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Here’s what people said they’d like to see in Oak Ridge

Posted at 9:06 pm February 6, 2017
By John Huotari 4 Comments

Oak-Ridge-City-Blueprint-4-Jan-26-2017-Web

An estimated 400 people attended a kick-off meeting for an Oak Ridge City Blueprint at Grove Theater on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

An estimated 400 people attended a kick-off meeting for an Oak Ridge City Blueprint at Grove Theater on Thursday.

Among other things, people were asked what type of project they would like to see in the community. Here are some responses. This list does not include all responses.

  • A bicycle path or greenway on the old railway that runs from the Y-12 National Security Complex, through central Oak Ridge past Jefferson Middle School, and to Melton Lake Drive.
  • A roundabout at the five-way intersection of Providence and East Pasadena roads, and East Tennessee, North Tulane, and Pennsylvania avenues (many residents refer to it as “malfunction junction”). This proposal had both support and opposition.
  • A roundabout or light at Melton Lake Drive and Emory Valley Road (this roundabout also had support and opposition).
  • Remove unused or dilapidated buildings.
  • An airport.
  • Sidewalks and crosswalk lights in downtown Oak Ridge.
  • A box culvert to connect Ernie’s Creek in east Oak Ridge to Melton Hill Lake.
  • A handicap-inclusive playground at Melton Lake Park.
  • A senior center and active senior living.
  • City-wide high-speed wireless Internet.
  • An improvement to the crosswalk on Melton Lake Drive because drivers are not stopping.
  • Upgrade or modify a different building for the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter.
  • Keep Elm Grove Park as a park.
  • Make city parks more inviting, including with picnic tables, benches, and recycling containers.
  • Maintain and clean roads and sidewalks for “curb appeal.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Amy Springer, Ben Stephens, Edward Springer, Emilee Smith, Kathryn Baldwin, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge City Blueprint, Secret City Animal Rescue

Police investigate online activity, but find no credible threat

Posted at 2:28 pm February 6, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Early on Monday, February 6, the Oak Ridge Police Department was notified about some Internet chat room activity that raised its level of concern, authorities said.

After investigating the alleged activity, officers determined there was no threat, a City of Oak Ridge press release said. The Police Department coordinated with Oak Ridge Schools to relay this information. No alert was issued, and the schools did not change their procedure in any way. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: chat room activity, City of Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Schools, threat

Wellness, Safety Fair is April 5

Posted at 10:44 am February 6, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The City of Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Schools, and Community Wellness and Safety Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, April 5, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The fair is open to all Oak Ridge city employees, Oak Ridge Schools employees, retirees, and their families.  The entire Oak Ridge community is also invited to participate.

The Oak Ridge Civic Center is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, Government, Health, K-12, Oak Ridge Tagged With: Cindi Gordon, City of Oak Ridge, Jenifer Laurendine, Oak Ridge Civic Center, Oak Ridge Schools, Sandy Sexton, Wellness and Safety Fair, Wellness Committee

Countryside Tire and Auto gives car to Emory Valley Center at ribbon-cutting

Posted at 10:25 am February 6, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Countryside-Tire-and-Auto-Ribbon-Cutting-Feb-3-2017-Web

Business owners; city, county, and chamber of commerce officials; and others attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Countryside Tire and Auto Service on South Rutgers Avenue on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Countryside Tire and Auto Service gave a car to Emory Valley Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new shop on South Rutgers Avenue on Friday.

The car is a brown-and-black 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The gift includes 12 months of repair and maintenance.

Goodyear Tires donated tires for the vehicle, and Advance Auto Parts donated parts, said Jeff Cheek, who owns Countryside Tire and Auto Service with his wife Marilyn.

