Oak Ridge Today

Adams, a first-grade teacher at Linden, named Oak Ridge Schools teacher of the year

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Ginger Adams

Ginger Adams

Ginger Adams, a first-grade teacher at Linden Elementary School, has been named the 2016 Oak Ridge School District Teacher of the Year, officials said.

Oak Ridge Schools officials hope Adams will now be considered for East Tennessee Teacher of the Year. Her application will be sent to the East Tennessee Regional Office for their consideration for that award, a press release said.

Adams is one of eight teachers of the year selected from Oak Ridge eight schools: the Preschool, all four elementary schools, the two middle schools, and the high school. They are: [Read more…]

Teachers of the year announced at Oak Ridge Schools

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Oak-Ridge-Schools-Teacher-Year-Feb-2016

Eight teachers of the year have been announced by Oak Ridge Schools from the preschool, all four elementary schools, both middle schools, and the high school. Pictured above from left to right, starting at top left, are Amy Kennedy, Ginger Adams, Jennifer Little, Jim Dodson, Michael Feuer, Michelle Chenot, Scot Smith, and Susan Galler.

 

Eight teachers of the year have been announced by Oak Ridge Schools. Teachers of the year were chosen at the preschool, all four elementary schools, both middle schools, and the high school.

Here are those picked as teachers of the year:

  • Oak Ridge Preschool—Susan Galler
  • Glenwood Elementary School—Amy Kennedy
  • Linden Elementary School—Ginger Adams
  • Willow Brook Elementary School—Michelle Chenot
  • Woodland Elementary School—Jennifer Little
  • Jefferson Middle School—Jim Dodson
  • Robertsville Middle School—Scot Smith
  • Oak Ridge High School—Michael Feuer

Oak Ridge Schools is participating in Tennessee’s Teacher of the Year program, a press release said.

“This program is intended to recognize and honor outstanding teachers in our state,” the press release said. “In Oak Ridge, we have many talented and hard-working teachers. These teachers of the year are representatives and examples of the great educators who do great work with students every day.”

Here is more information about the teachers from the press release: [Read more…]

UCOR donates to United Way, Boys & Girls Club

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UCOR-United-Way-Anderson-County-December-2015

UCOR executives Harold Conner, left, and Ken Rueter, center, present a check to United Way of Anderson County representatives Gene Patterson, Naomi Asher, and Jim Dodson. (Submitted photo)

 

UCOR, the federal government’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, recently donated about $30,000 to United Way of Anderson County and Boys and Girls Club of the Clinch Valley.

A $27,209 donation to United Way of Anderson County represented about one-quarter of the more than $100,000 raised in the company’s 2015 United Way Campaign.

UCOR donated $4,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of the Clinch Valley. The club serves an active membership of more than 750 youth from six to 17 years of age through extended services and programs. The contribution is in keeping with UCOR’s commitment to supporting local children’s advocacy programs, a press release said. [Read more…]

TORCH Brew Review, a beer-tasting fundraiser, on Aug. 29

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TORCH Brew Review

Photo from the Brew Review on Sept. 12, 2014, by Margaretanne Ingle.

 

Trinity Out-Reach Center for Hope, or TORCH, has its Second Annual Brew Review on Saturday, August 29. It’s a one-of-a-kind fundraiser in Oak Ridge.

The Brew Review is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, from 7 to 11 pm, at St. Mary’s Catholic School Gymnasium at 323 Vermont Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The evening will include beer tasting, finger foods, and live music, a press release said. Guests can mingle with their food and beer, dance to live music and/or enter the Corn Hole Tournament.

The bands performing are The Portals, Rhiannon, Jack Russell and the Terriers, and Ridge City Ramblers. [Read more…]

United Way announces $1.2 million goal for 2015 campaign

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Naomi Asher

Naomi Asher

By United Way of Anderson County

Under new leadership and with renewed focus, United Way of Anderson County announces a goal of $1.2 million for the 2015 fall campaign. The announcement comes as UWAC is ramping up for the campaign kickoff later in August with a full roster of community and fundraising events.

As with previous years, the funds from this year’s campaign will support the agencies working hard in our community to improve the quality of life of our friends and neighbors.

UWAC has been working to re-establish relationships with the people and businesses of Anderson County after the departure of former leader Rick Morrow in March of this year. However, Executive Director Naomi Asher and the UWAC board of directors are working to maximize the impact of this year’s campaign. [Read more…]

Free Medical Clinic fundraiser on Aug. 8 to feature rock band, dancers

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The Hit Men

The Hit Men, a rock and pop dance band, will perform at the FMC Bash on Aug. 8, a fundraiser for the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

Hit Men, a Knoxville rock and pop dance band, will provide music for dancing during the FMC Bash on Saturday, August 8. It’s the annual fundraiser for the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge.

The fundraiser will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. August 8 in the Parish Life Center of St. Mary’s Church at 327 Vermont Avenue. It will include a catered dinner, Celebrity Dance Contest, and live auction conducted by the entertaining Bear Stephenson.

Band members are Alan Keck, lead vocals and guitar; Bob Andres, vocals, lead guitar, and flute; Pat Andres, vocals and keyboard; Uwe Lueth, drums, and Mark Akers, bass. You can learn more about them by visiting their website.

