The Oak Ridge Senior Center will honor veterans with a drop-in recognition from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, November 11.
All veterans who preregister by Tuesday, November 9, will receive a special goodie bag, a press release said.
“Please call the Senior Center to register so staff can have an accurate head count of veterans attending,” the release said.
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The City of Oak Ridge is planning a phased re-opening of the Senior Center on November 3.
Closed since March 16 due to COVID-19, the Senior Center is a “valued community resource providing opportunities for social interaction, continuing education, and exercise for area seniors,” a press release said.
During the first phase of re-opening, the Senior Center will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. This limited schedule will allow time to clean and disinfect the building between sessions, the press release said.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability, the following safety protocols will be in place, the press release said:
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The Oak Ridge Municipal Building remains closed to the public but is moving to a public check-in area where visitors can be escorted to secured areas of the building, City Manager Mark Watson said in an update Tuesday.
Playgrounds and basketball courts remain closed. Disinfection options are being reviewed for limited open times, the update said.
The Oak Ridge Public Library will begin curbside delivery of library materials beginning in mid-May, the update said.
Oak Ridge City Court is working to resume in-person hearings on May 11 with COVID-19 precautions, the update said. COVID-19 is a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly. It has caused a global pandemic.
The city manager’s update said there is planning for a phased re-opening of the Oak Ridge Senior Center.
[Read more…]The Oak Ridge Senior Center will close today (Monday, March 16) due to COVID-19, and the City Court will be closed until Tuesday, March 31. The egg hunt scheduled for Saturday, April 4, will be canceled.
The Oak Ridge Recreation Center and Scarboro Community Center remain open for now, but Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said precautions are being taken to limit the risk of exposure.
“The public health situation is rapidly changing, here are the latest updates affecting city facilities,” Watson said in a message Friday:
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The Oak Ridge Senior Center’s annual holiday reception for area senior citizens has been scheduled for Friday, December 13, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The event will be held inside the Oak Ridge Civic Center’s Shep Lauter Room (gymnasium) at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
The reception will feature a light lunch of sandwiches, chips, and cookies, as well as holiday music and fellowship, a press release said. The Senior Center guitar group will be playing live Christmas music beginning at 11 a.m.
Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m., and door prizes will be given away during that time, the press release said. Bingo will be after lunch for those who want to stay and play, the release said.
[Read more…]The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department has scheduled a grand opening and ribbon-cutting event for the new Oak Ridge Senior Center at 10 a.m. Tuesday, October 15.
Brief remarks will kick off the celebration, followed by a ribbon-cutting and cake and refreshments inside the new building.
“Everyone is invited to take a tour of the senior center and learn about the activities and programs offered for local seniors,” a press release said.
[Read more…]The new Oak Ridge Senior Center opens today (Thursday, September 26) in Alvin K. Bissell Park in central Oak Ridge.
The new Senior Center was scheduled to open at 9 a.m. Normal operating hours were scheduled to resume Thursday, and so were most activities.
The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department called it a “soft opening.” Oak Ridge municipal officials are planning a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony for later, and details will be announced soon, a press release said.
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The Oak Ridge Senior Center will be temporarily closed starting Monday, September 16, to allow the staff to relocate to the new Senior Center on the west side of the Civic Center.
The temporary closure was announced by the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department.
Construction of the new center was finished on schedule, and staff can now occupy the space to complete final preparations, a press release said.
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The new MyRide Oak Ridge Senior Transportation Program is hosting its third Volunteer Driver Information and Training Session from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday, August 17, at the Oak Ridge Senior Center.
MyRide Oak Ridge began with a “soft launch” in the spring and provided its first ride on April 12, a press release said. Through the program, volunteers will use their personal vehicles to drive seniors to doctor appointments, grocery stores, pharmacies, and other essential destinations.
The program allows seniors to keep some of their independence while still participating in social activities like going to church, playing bingo at the Senior Center, or volunteering, the press release said.
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The Oak Ridge Police Department, in partnership with ORNL Federal Credit Union, will host its quarterly “Ask an Officer” meeting at Oak Ridge Senior Center on Wednesday, June 12, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The focus will be on elder abuse in honor of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day happening later in the week, a press release said.
Everyone is invited to attend the free session. The discussion will focus on how to identify signs of elder abuse and scams affecting senior citizens. Presenters will also explain what the Oak Ridge Police Department and its partner agencies are doing to address these problems and how the community can get involved, the press release said.
[Read more…]The Oak Ridge City Council will consider the municipal budget and a proposed two-cent tax rate increase on Monday evening, June 3.
The two-cent tax rate increase would raise the property tax rate from $2.54 per $100 of assessed value to $2.56. It would be the second tax rate increase in the past two years after about a decade of no tax rate increases.
Each cent on the property tax rate generates about $80,000 in revenue.
The city’s general fund is about $26.2 million, and its total budget, including all funds such as school funds and utility funds, is roughly $210 million.
The budget has to be considered in two readings, or meetings. Tonight’s vote is the first reading. The second and final reading will be on Monday, June 10.
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The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Senior Center are working to implement a new transportation program for senior citizens. The program, called “MyRide Oak Ridge,” has already provided its first ride with the full program set to roll out soon, a press release said.
On Friday afternoon, April 12, local senior Willie Wade was driven by Pat Gengozian, chair of the Oak Ridge Senior Advisory Board and the program’s first volunteer driver.
The City of Oak Ridge has offered transportation help to its senior population since 1974. Due to changes in grant reporting procedures from the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the current taxi coupon program will be ending June 30. When fully operational, the new MyRide Oak Ridge program will allow for a new way to provide this assistance, the press release said.
The program includes door-through-door service provided by volunteer drivers in their own vehicles. This service helps seniors be more independent by allowing them to take trips to the grocery store, social events, and medical appointments, the press release said. It will also allow volunteers to accompany seniors into the store or doctor’s office, if needed, as well as help carry in groceries or other items.
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