Oak Ridge Today

Manhattan Project program: Celebrate National Junior Ranger Day at AMSE on April 15

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MAPR JR RANGER

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park encourages families to visit the park this week as part of National Park Week.

“Kids of all ages are invited to come learn how to explore, learn, and protect your national park on April 15, and become an official Junior Ranger,” a National Park Service press release said.

Visit https://www.nps.gov/mapr/oakridge.htm for a preview of the planned activities.

All participants will receive Junior Ranger badges or patches and a certificate upon completion of the program, the press release said. Junior Ranger activity guides may be obtained at the park visitor desk located in the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

“The program is designed for kids ages 8 to 12 years old, but is available to anyone young at heart,” the press release said. “Come out to explore, learn, and protect your national park.” [Read more…]

Author to discuss the Civil War, how it affected Morgan County

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Aaron Astor

Aaron Astor

 

Author Aaron Astor of Maryville College will discuss the Civil War and how it affected Morgan County in Wartburg on April 15.

The program, which includes a discussion and book signing, is hosted by Obed Wild and Scenic River. It’s scheduled from 1-2 p.m. Saturday, April 15.

Astor is the author of the book “The Civil War along Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau,” and he will be on hand to sign copies of his book following the program, a press release said. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project National Park celebrates Girl Scout Week on Saturday

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Photo by Ed Westcott

Photo by Ed Westcott

 

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park is partnering with the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge and the Girl Scouts of USA to celebrate National Girl Scout Week on Saturday, March 11.

Beginning at 10 a.m. at the Children’s Museum, individual Girl Scouts and/or troops are welcome to participate in hands-on activities until 3:30 p.m., a press release said. Admission to CMOR will be free on that day for any Girl Scout in uniform and their families. Girl Scouts can earn the “Our Girl Scout Story” history patch and a MAPR Junior Ranger patch by participating in a historical scavenger hunt. The historical scavenger hunt activity information will be made available from March 11 through March 25 at the National Park Service desk at the American Museum of Science and Energy. [Read more…]

NPS, DOE release document to help guide planning, management at Manhattan Project Park

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Manhattan Project National Historical Park Foundation Document Cover February 2017

After a year of work and open houses in three cities, federal officials have released a document that will be used to guide planning and management at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge.

The National Park Service and U.S. Department of Energy announced Friday that the planning and management document, known as the Final Foundation Document, has been released. It’s available online.

The Foundation Document is the result of public input and joint planning by DOE and the NPS. In February 2016, the two federal agencies held workshops in Oak Ridge, as well as in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington. Hanford and Los Alamos are also part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

The open houses in the three communities, which had Manhattan Project research and production centers during World War II, gathered input from “stakeholders and interested parties” related to the important resources, stories, and opportunities for the park. The National Park Service has posted a summary of the open house comments, grouped into 11 areas, which you can see below. [Read more…]

‘Atomic Integration,’ photo exhibit on African-American life during Manhattan Project, opens Feb. 23

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African American Post Office 1940s (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

African American Post Office 1940s (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

 

In honor of Black History Month, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will host “Atomic Integration,” a photography exhibition focusing on African-American life during the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, a press release said. The month-long exhibit will open on Thursday, February 23, with a reception starting at 4:30 p.m.

The photo exhibit is sponsored by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and Explore Oak Ridge.

The images displayed in the photo exhibit illustrate the experiences and contributions of African-Americans during the Manhattan Project period during the 1940s in Oak Ridge, the press release said. [Read more…]

Get update on Manhattan Project National Park on Thursday

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Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson

 

You can hear an update on the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a Thursday evening meeting.

The meeting of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 9, at the Midtown Community Center’s Wildcat Den at 102 Robertsville Road. It’s open to the public.

Robert Johnson will present an update on the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge. He will discuss the status of the park and announce upcoming events, a press release said.

Here are some links to website pages on the park, which also includes Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico: [Read more…]

Manhattan Project National Historical Park to be discussed at Feb. 11 meeting

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The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will be discussed at a February 11 meeting. It’s a meeting of the Clinch Bend Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

The guest speaker will be Frank Graham from the National Park Service.

The meeting starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 11, at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Oak Ridge.

Call (865) 567-8250 if you are interested in DAR or have questions.

With transfer agreement signed, plans call for developing AMSE site, relocating museum, demolishing building

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american-museum-of-science-and-energy-front-3-jan-2-2017-web

The American Museum of Science and Energy is pictured above on South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge on Monday, Jan. 2, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 3.

