www.orcc.org 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Thom Mason

When Thom Mason was offered a fellowship in Oak

Ridge in 1990, he turned it down, setting his sights on

what he thought would be more exciting venues in

New York and abroad. However, when Mason was

invited to be an advisor on the SNS project in 1998,

he discovered that Oak Ridge could offer him not only

the satisfaction and challenge of work he enjoyed, but

also a great home for him and his entire family.

“Our workforce,

a diverse blend of

local, regional,

and national talent,

is our strongest asset.”

12A Sacred Trust

Oak Ridge was founded during one

of the nation’s most trying times as

part of an effort to ensure national

security. More than 60 years later, Oak

Ridge maintains its vital role in ensuring

America’s safety as home to companies

on the forefront of research and

development in national security.

“Thhe fammiily feelt at hhome

immmediaateely, bbecausse

Oak Ridge wass suchh a

welcoming place.”

22

Provided by ORNL

RIDGES | Fall ’082

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chamber Welcome ...................................................................5

Here And Now ..........................................................................6

Calendar of Events

An Oak Ridge Role Model

Coloring the College: Annual Street Painting Festival

Report Card: What’s Happening at Oak Ridge Schools

Around Town ..........................................................................10

The Green Miles: Hike ’Em All and Win a Prize

Terry Mullins and Oak Ridge Tool-Engineering: A Family Affair

The Smallridges: A Quintessential Oak Ridge Family

National Security ...................................................................12

A Sacred Trust: Oak Ridge’s Leading Role in National Security

National Forensic Academy Moves Into State-of-the-Art

Oak Ridge Facility

Health Notes ......................................... 16

MMC Welcomes New Cardiologist

Methodist’s New Joint Replacement Center

Innovation ............................................ 18

Community of Conscience

It’s a Wi-Fi World

Thom Mason ......................................... 22

An Oak Ridge Convert

Voices .................................................... 26

Fall ’08

“We came to Oak Ridge so

Walter could finish his Ph.D.,

and we ended up staying for

29 years. We raised our two

sons in Oak Ridge, and it is a

wonderful place to raise

a family.”

— Linda Brown

See what other citizens have to say

about Oak Ridge on page 26.

We The People. ..................................................................28

Get to Know Offi cer Shannah Newman

A Real Mover and Shaker: Shirley Holt-Hale

Oak Ridge’s K-9 Crime Fighters

Common / Uncommon Knowledge ...................................30

Ringing in Hope and Peace: The International Friendship Bell

Saving a Great Story: Preserving K-25

Small Talk..........................................................................34

International Neighbors: Oak Ridge Students Visit Japan

Index of Advertisers .........................................................35

Parting Shot ......................................................................36

2 RIDGES | Fall ’08


TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ABOUT This magazine is published by CommunityLink

and distributed through The Oak Ridge Chamber of

Commerce. For advertising information or questions or

comments about this book, contact CommunityLink at

800-455-5600 or by e-mail at [email protected].

FOR INFORMATION The Oak Ridge Chamber of

Commerce, 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN

37830, Telephone 865-483-1321, Fax 865-483-1678,

www.orcc.org

© 2008 Craig Williams Creative, Inc., 4742 Holts Prairie

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ten consent of the publisher.

www.staybridge.com/knoxvilletn

www.orcc.org 5

CHAMBER WELCOME

We hope you enjoy learning more about our wonderful and unique community in this edition of Ridges. This letter from Mark Harvey, an Oak Ridge resident and community leader, offers his perspective of Oak Ridge.

When I moved to Oak Ridge nearly 20 years ago, I immediately became a fan of the community. Now, I consider myself a true Oak Ridger and

wouldn’t want it any other way. Invited to relocate from Dallas, Texas, to Oak Ridge

to join the family company, I was apprehensive about moving to “small-town” Oak Ridge. Don’t let the “small-town” moniker fool you. Quickly, I discovered Oak Ridge has something for everyone. The community truly offers the best of a small town and so much more.

As the cover of this publication states: Oak Ridge is a great place to a raise a family. I couldn’t agree more. My children have grown up in Oak Ridge. They are products of one of the best school systems in our country. Academics, arts, and sports have equally contributed to their well-rounded education. They have had a plethora of opportunities for extracurricular activities and — just as important — they’ve benefited from an extended family of friends and their parents, grandparents, and coaches and teachers to guide, nurture, and watch over them.

The outdoor activities are limitless, with opportunities for boating, skiing, fishing, cycling (motor and human powered), hiking, and much more. And we are within a one-day drive of the ocean, large metropolitan areas, and some of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world.

Add to all this the critical role Oak Ridge plays in securing our nation’s security (article on page 12) and the remarkable science and technology developments that occur every day behind the walls of the largest multi-disciplinary national laboratory in the world, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

It is my pleasure this year to serve as the Chairman of the Board for the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. It is a one-year assignment that will require me to turn over the gavel to my successor in January 2009. I believe in Oak Ridge and what the Chamber is doing to enhance the community’s economic vitality, and I am honored to have played a role in building Oak Ridge’s future — one business at a time, one family at a time.

Thank you for your interest in Oak Ridge. If you have not received a copy of the award-winning Solid as Oak, the introduction to Oak Ridge portfolio, please call Christy at the Oak Ridge Chamber at 865-483-1321. She will send you a copy of the publication and explain how you can receive future complimentary editions of Ridges.

We are glad you are considering Oak Ridge as your future home. We hope you will make the decision to live in Oak Ridge. You won’t regret it. I haven’t!

Mark HarveyChairman of the Board, Oak Ridge Chamber of CommerceVice President, The Cowperwood Company

Welcome to Life in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

My children have

grown up in Oak Ridge.

They are products of

one of the best school

systems in our country.

HERE AND NOW

October 2–5Secret City Film Festival

www.secretcityfilmfestival.com

October 4Secret City Head Race

Hosted by the Oak Ridge Rowing Associationwww.orra.org

October 4Musica Caliente: Oak Ridge Civic Music Association Symphony & Chorus Series

8 p.m., Oak Ridge High School Auditoriumwww.orcma.org

October 4–5The Velveteen Rabbit

Oak Ridge Jr. Playhousewww.orplayhouse.com/jrplayhouse

October 9Graffe String Quartet

Oak Ridge Civic Music Association Chamber Music Series3 p.m., Pollard Auditoriumwww.orcma.org

October 31Haunt the Ridge 8K

7 p.m., Sponsored by the RoadKill Running Club865-607-5955 • www.roadkillrunningclub.com

November 8Give My Regards to Broadway

Oak Ridge Civic Music Association Symphony & Chorus Series8 p.m., Oak Ridge High School Auditoriumwww.orcma.org

November 15–16Sound Company Fall Show

Historic Grove Theatrewww.soundcompanytn.org

November 21–December 7Peter Pan

Oak Ridge Playhousewww.orplayhouse.com

November 22Aureole Trio


December 13Oak Ridge Christmas Parade

7 p.m.Sponsored by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce865-483-1321 • www.orcc.org

December 14Holiday Concert

Oak Ridge Civic Music Association Symphony & Chorus Series3 p.m., Oak Ridge High School Auditoriumwww.orcma.org

January 24Imani Winds


January 31–February 1The Secret Garden

Oak Ridge Jr. Playhousewww.orplayhouse.com/jrplayhouse

Few people are lucky enough to be able to say they love their jobs. Ed Taylor, assistant director of the Boys and Girls Club of Oak Ridge, is one of the lucky ones.

“You should love your job, and I really do. Some people just put on the shirt, but I wake up in the mornings and get really excited about going to work,” says Taylor.

Taylor moved here from Knoxville in 1994. He says he liked what the Boys Club was doing and wanted to help. In his first season as a volunteer football coach, he became the unofficial “cheerleader.”

