The City of Oak Ridge is proud to support the recent announcement that LeMond Composites, a new company in Oak Ridge offering solutions for high-volume and low-cost carbon fiber, has secured a licensing agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

	Carbon fiber research/production at ORNL (Photo courtesy: ORNL)

Greg LeMond (above), Connie Jackson and City Manager Mark Watson (below) were all interviewed by WBIR Channel 10 last month for a feature story on the future of carbon fiber in Oak Ridge.

New rope rescue equipment has been used to save two lives in Oak Ridge, the separate incidents happening just days apart in September. 

The equipment was recently purchased for each Oak Ridge Fire Department engine and crews just started training in August. The quick deployment 3-to-1 rope haul system is designed to move injured people up steep slopes or through confined spaces where it is difficult to lift or carry a person.

On September 5, firefighters were dispatched to an unconscious person in an attic of a house. On arrival, the fire crew found a man lying in the 120 degree attic, disoriented and unable to move. He had been there for several hours before his wife discovered him in distress. The emergency crew rigged the rapid deployment rope system and, in a matter of minutes, was able to move him through the roof trusses and down the attic access opening to the waiting ambulance crew. 

The man recovered and says he has no memory of the rescue itself. He did want to express his gratitude to the firefighters that helped save his life. He also thanked his wife for calling 911.

Photo from scene of rope rescue. (September 17)

On September 17, the department was dispatched to help a woman with serious injuries who had fallen from a retaining wall in a back yard. First responders found the woman lying 60 feet down a slope in a wooded area. The quick deployment of the rope system helped the fire crew and Oak Ridge police officers move the injured woman up the steep slope to the ambulance. 

	Tennessee Army National Guard's Blackhawk Medevac helicopter.

Late last month, the Tennessee Army National Guard  deployed their Blackhawk Medevac Helicopter to Oak Ridge for three days of joint training with firefighters. The Blackhawk hoisting helicopter is stationed at McGhee-Tyson Air Base and is available to the community through the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency for extreme rescue situations.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department continues to train in specialized rescue areas, such as trench, collapse and confined space rescue. The fire department provides dedicated standbys upon request for contractors preforming high risk work in the area.

October is designated as National Fire Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about safety and what each person or family can do to prevent a fire.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department will be holding various activities in schools once students return from fall break. Firefighters will visit St. Mary's, Glenwood, Linden, Willow Brook, Jefferson, Woodland, and Robertsville between October 17th and 21st to talk about important fire safety issues. 

Check the smoke alarms in your home regularly and make sure your family has an escape plan in case of a fire. Remember: fire is fast and every second counts. If an alarm goes off or you smell smoke, get to safety as quickly as you can.

• October 29 - 30 (Sat-Sun)
• November 12 - 13 (Sat-Sun)
• December 10 - 11 (Sat-Sun)

Rowing teams practice on Melton Hill Lake.

Looking for something fun for the kids to do this Halloween? The City's Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is hosting a "Glow Room for Halloween Safety" at the City Halloween Party on Thursday night, October 27th, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. 

Kids enjoy face-painting and other activities at last year's Halloween celebration.

The event is hosted annually at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on the Thursday before Halloween. Children in grades four and below are invited to attend with their families.

	A (blurry) look inside last year's glow room.

The "YAB Glow Room" will have a "Fall Tornado" activity and glow sales with all proceeds going to benefit a youth-led project for the upcoming holidays. Recent holiday projects have included Mission of Hope Shopping and Salvation Army Angel Tree. 

The YAB will also support food sales at the Halloween party with proceeds benefiting the ORHS Key Club program. 

For questions or info, contact Matt Reedy at mreedy@oakridgetn.gov or at (865) 425-3442.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Halloween, October 31, falls on a Monday this year. For any f amilies choosing to take part in trick-or-treating, the City is not designating any other day for Halloween activities. 

Changing the day or time people traditionally plan their Halloween festivities can cause confusion, creating two groups of trick-or-treaters: one on the altered date and another on October 31st. 

Please share this information with your friends and neighbors.

Main Street Oak Ridge is looking a little different every day. For those that have been following the demolition progress closely, you've likely noticed some major changes.

Back on July 20, the City held a special event to break ground on the Main Street project and kick off demolition. Since then, we've seen entire buildings brought down and massive piles of rubble sorted and hauled away.