Chris Levesque, who has worked at Countryside Tire and Auto Service for about three years, is an Emory Valley Center client. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: Advance Auto Parts, Chris Levesque, City of Oak Ridge, Countryside Tire and Auto Service, Emory Valley Center, Goodyear Tires, Janet Wood, Jeff Cheek, Main Street—Oak Ridge, Marilyn Cheek, Oak Ridge Mall, ORNL Federal Credit Union, The Keeping Room, TNBank, Tom Beehan

UT Arboretum Society presents Father-Daughter Hike on Feb. 18

Posted at 5:02 pm February 5, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will present a Father-Daughter Hike at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will present a Father-Daughter Hike at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will offer a Father-Daughter Hike at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Saturday, February 18. It’s the eighth year of the popular program, a press release said.

It’s a fun, short trail hike of about one to 1.5 hours, the press release said.

“This is a great winter occasion to spend some quality time outdoors with your daughter or dad,” the press release said.

The hike will be led by Jeff Holt, a local forester. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Front Page News, Recreation, Sports, Top Stories Tagged With: father-daughter hike, hike, Jeff Holt, University of Tennessee Arboretum Society, UT AgResearch, UT Arboretum, UT Arboretum Society, UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center, UT Institute of Agriculture

‘Music of the British Isles’ concert on Sunday, Feb. 12, at ORHS

Posted at 4:44 pm February 5, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Dianne Farris

Dianne Farris

 

The Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble/Community Band will feature music of England, Ireland, and Scotland in a “Music of the British Isles” concert next week.

The concert is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, February 12, at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center, which is at 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

It’s part of the Wind Ensemble/Community Band’s “Exploring Our Roots” series for the 2016-2017 season. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Entertainment, Front Page News, Music, Top Stories Tagged With: Community Band, Deidre Ford, Dianne Farris, Exploring Our Roots, Jerry Lackey, Music of the British Isles, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center, Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble, Old Scottish Melody, Voices of Ireland

CONTACT Care Line volunteer wins national award

Posted at 3:35 pm February 5, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Doris Jolley

Doris Jolley

 

A longtime volunteer for the CONTACT Care Line, an East Tennessee crisis intervention resource, was recently honored with a national award for outstanding contributions, a press release said.

Doris Jolley, a CONTACT volunteer for more than 43 years, was awarded the Spirit of Contact Award given by the National Association of Crisis Center Directors and Contact USA following their annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, last fall. The award is the highest given by the organization and recognizes Jolley’s supreme commitment to serving community members in crisis, the press release said.

Having completed the newly implemented CONTACT training course, Jolley was accredited to take calls on the brand new Oak Ridge Contact Helpline in October 1973. Since then, her service to the organization has continued without interruptions, the press release said. Over the years, Jolley has served the organization in a variety of roles: crisis line volunteer, scheduler of volunteers, mentor to new volunteer recruits, as well as executive director for 16 years. Since 2009 alone, Jolley has logged more than 4,000 hours of service. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Nonprofits Tagged With: Bruce Marshall, confidential crisis line, CONTACT Care Line, Contact USA, crisis center, crisis intervention, Doris Jolley, National Association of Crisis Center Directors, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Oak Ridge Contact Helpline, reassurance program, Spirit of Contact Award, suicide prevention, support services

Get update on Manhattan Project National Park on Thursday

Posted at 3:10 pm February 5, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson

 

You can hear an update on the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a Thursday evening meeting.

The meeting of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 9, at the Midtown Community Center’s Wildcat Den at 102 Robertsville Road. It’s open to the public.

Robert Johnson will present an update on the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge. He will discuss the status of the park and announce upcoming events, a press release said.

Here are some links to website pages on the park, which also includes Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Hanford, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Manhattan Project National Park, Midtown Community Center, National Park Service, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association, Robert Johnson

Photos: ORHS Fusion Orchestra on ‘Blue Plate Special’ radio show on WDVX

Posted at 2:44 pm February 5, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak-Ridge-High-School-Fusion-Orchestra-1-Feb-3-2017-Web

The Oak Ridge High School Fusion Orchestra performs on the “Blue Plate Special” on WDVX 89.9 FM at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge High School Fusion Orchestra performed on the “Blue Plate Special” radio show on WDVX FM 89.9 on Friday. Here are photos from the show.