“I wanted the kids to know that it wasn’t all about winning or losing; it was about finishing the game and having fun doing it,” Taylor says. Each game he would lead his football players in singing and dancing to the favorite pop tune Whoomp! (There It Is). The act was so popular that Taylor incorporated it when he started umpiring basketball. While umpiring baseball, he led the players and crowd in Take Me Out to the Ball Game.

In 2007, Taylor became the program’s assistant director. He organizes the games and assists “Smart Moves,” a program that helps kids with their homework. But his favorite duty is “role model.”

“A lot of these kids need someone they can look up to. Someone positive. They see you as a role model, so you have to do the right thing. It’s not only good for them; it’s good for me.”

Calendar of EventsAn Oak Ridge Role ModelBy Katherine Fortune

For more information

about how you can help

the Oak Ridge Boys

and Girls Club, call

865-482-4433 or visit

www.orbgc.org.

“I wanted the kids

to know that it

wasn’t all about

winning or losing; it

was about finishing

the game and

having fun doing it.”


“I wanted the kids

to know that it

wasn’t all about

winning or losing; it

was about finishing

the game and

having fun doing it.”

www.orcc.org 7

HERE AND NOW

Whether it’s abstract art, fanciful cartoons, or realistic trompe l’oeil, the images at Oak Ridge’s annual Street Painting Festival inspire visitors to stop and linger and watch

beautiful art in progress. The Oak Ridge Rotary Club has sponsored the festival every fall

for the last eight years to raise money for Roane State Community College scholarships. The festival features about 150 paintings created on 8-by-8-foot squares of sidewalk on the Oak Ridge campus of the college, on Briarcliff Avenue.

Over a two-day period each October, artists create their masterpieces while musicians entertain the crowd, children frolic in the street, and adults enjoy the

fun. Everyone’s invited to watch the artists as they work.

You won’t find many street painting festivals in the rainy Southeast. But so far, the sun has mostly smiled on Oak Ridge’s celebrations.

“Street painting festivals are few and far between in this area,” says Devrin Kuipers, one of the Rotary Club’s festival organizers. “They’re more common in the Northeast, California, and Florida. We had a rained-out event once, but we just rescheduled it for the next weekend.”

Artists compete individually or in teams in a number of categories that range from beginner to professional. Winners receive prizes and an invitation to a winners’ lunch.

Squares are sponsored by businesses and individuals, and there’s no cost to the artists. Traditionally the festival raises about $120,000 each year for Roane State students.

Coloring the College: By Rebecca D. Williams

Artists create their masterpieces

while musicians entertain the crowd.

Member of Women’s Council of Realtors, Knoxville Chapter

Tel:

Email: [email protected]

Annual Street Painting Festival

HERE AND NOW

• Oak Ridge High School physics teacher Peggy Bertrand has been selected as the 2007–2008 Advanced Placement Teacher of the Year for the state of Tennessee by the Siemens Foundation.

• Oak Ridge students’ 2007 ACT score averages were well above state averages in all subjects.

• Glenwood Elementary School received a three-year Lottery for Education: Afterschool Programs (LEAPs) grant of $100,000 per year. Glenwood’s before- and after-school programs will include music, technology, science, math, reading, and physical fitness.

• Willowbrook Elementary’s 21st Century Learning Grant funding for after-school programs has been extended for the next two years.

• Fourteen Woodland Elementary School Chess Club players and three Jefferson Middle School Chess Club players participated in the 2008 United States Chess Federation’s (USCF) Burt Lerner National Elementary K-6 Championship Tournament in Pittsburgh. Over 2,000 students from 48 states and some foreign countries competed. The Woodland K-3 Unrated Team placed fifth among 58 teams in the K-3 Unrated Division.

• Linden Elementary School students Melody Guo and Andrew Whitus received Awards of Merit for their entries in the Tennessee PTA 2008 Reflections Program. Guo’s award was in the Primary Division for Visual Arts and Whitus was in the Film/Video Production Intermediate Division.

• The Jefferson Middle School Math Club swept the 30-school competition at Pellissippi State Community College on April 25, 2008, with nine individual winners, a fourth place in seventh grade, and the first place in both sixth and eighth grades.

• Robertsville Middle School’s Technology Student Association (TSA) competed at the 30th annual national conference in Orlando. Twenty-seven Robertsville students participated in the event, winning numerous

awards, including first place for Video Challenge, second place for Agricultural and Biotechnology Challenge, and third for Chapter Team and Medical Technology Challenge.

• Oak Ridge High’s senior class of 2008 had eight National Merit Semifinalists, 19 Commended Students, and one National Hispanic/National Achievement Program award.

• Oak Ridge High students Nabeela Ahmad, Refuyat Ahsen, and Katherine C. “KC” Cushman were among the 24 students in Tennessee to receive corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships in 2008.

• Four Oak Ridge High School seniors received Brad Sturm Memorial Scholarships for 2008: Diego Bertrand del-Castillo, Lauren Mitchell, Megan Underwood, and Ben Wing. The four competed for scholarship money by reading Alan Greenspan’s The Age of Turbulence, writing an essay on an economics or business topic, and answering questions by the Scholarship Committee.

• Oak Ridge High School took home the top honor at the 2008 U.S. Department of Energy Tennessee Science Bowl.As the winning team, Oak Ridge High School Team One received a $1,000 cash prize for their school, a first-place trophy, and an all-expense-paid trip to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl.

• Oak Ridge High School was ranked among the top 5 percent of high schools in the nation by Newsweek in 2008.

Report Card: What’s Happening at Oak Ridge Schools


183 Fiddlers Lane

Kingston, TN 37763

1-800-896-4754 TF

1-865-376-0369 F

BELINDA AURINREALTOR®

Broker/Co-Owner

MABEL STRINGERREALTOR®

TIM WILSONREALTOR®

DONNA POWERSREALTOR®

Broker/Co-Owner

KATHY CASEREALTOR®

LISA WIEGANDREALTOR®

ELAINE BEENEREALTOR®Receptionist

CAROLYN MEALERREALTOR®

WENDIE AURINREALTOR®

AROUND TOWN

Oak Ridge decided to go the “green” way well over 15 years ago — or the “greenways,” that is.

Greenways, corridors of undeveloped land set aside for environmental preservation and/or recreation, are all the rage in cities across the United States these days. Showing their usual innovative spirit, Oak Ridge leaders authorized a citizens group to create a concept for city greenways back in 1992. Today, Oak Ridge boasts 35 miles of trails in its Greenways System.

Open to hikers and bikers, the trails wind through the hills and woodland around Oak Ridge, offering up great views, colorful and fragrant flowers and plants, wildlife, and even glimpses of history. The greenways are the perfect way to get healthful, fresh-air exercise and develop an awareness and appreciation of the community’s natural beauty.

But dedicated hikers in Oak Ridge can add a third benefit to the mix: bragging rights.

Lois Martin, a Greenways Oak Ridge volunteer, admired the Smoky Mountain 900 Miler Club, but realized that the “900” part would be intimidating — and, realistically, impossible — for most folks. However, Oak Ridge’s 35 miles are both challenging and attainable. Martin knew

the completing all 35 miles was a goal that people of all ages and fitness levels could embrace.

So, in 2004, Greenways Oak Ridge introduced the Secret City Trekker program to encourage people to complete all 35 miles of the city’s trails. Working with the Recreation and Parks Department, Greenways Oak Ridge developed a detailed brochure of the 11 trails in the system, maps, and a trail log for hikers to keep track of which trails they have hiked, and when they finish each. Once all 11 trails are completed, hikers can turn in their logs to Greenways Oak Ridge. In return, they’ll receive a certificate and a patch declaring they have “Hiked ’Em All.”

Completion of the Secret City Trekker program is an ideal fitness goal, regardless of whether hikers are just starting out or are already in shape. Twenty-one hikers have earned patches to date; the first three to complete the program received their certificates and patches from the mayor himself. And there’s no denying it’s an achievable goal for those healthy enough for exercise — the program was completed in six days in 2008 by a family of five, including one 3-year-old! So you can add quality family time to the list of benefits, too.

