On the evening of July 25, 2011, (some 15 months before I would be elected) I attended an Oak Ridge City Council meeting as a citizen. At the same time this meeting was occurring, Alex Heitman’s body was being discovered after a day-long search by his family for his whereabouts. I would learn of Alex’s … Continue reading Alex: My Friend, Whom I Never Met
Who dine like celebrities while feeding you what you want to hear Who rejoice in exotic locations after inculcating you with fear Who pay themselves six figures from your taxes and your tithes Who silence their critics with propaganda, slander and lies Who offer forgiveness for your sins, but for their own evade consequence Who … Continue reading Bums
Just as I finished listening to the “S-Town” podcast (a story like no other which, ironically, concludes with a scene in the woods), I came upon the site of a recent wildfire not far from my neighborhood but eerily close to another. I’ve never had such an experience. The site and smell had my mind … Continue reading West End Wildfire
As the senior center and preschool initiatives appear to be gaining momentum, we all know from experience that they will both end up costing way more than what is initially pitched. Capital projects, after all, are the holy grail of money grabs. Obligatory Painful Reminders The Blankenship parking lot went from $69K to $265K; Dredging … Continue reading Of Moochers and Looters
This is old news, but so many people continue to ask me about it that I’ve decided to share everything I know here. For those who have never visited our lovely marina bathrooms, you might think that they had marble walls and gold plated urinals given the steep price tag borne by taxpayers. Think again. Pictures … Continue reading Flushing Your Cash Down the Drain: The Infamous Oak Ridge Marina Bathroom
“First Responders see trauma that can never be forgotten….As time goes on, the weight of these events start to pile up. What once may not have bothered someone may now start to cut a little deeper. As you advance into your career, you realize that the Hollywood code saves rarely occur in the real world. … Continue reading The Noble and Courageous Among Us
Over the years, I’ve heard the words service and servant misused so frequently that I’m convinced few people actually know what those words mean. I believe, however, that I do know their true meaning but only because of people like my friends David and Tamara Price. David and Tamara are two of the most extraordinary, … Continue reading True Servant Hearts
