Oak Ridge Today

Guest column: Tips for managing family stress during the holidays

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Submitted by Susan Moore

Around this time of year, we start hearing phrases like “Give thanks” and “get into the Christmas spirit” everywhere we go. Just about every advertisement reminds us that the holidays are right around the corner. It is a festive time of year with plenty to do. There are parades, Black Friday sales, family get-togethers, good food, and gifts to buy.

But as the joy and excitement of the season spreads, stress and anxiety also increase. During the holiday season, we actually see an increase in child abuse attributed to the additional stresses on families.

At first this sounds surprising, but everyone, especially parents, can relate to the stress of setting aside money to purchase gifts for Christmas and food for Thanksgiving. With extra expenses and additional events piling up, parents are vulnerable to losing control of themselves in an attempt to release their stress. Instead of finding a healthy outlet for stress release, many parents take out their frustration on their children and use abusive discipline.

“Typically around this time of year we see the parent with a full plate losing it a little bit and hurting their children,” says Kristen Rector of Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee. “It’s not the out-of-control raging parent who usually abuses a child but the parent stressed out by the holiday expenses.” [Read more…]

Guest column: Small gifts can have big impact

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Lydia Birk

Lydia Birk

By Lydia Birk

United Way of Anderson County 2014 Campaign Chair

You might recognize them, four special days that have grown up around Thanksgiving.

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, “Cyber” Monday, and Giving Tuesday all start with Thanksgiving, a day when all Americans reflect on family and give thanks for their many blessings.

On Black Friday, Americans turn their attention to shop for great deals to stretch out those blessings; Small Business Saturday, we are all asked to support our locally owned small business; and Cyber Monday, Americans are all clicking away online for that Christmas bargain.

#Giving Tuesday is new, only three years old now. Americans everywhere are asked to consider sharing a little of their blessings with organizations that can turn their small gift into large rewards. [Read more…]

Small business advocate urges buyers to ‘shop small’ this Saturday

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As shoppers prepare for an exciting weekend, Tennessee’s Small Business Advocate Richard Wilson is encouraging customers to join the “shop small” movement.

November 29 is Small Business Saturday. It is a time to show support for small independently owned businesses during one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year, a press release said. [Read more…]

Sheriff reminds Thanksgiving travelers to buckle up

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Buckle Up America Logo

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is joining in a national effort to reach out to all Thanksgiving travelers with one important message: Buckle up.

Historically, Thanksgiving is the busiest travel time of the year, putting more people on the road, and unfortunately increasing the likelihood of crashes, Anderson County Sheriff Paul White said in a press release.

Each year in the United States, tens of thousands of passenger vehicle occupants die in motor vehicle crashes. In 2012, more than 300 people were killed in crashes on Thanksgiving weekend alone. It’s a sad statistic, but even sadder is that many of those deaths could have been prevented with one simple click of a seat belt, White said. [Read more…]

Guest column: ‘A Day of Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer’

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John Ragan

John D. Ragan

In October of 1789, George Washington issued a proclamation “recommending” to the people of the United States a day of “Publick Thanksgiving and Prayer.” He urged Americans to remember “with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.” He published this proclamation, less than a month after the Constitution was signed, at the request of Congress.

Seventy-four years later, in the midst of a bloody and bitter civil war, a different president issued another Thanksgiving Day proclamation. In his proclamation, Lincoln called for “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” He urged Americans to acknowledge “the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

School children of my generation were assigned to read and study such Thanksgiving proclamations from our presidents. But today, it seems school children are seldom required to become familiar with such historic proclamations. Why is this? Are our schools, and popular culture in our nation, conspiring to obscure the meaning of Thanksgiving? [Read more…]

Letter: Let’s help Applewood residents displaced by fire

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On Thanksgiving Day, an electrical fire broke out at the Applewood Apartments in the Highland View neighborhood. Eighteen people were displaced from their apartments while most of us were enjoying rich feasts with friends and families. Although the Red Cross was able to find these people temporary housing, they asked for help to meet the need of meals for these families.

On Monday morning checkout time, these families may be able to return to their apartments or they may have no place to go until the repairs are made to the electrical system of their building. The Red Cross representative said that because of the holiday and because many of these people couldn’t afford to have heat during this cold snap, they were able to extend the amount of care they could normally give. However, that will be ending and reaching beyond the scope of what they can further do during this emergency. [Read more…]

Guest column: Thanksgiving for the ‘First Freedom’

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John Ragan

John Ragan

The search for religious freedom on American shores began nearly four centuries ago. In 1620, Pilgrims arrived in America seeking to escape religious persecution in England.

The following year, this group celebrated the very first Thanksgiving of English-speaking people on our shores. After a hard winter and loss of a number of settlers, but a bountiful harvest, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast with their indigenous neighbors as guests. Thus began a national tradition.

Our grand, national custom of acknowledging religious freedom and abundance through a national day of gratitude to the Divine Author of Liberty remains enduringly impressive. However, for some, remembering the purpose of that celebration may be a bit more difficult. [Read more…]

Light snowfall blankets Oak Ridge, Thanksgiving cold but sunny

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Centrifuge Way Snow

A light layer of snow blankets the ground Wednesday morning at the Centrifuge Way interchange with South Illinois Avenue.

A light snowfall blanketed Oak Ridge on Wednesday morning.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said the snow would diminish to flurries this morning, and snow would primarily accumulate on grassy surfaces, except at higher elevations.

On Monday, the Weather Service had warned that a strong regional storm system could bring heavy rain, sleet, and snow to East Tennessee and southwest Virginia early this week. [Read more…]

Guest column: Thanksgiving traffic safety

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By Sheriff Paul White

The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and to help save lives on our roadways, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be teaming with other state and local law enforcement officers to crack down on seat belt violations.

During the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday period, 249 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide. Fifty percent of those killed were not wearing seat belts.

Sheriff’s deputies will be out in force during the long weekend. The goal is simple: to enforce the law in order to save more lives. Whether you’re traveling across the country or just across town, one of the best ways to ensure a safe arrival is to always buckle up. It’s a simple step that each of us can take to protect ourselves and our loved ones. [Read more…]