THE CITY OF OAK RIDGE
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HOLIDAY SCHEDULE REMINDER
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All City of Oak Ridge offices will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as well as January 1, 2019, for New Year's Day. The Civic Center will be closed from Dec. 21-26 for gym floor refinishing. Centennial Golf Course will also be closed Dec. 24 & 25.
We wish you a wonderful holiday and a happy new year!
Please note that household trash and recycling will not be picked up on Christmas. Collection will run on a one-day delay during the holiday week. The Convenience Center will close at 3pm on Dec. 24 and remain closed on Dec. 25.
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OAK RIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOES VIRAL AFTER POSTING "BABY BOOM" PHOTOS ONLINE
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From the month of March until the month of November, the
Oak Ridge
Fire Department has welcomed *SIX* new members to their family. We are beyond excited! Congratulations to these firefighters and their loved ones on the newest additions.
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Left to right: Andrew Murray and daughter Maisyn, Gage Whitman and son Ezekiel, Zach Pressnell and son Waylon, Corey Griffith and daughter Emmalyn, Jordan Alcorn and son Henry, Brad Bittinger and son Blane
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The photos were taken by Celestial Photography and featured on our local news as well as national news outlets like Yahoo! Lifestyle and Fox News.
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OAK RIDGE COMMUNITY CELEBRATES, BREAKS GROUND ON BLANKENSHIP FIELD RENOVATIONS
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The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools held a ceremonial groundbreaking at Blankenship Field on Friday, December 7,
to celebrate the start of renovations. Excavation of the field began earlier in the week. Installation of the artificial turf is expected to be complete by
April 30, 2019
, in time for Oak Ridge High School’s graduation.
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“I am excited that Oak Ridgers are writing the next chapter in the storied history of our Blankenship Field,” Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch said. “The field turf project has been a long time coming, and I want to thank everyone who has been involved for their support, perseverance, and patience. We can all look forward to Oak Ridge High School graduation in May, which will be the inaugural event on our new field.” Other phases of the project will follow the graduation ceremony.
In late 2017, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) approved a $496,000 Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant for the purpose of renovating Blankenship Field. The Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation is providing an equal match to the grant, bringing the total funds to roughly $1 million.
“It is very exciting to see the work progress on Blankenship Field,” Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Dr. Bruce Borchers said. “I know many community members and generous donors who spearheaded the initiative have waited a long time for this day to arrive.”
“The Board and I are very glad to see this project underway,” added Keys Fillauer, Chairman of the Oak Ridge Board of Education. “We are thankful for the support of the community and the many individuals who have made this happen. We are looking forward to the continued traditions of Blankenship Field.”
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Wildcats fans lined up for their own piece of history from Blankenship Field. More than 50 people took home a square of the remaining sod as part of the groundbreaking celebration.
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Work continues at the site! Additional planned upgrades include concrete walkways, synthetic track, fencing, Cedar Hill Greenway signage, and new restrooms.
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REMINDER: APPLY FOR BOARDS & COMMISSIONS BY DECEMBER 28
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As part of Oak Ridge’s end-of-year election, the City Clerk’s Office is currently accepting applications from citizens who wish to serve on a board or commission. The submission deadline is Friday, December 28, 2018, at 5 p.m.
Interested residents must complete a Boards and Commissions application available online. Applicants may attach additional documents such as cover letters, reference lists and resumes. The application allows residents to choose and rank their top three board choices for consideration.
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Paper versions of the online application are available in the City Clerk’s Office, room 109 of the Municipal Building on S. Tulane Avenue.
To be considered, completed applications must be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m. on Friday, December 28. Late applications or submissions will not be accepted. The election for all boards will take place at the regular Oak Ridge City Council meeting in January 2019.
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COUNCILMEMBER SMITH REAPPOINTED TO NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES COMMITTEE
This committee has the lead responsibility for developing NLC’s federal policy positions on issues involving air quality, water quality, energy policy, national wetlands policy, noise control and solid and hazardous waste management.
This will be Smith's third year as a committee member. She will continue play a key role in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocate on behalf of America’s cities and towns before Congress, with the administration and at home.
Congratulations!
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CITY BLUEPRINT PROJECT REACHES NEW BENCHMARK
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The City of Oak Ridge Community Development Department is asking citizens for feedback on the first draft results of the City Blueprint Plan.
Blueprint is a citywide plan for the future of Oak Ridge. The formation of the plan is led by the Municipal Planning Commission with input and involvement from the entire community, including residents, businesses, and property owners.