The Green Miles: Hike ’Em All and Win a Prize

By Laura Wilcoxen

Completion of the Secret City

Trekker program is an ideal

fitness goal, regardless of

whether hikers are just starting

out or are already in shape.


For more information on Oak Ridge greenways or the Secret City Trekker program, visit www.GreenwaysOakRidge.org.

AROUND TOWN

In 1972 Dr. Robert (Bob) Smallridge accepted the position of assistant superintendent of Oak Ridge

Schools — a decision that brought him and his family to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and a decision that has impacted Oak Ridge for more than 30 years.

Bob became superintendent of Oak Ridge Schools in 1978, a position he held until his retirement in 1998. He continues to be active in the community, having served as the spokesperson for a referendum campaign and as interim superintendent for a local school system. He and wife Carol have co-chaired the United Way campaign.

Carol has been one of Oak Ridge’s greatest promoters. From her work early on as a marketing representative for an apartment complex, to serving as a Welcome Wagon representative and co-leading Oak Ridge’s 50th Birthday Celebration, Carol has been one of Oak Ridge’s most vocal cheerleaders. In 2008, she announced her retirement as director of Leadership Oak Ridge after 20 years at the helm.

Bob and Carol raised their family here. Their three children — Cheryl, Julie, and Tim — still live in the area. Cheryl and Julie live in Oak Ridge with their spouses and family, providing Bob and Carol with grandparent enjoyment.

The good news for Oak Ridge: The next generation of Smallridges are following in the footsteps of the first generation, ensuring the Smallridge family’s commitment to Oak Ridge.

Terry Mullins started working for Oak Ridge Tool-Engineering Inc. in 1969 — as a housekeeper.

“I started with the company doing minor jobs such as mowing grass, sweeping, and cleaning after school and on weekends,” says Mullins.

Mullins was in high school when he took that first job, and he has worked there almost continuously since. He left Oak Ridge in 1971 to attend the University of Tennessee in Knoxville but didn’t stay away long. Mullins returned to Oak Ridge in

1973 and began working in the company’s shop. There he became familiar with the production of Oak Ridge Tool-Engineering’s products, learning the ins and outs of manufacturing, machining, fabrication, and precision tooling. He also continued to take classes at the university, and in 1976 he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering — “an ideal fit due to the nature of the family business,” he says.

The family business provides the highest-quality precision tooling, machining, fabrication, engineering, manufacturing, and testing for the aerospace, defense, energy, and automotive

industries. Oak Ridge Tool-Engineering offers services such as on-site equipment and systems engineering, manufacture and assembly of special machines, and high-tech laser component manufacturing and maintenance to an impressive clientele that includes NASA, Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Air Force, Allied Signal Corporation, and Westinghouse, among many others.

Today, Terry Mullins presides over Oak Ridge Tool-Engineering as chief executive officer and has overseen some of the company’s most incredible projects, including building the support structure for the Boeing International Space Station and machining the Target Acquisition Designated Sight assembly (TADS) for the United States Army’s Apache Helicopter. Terry supplements his expertise in the business through hands-on use of the equipment his company supports — he himself is an accomplished pilot.

While the company maintains a division in Orlando, Florida, to better serve customers at Cape Canaveral, those who run the company have always considered Oak Ridge home.

“We enjoy the business climate in the city,” says Mullins. “Oak Ridge provides a highly educated and technical base of personnel to select a solid workforce. No matter what the subject, there is an expert in Oak Ridge to assist with the project.”

Terry Mullins and Oak Ridge Tool-Engineering: A Family Affair By Katherine Fortune

“Oak Ridge provides a highly

educated and technical base of

personnel to select a solid workforce.”

www.orcc.org 11

On the CoverThhe Smmaallrridgees: A QQuinnttesssential Oaak Riiddge Fammily

The Smallridges are featured on our front

cover with grandson Benjamin and dog Annie.


NATIONAL SECURITY

Oak Ridge has always been a heavyweight defender of national and homeland security, beginning

with its rich history in World War II, and continuing throughout the following decades.

Following the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, however, national and homeland security has taken a high priority for the Department of Energy, and therefore, for Oak Ridge.

Today, national and homeland security doesn’t just mean maintaining the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile safely, although that’s still a big task in Oak Ridge. Today’s national and homeland security also involves developing technologies to deter terrorist attacks and to respond to them quickly, protecting food and water supplies, and researching new fuels to reduce our reliance on oil.

A Sacred TrustOak Ridge’s leading role in national security is evolving to meet 21st-century challenges.

By Rebecca D. Williams

“Oak Ridge is a very

accommodating host

city for the department.

There’s a very strong

support for our mission.”

LDC can put together any combination of activities for corporations, non-profit agencies, church groups, sport teams, and scouts.

www.orcc.org 13

NATIONAL SECURITY

DOE in Oak Ridge

Most of Oak Ridge’s national and homeland security efforts fall under the large umbrella of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which owns more than half the land in Oak Ridge and offers some 12,000 jobs.

DOE is good for Oak Ridge, and Oak Ridge is certainly good for DOE, according to Gerald Boyd, manager of DOE’s Oak Ridge Office. “Oak Ridge is a very accommodating host city for the department,” says Boyd. “There is very strong support for our missions, and that support from the city has helped create what I believe is the best relationship between DOE and a host city anywhere in the country.”

The Oak Ridge Office, with a staff of over 400 federal employees and an annual

budget of $2 billion, manages one of the most diverse multi-program locations in all of DOE. In addition to implementing the department’s science, environmental management, and nuclear fuel supply programs, as well as a host of support operations nationally for the DOE, the Oak Ridge Office provides support to national and homeland security programs managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The NNSA is a separately organized agency within the United States Department of Energy, responsible for enhancing national security through military applications of nuclear science. It does this by keeping our nation’s nuclear stockpile safe and effective without conducting nuclear weapons testing. The NNSA has sites all over the country, but

one of the largest is in Oak Ridge at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12)Known commonly as “Y-12,” this

sprawling, city-like complex built for World War II is undergoing tremendous changes to modernize and improve its national and homeland security efforts. Y-12 is located on 800 acres off Scarboro Road in Oak Ridge and is operated by B&W Y-12 for the National Nuclear Security Administration.

“We are modernizing, and when we’re done we’ll have gone from over 500 aging, maintenance-intensive facilities to fewer than 40,” says Mike Monnett, a spokesman for Y-12. “National and homeland security will be significantly enhanced, with newer, stronger buildings that are far more efficient and cost-effective.”

“National security will be significantly enhanced,

with newer, stronger buildings that are far more

efficient and cost-effective.”

Photo courtesy of Y-12 National Security Complex


NATIONAL SECURITY

Programs at Y-12 include manufacturing and reworking nuclear weapon components; dismantling nuclear weapon components returned from the national arsenal; serving as the nation’s safe, secure storehouse of special nuclear materials; reducing the global threat from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction; and providing the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion systems for ships.

“Y-12 has enjoyed an outstanding relationship with the local community for years, and the recent public support for our

continued presence in the nuclear weapons complex was overwhelming,” says Monnett.

“Our location — close to plentiful, cheap power provided by TVA; within a day’s drive of Washington, D.C.; in close proximity to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory — are all extremely positive elements of our ability to support national security,” Monnett continues. “Our workforce, a diverse blend of local, regional, and national talent, is our strongest asset. Combined, all those elements are key to our ability to support national needs.”

Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL)The Oak Ridge National Laboratory

provides technology and expertise to government and industry, enhancing America’s safety and economic competitiveness in world markets.

ORNL has several major missions, and one of them is national and homeland security. The laboratory is heavily involved in dozens of projects that relate to security, especially terrorism deterrence and response, says Tony Turner, program manager for the Homeland Security Program at ORNL.

