Oak Ridge Today

Council to discuss city marketing, eighth rowing lane, housing, Main Street

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Officials and referees monitor races on the seven-lane rowing course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday will discuss city marketing, the potential eighth lane at the rowing course, housing, and Main Street Oak Ridge.

The issues will be discussed during a non-voting work session of the Oak Ridge City Council at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, in the Multipurpose Room of the Central Services Complex on Woodbury Lane, which is behind the Kmart shopping center.

There are other agenda items that could also be discussed: pending U.S. Department of Energy projects and public comment requests, and updates on the Oak Ridge Senior Center and Friendship Bell.

The report on visitation marketing will be presented by Marc DeRose, executive director of Explore Oak Ridge (the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau). [Read more…]

City Clerk’s Office accepting applications for four city boards

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The Oak Ridge City Clerk’s office is currently accepting applications to fill vacancies on four city boards.

The Anderson County Economic Development Association (ACEDA) and the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau (CVB) have one vacancy each. The Environmental Quality Advisory Board (EQUAB) has three vacancies, one of which is for a high school representative. The Traffic Safety Advisory Board (TSAB) has one vacancy for a high school representative.

The terms of offices are as follows:

 City Board Term of Office
ACEDA Balance of an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2017
CVB Balance of an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2018
EQAB Balance of an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2016, and an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2018. The term for the high school representative is a one-year term commencing at the time of appointment
TSAB One-year term commencing at time of appointment

[Read more…]

Hope seeks re-election to City Council

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Chuck Hope

Chuck Hope

Chuck Hope Jr. is seeking re-election to Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.

In a press release, Hope said he wants to continue representing the city in such things as the Energy Communities Alliance, which recently took him to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Department of Energy officials and federal legislators.

“We want to make sure that our legislators are current on issues that matter most to Oak Ridgers,” Hope said.

During the visit, Hope and Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson met with David Klaus, under secretary for management and performance at DOE headquarters. They discussed Oak Ridge’s status in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and water treatment plant upgrades.

Hope said he is known for his community involvement and support. He served on the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, and the Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board before being appointed to Council. Hope was selected by a council majority in July 2011 to fill a vacated City Council seat, and he successfully ran for election in 2012. (Hope actually won twice in 2012, first winning a three-month term in a special election in August and then getting elected to a four-year term in a regular municipal election in November.) [Read more…]

Dodson—teacher, community leader—running for City Council

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Jim Dodson

Jim Dodson

Jim Dodson, an Oak Ridge art teacher and community leader, has announced that he will be a candidate for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.

Dodson, a teacher with Oak Ridge Schools for 29 years, has a strong record of community service and leadership on several civic boards and organizations, a press release said.

“I will definitely work alongside my Oak Ridge and East Tennessee neighbors for a better quality of life in our community,” Dodson said. “I hope to give our residents a voice on City Council and continue to promote excellent educational opportunities for all our kids and young adults.

“I will also continue to help recruit businesses and families to Oak Ridge as the place to relocate. I look forward to working as an Oak Ridge City Council member to maintain and improve all city services while providing safe and thriving neighborhoods. It’s my vision that what Oak Ridge has to offer should not be a secret anymore.” [Read more…]

Explore Oak Ridge to co-locate with Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

 

Explore Oak Ridge (the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau) will be moving its operations from its current location at 102 Robertsville Road to co-locate with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce in July, according to an agreement reached by the two organizations earlier this week.

The Chamber building is located at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike, near Oak Ridge High School and across from the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The initial lease is for three years, with two additional one-year extension options. It will position the Chamber, Explore Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board, and the Roane State Tennessee Small Business Development Center in one facility, a press release said. [Read more…]

Close to 2,000 rowers race in more than 300 boats in SIRA Championship

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About 1,900 rowers competed in the 2016 SIRA Championship in Oak Ridge on April 16-17. Pictured above is a Stetson University crew at the start of the 2,000-meter course on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

About 1,900 rowers from 61 programs raced in the 2016 SIRA Championship in Oak Ridge on Saturday and Sunday.

Featuring 322 boats, it was the largest SIRA regatta ever.

SIRA, the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association, has been holding its championship in Oak Ridge for almost 30 years.

The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau said the city’s rowing course has been attracting rowers since the late 1970s with its calm, flat water, and SIRA rowers were among the first to compete in Oak Ridge back in the 1980s. Today, the regatta attracts more than 50 collegiate men’s and women’s rowing teams to Oak Ridge, and the one this past weekend had 61 teams.

