It has now been 10 years since Alex Heitman was killed. To date, those responsible for his death have eluded accountability.  I remain convinced that Alex died because he was assisting in a federal investigation. The family laid out an extensive case of facts along with supporting documentation here but have not released all of … Continue reading Alex Heitman’s Death 10 Years Later

This is my 3rd (and likely final) post on the pandemic. My motivation for writing just about anything is largely driven by my own need for understanding. Like most of you, what I understood about Covid’s impact on me personally, my community and the rest of the world has drastically shifted since this past summer. … Continue reading When you know better, do better. – Maya Angelou

I’m supposed to be in Iceland right now.  I was supposed to be in Jamaica this past March. Covid eff’d all that up. Since I shouldn’t complain when so many are suffering, I’ve redirected my energies  towards focusing on the silver lining of where I live and all that it has to offer. I grew … Continue reading Day Trippin’ from East Tennessee

While the media has resorted to using the word “apocalyptic,” I’d like to remind people that still, less than 1% of the US population is known to have been infected. Meanwhile Sweden, who has yet to lock down, has an even lower rate of infection than us. At one point, CDC or WHO experts reported … Continue reading Fear Not (but do wear a mask)

April 1st projected death rate in the U.S. by August: 240,000  “even with blanket nationwide adoption of stringent mitigation efforts” April 7th  projected death rate: 82,000. April 8th projected death rate: 60,415. May 11th projected death rate: 137,000 and largely attributed to increased mobility/states re-opening. May 13th projected death rate: 140,000 Wash your hands frequently. … Continue reading For the Sake of Humanity

For most of our marriage, my husband and I have tried to keep each of our vehicles for at least 10 years. We've also paid our car notes off as quickly as possible. That approach has played a big part in our strategy to live debt free. And while we aren’t quite 100% there yet, … Continue reading Not Sweatin’ The Furlough

They told you their stories. You ignored them. They told me their stories. You covered for him. They took their stories public. You attacked them. Even so, they rallied again, more united than ever, until the truth could no longer be contained. No, they were not a handful of anonymous, disgruntled employees. They were over … Continue reading They Were NOT Anonymous

As we've seen in the news again today, active shooter incidents are not going away. Instead of arguing over laws and religion and instead of waiting on the government to protect us, what if we all decided to take a literal stand by refusing to be passive victims? If you read no further down this … Continue reading WE DON’T HAVE TO BE VICTIMS

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

Council’s next regular  meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 11th  at 7:00p.m. at the Municipal Building. Significant items include: A resolution supporting the Horizon Center as part of the IDB’s effort to maintain the center’s designation as a TN certified site A resolution to continue/extend the TN Oversight Agreement between DOE and the State of … Continue reading April 2016 City Council Update

The time is fast approaching, clinging to every fleeting moment While the joy is still so abundant, still so pure Plays with dolls, tells silly jokes, questions everything Laughs hard, loud and often Climbs trees, doorways, rocks Always planning, plotting, working NYC to CZM to OBX My travel buddy, museum docent, trailblazer Kitchen chemist, delightful dancer, … Continue reading Holding On

Council’s next regular  meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 11th at 7:00p.m. at the Municipal Building. Significant items include: A presentation by Realty Link (potential buyer and developer of the mall property) The City Manager’s annual evaluation Multiple contract awards to Lamar Dunn exceeding $400,000 for sewer-related planning and engineering services Waived bid awarding Waste … Continue reading January 2016 City Council Update

Council’s next regular  meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 10th at 7:00p.m. at the Municipal Building. Significant items include: - Waiving of the competitive bid process for over $1.6 million of various contracts/awarding of over $200,000 for various bid contracts - Ordinance increasing the monthly residential refuse fee from $7 to $10.50 - Various ordinance … Continue reading August City Council Update

Council’s next regular  meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 13th at 7:00p.m. at the Municipal Building. Significant items include: Resolution awarding a contract to Rogers Group for street milling and resurfacing - $350K Resolution awarding a contract to S&W Contracting Co, Inc for the installation of a traffic signal on the Oak Ridge Turnpike at … Continue reading April City Council Update

Council’s next regular  meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, February 9th.  Significant items include: Resolution of Intent to fund the remediation of lead-based paint issue at the Oak Ridge Preschool building for an amount not to exceed $150K and to be funded through former red light camera funds Resolution of Intent to develop solutions, options and … Continue reading February City Council Update

Council’s next regular  meeting is scheduled for December 8th.  Significant items include: A resolution transferring 6 city-acquired properties to the Land Bank Allocation of $34,000+ to local social services agencies $1.9M EPA mandate-related spending $239K bid award for LED replacement lighting in the library A resolution for the city to accept infrastructure responsibility for Summit … Continue reading December City Council Update

Council’s next regular  meeting is scheduled for October 13th .  Significant items include the City Manager’s annual performance review,  a grant application to install a round-a-bout at Malfunction Junction and renewal of the CVB contract. See the agenda packet here for complete details. Results of the September regular meeting are found here. Additionally, per my … Continue reading October City Council Update

We all know them almost as soon we see them. They are condescending and arrogant. They harass anyone who doesn’t agree with them. They yell and scream until you surrender and go away. They live in the purgatory of the internet, the comments section. I speak, of course, of the troll. Most of us can … Continue reading A Special Kind of Mean

Hello! Council’s next regular  meeting is scheduled for September 8th .  Significant items are listed below and include the authorization of nearly $7 million in expenditures of tax payer funds. See the complete agenda packet here for complete details. August was a great month for the people of Oak Ridge to be heard at the … Continue reading September City Council Update

A cautionary note: Council passed a flat budget on first reading tonight. Many people assume that all is done and don’t pay as much attention to the final reading (June 14th). I’ve seen enough last-minute changes to know that anything can happen. Tonight’s votes foreshadow possible changes next week. The following represents an unofficial account … Continue reading 2015 BUDGET 1ST READING THE PEOPLE’S BUSINESS – 6/9/14 OAK RIDGE CITY COUNCIL MEETING SUMMARY