“The homeland security research we do spans a wide variety of areas, from radioactive material detection to human factors, such as determining what would lead someone to a violent intent,” Turner says.

For example, Turner says ORNL works with the Southeast Region Research Initiative (SERRI). This organization provides money and expertise to local, state, and regional leaders to help them anticipate and prevent terrorism events and natural disasters and to improve their communities’ responses to them.

In another example, Turner says ORNL is helping the Transportation Security Administration develop new technologies for the daunting goal of screening the 6 billion pounds of air cargo shipped in the United States each year.

“We’re looking at the best technologies, the best ways they can achieve that,” Turner says.

ORNL has a workforce of about 4,200, funding of more than $1.2 billion, and hosts more than 3,000 visiting scientists from industry and academia each year in cooperative research agreements.

Wackenhut Services Inc.Wackenhut Services Inc. Oak Ridge

Team (WSI-OR) and its over 900-member paramilitary force provide security support services for the Oak Ridge Reservation, which includes the Y-12 National Security Complex, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Federal Office Building Complex. The company carries out the daily mission of protecting the national security interests of the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration in Oak Ridge.

WSI-OR has been recognized with three awards from the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, for contributing to national security and protecting liberty and freedom by supporting employee participation in America’s National Guard and Reserve Force: the Above and Beyond Award, the Patriotic Employer Award, and the 5-Star Award.

Additionally, WSI-OR is proud to be home to the largest indoor range in the Department of Energy at the Central Training Facility. This range broadens the company’s capability for indoor weapons training, permitting them to train in a variety of scenarios.

“Y-12 has enjoyed an

outstanding relationship

with the local community

for years.”

Emory ValleyCorporation

Offices and Commercial Properties

685 Emory Valley Rd. - Suite AOak Ridge, TN 37830

(865) 482-2630Email: [email protected]

www.orcc.org 15

NATIONAL SECURITY

A rson, murder, car explosions … classroom topics are never dull at the National Forensic Academy (NFA), a top crime scene investigation training program in Oak Ridge.The academy is a 10-week course for

law enforcement officials nationwide. It relocated from Knoxville in May 2008 to a renovated 7,000-square-foot facility on the Oak Ridge Turnpike. The new building will enable NFA to serve more students effectively, according to Don Green, program director of the National Forensic Science Institute, which conducts the academy. “We’re really tickled to death with it,”

says Green of the new facility. More than 300 law enforcement officials from nearly

every state in the country have trained at the academy since its beginning at the University of Tennessee in 2001.Students of the academy receive

hands-on training in how to investigate arson, car explosions, exhumed corpses, and homicides, Green explains. The new space in Oak Ridge houses a state-of-the-art laboratory, a “smart” classroom, and other unique spaces designed specifically for the world-famous training that takes place at the academy. In addition to classroom work at

the new Oak Ridge facilities, students spend a week at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations in Nashville and a week at the “Body Farm,” an anthropological site at the University of Tennessee, where

researchers study how bodies decompose over time.

The National Forensic Academy is sponsored by the University of Tennessee system, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and private benefactors (including world-renowned crime and mystery writer Patricia Cornwell). The NFA is part of a complex in Oak Ridge that houses the Law Enforcement Innovation Center, the parent organization of the National Forensic

Science Institute. The NFA received the August Vollmer Award in 2007 for excellence in forensic science from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

By Rebecca D. Williams

National

Academy

Forensic

Moves Into State-of-the-Art Oak Ridge Facility

HEALTH NOTES

Milan Sheth, D.O., an interventional cardiologist, recently joined the staff of

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. An interventional cardiologist specializes in using minimally invasive procedures to treat heart conditions.

Dr. Sheth is board-certified in cardiovascular medicine and internal medicine. He is in practice with Parkway Cardiology Associates in Oak Ridge. Sheth earned a degree in osteopathic medicine from the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and completed an internal medicine internship at Scott and White Memorial Hospital/Texas A&M Science Center. He completed a research fellowship in molecular cardiology at the Texas A&M College of Medicine’s Cardiovascular Research Institute and a general cardiology fellowship, as well as an interventional cardiology fellowship, at Scott and White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas.

Sheth is currently involved with Scott and White Memorial in research on the treatment of diastolic dysfunction, which refers to the time period when the heart is at rest.

“There is a lack of understanding in the treatment of this condition,” Sheth says. “My hope is that through research, the medical community will gain a better understanding in how to treat patients with this problem.”

Sheth also has co-authored articles that have been published in national medical journals, including the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. He is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Internal Medicine, and the American Medical Association.

Parkway Cardiology is located at 80 Vermont Ave. in Oak Ridge. Patients are seen by doctor referral.

Methodist Medical Center has opened a new and innovative facility geared toward meeting

the unique needs of people who undergo joint replacement surgery. The focus is on ensuring the most positive outcomes possible for these patients.

Opened in 2008, the Methodist Joint Replacement Center offers specialized care to patients seeking relief from painful arthritic joints. These patients receive care from orthopedic-trained nurses, therapists, and certified nursing assistants and benefit from the medical expertise of their board-certified orthopedic surgeon.

More than 500,000 knee and hip joint replacement procedures are performed throughout the country each year, and the number will increase as the Baby Boomer generation grows older. The Methodist Joint Replacement Center is equipped to offer the most sophisticated and personalized care available to these patients, many of whom are healthy and active individuals who wish to regain mobility and ease of movement.

The joint center’s environment emphasizes the comfort and care of patients and their families. Patients enjoy spacious private rooms and amenities, participate in a variety of education services, and become involved in a group dynamic that encourages friendship and camaraderie among patients as they embark on the road to recovery.

Methodist provides a joint care coordinator to work with patients and their support coaches from the beginning of their preparation for the procedure through their discharge from the medical center. Coaches are usually a family member, friend, or volunteer who helps a patient with therapy before and after surgery and provides various types of at-home assistance. As a result, patients and their families feel more comfortable throughout their experience.

The joint care coordinator provides an educational class prior to surgery and works with each patient and coach so they

know what to expect before, during, and after the procedure. Patients and their families are also provided with a comprehensive patient guide to follow throughout the process.

As they recover, patients are allowed to wear their own clothing and have access to group dining with other patients. In this environment, they can concentrate on developing strength in their new joint in the company of other patients who are also in recovery. Caregivers at Methodist believe the friendships and support systems formed within this group dynamic are invaluable in speeding recovery time and enhancing motivation during intensive physical therapy.

Joint replacement patients want to get well and get back to their normal daily lives as quickly as possible. But Methodist encourages them to remember their experience through reunion events for them and their support coaches. It’s one more way patients can savor the completion of their journey to a life free from joint pain.

CenterMethodist’s comprehensive program restores

freedom and cements friendships.

Methodist’s New

Joint ReplacementJoint Replacement

Opened in 2008, the Methodist Joint

Replacement Center offers specialized

care to patients seeking relief from

painful arthritic joints.

By Mary McGlasson

MMC Welcomes New CardiologistBy Staff Writer

For more information, contact Methodist Joint Replacement Center at 865-835-4662.16 RIDGES | Fall ’08

Oak Ridge GASTROENTEROLOGY ASSOCIATES

PHYSICIANS PLAZA988 Oak Ridge

Turnpike, Ste. 200Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Office Hours:Monday-Friday:

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

Closed: Saturday, Sunday and most legal holidays.

By appointment only.

(865) 483-4366Fax: (865) 483-5957

E-mail Us:[email protected] Us Online @

www.orgastro.com

Kenneth Luckmann M.D. Phillip Ricks M.D. Clement Block M.D. Ronald Wray M.D.

Ruth Montalvo-Simpkins M.D.Charles Gholson M.D.Mark Prince M.D.

INNOVATION

In the ever-expanding “green” sector of the global economy, companies and consumers are no longer simply thinking about the bottom line — they’re thinking about the future. When it comes to products and practices that are not only

environmentally friendly but are also cost-effective and provide valuable services to customers, Oak Ridge is home to many “green” innovators.