The building once housing the Oak Ridge Mall is now demolished, leaving an open space that will soon provide ample parking for new stores. (September 30)

Work continues today, mostly situated between the Tinseltown movie theater and JCPenney. A detailed map provided by RealtyLink shows what the project is expected to look like once it's finished. You can see where seven of the eight new businesses are going to be located. 

The first stores are set to open in 2017. More updates are expected as the project moves forward. Visit our City of Oak Ridge Facebook page to see updated photos and videos of the Main Street project, as well as many other events happening around town. 

"LOI" stands for Letter of Intent. For a larger and clearer image, visit RealtyLink's website.

The City of Oak Ridge wishes to express their support for members of the National Guard and Reserve. 

National Guard and Reserve forces comprise nearly half of our nation's military strength and are essential to  America's national security.  Members demonstrate the dignity and selflessness that are at the core of the American spirit. 

Employers across America, including the City of Oak Ridge, are fostering a culture of military support in the workplace by  hiring and retaining members, ensuring that our men and women in uniform get the flexibility and care they need during deployment.

The City pledges to fully recognize, honor and comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA); provide our managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage those employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve; appreciate the values, leadership and unique skills Service members bring to the workforce; encourage opportunities to employ Guardsmen, Reservists, transitioning Service members and veterans; and continually recognize and support our country's Service members and their families in peace, in crisis and in war.

This month, the Mayor will sign a proclamation that serves as an official statement of support by the City for members the National Guard and Reserve.

On Monday, August 22, President Barack Obama named more than 200 teachers from around the country who would be receiving the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. One of those teachers is our own Elaine Vaughan of  Oak Ridge High School .

The award is given to outstanding K-12  science  and mathematics teachers from across the country, according to a  release from the White House . The winners are selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, and educators  following an initial selection process at the state level.

Winners of this Presidential honor receive a $10,000 award from the Natio nal   Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. They are also invited to Washington, D.C., for an  awards ceremony, as well as educational and celebratory events, and visits with members of the Administration.

 

"The Presidential Award is the greatest honor that a mathematics educator could receive," Vaughan said. "I am grateful for the recognition of what I love to do every day when working with young people. Throughout my professional and teaching career, I have been blessed with colleagues who serve as mentors and collaborators. I am also thankful for the opportunities provided to motivate, inspire, and engage students in striving for excellence to obtain their goals for success."

Ms. Vaughan is a math teacher and has been at Oak Ridge High School for 20 years.

The Oak Ridge Senior Center is now offering free classes for area seniors to get assistance with personal electronic devices such as tablets, laptops and smart phones.

There are two programs that will be offered: 

• Tech Savvy Saturdays, a drop-in program staffed by local students
• an individual class offered through the East Tennessee Human Resources Agency (ETHRA)

Tech Savvy Saturdays will provide area seniors a chance to meet with high school students who will be available for questions and advice on a variety of topics. That program is offered on Saturdays at the Oak Ridge Senior Center from noon to 1pm.

The individual class offered in conjunction with ETHRA will provide each registered participant with four weekly, one hour sessions that will cover basic computing skills. Topics will include email, navigating the Internet and using a touch screen enabled device. Class times are available on Tuesdays or Thursdays beginning October 4, 2016. Space is extremely limited.   

To register or find out which program is the best fit for you, please call the Senior Center at (865) 425-3999. 

The art display at  Oak Ridge Public Library  for September is continuing for the month of October. It's a collection of illustrations created by art students of Jim Dodson from Jefferson Middle School. 

These nineteen tempera paintings were inspired by Ed Westcott's photographs of early Oak Ridge. Some of the paintings were submitted as entries for the 2015 Congressional Medal of Honor Student Art Exhibit held at the Tennessee Valley Fair.

Painted in black, white and gray tones, the images reflect the black and white photographs of the famed Manhattan Engineer District's photographer. Although the pictures depict the somber time period of World War II, youthful energy and movement can be seen in the artwork. 

Several pictures are recreations of signs and billboards that were posted in Oak  Ridge during the 1940s, encouraging security and labor for victory in World War II. Some of the pieces have QR codes which allow the viewer equipped with a QR code scanner  app on a smart phone to view a video of the students describing their artwork.

Please visit Oak Ridge Public Library to view the historic paintings created by Oak Ridge's youth. You can also visit the Municipal Building on S. Tulane Avenue during business hours to see a collection of student art on the walls. 