The groundbreaking fusion orchestra is now in its second year at ORHS, and it is the brainchild of ORHS Orchestra Director Doug Phillips, a press release said. According to Phillips, the class is a result of his doctoral studies during the past seven years at one of the top music universities in the world: Boston University.

“The class is a unique way to teach orchestra students for several reasons,” Phillips said. “First, in a traditional orchestra, all of the students are guided by notes on a paper that tell them exactly what to do and when to do it, how loud to play it, when to stop, etc., while the teacher acts as an overseer and dictates of all activities. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Entertainment, Entertainment, Front Page News, K-12, Music, Slider Tagged With: Blue Plate Special, Doug Phillips, fusion orchestra, Grove Theater, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge High School Fusion Orchestra, ORHS, Tune Junkies, WDVX, WDVX FM 89.9

ORHS Orchestra has 17 students in All-East Tennessee Orchestra Clinic

Posted at 7:07 pm February 4, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge High School Orchestra Feb 4 2017 600x422

Oak Ridge High School Orchestra students pictured from left above are Jade Dush, Hannah Constance, Lindsey Young, Olivia Mahathy, Mandy Pitz, Jamimie Clark, Meghan Campbell, HyeJi Bang, Aaron Beavin, Logan Roeling, Alek Wereszczak, Noah Constance, Kenny Moon, Eagle Yuan, Jared Anderson, Michael Ma, and Jay Casey. (Photo courtesy Doug Phillips)

 

Oak Ridge High School Orchestra placed 17 students in the All-East TN Orchestra Clinic. The clinic was held in Gatlinburg this weekend. The students are pictured above. They are: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Entertainment, Entertainment, Front Page News, K-12, Music, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Aaron Beavin, Alek Wereszczak, Doug Phillips, Eagle Yuan, Hannah Constance, HyeJi Bang, Jade Dush, Jamimie Clark, Jared Anderson, Jay Casey, Kenny Moon, Lindsey Young, Logan Roeling, Mandy Pitz, Meghan Campbell, Michael Ma, Noah Constance, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge High School Orchestra, Olivia Mahathy

New Anderson County dispatchers graduate from training

Posted at 5:44 pm February 3, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Anderson County’s newest dispatchers graduated from the Communications Deputy Training Academy on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. (Photo by Anderson County Sheriff's Department)

Anderson County’s newest dispatchers graduated from the Communications Deputy Training Academy on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. (Photo by Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

 

Anderson County’s newest dispatchers graduated from the Communications Deputy Training Academy on Friday, January 27.

The new communications deputies are Tiffany Haines, Amy Purkey, and Brittany Streetman. They have spent the last 10 weeks in an intensive training program to prepare them to answer the call for help from citizens, dispatch the appropriate emergency responders, and render life saving medical care until those resources arrive, a press release said.

The training program included basic public safety telecommunicator training, CPR and emergency medical dispatcher training, specialized courses in criminal law, incident command (NIMS), best practices response for missing and exploited children, area familiarization including ride-a-longs with EMS (emergency medical services) and law enforcement personnel, and many other topics, the press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Amy Purkey, Anderson County dispatchers, Brittany Streetman, Communications Deputy Training Academy, dispatchers, Don Layton, Ken Bradley, Mark Lucas, Tiffany Haines

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department asks for help finding runaway juvenile

Posted at 2:28 pm February 3, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Brandan Justin Holeton

Brandan Justin Holeton

 

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a runway juvenile.

Brandan Justin Holeton, 14, ran away from his home in the Powell community on Tuesday evening, January 31, and he has not returned, the Sheriff’s Department said Friday.

Brandan Justin Holeton is described as: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Brandan Holeton, Brandan Justin Holeton, runaway juvenile

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