Oak Ridge leads the way in technology

and practices friendly to people and

the environment.

ConscienceBy Mary McGlasson & Laura Wilcoxen


19

INNOVATION

With its newest innovation, GridSmart, Aldis Inc. is developing a “smart” traffic signal

technology geared not only toward saving lives, but also toward improving energy efficiency and alleviating many of the daily problems experienced by drivers at poorly functioning intersections across the country.

Aldis was formed by Oak Ridge entrepreneurs Vig Sherrill and Bill Malkes in 2006 as a CleanTech company with the goal of developing, commercializing, and selling efficient traffic- and energy-management technology and services geared toward the best interests of municipal partners.

Focusing on traffic signals and management, the company has developed a new traffic signal technology product line called GridSmart that the company hopes will have a revolutionary effect on intersections and traffic flow.

Poorly designed and poorly timed intersections can be a burden on drivers everywhere. In 2005, the National Traffic Signal Report Card, released by the National Transportation Operations Coalition, estimated that if all the signals in the country were properly timed, national travel time would be reduced by 25 percent, while fuel consumption would fall by 10 percent (17 billion gallons a year).

GridSmart is designed to eradicate these issues, with a system geared toward making cars stop less, thereby decreasing the energy used while increasing the flow of traffic and improving safety.

“The main concept behind our product is that we will be looking at all of the traffic lanes and implementing more intelligent algorithms for traffic control,”

Vice President of Research Martin Bauer explains.

These dynamic algorithms change from minute to minute, compared to traditional traffic signal technology, which monitors only left turn lanes or minor side streets and is not looking at all the lanes all the time, he said.

GridSmart, however, has the ability to monitor all the lanes and the traffic flow at all times, in order to make “more intelligent changes in the signals,” Bauer says. Changes can include such adjustments as extending the time frame for the yellow light in accordance to the cars approaching the intersection.

The system utilizes a single camera with a panoramic lens that Bauer says is roughly one-third to one-half the price of existing Machine Vision Systems. GridSmart also features simpler installation, and it’s less expensive to maintain its comprehensive single-camera coverage than it is to maintain existing video-camera technology, which requires four or more cameras to achieve what GridSmart does with one.

While Bauer says Aldis is scheduled to do the product roll-out for GridSmart around December 2008, the company is also in the development stages for an advanced form of the technology that will be able to actually sense and utilize information on vehicle type and will also detect when drivers are going to run red lights, thereby extending the time that all the lights are red to reduce accidents.

“Aldis does not write tickets to those running red lights; we simply aim to make the intersection safer and more efficient,” says Bauer. “We want to be a positive to the community, environmentally, economically, and safety-wise.”

Aldis

www.orcc.org

Overseen by the U.S. Green Building Council, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted standard for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance, environmentally responsible buildings. A building project that achieves LEED certification has been evaluated by a third party and determined to be an environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy place to live and work.

Oak Ridge dominates the Tennessee list of projects that have obtained or are seeking LEED certification, including:

• New Hope Center, Y-12 National Security Complex

• East Campus, ORNL• Joint Institute for

Computational Science• Joint Institute for Neutron Science• Oak Ridge High School• Research Support Center, UT-Battelle

What’s LEED, Anyway?

Applicant Screening

Nationwide Substance Abuse Testing

Occupational Health Services

[email protected]

865-690-5811


E mbracing the needs of 21st-century business people and tourists, Oak Ridge is

engaging in a citywide effort to raise awareness of its ever-expanding Wi-Fi network. At the printing of this publication, the following Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce members and City of Oak Ridge locations offer Wi-Fi:

Comfort Inn• 433 S. Rutgers Avenue

Days Inn Oak Ridge• 206 S. Illinois Ave.

Doubletree Hotel• 215 S. Illinois Avenue

Gourmet Café & Market• 1124 Oak Ridge Turnpike

Hampton Inn• 208 S. Illinois Avenue

Jameson Inn• 216 S. Rutgers Avenue

Municipal Building• 200 S. Tulane Ave.

Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce• 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike

Oak Ridge Marina• Melton Lake Drive

Panera Bread• 371 S. Illinois Ave.

Public Library• 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike

Starbucks• 1305 Oak Ridge Turnpike

Staybridge Suites• 420 S. Illinois Avenue

It’s a Wi-Fi World

When Oak Ridge Schools decided to undertake a $61 million renovation and modernization

of the high school, the educational needs of students and teachers were the top priority — but the good of the environment took center stage as well.

The redesign includes a geothermal heat pump system that has garnered LEED NC 2.1 certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (see “What’s LEED, Anyway?” on page 19). Additionally, rather than building with all-new materials, the renovation plan opted for the environmentally friendly option of

redeveloping parts of the existing facility. Oak Ridge Schools also enlisted ORNL Deputy Director for Operations Tim Myrick as a project consultant. Myrick had previously overseen a $350 million renovation by UT-Battelle at ORNL, and he was amazed at the amount of research the district and the community put in for the project.

Indeed, Myrick enjoyed his five-year partnership with ORHS so much that he has agreed to teach an environmental science course once a week at the high school.

And the “green” beat goes on.

Oak Ridge Schools


INNOVATION

Front Row, Left to Right: Ellen Smith, Mayor Tom Beehan, Mayor Pro Tem Jane Miller

Back Row, Left to Right: Charlie Hensley, Willie Golden, Jr., Tom Hayes, David Mosby

CITY OF OAK RIDGE STAFF

City Manager: Jim O’Connor

Deputy City Manager: Steve Jenkins

City Attorney: Ken Krushenski

City Clerk: Jackie Bernard

Phone: 865.425.3550www.cortn.org

OAK RIDGE CITY COUNCIL

THOM MASON

Mason saw this

as the kind of

opportunity

that comes

along only

once. It was

impossible for

him to turn

it down.


THOM MASON

Thom Mason first looked into the possibility of a job at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1990. He’d just completed his Ph.D. at McMaster

University in Hamilton, Ontario, and he looked like a promising young scientist to the people at ORNL. They offered him the prestigious two-year Wigner Fellowship. He turned it down. Oak Ridge, the site of the Manhattan Project, just didn’t seem as exciting as its namesake in New York, or Copenhagen and Toronto, places where Mason went on to live. Not in a million years did he suspect that not only would he come to love living in Oak Ridge, but that, in July 2007, he would be appointed laboratory director.

Two things changed Mason’s attitude: the proposed development of the Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL and becoming a father.

Mason began his scientific career at Dalhousie University, where he took his first degree, a Bachelor of Science in physics. He grew up in Halifax, on the west coast of Nova Scotia, a place many people recognize only because it’s one of the last places in North America they fly over on their way to London or Paris. It is, however, a city of around 360,000. His father worked at the Bedford Institute for Oceanography, and Mason met his wife, Jennifer MacGillivray, at Dalhousie.

After leaving McMaster, Mason spent the following year at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey, while he and MacGillivray enjoyed big-city life

in New York. The couple sampled Europe for a year while Mason was a senior scientist at Risø National Laboratory in Roskilde, Denmark, before they returned to Canada, where Mason became first an assistant and then an associate professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto.

During this time, Mason, an experimental condensed matter physicist, became a leading scientist in the field of neutron scattering. This technique examines the structure of materials at the atomic level so that they may be used more effectively and efficiently.

Then, in 1998, plans were announced to build the SNS, a world-leading, state-of-the-art tool for neutron scattering, in Oak Ridge. Mason was invited to be a scientific advisor on the project by Associate Director for the SNS Bill Appleton. Mason saw this as the kind of opportunity that comes along only once. It was impossible for him to turn it down.

In various posts, his expertise in neutron scattering made him a useful consultant as the scheme moved from the drawing board into concrete. “Watching the buildings take shape provided a gratification that was more tangible than publishing scientific papers, which, though satisfying in themselves, never reach an arrival point,” Mason confesses. “There is always more to discover.”

