Oak Ridge Today

Clinton Public Library seeks teen volunteers

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Clinton Public Library

Source: ClintonPublicLibrary.org

 

Teens ages 13 to 18 are invited to volunteer at the Clinton Public Library this summer. Volunteers will be registering children and adults for the Summer Reading Club, assisting at programs, helping to prepare for story times, and more.

All teens interested in volunteering at the Library this summer ​must ​attend an orientation at the Library on ​Thursday, May 7, ​or on ​Tuesday, May 19, ​at 5:30 p.m. This orientation will provide you with more information about volunteering and prepare you to complete tasks. All teens must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Only 20 volunteers are needed, so please call the Library at (865) 457­-0519 to reserve a spot. Clinton Public Library is located at 118 South Hicks Street in Clinton.

Nick Page to lead music workshop, free community sing at ORUUC on May 2

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Nick Page

Nick Page

Submitted

Anyone who enjoys singing is invited to be part of a vocal community with acclaimed song leader, composer, and author Nick Page at a workshop on Saturday, May 2 at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. The workshop entitled “So Much More than Music” will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2, with a break for lunch from 12-1 p.m.

ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. The cost to attend is $5 for non-ORUUC participants.

On Sunday, May 3, singers of every level are invited to come to a free community sing led by Page that will be held in the church sanctuary starting at 3 p.m. [Read more…]

Reminder: City, schools have Community Wellness Fair today (April 22)

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Reminder: The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools will have a Community Wellness Fair today (Wednesday, April 22).

The Wellness Fair is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 22 at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. It includes a wide range of activities that include blood pressure checks, doctor’s chats, exercise tips, shingle vaccines, breast and men’s health, and dental, hearing, and diabetic foot screenings.

There will be a Medic Mobile blood drive from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Civic Center. [Read more…]

Council to consider restart on ORPD review during special meeting Tuesday

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Oak Ridge City Council on Feb. 9, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council will have a special meeting on Tuesday, April 21, to consider three recommendations related to the 30-day review of the Oak Ridge Police Department that was approved in March. (File photo)

 

A 30-day review of the Oak Ridge Police Department had barely gotten started before it came under fire. But the Oak Ridge City Council will try to fix that on Tuesday.

The concern centers on a report that the list of ORPD employees randomly selected for the first 20 interviews was sent to Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi and all Police Department employees, raising questions about the impartiality and anonymity of the review. The reviewer, Rex Barton of the Municipal Technical Advisory Service at the University of Tennessee, apparently sent the list to the police chief for scheduling purposes, seeking to minimize overtime and minimize stress on the officers’ off-duty life.

But those who have pressed for an investigation, including Oak Ridge City Council member Trina Baughn, quickly objected when they learned that the list of interviewees had been sent to the police chief, who has been the subject of much of their scrutiny.

So, in a special meeting Tuesday evening, the City Council will ask Barton, an MTAS police management consultant, to create a new, random list of officers to interview. Council will also consider determining a point of contact in the Oak Ridge Police Department who can help coordinate the schedules of officers participating in the interviews. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools hosts new Discovery Energy Camp this summer

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This summer, Oak Ridge Schools will host the first Discovery Energy Camp for rising seventh- and eighth-grade students. This camp is open to students from Oak Ridge Schools or any other school as long as they meet the grade level requirement.

“Registration availability is limited, so please register soon!” a press release said.

During this camp, students will investigate how energy works and how small bursts of creativity can unlock huge potential for the future. This camp combines hands-on labs, engineering challenges, digital investigations, and more, the release said. It will be taught by Chris Layton, social studies teacher and STEM coach, and Chris Jaeger, Diversified Technology teacher, both from Jefferson Middle School. It will take place from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. from June 8-12 at Jefferson Middle School.

Registration is being accepted until May 1. The cost is $120 for the week. Applications are available on the Jefferson Middle School website at http://jefferson.ortn.edu/?PageName=LatestNews&Section=LatestNews&ItemID=395661&ISrc=School&Ity pe=News.

Today: UT MBA students present study on human-powered sports in Oak Ridge

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

Students in the University of Tennessee MBA program will present a recent study on human-powered sports in Oak Ridge during a meeting this afternoon (Monday, April 20).

The presentation is hosted by the City of Oak Ridge, City Manager Mark Watson said.