The City of Oak Ridge is currently looking for an Electric Line Technician (Lineman). Primary job tasks include w orking with various electric department crews installing or repairing high voltage electrical distribution system components, electrical meters, traffic signals and controllers, and electric fixtures in City facilities. This position will perform both underground and overhead work.

The City is also looking for a Code Enforcement Inspector. Under general supervision by the Code Enforcement Supervisor, this position will perform technical field inspection and investigation work in the enforcement of the City's Building, Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical and International Property Maintenance Codes.

For more details on job requirements and instructions for how to apply, visit the City's website and click on Employment.

The Oak Ridge High School Student Council Flea Market is celebrating roughly 40 years of fundraising.

The event is organized by student council members and is held every Saturday between March and October in the parking lot next to Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The flea market was almost dissolved in the mid-70s when organizers were struggling to come up with a better location. It moved to the high school parking lot when Susan Raridon Lambreth, then president of the ORHS student council, pitched the idea to hold it as a fundraising activity for the group.

"It gave us something besides bake sales as a way to raise money," Lambreth said. "The flea market helped support many student council activities."

School clubs sign up to collect money from the vendors and each club receives a portion of the money they collect each weekend. Funds raised by student council go toward scholarships, Second Harvest, compassion week activities, homecoming activities, and many other causes.

"The Flea Market is a great service to the community and to our clubs here at Oak Ridge High School," said Diana Horman, Math teacher and student council sponsor. "There are many vendors who have been a part of the Flea Market for many years. We appreciate them and all the vendors who come out to support us and I believe they appreciate the opportunity we provide them as well."

The cost to vendors at the flea market is between $10 and $12, depending on the type of business license (permanent or temporary) they posses. Temporary licenses can be purchased on-site for $5 per month. Two parking spaces are included per vendor, one for selling and another for parking a vehicle. You can learn more about the flea market and vendor regulations online.

A unique weekly class will be offered at the Oak Ridge Civic Center's indoor pool this month: Paddleboard Yoga.

The first class will be held on Thursday, October 13, and will continue each week on Thursdays. 

The one-hour class is also offered at two different times to accommodate various schedules: 

• Thursday mornings from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. 
• Thursday evenings from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The fee is $15 per class and will be paid to the instructor. Standup paddleboards are provided. 

No prior Yoga experience is needed to take part in the class, but basic swimming skills are required. The number of boards are limited.   

For more information, please contact Vonda Wooten, Recreation Manager - Aquatics, by emailing vwooten@oakridegtn.gov.

• The first two pages of the application, fully filled out
• Proof of current total monthly household income from occupants age 18 and older
• Proof of payment of previous year's City and County property tax
• Photo identification for homeowner and all household members above 15 years of age
• Most recent electric bill
• Last three months of bank statements

The public meeting for October is scheduled for Thursday the 20th at 4pm. It's being held at the Scarboro Community Center and is expected to last about 90 minutes.

 

A new Civil War Trails marker is now standing outside the Municipal Building on S. Tulane Avenue.

It was installed in late August and details how our area, specifically Anderson County, was involved with violent clashes during the Civil War.

There's a special section at the bottom concerning Oak Ridge. It reads: "In 1942, the Army Corps of Engineers began acquiring land around Oak Ridge for the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb. Many communities that had survived the Civil War, such as Wheat, Scarboro and Robertsville, were moved or demolished. A small slave cemetery in the Wheat community (believed to be part of the Gallaher-Stone Plantation), remains nearby and contains 90 marked graves with no inscriptions."

The red, white and blue sign along S. Tulane lets drivers know there's a special marker on site. You've probably noticed them before.  This is the 374th sign placed in the state of Tennessee by Civil War Trails, Inc. Be sure to stop by and check it out.

The  Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department  sponsored the 11th Annual Memory Magic Scrapbook event at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on September 30 & October 1.

Crafting enthusiasts attend the 11th Annual Memory Magic Scrapbook event at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. (September 30)

You may have noticed the Civic Center parking lot was full of cars. The scrapbooking event was a big hit as always, with nearly 500 people registered a few days beforehand.

Vendors open for business by 9 o'clock each morning. They include home party businesses, scrapbook stores and general craft stores from all over the region. The vendor area also opens to the general public for shopping during certain times.

For details on more events like this one, you can contact the Recreation and Parks Department at (865) 425-3450 or email apope@oakridgetn.gov.