Oak Ridge Today

Free small business workshop to focus on doing business with the government

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

A free workshop at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce in mid-January will focus on how to do business with the government.

A free workshop in mid-January will focus on how to do business with the government.

It’s scheduled from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

The workshop is offered by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. Registration is required.

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center advises and assists entrepreneurs and small business owners at no cost to them. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Christmas Parade still on—rain or shine

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Oak Ridge Christmas Parade

The Oak Ridge Christmas Parade is at 6 p.m. Saturday. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

The Oak Ridge Christmas Parade will take place rain or shine Saturday evening, officials said.

The parade is organized by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and it starts at 6 p.m. Saturday.

“According to the hour-by-hour forecast, the rain should be out of here before the parade takes place—keep your fingers crossed!” the chamber said.

This year’s theme is “Inside Santa’s Workshop,” and the parade promises to provide spectators with plenty of music, lights, and beautiful floats, a press release said. [Read more…]

Guest column: The New China Palace—historic restaurant in Oak Ridge

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New China Palace Restaurant Interior

The interior of the New China Palace restaurant on Central Avenue is pictured above.

The New China Palace was established in September 1973 by Chuang Nan Chou and served authentic Chinese, Mandarin-Peking Hunan, and Szechuan style food.

Over the years, it became well-known in the Oak Ridge and Knoxville area and to many customers from other countries who came to Oak Ridge to visit the government facilities of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex, the K-25 plant, and Oak Ridge Associated Universities. A large customer base developed, and the restaurant prospered.

In 2010, the City of Oak Ridge delivered a letter to the New China Palace saying their lease for the city building at the Oak Ridge Marina would not be renewed. Ideas for developing a facility for rowing and a “casual restaurant” were mentioned as the reason for this sudden change of heart by their landlord. This was announced in the newspapers and caused a huge negative reaction by their customers. [Read more…]

New China Palace closes at marina, reopens on Central Avenue

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New China Palace Closed

The longtime New China Palace restaurant has closed at the Oak Ridge Marina and moved to a new location on Central Avenue in the center of town.

A longtime Chinese restaurant that had been on the city’s waterfront for decades has moved out of a city-owned building at the Oak Ridge Marina and reopened on Central Avenue in the center of town.

The New China Palace restaurant reopened on Central Avenue on Nov. 22, owner Cheng Ren said Saturday.

The former waterfront location closed five weeks earlier on Oct. 18 after at least one lease extension.

The city has developed a master plan for the waterfront area that recommends the current New China Palace site off Melton Lake Drive be remodeled as a bathhouse facility. It would be used to support a growing number of rowing and public activities as part of an ambitious plan to revamp the waterfront from Elza Gate Park to Rivers Run Boulevard. [Read more…]

Sen. Corker in Oak Ridge on Tuesday

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U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., will be in East Tennessee on Tuesday, and he will make stops in Knoxville and Oak Ridge.

Corker is scheduled to be at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday afternoon. His brief visit to the Chamber will be with Millennium Partners only.

“At events in Knox and Anderson counties, Corker will discuss his work to solve the big problems facing our country,” a press release said. “In Knoxville, Corker will address family business owners and entrepreneurs at an event hosted by The Legacy Centre, an organization working to grow companies through educational programs, peer advisory groups and professional resources. Later, Corker will address business and community leaders at an event hosted by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.” [Read more…]

Secret City Pies has ribbon cutting Tuesday

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Secret City Pies, a new business in west Oak Ridge, has a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday morning.

The ribbon-cutting is from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at 1990 C Oak Ridge Turnpike. It’s been organized by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

Letter: Chamber asks city, county officials to endorse mall TIF

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Note: This is a copy of a Nov. 6 letter sent by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce to the Oak Ridge City Council and Anderson County Commission. The Oak Ridge City Council approved the tax increment financing for the Oak Ridge Mall redevelopment in a 6-0 vote on Monday.

Dear members of Council and Commission:

Today, in a full retreat attended by the board of directors of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and numerous Chamber Millennium Partners, our board unanimously adopted a position urging Oak Ridge City Council and Anderson County Commission to unanimously approve tax increment financing (TIF) for redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall property.