The student team, working under the direction of Austin Lance, has been researching and benchmarking to develop a predictable set of recommendations as to how the Oak Ridge community can develop a unique brand position in human-powered and related sports to enhance its image and monetize its recreational assets, a meeting notice said.

The results will be presented at 3 p.m. Monday, April 20, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Court Room, which is at 200 S. Tulane Avenue.

Curves re-opens in Oak Ridge

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Josee Tousignant

Pictured above are Mary Ann Gubank, director of St. Joseph’s Food Pantry, and Josee Tousignant, new owner of Curves of Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

Curves of Oak Ridge re-opened in March, with a new location at 130 Ridgeway Center, a new local owner, and new classes, a press release said.

The release said Curves is a facility specifically designed for women featuring a complete 30-minute workout that is fun, fast and safe.

“The new owner, Josee Tousignant, is thrilled about reopening the Curves now at Ridgeway Center, and is most proud to say that there will always be a ‘personal coach’ on site, which is included in the membership plan,” the release said. “One of the most appealing things about Curves is that women can complete an entire body workout designed specifically for women in 30 minutes.” [Read more…]

Tech 2020 Announces autoXLR8R 2015

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Application process now open

Tech 2020 of Oak Ridge is accepting applications for autoXLR8R 2015, a business accelerator for startups seeking to commercialize technology in the automotive industry. The application process is detailed on the program website: www.autoXLR8R.com. The deadline for applications is May 29.

The program opens in Oak Ridge on July 6 and runs through the week of August 31.

autoXLR8R is in it’s third year, having started at the Southern Middle Tennessee Entrepreneur Centers in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Tech 2020 has been involved with providing educational support since its inception, a press release said. [Read more…]

Weekly update: Sewer rehab work for week of April 20

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Sewer rehabilitation continues for the week of April 20, with Hurst Excavating and Morgan Contracting working under contract for the city to rehabilitate the city’s sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways.

Residents should have already received color-coded letters and door hangers (orange for Hurst Excavating and purple for Morgan Contracting) providing general information and the applicable contractor’s contact information.

Motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists are urged to use extra care and caution when traveling on the streets with sewer work areas, a press release said. Temporary road repairs will be made, and loose gravel should be expected until the patches are permanently paved. [Read more…]

Letter: Lunch 4 Literacy thanks 2015 sponsors

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To the Editor:

Each year in March a special group of generous company sponsors pool their resources and, along with individuals from our community, support the annual literacy program of the Altrusa International Club of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. The Lunch 4 Literacy event raises between $15,000 and $20,000 routinely, which allows our community to support exceptional projects that promote literacy and ensure attention is given to the literacy needs that, without the generosity of our sponsors and individual contributors, could go unmet.

The lack of literacy skills is a serious problem within our communities. The reality is that often simple but effective programs can have a profound impact on individuals that enable them to realize their full potential in life. Without these very effective efforts made possible by grants from Lunch 4 Literacy, people in our communities, limited by a lack of basic skills, continue to fail in areas many of us take for granted. Until you have personally encountered illiteracy and its awful adverse impact, it is hard to fully appreciate the value of simply reading and understanding what is read. Through the continuing supportive efforts of our sponsoring companies we are making a difference in our communities! [Read more…]

Robertsville Middle Technology Student Association competes at state conference

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Robertsville Middle School Technology Student Association

Submitted photo

 

The Robertsville Middle School chapter of the Technology Student Association, or TSA, attended the 2015 Tennessee State Conference in Murfreesboro from Thursday, March 5, to Saturday, March 7. Robertsville had the largest chapter in attendance with 30 seventh- and eighth-grade students competing.

This was the second year in a row that all of the chapter’s students finalized in every event that required multiple rounds of judging, a press release said.

The RMS TSA chapter earned first place in seven events: [Read more…]

Two UT juniors, including one from OR, awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarships

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Adam LaClair

Adam LaClair

Benjamin Brock

Benjamin Brock

Two juniors at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, including one from Oak Ridge, have been named 2015 Goldwater Scholars. The two juniors are Benjamin Brock and Adam LaClair.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program awards scholarships to students studying mathematics, science, and engineering. Each scholarship provides a $7,500 award for undergraduate study and research.

Brock, of Jefferson City, Tennessee, is a Haslam Scholar majoring in computer science. He has done research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Edinburgh, and UT.

LaClair, of Oak Ridge, is majoring in mathematics and computer science. He plans to pursue a doctorate in mathematics and wants to teach mathematics at the university level. [Read more…]