October 2020 | Vol. 6, Issue 10
What's Happening
In Oak Ridge?!
It's a spooky month in the City of Oak Ridge! We're looking forward to our Halloween Hollow at the end of the month. Here's a look at what the City has been up to and what's in store for the next month.
On Monday, Sept. 28 Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch presented a Mayoral Proclamation commemorating September 28, 2020, Clara Hall Hughes Day.
The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host a drive-through Children’s Halloween Party (Halloween Hollow) on Thursday, Oct. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Due to COVID-19, this year’s event will be a drive-through beginning at the Oak Ridge Civic Center west side parking area and ending at the Oak Ridge Library east side parking area.

Event participants will be able to enjoy Halloween scenes, pick up preordered T-shirts, and children 4 years old to 4th grade will receive treats.
City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks playgrounds are back open!

Crews have spent the last month cleaning and sanitizing the playgrounds after they had been closed due to concerns surrounding the safety of park users amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Signage is posted at all playgrounds encouraging people to practice social distancing and wear masks. If someone is showing symptoms of COVID-19, they should stay home and not visit City parks.

As a reminder, smoking is now prohibited in all public parks with playgrounds.
Oak Ridge residents should have received their property tax statements last month and will have until Oct. 31, 2020, to pay them.

Property owners who did not receive their property tax statement, should contact the Utilities Business Office at (865) 425-3400 or look up how much they owe online in order to pay on time.

If taxes are not paid by Oct. 31, interest will begin to accrue on the account.
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Lt. Governor Randy McNally, and State Representative John Ragan joined members of the Oak Ridge Public Library last month to present a $2,408 Tennessee State Library and Archives Technology grant.

Councilmembers Jim Dodson and Kelly Callison, as well as City Manager Mark Watson, were also there for the presentation.

The grant will be used to help expand services at the Oak Ridge Public Library including purchasing an AfterSchool Edge Early Literacy Computer station for the children’s room and purchasing a petting-zoo of demonstration tablet devices so patrons can see different e-readers and tablets before purchasing their own!
Comments can be submitted until Oct. 21, 2020, via email to Katatra.Vasquez@science.doe.gov with the U.S. Department of Energy regarding the Environmental Assessment.

To learn more about the proposed project, the steps of the process, where it stands now, and what's next, click here or read more below.
The City of Oak Ridge would like to remind its residents of the rules for on-street parking.

Many roadways in Oak Ridge are marked with dashed lines where you can safely, and legally, park between the curb and the dashed lines. However, oftentimes, vehicles are parked on the curb or sidewalk, rather than the road. While you may feel as though you are helping by getting your vehicle as far off the roadway as possible, parking off the street is illegal.
Oak Ridge has some new artwork around the City!

Dogwood Arts, along with officials from ORNL Federal Credit Union, the American Museum of Science and Energy, and the Oak Ridge City Council celebrated the recent installation of three new sculptures in Oak Ridge with a ribbon cutting ceremony last month! There is one at ORNL Federal Credit Union (215 S Rutgers Ave, Oak Ridge, TN 37830), the American Museum of Science and Energy (115 E Main St, Oak Ridge, TN 37830), and at Jackson Square (223 Jackson Sq, Oak Ridge, TN 37830).
The October 2020 Youth Clinics schedule has been published and there are many opportunities for kids of all ages.

Elementary Art Today sessions are $20 each and Middle School Art Today sessions are $35 each. Please register by the day before your desired class for one of the 10 spots in the class. The reservation helps staff make sure they don’t go over the room limit and helps the instructor know how many art supplies to buy.

Anyone under the age of 18 can participate in the Art Project session, which is free.

There are also opportunities to participate in tennis, volleyball and pickleball clinics.
REMINDERS!
Smoke alarms save lives! It's important to test your smoke alarm monthly, change batteries twice a year, have one located on every level of your home, inside and outside of every bedroom and sleeping area, and replace it every 10 years. For a free smoke alarm installation, call Oak Ridge Fire Department at (865) 425-FIRE (3473).
Oak Ridgers now have a new way to register for the CodeRED Community Notification System, which is used by the City to make notifications during the event of an emergency, severe weather, extended power outage or other community events.

Many residents no longer have home phones but rely on their cell phone for communication. Individuals can now text the keyword ‘OAKRIDGE’, without a space, to 99411, and receive a response back containing the Community Notification Enrollment (CNE) link for the City of Oak Ridge.
The Oak Ridge Fire Department and Oak Ridge Police Department completed a 9/11 Remembrance Run last month to honor the lives lost during the 2001 attacks.

After the run, the group ran an extended route to the Oak Ridge High School 9/11 memorial. The run began at 8:46 a.m., the same time the first Twin Tower was hit on September 1, 2001. It was 3.43 miles to honor the 343 firefighters who died on that day.