Puppy Pool Party is hosted by the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department.

“This is the second year for the puppy pool party, an event which marks the end of the summer swimming season at the outdoor pool,” the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. “Owners may only wade in water up to knee deep and must clean up after their pet. Children are not allowed in the pool during the event.” [Read more…]

City tree board has workshop on emerald ash borer on Aug. 29

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An ash tree is pictured above in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

An ash tree is pictured above in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Tree Board is hosting a workshop focused on the impact of the emerald ash borer in the area. The event, scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, August 29, will provide important information regarding the emerald ash borer for property owners, landscapers, and others involved in the maintenance of green spaces, a press release said.

“Ash trees make up a significant percentage of our urban forest and have traditionally been a landscaping staple,” the press release said. “Many of these trees in Oak Ridge are already dead or beyond treatment, but a significant number can be saved. At the workshop later this month, experts from around the area will address issues such as identification of affected ash trees and responses to EAB (emerald ash borer) infestation, including appropriate treatment.”

Those who attend will learn about these pests and their origin and how they spread across the country, as well as the techniques used in diverse areas ranging from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to urban areas, such as Knoxville and surrounding municipalities. [Read more…]

Part of Tusculum Drive closed starting Monday for culvert replacement

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Photo by City of Oak Ridge

Photo by City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Public Works Department will close part of Tusculum Drive from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. starting Monday, August 7, so crews can replace a culvert under the road. The culvert replacement project is expected to be active until Wednesday, August 9, a press release said.

Residents will have access to their homes and driveways during this time, but the roadway will be closed to through traffic, the press release said.

“All work is subject to change based on such unknowns as the weather,” the release said. “Residents are urged to use extreme care and caution while driving in the area. All others are advised to use alternate routes. [Read more…]

Free eclipse glasses for Oak Ridge Public Library members on Aug. 14

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Eclipse Glasses

Bring your library card to the Oak Ridge Public Library on August 14 and you can receive a free pair of eclipse viewing glasses.

There is a limit of one pair per account, and the glasses will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information, call the library at (865) 425-3455.

The partial eclipse will generally start in Oak Ridge at 1:04 p.m. August 21, and totality will take place at 2:33 p.m. It has been estimated that the total solar eclipse in Oak Ridge will last 27 to 31 seconds. [Read more…]

ORNL 3D-prints first submersible hull for U.S. Navy

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U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry takes a picture of the submersible hull 3D printed for the U.S. Navy at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on Monday, May 22, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry takes a picture of the submersible hull 3D-printed for the U.S. Navy at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Manufacturing Demonstration Facility in Hardin Valley on Monday, May 22, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The U.S. Navy teamed up with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to print the military’s first 3D-printed submersible hull in just four weeks. The parts were printed in just days, rather than weeks, and production costs were cut by 90 percent.

The hull was printed at ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility in Hardin Valley through a partnership with the Navy’s Disruptive Technology Lab, according to a story published July 20 by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. ORNL is a DOE laboratory.

“ORNL and the Navy saw this is as an opportunity to bring together their resources and expertise in a partnership with the potential to revolutionize manufacturing in the defense sector,” the DOE story said. “Not only can the Navy find new ways to reduce traditional costs associated with manufacturing, but the lessons learned from this project will help ORNL further explore 3D printing applications in the boating industry, aerospace, buildings, and anything that requires a large, resilient structure. Partnerships like these help drive economic growth and reinforce our national security.”

The team working on the 3D-printed submersible hull needed to create a 30-foot proof-of-concept hull out of carbon fiber composite material, DOE said. The prototype vessel is called the Optionally Manned Technology Demonstrator, and it could be used to deploy logistics capabilities and sensors. Future vessels will need to be manufactured faster and incorporate new designs to support Navy missions, DOE said. [Read more…]

National Park Service will offer free eclipse glasses, viewers for total solar eclipse

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National Park Service 2017 The All-American Total Solar Eclipse

The National Park Service will distribute free eclipse glasses and free eclipse viewers at two viewing sites in Oak Ridge during the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21.

The two viewing sites are:

  • American Museum of Science and Energy/Manhattan Project National Historical Park Visitor Center at 300 South Tulane Avenue in central Oak Ridge, and
  • East Tennessee Technology Park, 200 Heritage Center Boulevard, in west Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge is part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

The total solar eclipse will cross the Manhattan Project National Historical Park on Monday, August 21. The entire area of the park falls within the path of totality, a press release said.

“The park will be offering two free viewing locations where park rangers will be distributing free eclipse glasses and free eclipse viewers that include a commemorative artistic rendering of the ‘All-American Total Solar Eclipse,'” the press release said. “Park rangers will also be discussing safe viewing practices and using enhanced viewing equipment to help visitors enjoy all phases of the eclipse.” [Read more…]

Senate committee rejects proposal to close NOAA lab with Oak Ridge division

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge is pictured above on Tuesday, July 11, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge is pictured above on Tuesday, July 11, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has rejected a Trump administration proposal to close a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration laboratory that has a division in Oak Ridge.

The budget submitted to Congress by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, May 23, had proposed closing NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory. That air research laboratory has a field office in Oak Ridge, the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, or ATDD, on South Illinois Avenue.

But an appropriations bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee in a 30-1 vote on Thursday explicitly rejected the proposed elimination of the Air Resources Laboratory, which is part of NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. (See page 40 here.)

The Senate committee recommended providing at least as much funding for the Air Resources Laboratory in fiscal year 2018 as in fiscal year 2017. Fiscal year 2018 starts October 1.

The bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday is the Fiscal Year 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. It’s not clear when the legislation will be considered by the full Senate. [Read more…]