With a property transfer agreement signed, new businesses could be built on the 17 acres that now house the American Museum of Science and Energy, the museum will be relocated, and the AMSE building could be demolished, officials and a business executive said Friday.

The changes are allowed under an agreement approved by federal officials, unanimously approved by the Oak Ridge City Council in December, and signed by U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch in a Friday morning ceremony at Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

The U.S. Department of Energy said the transfer of the museum property, owned by the federal government, will allow the City of Oak Ridge to “explore future innovative development and economic stimulus opportunities.”

“From the Manhattan Project of World War II to the cutting-edge materials research of today, Oak Ridge has long played a vital role in American science and security,” Moniz said. “This agreement will ensure that Oak Ridge’s history is preserved and shared while providing the city a new opportunity to create jobs and strengthen the local economy.”

When the transfer is completed, DOE public outreach and education missions that are now conducted at AMSE and focused on Oak Ridge history, science, and national security will continue in renovated space in a two-story building that once housed a Sears store next to JCPenney at the former Oak Ridge Mall. The former mall is being redeveloped as Main Street Oak Ridge.

DOE said the AMSE property transfer will save more than $2 million in deferred maintenance costs at the museum and greatly reduce operating expenses. [Read more…]

Secret City Pocket Guide unveiled in anticipation of the 75th anniversary of Oak Ridge, DOE

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The Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association has unveiled a new guide to the historic sites of the “Secret City” of Oak Ridge. The Manhattan Project, Secret City Pocket Guide was prepared by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association in cooperation with the National Park Service and the Oak Ridge Schools.

The 44-page guide measures only 4 inches by 7 inches in size, so it easily fits in your pocket, a press release said. It tells the story of the Manhattan Project’s first major nuclear site, Oak Ridge—created less than a year after the Pearl Harbor attack. The guide is priced at $5.

The new guide is packed with historic photos, an introduction to the new national historical park, a driving map of Oak Ridge’s heritage sites, and fascinating factoids on the people who built one of the most amazing technical achievements in history, the press release said.

The guide’s author, Martin McBride, is a member of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association Board and a retired nuclear safety division director from the U.S. Department of Energy. [Read more…]

DOE secretary to attend AMSE land transfer ceremony on Dec. 30

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Ernest Moniz

Ernest Moniz

Note: This story was last updated at 12:10 p.m.

U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will attend the land transfer ceremony for the American Museum of Science and Energy property in Oak Ridge next week.

The ceremony is scheduled for Friday, December 30. Also expected to attend are U.S. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann and City of Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch.

It’s a signing ceremony to formally transfer the roughly 17-acre AMSE site from the U.S. Department of Energy to the City of Oak Ridge.

Under an agreement unanimously approved by Oak Ridge City Council on December 13, the city is then expected to transfer the property in two phases to a company set up by RealtyLink, the South Carolina firm building Main Street Oak Ridge at the site of the former Oak Ridge Mall. [Read more…]

Interior Department protects 75,000 acres from surface mining, including in Anderson County

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U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell

U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell

 

A federal decision announced Wednesday designates about 75,000 acres of mountain ridge lines, including in Anderson County, as unsuitable for surface coal mining operations, a press release said.

The decision, which affects mountains in East Tennessee, was announced by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

“Today’s action helps protect a spectacular area of eastern Tennessee that is critical to the region’s tourism and outdoor recreation economy, provides valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and supports a healthy watershed,” the press release said.

The release said the Interior Department designated the mountain ridge lines as unsuitable for surface coal mining at the request of the State of Tennessee. Besides Anderson County, the other affected counties include Campbell, Scott, and Morgan. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project: Secrecy, Security, Spies program on Saturday, Dec. 17

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The Oak Ridge Turnpike Gatehouse is pictured above on the west end of town. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Turnpike Gatehouse is pictured above on the west end of town. (Submitted photo)

 

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present a program on Saturday, December 17, at 3:30 p.m. at the Turnpike Gatehouse.  The program will give visitors some insight to what life was like in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project with all the security, the need for secrecy, and the worry of spies, a press release said.

The program is free and open to the public; parking is limited, so please try to carpool if possible, the press release said.

The Gatehouse is also at a trail head for the North Boundary Greenway, and visitors can go for a self-guided hike after the program. [Read more…]