Racing started Saturday morning with time trials, which were followed by afternoon heats and semifinals. Finals were from 8 a.m. to 1:05 p.m. Sunday. [Read more…]

Rowing championship, largest in SIRA history, is in Oak Ridge this weekend

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Crews passing the crowded Melton Lake Park peninsula. (Photo credit: Rob Welton)

 

By Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau

Few partnerships have stood the test of time quite like that of the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) and Oak Ridge. For almost 30 years, SIRA has been holding their championship in Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge and its beloved rowing venue have been attracting rowers since the late 1970s with its calm, flat water. SIRA rowers were among the first to compete in Oak Ridge back in the 1980s. Today, the regatta attracts more than 50 collegiate men’s and women’s rowing teams to Oak Ridge. In fact, the 2016 regatta will be the largest in SIRA history with 61 teams participating.

While SIRA offers races in many different boat categories, all eyes will be on the Men’s Eight race. Perennial men’s powerhouse teams (such as University of Michigan, University of Virginia, and Purdue University) will battle for SIRA’s ultimate prize—Men’s Eight Gold.

“The men’s eight final promises to be a brutal slug-fest; there are no clear favorites at this point,” said Marc DeRose, Explore Oak Ridge director and veteran rowing coach. “I also expect the heats to be just as competitive.” [Read more…]

Charlie Daniels Band, Grand Funk Railroad to headline Secret City Festival

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The Charlie Daniels Band will headline the Friday night, June 10, concert at the 2016 Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

The Charlie Daniels Band and Grand Funk Railroad with Atlanta Rhythm Section will be the headliners in the Friday and Saturday night concerts at the Secret City Festival in June.

“After a record-breaking concert turnout in 2015, the 14th annual Secret City Festival on June 10th-11th aims to keep the good times rolling,” a press release said.

The concert headliners were announced Friday by radio sponsors 96.7 MerleFM and 93.1 WNOX.

Daniels continues to “bring down the house” at age 78 with his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and his CMA Award-winning country hits, the press release said. The legendary musician was recently announced as a 2016 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the press release said. He is best known for such hits as “Uneasy Rider,” “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “Trudy,” “Long Haired Country Boy,” “Midnight Wind,” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” [Read more…]

Eighth rowing lane could cost more than $500,000, up to about $1.2 million

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Twelve of the nation’s best NCAA Division I women’s rowing teams competed this month in the Cardinal Invitational Regatta in Oak Ridge. Pictured above, a West Virginia University team competes at Oak Ridge Marina on Saturday, March 12, 2016. The eighth lane would require some work along the Melton Lake Drive side of the course, which is on the right side of this picture. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 5:30 p.m.

An eighth lane at the seven-lane Oak Ridge rowing course could cost more than $500,000 and up to about $1.2 million, officials said Tuesday.

The eighth lane has been on the wish list of rowers and many local officials for years. They say it would allow the Oak Ridge Rowing Association to compete for bigger races and international regattas, which require an eighth lane. It would also keep the site a top-tier rowing venue and provide more on-water capacity, allowing more competitors in events. It’s also expected to significantly increase the economic impact of rowing races, or regattas.

Officials announced a $250,000 state grant for the eighth lane in April 2015.

In August, the city hired Barge, Waggoner, Sumner, and Cannon Inc. for design and survey work, among other tasks.

A March 1 memo from BWSC to Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director, outlines five construction options with various estimates of probable costs ranging between $543,771 and $1,162,444. The five estimated construction costs include a 20 percent contingency. All five options would include a retaining wall and earthwork, which would include excavation and dredging. [Read more…]

Photos: Rowers in Oak Ridge for spring training

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Several hundred rowers are in town for spring training from March 13-19, 2016, at the Oak Ridge Marina. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Several hundred rowers are in town for spring training at the Oak Ridge Marina. Here are pictures by Julio Culiat.

Marc DeRose, executive director of the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, estimated there could be between 500 and 750 rowers in Oak Ridge for spring training.

The Oak Ridge Rowing Association lists 11 teams in town this week, from March 13-19.

They are: [Read more…]

Secret City Half Marathon, 5K is Saturday

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The Secret City Half Marathon and 5K has grown into one of the largest athletic events in Oak Ridge. A field of an estimated 700 runners and walkers will participate when the race celebrates its seventh anniversary on Saturday, November 21.

“This year we have totally revamped the event, and we think participants are going to really enjoy the changes,” says Lisa Kendall, race director for the half marathon and 5K races and event sales manager for the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In the past, the event was held over two days but that is down to one day with both races starting just 15 minutes apart. The previous “double loop” half marathon route is gone, replaced with a route that starts and finishes on the Melton Lake peninsula and includes Union Valley Road, home to the Rogers Group, which is the presenting sponsor of this year’s event.

“We are thrilled that the Roger’s Group gave us permission to route the race down their private road and by their quarry,” Kendall said. “It’s a very scenic route that will be new to many Oak Ridgers as well.” [Read more…]