Generally, a citywide plan prepares for future population change or growth and its anticipated impacts in order to ensure that the city can achieve desired goals for the built environment, community services, economic health, and quality of living.
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When the Blueprint process began in January 2017, more than 500 people turned out to share their ideas about our City’s direction. Since that time, the planning team has completed the following:
- 13 subarea meetings to collect input directly from citizens
- Technical analysis of infrastructure, land use, facilities and community needs
- Interviews with City departments to determine needs and vision for their areas of responsibility
- Review of City documents and plans to synchronize elements that need to be carried forward
Now that the draft plan is coming into focus, even more feedback is required. The Community Development team is beginning a series of ‘virtual meetings’ to gauge community acceptance, without interfering with the busy holiday season.
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The plan will be presented in small pieces over many weeks on the City website and Facebook page as well as in the lobby of the public library. Citizens interested in providing feedback can
visit the website for updated information and opportunities to respond.
The first installation seeks reaction to the values and goals identified as overall guidance for the Blueprint plan. “During development of the Blueprint, we routinely heard several themes that provide a picture of what Oak Ridgers hold dear,” explained Wayne Blasius, Community Development Director. “We’ve dubbed these as the values upon which the Blueprint plan is built. Likewise, goals which follow from these values were taken from past plans and Blueprint input.”
In early 2019, the entire draft plan will be open to the community for review, then presented to City leaders for adoption. Broad feedback and input from the community will ensure that the City Blueprint is a valid, supported guide for development and will lead to successful outcomes for the community.
For more information on the Oak Ridge City Blueprint project, contact the Community Development Department at (865) 425-3531 or visit
oakridgetn.gov/online/blueprint.
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It's that time of year again... Do you have questions about how the City handles winter weather conditions?
The answers can be found in our annual Winter Weather Plan.
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CITY WIDE LEAF PICK-UP CONTINUES THROUGH JANUARY
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The citywide leaf pick-up program began Monday, November 19. City collection efforts will follow the proposed schedule as closely as possible.
The schedule is a general guide and can vary considerably from the actual collection dates due to weather conditions and the amount of leaves.
PLEASE NOTE: Streets will be swept approximately two weeks after leaves are picked up in each designated area.
The following guidelines will help make the leaf pick-up process easier for crews and homeowners:
- Residents should place their leaves near, but not beyond the curb. Leaves must not be placed on the sidewalk or in the street, parking spaces or drainage ditches due to posing a pedestrian or traffic hazard and possibly clogging the storm drains. Hazards that are created by improperly placed leaves will be removed by the City at the resident's expense.
- Leaves must be free of tree branches and twigs as these can cause the leaf vacuums to clog. Because of their impact on production, leaf piles found to contain these items will not be picked up.
- All leaves must be placed outside fenced areas. If there is no other location on your property to rake your leaves, then rake them to the end or side of your driveway. Leaves may be placed in plastic bags and will be picked up at the curb during the scheduled program.
- Only leaves will be collected during this fall's program. Citizens are reminded that the citywide household trash and brush pick-up will be scheduled in April and May.
At the completion of the day, a final drive through of each daily specified route will be done to verify and ensure that all leaves are collected during that time.
For more information, please contact Waste Connections of Tennessee at (865) 482-3656.
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CITY WELCOMES HOLIDAY SEASON WITH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
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The City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department teamed up with the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board to co-sponsor the Annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting.
The ceremony was held on November 30 in the Civic Center and A.K. Bissell Park. While the weather kept the crowd indoors for the music performances this year, the rain let up a bit for the outdoor tree lighting.
We also had a special Christmas-themed golf cart to shuttle guests to and from the event.
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Seasonal music was provided by the Linden Elementary School Choir and the Oak Ridge Community Band. Refreshments were provided by UCOR and the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board.
We hope everyone had a great time!
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OAK RIDGE POLICE COLLECT TOYS FOR TOTS
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Thanks to all who donated to our Marine Toys for Tots Foundation campaign!
We wrapped things up last week and your donations filled nearly eight boxes - that's approximately 250 toys going to local children in need this Christmas!
We are thrilled about the results. A special thanks goes to Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Alexander Velez who organized the campaign this year. We are lucky to have such a wonderful team and serve such a caring community.
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SANTA STOPS BY SHOP WITH A COP EVENT IN OAK RIDGE
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Santa stopped by Oak Ridge Police Department's Shop with a Cop event this past Saturday! He even sported his special blue suit! We had an amazing time talking to the wonderful families in our community and helping two dozen kids pick out some great presents for Christmas.
Thanks to Dave Clark, Anderson County District Attorney General, and Russell Barker, Anderson County Sheriff, for participating with us.
