Oak Ridge Today

In final vote, City Council again rejects tax increase for schools

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Oak Ridge City Council Budget Meeting

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday again said “no” to a property tax rate increase to give more money to Oak Ridge Schools. Council is pictured above during a June 9 budget meeting.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:15 a.m. June 17.

Two last-minute attempts to pass smaller-than-requested tax increases for the Oak Ridge Schools failed on Monday, and the City Council voted 4-2 to approve a budget that does not raise taxes in the fiscal year that starts July 1.

The decision to not raise taxes for the seventh year in a row came after a parade of residents in two meetings this month asked Council to fully fund the schools. Many said they moved here because of the schools, and they said the educational system is Oak Ridge’s primary asset. School teachers, administrators, and school board members also said they support a greater investment in the schools.

“Flatline budgets will eventually produce flatline results,” said Steve Reddick, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Jefferson Middle School and co-president of the Oak Ridge Education Association.

The schools had requested $17.9 million from the city, but the no-tax-increase budget lowered that amount to $14.6 million. School officials had previously said they will have to “go back to the drawing board” and make cuts if Council did not approve the tax rate increase. It’s not clear yet what cuts might be made. The Oak Ridge Board of Education could discuss changes to the school system’s budget, which was approved in May, during a Monday evening meeting.

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Secret City Festival: Got pics? Oak Ridge Camera Club does!

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Kix Brooks at Secret City Festival 2014

Singer Kix Brooks of country duo Brooks and Dunn was the Saturday night headliner at the Secret City Festival. (Photo courtesy Nelya/Camera Club of Oak Ridge)

 

 

The Camera Club of Oak Ridge took pictures at the annual Secret City Festival on Friday and Saturday.

Here are three. You can see more here. [Read more…]

UT, ORNL scientists’ discoveries could help neutralize chemical weapons

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Enzyme Figure

Nerve agent sarin bound to bioscavenger enzyme. (Image courtesy University of Tennessee)

KNOXVILLE—Researchers at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are a step closer to creating a prophylactic drug that would neutralize the deadly effects of the chemical weapons used in Syria and elsewhere.

Jeremy Smith, UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair and an expert in computational biology, is part of the team that is trying to engineer enzymes—called bioscavengers—so they work more efficiently against chemical weapons. The work is a joint effort between scientists at UT, ORNL, and a French national laboratory in Grenoble. Their study was published recently in the Journal of Physical Chemistry.

Nerve agents, such as sarin, are among the most highly toxic chemical weapons. The study focuses on engineering enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of nerve agents as a prophylactic approach to diminishing their toxic effects. [Read more…]

Guest column: Yes to one device per child, no to property tax increase

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Aditya "Doc" Savara

Aditya “Doc” Savara

By Aditya “Doc” Savara

On June 2, Dr. Bruce Borchers, the superintendent overseeing Oak Ridge Schools, presented a 2015 school budget plan to City Council, which included a request for a property tax increase of about 15 percent. Landlords would presumably pass this increase onto renters as well.

The justification for this tax increase is to pay for thousands of touchscreen tablet computers and notebook computers: one for each child in our school system for most age ranges. The idea is bold and expensive. The revolutionary change is based on the following three premises:

  1. Our children need to be “technology-ready” for the future with sufficient experience to make such technology feel “ordinary” to them.
  2. These devices may have educational benefits in our schools.
  3. When parents are trying to decide where they will live, parents might choose a city that follows a one-device-per-child policy.

I taught at Northwestern University, where I won department-wide and college-wide teaching awards. Based on my teaching experience, I was initially against one device per child, because I did not think such devices would improve learning, certainly not enough to justify such an expense (my experience is that better teachers and better students result in better learning). [Read more…]

Grand opening, ribbon cutting at New China Palace on Thursday

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New China Palace Restaurant Interior

The interior of the New China Palace restaurant on Central Avenue is pictured above.

 

The New China Palace restaurant will have a grand opening and ribbing cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

The hour-long ceremony is sponsored by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

The New China Palace, which has relocated from the Oak Ridge Marina, is now at 123 Central Avenue in the Jackson Square area. [Read more…]

Methodist’s Survivor Sundae proves just how sweet victory can be

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Crystal, Kim, and Shari

Photos courtesy Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge

 

Submitted

National Cancer Survivors Day is an annual, worldwide celebration of life where cancer survivors unite to show the world what life after cancer looks like. On Sunday, June 1, life after cancer looked like a warm summer day resplendent in sunshine. It sounded like old-fashioned mountain music being carried on a gentle Tennessee breeze. It tasted like a bowl full of ice cream topped with chocolate and cookies and sprinkles…and a bit of whipped cream for good measure. On Sunday, June 1, life after cancer looked beautiful whether it was still a little weak, still healing a scar, still re-growing hair, or whether it was an old friend that had come many years before, but never looses its sweetness.

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge honored these cancer survivors, their family, and friends by holding Survivor Sundae, an ice cream social celebrating National Cancer Survivor Day on Sunday, June 1. Nearly 100 people gathered to enjoy the free event, make ice cream sundaes, connect with other survivors and cancer support organizations, and listen to music by the Mt. LeConte Jug Band, which was sponsored by the Cooperative Agreement of Labor and Management, also known as CALM.

