Oak Ridge Today

Boys & Girls Clubs has fundraising Reverse Raffle on Oct. 7

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The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley will hold its annual Reverse Raffle on Saturday, October 7, at 6:30 p.m. This year’s event will again be hosted and catered by the Oak Ridge Country Club, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge Country Club’s renovations to their pool and outdoor bar have created a great space for entertainment, the press release said.

“By having the event a little later this year, we hope to take advantage of the outdoor spaces, cooler weather, and phenomenal fall views,” said Boys & Girls Club Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Pettyjohn.

This year’s jackpot is again $10,000, the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge teen wins youth of year honor from Boys & Girls Clubs of Clinch Valley

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Jordan Hannah

Jordan Hannah

 

Oak Ridge High School senior Jordan Hannah has been named the Youth of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley. Hannah was selected from among a group of four outstanding youth, a press release said.

He will now compete for the Tennessee Youth of the Year title and a $5,000 college scholarship from Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The Youth of the Year title is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence, and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle, the press release said. Now in its 70th year, the Youth of the Year program honors the nation’s most awe-inspiring young people on their path to great futures and encourages all kids to lead, succeed, and inspire.

“Jordan is a terrific young man and will represent his club and community well at the state competition,” said Adam Wilson, chief operating officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley. [Read more…]

Leadership Oak Ridge remodeling Boys & Girls Club teen room

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Leadership Oak Ridge Class of 2016 (Submitted photo)

Leadership Oak Ridge Class of 2016 (Submitted photo)

 

For 30 years, Leadership Oak Ridge has been informing, training, and empowering leaders in Oak Ridge and the region. With more than 1,000 graduates, Leadership Oak Ridge is one of the longest continuously running leadership programs in the United States.

Each year, a Leadership Oak Ridge class takes on a project aimed at benefiting the Oak Ridge community. This year’s class will lead and implement a plan to renovate a vital part of the Boys & Girls Club in Oak Ridge.

The Boys & Girls Club provides an opportunity for youth to engage in programs and activities to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

“The Boys & Girls Club is a well-known and vital part of the Oak Ridge community, and like all programs of this type, it relies heavily on volunteer support and donations to maintain the quality and relevance of the services it delivers,” said Dennis Yates, of Centrus Energy and Leadership Oak Ridge Class of 2016. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools hosts first community meeting on fall Intersession

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With the passing of the new Oak Ridge Schools’ balanced calendar for the 2015-16 school year, when school starts on August 3 and there are three two-week breaks every nine weeks, Intersession was introduced for students. Intersession is time, during the breaks, when students can come back to school and work with teachers on areas where they struggled with academics. Intersession is also a time when schools can introduce “enrichment,” when students can come and learn extra things that educators would like to teach to students.

Oak Ridge Schools’ first Intersession will take place October 5-9. Each of the individual schools have been working and planning on activities that they could offer to students during this week. Finalized activities will be sent home to all parents in the middle of August 2015. [Read more…]

Guest column: Changing the future of our community, one child at a time

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There are some exciting things on the horizon for our local Boys and Girls Clubs! The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley operates two campuses: the Lawrence A. Hahn Club in Oak Ridge and the Roane County Club located at Harriman Middle School.

Each club offers affordable after-school and summer programming, and the Oak Ridge Unit offers the city’s only independent athletic leagues. The clubs charge a nominal annual membership and weekly fee; however, no child is turned away for an inability to pay.

The organization’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. [Read more…]

Number of students affected by bus route changes down to 1,300

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Keys Fillauer and Chris Marczak at Girls Inc.

Oak Ridge Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer, left, and Oak Ridge Schools Assistant Superintendent Chris Marczak say a Wednesday change in how mileage is calculated could reduce the number of students affected by a new “parent responsibility zone” for transportation from 1,800 to 1,300. Marczak says his family is also affected by the expanded zone, where bus service is not provided.

 

The Wednesday change in how bus service is mapped could help about 500 students, reducing the number of children affected by expanded zones where parents will have to provide transportation to schools from 1,800 to 1,300, officials said.

Those students would have been in the expanded 1.5-mile “parent responsibility zone,” where bus service is not provided and parents have to arrange transportation. The expanded parent responsibility zone, which is also sometimes called a PRZ or walk zone, was approved by school officials in June.

Oak Ridge school officials announced Wednesday that they were changing how the 1.5 miles is calculated, switching from a 1.5-mile radius measured by air (also known as “as the crow flies”) to actual walking distance. That means the expanded no-bus service zone will now affect fewer families. Parents called the change a small but positive step.

Even with the modification, though, parents continue to have concerns. The protests kicked into high gear last week, and some parents expressed concerns during a Wednesday evening meeting at Girls Inc. Among the concerns were children who have to cross busy roadways or pass by the homes of registered sex offenders.

“We are paying property taxes, and our children’s safety should come first,” parent Beverly Heun said. “Our transportation should not have been cut.” [Read more…]