Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Cedar Barren Cleanup, Prairie Grass Extravaganza on Saturday, Aug. 20

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Oak Ridge Cedar Barren

September blooms at Oak Ridge Cedar Barren, courtesy Doug Colclasure. (Submitted photo)

 

There will be a free opportunity to see prairie goldenrod (Solidago ptarmicoides), naked-stem sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis), and Torrey’s mountain mint (Pycnanthemum torrei) at the Oak Ridge Cedar Barren on Saturday, August 20. This will be combined with a workday to remove invasive plants, a press release said.

Located next to Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge, this barren is a joint project of the City of Oak Ridge, the State Natural Areas Division, and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, or TCWP. The area is one of just a few cedar barrens in East Tennessee, and it is subject to invasion by Chinese lespedeza, Japanese privet, autumn olive, mimosa, Nepal grass, multiflora rose, and woody plants that threaten the system’s prairie grasses. [Read more…]

Applewood Apartments will close Sept. 30, tenants told

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Applewood Apartments Hunter Circle Aug 8 2016 1

Tenants at Applewood Apartments have been told the buildings will be closed Sept. 30, 2016, according to a letter they received this weekend. Pictured above is an Applewood Apartments building on Hunter Circle on Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1 a.m. Aug. 9.

Tenants at Applewood Apartments have been told the buildings will be closed September 30, according to a letter they received this weekend.

The letter was from Applewood Apartments owner Joseph J. Levitt Jr., a Knoxville attorney.

Levitt was not available to talk to a reporter on Monday.

The letter told tenants that Levitt, who cited health-related reasons for the closing, was providing them a 60-day notice. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge property taxes due Aug. 31

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The deadline to pay property taxes without penalty is August 31, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

“With this date quickly approaching, we encourage you to stop by the business office to pay your taxes directly,” the press release said. “You can do so between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or you can drop them in the night depository located outside the building at 200 South Tulane Avenue.”

Payment by credit card is also accepted at the counter and on the city’s website. A 3 percent convenience fee is assessed to all credit card transactions to offset the cost of the program.

The municipal staff cautioned that a relatively small number of property owners may not receive a tax notice. [Read more…]

Reminder: Puppy Pool Party is today

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Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool July 2016

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool is pictured above in July 2016. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

Reminder: The City of Oak Ridge is hosting its first-ever Puppy Pool Party at the Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool today.

The Puppy Pool Party is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. today (Sunday, August 7) at the outdoor pool, which is on Providence Road across from the Oak Ridge High School.

All dogs must be non-aggressive and kept on leashes, a press release said. Pet owners must also have proof of current vaccinations. There is a fee of $3 per dog to participate, or each owner may bring a donation of canned or dry dog food to support the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter. [Read more…]

Donate $10, spray paint on part of old mall—money goes to Blankenship Field

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Main-Street-Oak-Ridge-Celebration-1

As part of the Main Street Oak Ridge groundbreaking on Wednesday, you will have a chance to spray paint on part of the old mall in exchange for a $10 donation, and the money raised will be used for the Blankenship Field Renovation Project.

It’s part of the Main Street Oak Ridge celebration at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 20. The City of Oak Ridge is helping to raise the money for Blankenship Field.

“The fundraising opportunity will be one of the last items in the program, after the groundbreaking and ceremonial demolition we have planned,” a city statement said. “Participants will be asked to donate $10 to the field renovation project. In return, they’ll get to spray paint a designated area on the outside of the old mall building. People can write whatever they’d like (as long as it’s tasteful), but we see this as a special opportunity for the community to bid the ‘mall’ farewell.” [Read more…]

Longest-serving city employee, first female personnel director in Tennessee to retire Friday

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Penelope "Penny" Sissom

Penelope “Penny” Sissom (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

Penelope “Penny” Sissom, the longest-serving city employee and the first female personnel director in Tennessee, will retire Friday. Sissom is Oak Ridge’s personnel director, and she has worked for the city for 52 years.

On June 8, 1964, Sissom accepted a job as a personnel clerk and embarked on a career-long journey with the City of Oak Ridge as a community activist and a devoted employee, a press release said.

During her time with the city, Sissom helped organize the schools’ Student-in-Government Day. She played a significant role during the successful campaign for a new public library and community recreation center.