We greatly appreciate TJMaxx, Value Signs, Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch, and others who sponsored and/or made donations. Special thanks to the Anderson County Sheriff's Office and Oliver Springs Police for sending additional officers to help shop with the kids. A splendid time was had by all!
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CRASH VICTIM TAKES TIME TO THANK FIRST RESPONDERS WHO SAVED HER LIFE
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Members of the Oak Ridge Fire Department had the pleasure of talking to Ginger Dougherty at Fire Station 4 earlier this month. She and members of her family stopped by to thank the firefighters who rescued her from a rollover crash along Highway 95 this past May.
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CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING AVAILABLE IN OAK RIDGE
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The City of Oak Ridge has two drop-off locations available for citizens to recycle their Christmas trees after the holidays. Signs will be posted in both locations. The drop-offs are:
- Big Turtle Park, 2525 Oak Ridge Turnpike (parking lot)
- Solway Park, 205 Edgemoor Road (parking lot adjacent to the boat launch)
Trees will be accepted any time through the end of January 2019. On Saturday, January 12, and Saturday, January 19, Recreation and Parks Department employees will be on site to assist with unloading trees at the Big Turtle Park drop-off location from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Please be sure to remove all tinsel and decorations from Christmas trees before dropping them off for recycling. Wreaths and garland will also be accepted, but no brush.
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CITY EMPLOYEE INVITED TO SINGAPORE FOR YSEALI SUMMIT
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Our Stormwater Program Coordinator Amy Snyder was selected by the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative and The Asia Foundation to attend the YSEALI Summit in Singapore earlier this month!
Amy also traveled to Indonesia earlier this year to learn about sustainability and clean water initiatives. She's fifth from the left in this photo, taken in the upstream area near Wonosalam Village.
Amy is one of just 150 people selected for the summit, which focuses on the partnership for growth and innovation between the U.S. and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
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ORPD RAMPS UP IMPAIRED-DRIVING ENFORCEMENT FOR HOLIDAY SEASON
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The Oak Ridge Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) to increase impaired-driving enforcement through January 1, 2019. The THSO’s statewide Booze It and Lose It campaign is part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over nationwide mobilization.
Officers will set up sobriety checkpoints and increase patrols in Oak Ridge throughout the holiday season. “All of us will be on the lookout for potentially impaired drivers,” ORPD Officer Matthew Johnston stated. “Everyone can expect to see more officers on the road and more traffic stops during this campaign.”
Increased state and national messaging about the dangers of drunk driving, coupled with increased sobriety checkpoints and high visibility enforcement, aim to drastically reduce the number of drunk-driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities this year.
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“We ask all Tennesseans to please drive safely this holiday season,” said THSO Director Vic Donoho. “Our state and local law enforcement partners will be out in full force to secure Tennessee roadways. We want everyone to make it home safely, so please designate a sober driver.”
The consequences of a single DUI conviction for a first-time offender in the state of Tennessee may include costly fines, court costs, legal fees, jail time, mandatory drug and alcohol treatment, and/or the installation of an ignition interlock device in his/her vehicle.
The THSO provides grant funding to support the Oak Ridge Police Department’s increased enforcement efforts during the Booze It and Lose It holiday campaign. For more information about the THSO, please visit
www.tntrafficsafety.org. Follow the Oak Ridge Police Department on
Facebook and
Twitter: @OakRidgePolice.
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CHECK OUT DVDs FOR FREE AT THE LIBRARY
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VISIT THE OAK RIDGE WINTER FARMERS MARKET BEFORE CHRISTMAS!
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The Winter Farmers Market by Grow Oak Ridge will be open on Saturday, December 22, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. so you can shop local right before Christmas!
The winter market is now in its third season. You can find them at 323 Vermont Ave. (St. Mary's School gym). The market is open each Saturday through February (except for Dec. 29).
The market offers a weekly free program for children called the POP (Power of Produce) Club, in which kids take 2 bites of a vegetable and get $2 to spend in the market on fruits and vegetables.
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OAK RIDGE PARADE FLOATS BRING HOME AWARDS
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The Oak Ridge Fire Department was honored to receive “The Elfin Magic Award” in this year's Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade for a float presented with a fire safety message.
While the Gingerbread house is smoking, the children go to their safe meeting place.
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The Spectacular Sparkles Award went to the City of Oak Ridge Electric Department. This award is given to the entry that presents an outstanding display of lights and/or other type of illumination. Looking good!
Great job to all!
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City of Oak Ridge
P.O. Box 1
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
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