Oak Ridge Today

Engineering design contractor running for City Council

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Gary Love

Gary Love

Gary Love, an engineering design contractor, is running for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 4 municipal election.

“I am a proud native of Oak Ridge—and I am ready to roll up my sleeves to work with the people to make this community an even better place to live in the 21st century,” Love said in a press release.

Love said he grew up in the Woodland Community and graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1974. After graduating from East Tennessee State University in 1979 with a degree in biology, he went to work for the city of Chattanooga.

Later, he extended his education with a two-year degree in computer engineering and joined the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga, where he spent 18 years as a power design engineer, the press release said.

“I’m glad to be back in Oak Ridge, where I live with my wife, Toni,” Love said. “We have three grown children, including my son, who now works with me at Tennessee Valley Authority, where I work as a contractor in engineering design. We also have a teenage granddaughter.” [Read more…]

ORISE recognized by EPA as Federal Green Challenge award winner

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ORISE Logo

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education received a 2014 Federal Green Challenge award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for improving its water consumption levels and its electronic sustainability and recycling efforts in 2013 by the highest percentage increase compared to the previous year in the Southeast region. ORISE is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities for the U.S. Department of Energy.

According to the EPA website, the 2014 Federal Green Challenge award winners are recognized “for their outstanding efforts and for their leadership in reducing the environmental footprint of federal government activities.”

“ORISE reduced its water consumption by 60 percent in 2013 with the majority of the improvement resulting from a more efficient, automated sprinkler system with a moisture sensor used for some of its landscaping, which would only irrigate when the soil was dry,” said Tom Wantland, director of ORAU’s environment, safety, and health programs. “If moisture from rain was present, the irrigation system would automatically detect it, and the system would not operate.” [Read more…]

Forecast calls for good weather for Earth Day Festival on Saturday

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Earth Day Logo

Submitted

With temperatures forecasted to be 80 degrees and no chance of rain, it looks like Saturday will be a great day to celebrate our lush green environment and play outdoors. Keep Anderson County Beautiful will be hosting the seventh annual Earth Day Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at A.K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge.

A big emphasis in this year’s festival will be showing children how to play ”neighborhood games” that require simple instructions and no costly equipment. Believe it or not some kids don’t know how to play hopscotch or play double jump rope (see demo here) or even sing the child’s rhythmic, ” Strawberry Shortcake, huckleberry pie…”

Many other simple games will be demonstrated with time for kids to learn how to play. Student chess club players will help novices learn how to play with large and traditional size chess pieces. There will be a recycle relay and basketball free throw, bocce, croquet, flying discs, and ladder ball. Prizes will be offered. [Read more…]

Earth Day to feature free activities, events for healthy living, environmental education

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IJAMS Earth Day 2009

The IJAMS Nature Center booth is pictured above during Earth Day 2009. (File photo)

The seventh annual Earth Day festival will feature free activities and events that promote healthy living and environmental education, and encourage individuals to create and contribute to a sustainable community, a press release said.

The festival is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 26 at Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge.

It’s hosted by Keep Anderson County Beautiful.

There will be a Trashformations art exhibit created by local area students made from recycled/found materials. There will also be outdoor games and races for children, a bike rodeo for kids, healthy food vendors, exhibitors showcasing educational booths, and neighborhood games such as hopscotch, bocce, croquet, flying discs, ladder ball, and a special reduce, reuse, recycle game. There will also be a special area for pre-school children. [Read more…]

Special recycling on Saturday includes old computers, TVs, cell phones

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Keep Anderson County Beautiful is having a special recycling program at the Potter’s Clearance Center on Oak Ridge Turnpike on Saturday.

During the special recycling event, volunteers will collect old computers and peripherals, televisions (no cabinetry), cell phones, rechargeable and button batteries, fluorescent light bulbs (tubes and compact), used books (but not textbooks), and eyeglasses.

Personal document shredding will also be offered courtesy of ORNL Federal Credit Union from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a press release said. [Read more…]

Willow Brook Elementary gets $1,000 for Top 10 recycling program

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Willow Brook Elementary Recycling Reward Grant

Bob Kesling, left, University of Tennessee broadcasting director and lead play-by-play voice of the Vol Network, and Teresa Shaffer, right, with Eastman Chemical Co. present Willow Brook Elementary School with its award as one of the top environmental programs in Tennessee schools. (Submitted photo)

Students at Willow Brook Elementary School in Oak Ridge were rewarded for their environmental efforts with $1,000 for having one of the top 10 school recycling programs in the state of Tennessee through the Good Sports Always Recycle, or GSAR, program.

Peter Blair and Christian Goethert from Willow Brook were recognized during an on-field presentation at the University of Tennessee vs. South Carolina football game, a press release said.

“We were so excited to learn that we were selected as one of the Good Sports Always Recycle school challenge winners,” Principal Lisa Light said. “We are proud to do our part in our community and are committed to teaching our students the importance of recycling. We are honored by this recognition and look forward to using this monetary award to strengthen our program.” [Read more…]

Council to consider tax incentives for Protomet, ending recycling rewards

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In a cost-cutting move, the Oak Ridge City Council tonight will consider ending the rewards part of the city’s recycling program.

Ending those rewards, which can be redeemed for discounts at local businesses, could save about $124,000, city officials said.

Also tonight, the City Council will consider approving a five-year, 100 percent tax break for Protomet. The incentive could help the parts manufacturer more than double the size of its plant on Larson Drive in the Bethel Valley Industrial Park and add 20-30 workers. [Read more…]

Y-12: Almost 20 years of recycling makes a big difference

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Thanks to a Y-12 National Security Complex aluminum beverage can recycling program, more than 400 local organizations have received a $200 donation from the company since the program’s inception in 1994. Over the years, more than $81,600 from recycling revenue has been donated.

The most recent recipients are Tabitha’s Table, an ecumenical Oak Ridge food ministry that provides a hot meal weekly; Family Promise of Knoxville, a program for individuals facing homelessness for the first time in their lives; Sunshine Industries, a therapeutic recreation program for handicapped adults who live in Knox County; and People Promoting Animal Welfare, an organization that operates a feline/canine adoption center and spay/neuter clinic in Greenback and offers low-income families affordable sterilization of cats and dogs.

[Read more…]