Mason was committed. He became director of the Experimental Facilities Division at SNS in 1998 and was named associate laboratory director for the Spallation

An Oak Ridge ConvertDirector of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Thom Mason,

has found the perfect place for career and family.

By Margaret Pennycook

www.orcc.org 23


THOM MASON

Neutron Source in 2001. In October 2006, following the completion of the SNS construction project, Mason was named associate laboratory director for Neutron Sciences, leading a new directorate charged with delivering safe and productive scientific facilities for the study of structure and dynamics of materials.

Mason projects a casual impression — an open-necked shirt, an earring in his left ear — but he is the sort of person who likes to have a plan, a “mental image of where we are headed.” This procedure worked for him during the building of the SNS. When difficult choices arose, he measured the relevance of each situation to his final vision. What didn’t fit could be efficiently discarded.

As laboratory director, Mason intends to apply the same system to ORNL. He wants to be able to see where “each research project fits into a coherent whole.” Required to make decisions about the many areas of scientific investigation represented at the laboratory, he needs to be able to prioritize and converse intelligently about each project, so it’s essential he possess at least a superficial understanding of every field. To stay on top of his position, he’s studying biology and environmental science.

Mason does sometimes miss his close involvement in scientific research. Appropriately, for someone who has delved below the surface of materials, he likes “digging deep into things.” However, he’s never wistful for long. “The necessary

breadth of knowledge needed for this job presents a different challenge to focused scientific inquiry, but it’s just as stimulating,” he says.

Mason embraces variety — a good thing, as there is no such thing as an “average day” on his job; no two are alike. Each has its own set of problems to solve. He calls it “unpredictable. Sometimes that’s good, and sometimes bad, but it’s definitely not boring.”

Mason believes the future for ORNL lies in the “problem of energy.” He sees a large part of the laboratory’s mission as working to close the gap between what is possible now in science and technology and what will be possible in the future. Therefore, Mason thinks it vital that ORNL makes closer connections with the commercial sector. Efforts by scientific research to overcome our dependence on oil will only benefit society, he says, when they become available to the public as a product.

“Whether it’s lower-loss electricity transmission, or better batteries, it isn’t real until deployment into the marketplace,” he says.

Mason sees plenty of scope for business in the vicinity, based on more readily available licenses to develop the advances made at the laboratory. He points out that since 2000, 70 new area businesses have started up as a result of this kind of exchange.

That’s not to imply that Mason wants the city of Oak Ridge to change too much. While the promise of excellent facilities may have prompted his decision to move here, other forces have kept him and his family here.

Around the same time as Mason was recruited to Oak Ridge, MacGillivray, expecting their second child, began to recall her enjoyment of

Sometimes that’s

good, and sometimes

bad, but it’s definitely

not boring.”

www.orcc.org 25

THOM MASON

small-town life near Halifax, where she had spent time growing up. She realized she wanted her children to have the same opportunities.

“It was time to get out of the city,” she says simply.

MacGillivray and Mason found that desirable small-town life here. Mason says of Oak Ridge, “Things that were liabilities are now assets. Compared to the big cities where we used to live, it is stress-free and affordable. Very attractive for people with kids.”

One thing especially made Oak Ridge stand out as a place to make a home.

“It was all about the schools,” says MacGillivray.The city’s school system has been recognized

among the best nationally, and the high school has a reputation for turning out students who are well-prepared for even the most challenging universities. Mason has been active in maintaining this status by helping to raise funds for the renovation and expansion of the high school — a personal investment, as his sons currently make their way through the elementary school at Linden and middle school at Robertsville. Both take advantage of the district’s award-winning strings program. William, 12, plays cello, and Simon, 10, the violin.

The family is taking advantage of all the top-quality kids’ programs offered here. Both boys are members of the Atomic City Aquatic Club, swimming competitively in local meets. Early on,

MacGillivray got library cards for the family, and they enjoy the Children’s Museum, which provides a wide range of workshops and camps for curious young minds.

MacGillivray says the family felt at home immediately, because Oak Ridge was such a welcoming place. She also appreciates the warmer temperatures of Tennessee to those of Canada. Nevertheless, she considers it important for children to see snow, so the four of them — now all American citizens — have taken up skiing and frequent the nearby slopes of Gatlinburg and North Carolina. Most of the other things they miss from Canada, from bars of English chocolate to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, can be found through the Internet.

Mason’s plans for ORNL stretch far into the future, and the family is glad to be looking forward to a long tenure in Oak Ridge. MacGillivray says, “We want to stay here as long as possible.”

By exploring the wider world before settling in Oak Ridge, Mason gained extensive international experience that surely benefits ORNL, helping it integrate into the global community. And it gives him, and his family, a greater appreciation of all that Oak Ridge has to offer.

“We want

to stay

here as

long as

possible.”


VOICES

“I love Oak Ridge. I am thoroughly impressed with the high standards in education initiatives in Oak Ridge. Oak Ridge is a close-knit community that stays on the cutting edge of technology, with a vision that is good for the community.”Jody Goins, first-year Assistant Principal

at Oak Ridge High School. At 25, Jody is the youngest administrator in the state.

“One of the many benefits of

living in Oak Ridge is that you don’t

find many communities of 28,000

people with the high-tech workforce

we have. You have a small-town feel

in Oak Ridge with the benefits of a

large community.”

Mark Harvey, Vice President,

The Cowperwood Company, and

2008 Chairman of the Board,

Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

“We’ve lived here for two and a half years and the school, parks, and people are great, and there are lots of job opportunities. We want to raise our family here. When we were exploring moving to Oak Ridge, I looked online and found that everything I needed to know was there. I was blown away.”

Mark Reedy, Program Supervisor,

Oak Ridge Recreation & Parks. Mark is

pictured with his sons, Kevin and Kolton.

“We came to Oak Ridge so Walter could

finish his Ph.D., and we ended up staying

for 29 years. We raised our two sons in Oak

Ridge, and it is a wonderful place to raise a

family. It’s the only home our children have

known. The community has been very good

to us.”Linda Brown, owner of Linda Brown Realty.

Linda is pictured with her Arabian horse.

Her husband, Walter, is a former mayor of

Oak Ridge.

ST. MARY’S SCHOOL

Academic Excellence in a Christ-Centered Environment

323 Vermont Avenue

Oak Ridge, TN 37830

(865) 483-9700

Serving grades Pre-K Th rough 8thSince 1950

www.orcc.org 27

VOICES

WE THE PEOPLE

Shannah Newman joined ORPD in 1997 as a patrol officer and became the city’s first crime prevention officer in 2005. There were no active Neighborhood Watch groups in Oak Ridge

when she accepted leadership of the programs. When Newman stepped down from leading the Neighborhood Watch program this year to take a patrol shift supervisor position, there were nearly 50 watch groups in Oak Ridge.

» Have you always known you wanted to be a police officer?No, I actually started out to be a teacher at the highschool level. Then one day I went out on a “ride-along” with my stepfather, who’s a Blount County police officer. I knew that day that law enforcement was what I wanted to do with my life. I even put myself through the Police Academy. I thought that at 5'3" and 130 pounds I might not have the stature people expected in a police officer, but I definitely do have the heart.

» That “ride-along” was obviously powerful for you. Can other people have that experience?

The program is open to anyone, though people under 18 need parental consent. Folks in Oak Ridge who are interested can pick up the form from the chief’s office.

» What about you particularly suits you for your job?I enjoy education and people. I have the patience to listen to citizens’ complaints and I love problem solving. I love the city of Oak Ridge. I’ve taken an oath to help its citizens; I took that oath to heart and built my career around that.

» What is one accomplishment that makes you proud?I continue to work on it every day, but I love helping people network with one another, take responsibility for their own neighborhoods, to take the pride back in where we live. One day this is going to be a city where everyone knows everyone; not so easy with 28,000 people, but Neighborhood Watch is moving us in that direction.