This is the most critical near-term economic development project in Oak Ridge and Anderson County. It will undoubtedly impact our economy, our ability to attract additional retail/commercial projects, and our community pride.

Some specifics are: [Read more…]

Girls Inc. room gets makeover by Leadership Oak Ridge, tennis court project next

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Girls Inc. Tennis Court

The middle school room at Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge has received a makeover from Oak Ridge Leadership Class of 2013, which also wants to resurface the tennis courts, pictured above. (Submitted photo)

It was in need of renovations, and the middle school room at Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge has received a makeover from the Oak Ridge Leadership Class of 2013, a press release said.

The Leadership Class had selected Girls Inc. as their 2013 community project, and members repainted the walls of the middle school room, made wall-mounted tables with raised plugs for electronic devices, created a study area, and added new pillows, organizer bins, tables, lamps, and chairs, the release said. [Read more…]

Chamber’s Christmas Parade to be held Saturday, Dec. 14

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Oak Ridge Christmas Parade

The Oak Ridge Christmas Parade last year featured floats and more than 100 businesses, clubs, and community organizations. This year’s parade is Saturday, Dec. 14. (File photo by D. Ray Smith)

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is busy preparing for its annual Christmas Parade to be held on Saturday, Dec. 14. This year’s theme is “Inside Santa’s Workshop” and promises to provide spectators with plenty of music, lights, and beautiful floats, a press release said. Businesses and community organizations have already begun registering for the parade.

The parade will begin at 6 p.m. and will begin at Corporate Center, on the corner of Lafayette and Laboratory Road. From there, the parade will travel down Lafayette to the Oak Ridge Turnpike. It will continue west on the Turnpike to Oak Ridge High School. The judge’s stand will be located in front of the Chamber. [Read more…]

Businesses to take part in Chamber’s Primetime 
Tailgate Party on Oct. 24

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CH2M Hill at Primetime

Representatives of CH2M HILL with the winner of one of many door prizes given away by exhibitors at the Primetime networking event last fall. This fall’s event will be held Thursday, Oct. 24, at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. (File photo)

Submitted

Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce member businesses are preparing for the 2013 Primetime Tailgate Party, the Chamber’s premiere business showcase and networking event.

Participating businesses have been encouraged to come dressed in their favorite team colors and to decorate their display areas with a football tailgate theme. The event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Primetime is a business showcase opportunity for members of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. Anyone—Chamber member or not—is encouraged to attend, find out more about member businesses and organizations, and make new contacts. [Read more…]

Guest column: Council member proposes alternatives to raising water, sewer rates

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

On Sept. 9, your Oak Ridge City Council will likely vote to approve additional water and sewer rate increases. When combined with the last two increases, the average user’s bill will have spiked 62 percent in just 34 months. Subsequently, should council adopt the fully proposed schedule through 2019, most residents and businesses will be paying double what they were paying prior to the initial increase imposed in May 2012.

These increases are to pay for the $33 million of debt that the city incurred in the last two years in addition to a projected $15 million more that Public Works says is still needed. We are continuing to borrow without limits and without regard for your ability to pay such astronomical bills.

Much of this debt could have been reduced or avoided all together had your city government taken the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency up on the many opportunities they gave us to make corrections. (See my Feb. 24 post at trinabaughn.com entitled, “The Rest of the EPA Mandate Story.”) Unfortunately, we’ve screwed up so many times that we were too fearful to pursue leniencies that are now being afforded to many cities across the nation. So, while others have 20-25 years to comply and can spread out costs to minimize the hit their ratepayers will take, Oak Ridge has just five years and is forcing the entire burden on its residents and businesses. [Read more…]

Council approves pedestrian safety projects, Chamber contract

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Oak Ridge City Council

During a special meeting Monday, the Oak Ridge City Council approved pedestrian safety improvement projects on Oak Ridge Turnpike and at Jackson Square, and approved a contract worth up to $175,000 with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. (File photo)

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday agreed to use more than $500,000 in red light camera money to improve the city-owned parking lot on the north side of Jackson Square and make eight Oak Ridge Turnpike intersections safer for pedestrians.

Council also approved a $175,000 contract with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, an amount that was down significantly from previous years but higher than what City Manager Mark Watson had originally proposed earlier this year. [Read more…]