Couples who have entered in the Celebrity Dance Contest are Sharon and Brian Annis, Naomi Asher and Jim Dodson, Tom Beehan and Kay Brookshire, David and Sandy Bradshaw, Gene Caldwell and Dottie Thompson, Keys Fillauer and Scott Hinton, Judy Gooch and Michael Shrader, Austin Keathley and a secret partner, and Nancy Stanley and Gary Riser. [Read more…]

Patterson, Dodson to lead United Way fundraising campaign in 2015-2016

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Gene Patterson

Gene Patterson

Art teacher Jim Dodson and Gene Patterson, a former television anchor who now works at Y-12 National Security Complex, will co-chair the 2015-2016 fundraising campaign for United Way of Anderson County, a press release said.

It’s a period of transition and change, the release said, and Dodson and Patterson will “lead the charge as UWAC kicks off its fresh campaign to raise money for local agencies.”

Patterson has been delivering local news for more than 30 years, as an anchor at both WBIR and WATE. He also served his community as deputy to the Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe, focusing on city initiatives and facilitating community task forces. In 2015, Patterson joined the communications team at Consolidated Nuclear Security at Y-12 in Oak Ridge.

Dodson has taught art in the Oak Ridge Schools system since 1987, and has been recognized as both the Tennessee Art Educator of the Year and the National Middle School Art Educator of the Year. In 2015, Dodson received the Distinguished Educator Award and was appointed to the Humanities Tennessee Board. His efforts to establish student art exhibitions all over Tennessee have earned more than $7 million in scholarships for his students. [Read more…]

Artwork by JMS sixth-grader chosen for homeless coalition poster

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JMS Misty Greenhalgh

Misty Greenhalgh holding the 2015 PIT Count Poster with art teacher, Jim Dodson; JMS Principal Phil Cox; and TORCH Art Show Director Sheila Michel. (Submitted photo)

 

Misty Greenhalgh, a sixth-grade art student of Jim Dodson at Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge, submitted artwork to the Second Annual TORCH Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Art Show that was then submitted to the TVCH (Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless) Point in Time Count Poster Contest.

In the past, TVCH chose one piece of art from each county to be that county’s PIT poster. This year, they created the same poster for all 12 counties they serve. Faces from artwork used in past year’s posters as well as the face from Greenhalgh’s work were used for this year’s poster.

The 2015 poster states: “We are more than just faces. Everyone counts.”

Greenhalgh was recognized at the Monday night meeting of the Oak Ridge Board of Education. [Read more…]

Photos: President Obama’s motorcade in Oak Ridge

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President Obama Limousine

President Obama is seen in the back of the presidential limousine. (Photo by John Westcott)

 

Many people took pictures and videos when President Obama’s motorcade passed through Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Anderson County on Friday afternoon.

Here are a few, including several by John Westcott and Betsy Prine.

The president traveled to East Tennessee—his first trip to the Knoxville area as president—to announce education and manufacturing proposals that will be presented in his State of the Union speech to Congress on January 20.

Announced at Pellissippi State Community College, the education proposal would provide two years of community college free to anyone who’s willing to work for it. [Read more…]

Guest column: Glad she went on schools’ tour, encourages others to go

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Art and Science Class

The microscope pictured above was in a combined class taught by art teacher Jim Dodson and science teacher John Beard at Jefferson Middle School. (Photos courtesy Mary Layton)

 

By Mary Layton

On Tuesday, December 16, I went on the inaugural Oak Ridge School’s Community Tour.

We met at the American Museum of Science and Energy bright and early at 8 am. We were divided into two groups. The Einstein Group was hosted by Tracey Beckendorf-Edou, and the Curie Group had as its leader Chris Marczak.

We began with a short history of Oak Ridge given by Ken Mayes. We were reminded of the important role our city played in World War II.

Bruce Borchers, superintendent of Oak Ridge Schools, welcomed us to the tour. He told us about the Keys to College and Career Readiness. These goals were developed by interviewing and surveying Oak Ridge students, parents, staff, and community in late 2013. The goal of the keys is to prepare students to go to college, obtain industry certification in a skill, or receive military preparation by graduation. Borchers told us that our tour would show us how they were working to obtain these goals. [Read more…]

Former Oak Ridge rowing director could lead ORCVB

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Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose

Note: This story was updated at 5:55 p.m.

A former Oak Ridge rowing director could become the next executive director of the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The ORCVB board of directors on Thursday voted 4-3 to offer the job to Marc A. DeRose, subject to reference checks. If hired, DeRose will replace former longtime director Katy Brown, who became ORCVB president in 2006 and left in July to take a new marketing and promotions job covering Knoxville and Chattanooga.

DeRose was hired by the Oak Ridge Rowing Association in August 2013, and he resigned from his head coach and rowing director position in May of this year, saying the job was “not the right fit for me and my family,” the ORRA said in a press release this spring.

Other candidates for the ORCVB job, which offers a starting salary of $45,000 per year, were Lila Wilson, director of special events for the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend, and Naomi Asher, executive director of CASA of the Tennessee Heartland. ORCVB board members said Asher withdrew her application, saying she wanted to continue working for CASA.

Wilson received three votes on Thursday, picking up one less than DeRose’s four. [Read more…]

Street Painting Festival: Come watch artists chalk the walks

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Pink Roses

A “Pink Roses” drawing at an earlier Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival. (Submitted photo)

The 14th annual Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival is drawing near—it will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (rain day on Sunday) at the Oak Ridge Campus of Roane State Community College.

Dozens of artists will be brushing up on their skills as they transform concrete sidewalk squares into colorful chalk paintings. The public is invited to this free festival organized by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge to provide scholarships for Roane State students.

While would-be Rembrandts are chalking the walks, young children will enjoy free activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Kid Zone. [Read more…]