» Can you share a Neighborhood Watch success story or two?Because of the power of Neighborhood Watches, a group of burglars were caught red-handed with stolen goods. Some groups have organized cookouts, neighborhood walks, community brush and yard clean-ups, in one case causing suspected drug traffickers to move out of their rental house. The Block Captains are the heart and soul of this city, the best of the best.

» What are some things you do to relax off duty?I have a motorcycle — a blue and black Suzuki Volusia — and a group of my friends and I go riding every other weekend. I love to be with my family and friends, maybe go to the lake, grill out. I enjoy reading autobiographies or whatever strikes me. And when I’m in the warm climate, I love to scuba dive.

» What was the most memorable event of your life?I have many memorable events that have happened in my life. Many events at work, but the most life-changing event was when my father suddenly passed away when I was 16. I quickly had to grow up. During that time, I learned a greater appreciation of life.

» Whose biggest fan are you?I have a great admiration for my mom. After my father died, she was left as the head of the household. She is a strong woman and is without doubt the “glue” in our family. I watched my mom lose the love of her life, and somehow she was able to keep it together for my sister and me.

» What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you?This is actually a lesson in home safety. When I was a new officer, I was checking on a house where the alarm system had been activated. As I walked around the house checking for open or broken windows and making sure the doors were locked, I stepped up on the front porch. As I crossed in front of the living room window to check the front door, I saw the curtains move. Then there was a dog that came charging at the window. I nearly fell off the porch because I thought I was going to be eaten alive. After I regained my composure, I realized the ferocious dog was actually a 5-pound Pomeranian. Who says a small dog can’t keep people away from your home?

Get to KnowOfficer Shannah Newman

»»By Wanda Ensor Grooms

I’ve taken an oath to help its citizens;

I took that oath to heart and built

my career around that.


Provided by Linda Ripley

www.orcc.org 29

WE THE PEOPLE

Shirley Holt-Hale is a physical education teacher at Linden Elementary School, Oak Ridge,

and the winner of numerous awards for outstanding work in the field of physical education. She is the only public school teacher to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for the National Association for Physical Education and Sports.

A big believer in lifetime fitness, Holt-Hale incorporates a variety of activities to keep children active and moving. “It’s important to offer students at the elementary level a broad base of skills,” says Holt-Hale. “Then they can branch out at the secondary level.”

Activities Holt-Hale has started up at Linden include before-school programs such as Jogging Club and Jump Rope Club and weekend activities such the Bark in the Park program, where boys and girls bring their pets to the park on Saturday morning to walk, talk, and play with family and friends. Linden also offers Play with Mr. J (Josh Johnson), a Saturday time set aside for free play and organized physical activities.

Holt-Hale holds a doctorate in early childhood education from Peabody-Vanderbilt University. She is the author of seven books and numerous articles and has given over 150 presentations throughout the United States on curriculum development in physical education for children. But Holt-Hale asserts, “My greatest professional contribution is the teaching of physical education to children, with a goal of a lifetime of physical activity and good health.”


Officer Allen Brooks guides Argo, his canine partner in fighting crime, through the doors of Oak Ridge Police Department. At each one, he orders the dog to sit. This practice of obedience is vital to the dog’s, and the public’s, safety. He must always

be under his handler’s control. Brooks trained Argo himself, from a puppy.

A 5-year-old, dark-furred male Belgian Malinois, Argo looks similar to a German Shepherd, though smaller and leaner. His upright ears suggest he is eager and alert.

A closed door rouses his interest. Argo has about 200 million sensitive cells in his nose, compared to the 5 million or so people have. Argo’s sense of smell is intensified further by an organ in the roof of his mouth that actually enables him to “taste” a smell. Brooks says dogs trained to sniff out narcotics are never fooled by attempts to hide them with perfume or air freshener.

Because of his keener sense of smell, Argo searches buildings suspected of harboring criminals much more quickly than a SWAT team can; while human searchers have to move methodically from room to room, searching everywhere, Argo knows a room is empty with just a sniff, and ignores it. With his superior speed, Argo also quickly apprehends suspects who might endanger the public. He bites only to restrain, as he is trained to do.

Argo also has his partner’s back. Approach Brooks’ K-9 Unit police car uninvited and Argo will growl or bark, but, says Brooks, “At home, he’s just a lap puppy.”

Oak Ridge’s

K-9 Crime Fighters

A RReal MMovver

andd Shhaakeer

a goal of a

lifetime

of physical

activity

and good

health

Arggo hass aabouut

2000 milliioon seensitivve

cellss in hhiss nosse

By Judy L. DiGregorio

Provided by Linda Ripley


COMMON / UNCOMMON KNOWLEDGE

Thanks to a suggestion from Oak Ridgers Shigeko Uppuluri and her late husband, Ram, several years ago, Oak Ridge is the proud home of the unique International Friendship

Bell. In the early 1990s, the Oak Ridge Community Foundation initiated the International Friendship Bell as part of Oak Ridge’s 50th birthday celebration, to honor and commemorate the workers of the Manhattan Project whose scientific contributions helped end World War II. A symbol of the friendship between Japan and the United States, the bell was supported strongly by both countries.

A traditional Japanese bell of solid bronze, the bell design includes both Japanese and American elements and was cast by

a bellmaker in Japan. Former Oak Ridger Suzanna Harris designed the two large panels on the bell, which display the official flowers, trees, and birds of Tennessee and Japan. Other sections of the bell list historical Oak Ridge dates. Instead of a Western-style clapper, an external rod of wood is used to strike the bell.

All agree that the bell exemplifies the spirit of Oak Ridge — “born of war, living for peace, growing through science.”

Visible from the Oak Ridge Turnpike, the International Friendship Bell is located at the Bell Pavilion near the Oak Ridge Civic Center/Library complex.

See related article on page 34.

Ringing in Hope and PeaceJudy L. DiGregorio

Prov

ided

by

Kris

Lig

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Prov

ided

by

Kris

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Bill Wilcox arrived in Oak Ridge in October 1943, 20 years old and fresh out of Washington and Lee University, and became the 254th recruit to the Manhattan Project.

Each day, he took a bus from around what is now Security Square to his job at the Y-12 plant. He saw buses labeled K-25, but had no idea where that was, or what was going on there. The rule for the thousands working to produce the first atomic bomb during World War II was to know only what their tasks required.

In secret, 25,000 construction workers built K-25, at the time the biggest single-purpose building in the world. It contained the hundreds of miles of welded vacuum piping — free even of fingerprints — needed to enrich uranium 235 by the gaseous diffusion method. Each leg of the U-shaped building stretched half a mile. No wonder technicians used bicycles to speed to a leak.

Wilcox, a former technical director at K-25, glows with admiration for those who worked on, and in, the plant. He feels the necessary secrecy that surrounded the project has hidden their accomplishments.

Now he is working to help save part of their legacy.

The Department of Energy intended to demolish K-25, neglected for many years and contaminated by hazardous materials used in the enrichment process. In cooperation with DOE and the city, Wilcox and his fellow members of the Partnership for K-25 Preservation developed a plan to preserve the footprint of the 43-acre plant and re-roof and reconstruct the North End, the base of the U-shape, as a monument, museum, and interpretive center. By 2012, Wilcox envisages K-25 as part of a larger heritage tourism scheme, attracting many new visitors to Oak Ridge.

“We don’t just want them to save the building. We want people to see it. We’ve got a great story to tell.”


“We want people to see it.

We’ve got a great story to tell.”

Saving a

Great Story

www.orcc.org 33


25,000 construction workers built K-25, at the time the

biggest single-purpose building in the world.

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RIDGES | Fall ’0834 RIDGDGESESES ||| FaFaFallllllll ’08080834

SMALL TALK

July 13 – Tokyo. New smells, exotic foods … and a steep exchange rate.

