Oak Ridge Today

Children’s Museum to celebrate 50 years with free admission

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The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is pictured above in this file photo from 2017. (Photo by Manhattan Project National Historical Park)

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge will celebrate its 50th anniversary with free admission on Saturday, June 10, and Sunday, June 11.

The free weekend and its activities are sponsored by Consolidated Nuclear Security, which manages and operates the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

“Visitors will enjoy the museum’s many exhibits and a special scavenger hunt on both days, including a special exhibition that celebrates the museum’s golden anniversary year, ‘CMOR at 50: Past, Present, and Future,'” a press release said. The exhibition features photos from the museum’s 50-year history and a selection of objects from the museum’s collection.

On Sunday, June 11, visitors will also enjoy special activities including arts and crafts, a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activity, selfie station, and complimentary refreshments. Also, on Sunday the museum’s mascot, Charlie the Curious Bear, will be on hand to interact with visitors, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Y-12 celebrates new fire station, emergency operations center

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Y-12 Site Manager Gene Sievers talks about the plant’s new fire station and emergency operations center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A new fire station and emergency operations center at the Y-12 National Security Complex will replace “severely outdated” buildings that were constructed in the 1940s, about eight decades ago. The new buildings will improve working conditions, consolidate operations now conducted in separate places, and provide ample space for large equipment like fire trucks, federal officials and Y-12 leaders said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday.

Workers at the plant, which manufactures components for the nation’s nuclear weapons, among other activities, have been talking about the new facilities for at least 13 years. The start of construction was celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony in April 2021. The new buildings, reported to have cost $68 million, are part of a “huge transformation,” an effort to modernize the site.

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Y-12, Pantex employees celebrated for inventions, patents

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The sign at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Employees at Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, were recently celebrated for inventions and patents.

Y-12 employees filed eight invention disclosures during fiscal year 2021, a press release said. The inventions ranged from environmental and electrical load controllers to diagnostic tools, sensors, and unique material processes. Among those recognized were Eric Spurgeon, Justin Holland, Rachel Bachorek, Robert Cole, Ed Ripley, and Jacob Miller, the press release said.

At Pantex, Stephen Jones and Brian Harlow filed an invention disclosure for laser pulse shaping for a laser-powered bed fusion printer.

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CNS donates $10,000 to Oak Ridge High School NJROTC

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Oak Ridge High School Principal Garfield Adams, Cmdr. Keith Klemm, Y-12 Site Manager and retired Capt. Gene Sievers, and Chief Ryan Nicholls at a recent ceremony where Consolidated Nuclear Security provided a $10,000 donation to support the Navy Junior ROTC program’s continued excellence. (Photo provided by Oak Ridge High School.)

The Oak Ridge High School Navy Junior ROTC began four years ago with a donation from Consolidated Nuclear Security. As the first class of seniors who have been with the program all four years graduates, CNS is making another significant donation to the program, a press release said.

On May 19, parents and NJROTC community partners attended a ceremony at Oak Ridge High School to celebrate the cadets’ accomplishments. During the ceremony, Y-12 Site Manager and retired U.S. Navy Captain Gene Sievers announced a $10,000 CNS donation for continued support of the program. Other organizations provided scholarships and awards to the cadets, the press release said.

“It’s vitally important to support programs like this in schools,” Sievers said. “Providing these students with a way to explore military careers and leadership while still in high school can significantly affect their career trajectory.”

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New fire station, emergency operations center being built at Y-12

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A new fire station is being built at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Above, NNSA, Consolidated Nuclear Security, and Y-12 Fire Station leaders toss the first shovels of dirt for the new fire station on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. (Photo by Y-12)

A new fire station and emergency operations center are being built at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

They are pilot projects designed to streamline the efficiency and delivery of specific construction projects under $50 million, the National Nuclear Security Administration said in a press release.

The NNSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy, and Y-12 managing and operating contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security had a groundbreaking ceremony for the fire station on Tuesday. A few blocks away, the emergency operations center (EOC) is already under construction.

The fire station replaces one built in 1947, and the EOC will be the home of the site’s operations center, which is currently located in a World War II-era building. “Together, these new facilities will replace two outdated buildings and enhance our emergency response capabilities,” said Gene Sievers, Y-12 site manager.

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Oak Ridge Schools receives $15K grant to implement Naval National Defense Cadet Corp

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Oak Ridge Schools Naval National Defense Cadet Corp Check

Oak Ridge Schools recently received a $15,000 check to implement a new Naval National Defense Cadet Corp program at Oak Ridge High School.
The check was presented by Jessica Steed, third from right, executive director of Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, or ORPSEF, and Kristin Waldschlager and Gene Sievers, both of CNS Y-12. Also pictured, at left, is Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers. (Submitted photo)

 

Oak Ridge Schools recently received a $15,000 check to implement a new Naval National Defense Cadet Corp program at Oak Ridge High School.

The check was presented by Jessica Steed, executive director of Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, or ORPSEF, and Kristin Waldschlager and Gene Sievers, both of CNS Y-12.

The check was presented at a December 9 meeting of the Oak Ridge Schools Advisory Board. [Read more…]