Sissom’s unadulterated passion for community engagement and leadership skills accelerated her career, the press release said. She was promoted from human resources manager, to personnel administrator, to personnel director, the position she holds today. [Read more…]

Tennessee housing agency to announce blight elimination partnership with Oak Ridge

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THDA Perrey and Gooch June 8 2016

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency awarded the City of Oak Ridge a $500,000 grant on Wednesday, June 9, 2016, that will be used to renovate more than 60 single-family homes. Pictured above are THDA Executive Director Ralph M. Perrey, left, and Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch. THDA and Perrey will be back on Monday, July 11, to announce a partnership with the City of Oak Ridge to support the implementation of THDA’s Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program, or BEP. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency will announce a partnership with the City of Oak Ridge to support the implementation of THDA’s Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program, or BEP, on Monday.

The announcement will be made by THDA Executive Director Ralph Perrey at 1:30 p.m. Monday, July 11. The announcement will be made in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom, which is located at 200 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program assists with the removal of blighted properties in targeted areas within Tennessee, a media advisory said. THDA works in partnership with approved program partners to strategically target residential single-family properties for demolition, site improvement, and acceptable reuse, the advisory said. [Read more…]

Reminder: Oak Ridge celebrates July 4 with fireworks at A.K. Bissell Park

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July 4, 2012 Fireworks

The Independence Day fireworks show in Oak Ridge has been scheduled for 10 p.m. Monday, July 4, at A.K. Bissell Park. (File photo by Charles Samuels)

 

Reminder: Oak Ridge will celebrate July 4 with fireworks at Alvin K. Bissell Park. The fireworks display, which is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, will start at 10 p.m. Monday, July 4.

The fireworks will be accompanied by music played live at the park by Merle 96.7 FM. Radio host Jack Ryan will be transmitting live from the park beginning at 6 p.m. and will conclude the live broadcast with a patriotic medley as the fireworks are shot, a press release said. The countdown to the fireworks begins at 9:30 p.m. Listeners can tune their radios to 96.7 Merle FM and enjoy the show.

The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform its annual Fourth of July concert at the A.K. Bissell Park Pavilion beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The best view of the show will be from the east end of Bissell Park, the press release said. [Read more…]

Rogers Group patching parts of Illinois, Turnpike today through Thursday

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Rogers Group Inc., a contractor for the City of Oak Ridge, is expected to start patching parts of two state highways today. The two state roads are Illinois Avenue and Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The work is expected to last most of the week and be complete by Thursday, June 30, unless interrupted by weather or unforeseen problems, a press release said.

“Motorists should be aware of short-term temporary lane closures while this work is being completed,” the press release said. “Please take extra caution near Methodist Medical Center at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Tennyson Road. Thank you for your cooperation and patience while this work is being completed.”

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Manhattan Avenue road reconstruction complete 

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Roadway reconstruction on Manhattan Avenue is now complete and re-opened to through traffic.

“We would like to thank the residents affected by this project for their patience, in addition to the cooperation of all citizens and visitors during the road reconstruction,” a City of Oak Ridge press release said.

For more information about the city, visit www.oakridgetn.gov.

Mall sale still on track for closing by end of month

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Oak Ridge Mall

The Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as a multi-use town center known as Main Street, is pictured above. Also known as the former Oak Ridge Mall, the L-shaped building is at center. The white building at center left is Walmart, and it is not part of the proposed redevelopment. Neither is the white building at center top, the Tinseltown Theater. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The closing on the sale of the former Oak Ridge Mall is proceeding, and it is still on track to close by the end of June, a city consultant said Friday.

“Everything we’re hearing is that they are still on track to close by the end of the month,” said Ray Evans, retail consultant for the City of Oak Ridge.

Evans said officials have been in contact with the RealtyLink, the mall redeveloper, this week, and RealtyLink and the city staff have been discussing construction sequencing.

“We’ve had multiple meetings on that this week,” Evans said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge celebrates July 4 with fireworks at A.K. Bissell Park

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July 4, 2012 Fireworks

The Independence Day fireworks show in Oak Ridge has been scheduled for 10 p.m. Monday, July 4, at A.K. Bissell Park. (File photo by Charles Samuels)

 

Oak Ridge will celebrate July 4 with fireworks at Alvin K. Bissell Park. The fireworks display, which is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, will start at 10 p.m. Monday, July 4.

The fireworks will be accompanied by music played live at the park by Merle 96.7 FM. Radio host Jack Ryan will be transmitting live from the park beginning at 6 p.m. and will conclude the live broadcast with a patriotic medley as the fireworks are shot, a press release said. The countdown to the fireworks begins at 9:30 p.m. Listeners can tune their radios to 96.7 Merle FM and enjoy the show.

The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform its annual Fourth of July concert at the A.K. Bissell Park Pavilion beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The best view of the show will be from the east end of Bissell Park, the press release said.

Please note: [Read more…]