Meg Landon: “We arrived today at the Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan. It was a very long flight. But finally we made it. Tokyo, Japan is so different from cities in the U.S. Even the smell of the city as a whole, is different.”

Christopher Gillenwaters: “We walked to find a restaurant, and we walked for what seemed like hours. We gave up on that restaurant and found a sushi bar. There we got two pieces of sushi and some rice for 3,500 yen each. That’s $35!”

July 14 – Naka, north of Tokyo.

Martha Horan: “Japanese houses are very small, with lovely scenery! When you arrive at a Japanese house, you must wear the slippers when they are offered to you, as it is only polite, you face your outdoor shoes towards the door that you entered and the slippers should be facing into the house! My family is really nice.”

C.G.: “[My host family] must have had the coolest toilet in Japan. It wasn’t a ‘squatty potty’ like most in Japan. It was a western style toilet that when you got close enough the lid went up and there was a button that you could hit that made the seat go up down, or the lid down too. Then when you stepped away, the sensor flushed the toilet.”

July 15 – Naka. A tour of Naka, including the mayor’s office, nuclear energy facilities, a traditional Japanese farmhouse, and a museum.

M.L.: “Naka is kind of like the Japanese version of Oak Ridge. There are rice fields everywhere. It is very beautiful. I tried green tea ice cream and a rice roll type of thing, they were both good.”

July 16 & 17. A welcoming ceremony, and two days of visiting Japanese middle schools.

David Laubach: “The welcoming ceremony was magnificent and really fun. We were introduced by our student and then we introduced ourselves after the ceremony. The ceremony was really a show. The Judo, Kendo, chorus and band classes performed for us; I felt like royalty.”

Patrick Williams: “The calligraphy at the welcoming ceremony was very fun. We got to go draw Kanji, a type of Japanese writing. The teachers liked me so much they asked me to write Kanji for the paper. I wrote ‘Oak Ridge’ in Kanji with my name. We also were able to frame the Kanji symbol.”

By Rebecca Williams

International Neighbors Oak Ridge Students Visit Japan

On July 2008, the halls of Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport echoed with cheers and

applause. Ten Oak Ridge teens and their two chaperone teachers, Tracey Russell and Scott Linn, had arrived home from a 10-day exchange trip to Naka, Japan.

Since the early 1990s, Oak Ridge has enjoyed “sister city” relationships with Naka, Japan, and Obninsk, Russia. The Sister City Program seeks to promote friendship, peace, cultural understanding, and business exchanges between these two cities and Oak Ridge.

Each summer, 10 middle school students are selected by teacher committees to represent Oak Ridge in a journey to Naka, Japan.

As they reveal in the following journal excerpts, it was an experience these students will never forget.

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My host family & me

The house I stayed in

Dressed in traditional rice picking costume

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Peyton Palmer: “I woke up knowing I had to go to school. I wasn’t very excited. But when I got there, it was so cool. I went to [host student] Kotomi’s classroom — everybody stared at me. I made a new friend, Megame was her nickname. All the boys would ask me if I wanted anything, and I would say, ‘No, thank you,’ and they would say, ‘Ahh.’ It was cute.”

Chandler Davis: “At school, I went to two English classes. During P.E., instead of running, they swim! After school I went to baseball practice with [host student] Kento. They practice very hard. I think I’m still sore from practice.”

July 18 – A trip to Oarai, a coastal city.

C.D.: “Today I went to Aqua World. At the aquarium, I saw many different fish. Aqua World is one of Japan’s largest aquariums. Then we went outside to the ocean. This was my first time to be in the Pacific Ocean. At the ocean, I ran in and ran out ahead of the waves.”

July 19 – A Saturday, free time with host families.

Kyra Whittaker-Shepherd: “Martha, David and I went to the big mall. It had four stories! And there was a room filled with photo booths, and you could edit the pictures. It was really cool. We also went to a temple before the mall. And we had our barbeque with Martha, David, Haley and my families. It was a lot of fun. We also did fireworks, which were really just sparklers.”

D.L.: “My family took me to the mountains to see a waterfall. The mountains in Japan are amazingly beautiful; I wish I could have stayed up there longer because it was so peaceful.”

July 20 – Farewell party.

M.H.: “At 1 p.m. a lady came ’round to dress me and [host student] Nodoka in our Kimonos! Then at three o’clock was the beginning of the farewell party. There were greetings by Oak Ridge delegation! When it was our time to give a performance, we all did the cha-cha slide. It was very embarrassing but they all seemed to love it so it was fine! We also watched mocha-tsuki, traditional pounding of steamed rice in a wooden or stone mortar with a mallet, making rice cakes. Then to finish the farewell party, we all joined in on the Naka-Ondo Naka folk dance.”

July 21 – Journey home. Thomas Potok: “Going to Japan was

the highlight of my summer. It was a tremendous honor to be selected to go as an exchange student from Oak Ridge, TN. Even though I missed my Oak Ridge family, my Naka family was a great family to spend time with. I felt as though I really connected with my Naka family. The city officials were kind and generous and the sights were wonderful. I will never forget this opportunity.”

Editor’s Note: Hayley Marler also traveled to Naka, Japan.

Photos provided by student, Chris Gillenwaters.

Journal illustrations provided by student, Martha Horan.

Accounting Principals .............................27

American Museum of

Science & Energy..................................15

Ametek – Advanced

Measurement Technology, Inc. ..............27

B&W .......................................................13

Camelot ....................................................8

Choice Properties Realty Company ............7

Citizens National Bank ..............................4

City of Oak Ridge ....................................21

Corporate Quarters ...................................7

Emory Valley Corporation ........................14

Endoscopy Center of

Oak Ridge, LLC ............ Inside Back Cover

Energy Solutions .....................................30

The Estates of Oak Ridge ........................26

Herron-Connell Insurance .......................14

Howard Hildreth Agency ..........................32

ICX Radiation ..........................................15

Len Hart Construction .............................20

Life Development Center .........................12

Linda Brown Realty ...................................9

McCarty Holsaple McCarty ......................31

Methodist Joint Replacement Center .........3

Methodist Medical

Center of Oak Ridge ....Outside Back Cover

NetGain Corporation ................................19

NHC HealthCare ......................................27

Oak Ridge Associated Universities’

Center for Science Education ...............31

Oak Ridge

Gastroenterology Associates .................17

Oak Ridge Pediatric Clinic .......................33

Oak Ridge Tool-Engineering, Inc. .............12

ORNL Federal Credit Union ......................33

Pellissippi State

Technical Community College ..............13

Rarity Ridge .................... Inside Front Cover

Realty 100 Inc. ..........................................8

Roane State Community College ...............9

Signature Contracting LLC ......................19

St. Mary’s School ....................................26

Staybridge Suites ......................................4

Strategic Consulting Solutions, Inc. .........27

Tusculum College Graduate &

Professional Studies .............................29

Weatherford Mortuary .............................32

Y-12 Federal Credit Union .......................21

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Lunch time at school!

We met the Mayor!

www.orcc.org 35

PARTING SHOT


“Preserving our community’s greatest

asset” was the theme for the August

18 Dedication Ceremony for the newly

renovated and expanded Oak Ridge High

School. Students representing every

grade level participated in the ceremony,

accepting the school on behalf of their

fellow students.

The $61 million project was funded

through public and private sources

secured through the efforts of the

Oak Ridge Public Schools Education

Foundation. The campus — more like

a college than a high school — is among

the best in the United States and

provides the structure needed for

academic instruction, career

preparation, the arts, and athletics.

1

2 3

4

5 6

7 8

1) Higgh Schooll exxterior2) Auddience at Deedicatioon3) Willlowbrookk EElementtary School

Chooral Enseembble 4) Oakk Ridge HHiggh Schoool String QQuartet

5) Coongresssmman Zaach Wammp6) Hiigh Schhoool exteerior7) Oaak Ridgge Schoools’ studdents8) Prrincipall CChuck Carringger

annd futurre studeent


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