“Sometimes people have a negative idea of what life after cancer looks like,” said Kim Maes, coordinator of the Hospitality Houses at Methodist and event organizer. “But the reality is that more people are living longer and having better quality lives after cancer than ever before. Survivors are showing us that life after cancer can be meaningful, exciting, and filled with joy.” [Read more…]

Guest column: Anderson communications center very busy during Tuesday storm

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Anderson County Commission and Mark Lucas

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas is pictured above at right during a special County Commission meeting in November. Also pictured are Anderson County Commissioners Rick Meredith, center, and Jerry White.

To All:

(Tuesday) evening was very, very busy. From 3 p.m. until 11 p.m., our communications center received 589 telephone calls, of which 143 were on 911. The overwhelming number of calls were between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., when 365 calls came to our dispatch center. Of these 365 calls, 109 were on 911.

Comparing to last Tuesday from 3 p.m. until 11 p.m., we received 156 total telephone calls, of which 20 were on 911. The two-hour period from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. last week was only 41 total calls, of which five were on 911.

For the entire shift from 3 p.m. until 11 p.m., that was a 288 percent increase. For the two hours from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., the increase was 790 percent.

We had four communications officers working (Tuesday) when the storm hit. A fifth came into work on her own to help out. Many of these 911 and non-emergency calls required dispatching of emergency personnel from law enforcement, fire, or EMS. Others required notifications to the state and county highway departments and the utility companies. It was non-stop for hours. [Read more…]

Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon announces grant program for healthy living

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Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon

Proposals for funding up to $10,000 due by July 31

The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon announced on Thursday that it will offer a new grant program targeted at promoting healthy living in East Tennessee.

For a decade, the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon has been the premier event of the Knoxville Track Club, a press release said. Each year, funds have been set aside for the community contribution program.

In an effort to encourage healthy living beyond race day, the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon has issued a request for proposals now through the end of July for organizations seeking funding from the program.

“For 10 years, the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon has served as East Tennessee’s premier event for runners, as well as a healthy and inspiring opportunity for individuals and families of all fitness levels,” said race director Jason Altman. “We are proud that what happens during marathon weekend will be able to further impact our community throughout the year, and we’re excited to expand that to the public in a more formal way through this grant program.” [Read more…]

Anderson Chamber hosts business planning seminar

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Anderson County Chamber of Commerce Logo

The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, will host a free workshop on Wednesday for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to increase their chances for successful self-employment, a press release said.

The workshop will also be useful for existing businesses who are looking into obtaining financing. Business plans are required by lenders.

This free seminar will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce office, 245 N. Main St., Ste., 200, in Clinton, with Jutta Bangs, senior business specialist with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. The workshop covers business planning in detail, specifics of marketing and finance, operations, financial projections, and information-based planning and management. [Read more…]

Anderson Chamber offers business counseling Wednesday

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Anderson County Chamber of Commerce Logo

The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce will host free and confidential one-hour business counseling sessions from 9-11 a.m. Wednesday.

Jutta Bangs, senior business specialist with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, will advise and assist future entrepreneurs and existing business owners.

To make an appointment for June or future scheduled sessions, call (865) 457-2559 or email accc@andersoncountychamber.org. To learn more about the TSBDC, visit www.roanestate.edu/tsbdc.

Museum celebrates Independence Day with old-time ‘anvil shoot’

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Anvil Lighting

By Museum of Appalachia

NORRIS—Visitors to the Museum of Appalachia, a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum, can celebrate July 4 with the explosion of sound that pioneers heard thunder through the hills when they celebrated Independence Day.

In those days, local blacksmiths would “shoot the anvil” to celebrate the nation’s Independence, Christmas, and even Davy Crockett’s election to the U.S. Congress.

Now, shooting the 175-pound anvil, an almost lost tradition, has come to be a highlight of the Museum’s annual July 4 Celebration. Folks as far as 15 miles away have reported hearing the blast, and certainly everyone gathered for the excitement feels the earth shake under their feet.

Along with a big boom several times during the day, there will be patriotic ceremonies, a flag waving procession led by bagpiper Jesse McCrary, Longhunter camp stories, Appalachian music, and an array of historic demonstrations. [Read more…]

Honors: Anderson Chamber announces R.C. Hoskins Awards

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Natalie Erb

Natalie Erb

The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce announced the two winners of the R.C. “Dudley” Hoskins Volunteer Awards at their 3rd Annual “Tribute to Business” Dinner on June 6.

Natalie Erb, one of the two recipients, is co-owner of Allstate-The Erb Agency in Clinton. Natalie serves on the Chamber board, Youth Leadership Anderson County board, and Events Council, and she is currently enrolled in the Leadership Anderson County Class of 2015. A positive voice for the Chamber in the community, she has provided numerous hours of in-kind support to the Chamber.

Interested in the Chamber’s future, Natalie’s professional approach to business has been a driver to bring the Chamber to a higher level. Despite her busy schedule with business and family, she makes time to give back to the community.

Steve Sumner, the second recipient, is chief executive officer of Thermocopy of Tennessee and a longtime Chamber member. Steve serves on the Chamber board and Chamber Operations Council, offering support through financial and in-kind contributions. [Read more…]