Contents
»Cover Story Maestro Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli
24
Oak Ridge is a long way from home for Swiss-born Maestro Cornelia KodkaniLaemmli, director of the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra. But surprisingly, her adjustment to East Tennessee has not been too difficult. She does miss the chocolate, though.
»Feature
New High School A three-year, $55 million renovation and expansion project at Oak Ridge High School wraps up this fall. The entire 58-acre campus will be transformed from an already excellent school to one that embraces the
“
Music is a deeply moving medium, and we love bringing it to the people.”
latest technological marvels and pushes Oak Ridge well into the 21st century.
16
2 RIDGES | Spring ’08
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Spring ’08 Contents
Contributors......................................................6 Chamber Invitation..........................................8 Welcome From the Chamber
Here And Now................................................. 10 Calendar of Events S ound Company, The Children’s Performing Choir of Oak Ridge: A Winning Group Oak Ridge Hosts the 2007 NCAA Women’s National Rowing Championship Report Card: What’s Happening at Oak Ridge Schools
Around Town.....................................12 Power (of Suggestion) to the People Yes! Soup for You “Smooth Waters, Blue Sky”
New High School................................16 The New High School Brings 21st-Century Learning to Oak Ridge Funding the Future
Health Notes......................................20 A Helping Hand: The da Vinci Surgical Robot Brings Pinpoint Precision to Methodist Medical New Internal Medicine Specialist Joins MMC Staff
Innovation.........................................22 What’s Special About Spallation?
10
(See entire list of events on pg. 10)
Fun all
28 “
It’s beautiful here — from the farms that border the river, to the mountains.” Maestro Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli............................. 24 Music to Oak Ridgers’ Ears
Accolades..........................................................................28 The Voices of Oak Ridge Secret City Festival Receives Shining Example Award
We The People.................................................................. 30 Edgar Meyer Get to Know Mayor Tom Beehan
year ’round
Common / Uncommon Knowledge................................ 31
Moonlight and Magnolias A Thousand Cranes Grease Secret City Festival
Small Talk.........................................................................32
4 RIDGES | Spring ’08
The Oak Ridge Prophet 5 O’Clock Whistle Sharing Joy
Index of Advertisers....................................................... 35 Parting Shot..................................................................... 36
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Contributors
“
“
moved to Oak Ridge from England
proudly calls Oak Ridge home
Judy DiGregorio is a freelance writer who specializes in humor. She has published over 150 columns, including pieces in national publications such as The Writer, ByLine Magazine, Army/Navy Times, Senior Wire, and Chicken Soup for the Soul. The Tennessee Arts Commission nominated her as an outstanding Southern artist in 2006, and the Oak Ridge Observer named her best local writer in 2007. Judy has lived in Oak Ridge since 1969 and proudly calls it home.
“
A native Oak Ridger Wanda Ensor Grooms is a freelance writer, former newspaper reporter, and educator. A native Oak Ridger, she returned to the city in 1988 with her daughter and their dog to complete a 32-year high school teaching career in English and journalism. Retired now, she enjoys her granddaughters, local events, and writing nonfiction, short fiction, drama, and poetry.
Margaret Pennycook has won more than 50 awards for writing. She published her first column, on childbirth education, almost 25 years ago, not long after she moved to Oak Ridge from England. Since then, she has published articles on a wide variety of topics, from opera to the stone industry.
“
fell in love with Oak Ridge
Rebecca D. Williams is a freelance writer specializing in health and feature writing. Her work has appeared in several local newspapers, national magazines, and health reference books. She and her family fell in love with Oak Ridge 15 years ago and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
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6 RIDGES | Spring ’08
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CONTRIBUTORS
CommunityLink.com
1 800-455-5600
production
production manager MATT PRICE creative director Clint Eilerts director of publication design Amanda White editorial director mark edmondson copy editor laura wilcoxen proofreader christina reese director of photography Lisa LEHR photography provided by Oak ridge chamber of commerce max bittle keystone adult day center devin Miller steve mitz tim mowrer linda ripley TN state photo services / murray lee web site creation & support JOSH CHANDLER director of media purchasing DIANA VAUGHN
business development director of business development George Prudhomme director of client relations JERRY ross director of outside sales debbie moss director of inside sales NANCY ODOM marketing specialist shawna moyers business development manager Bonnie Ebers customer service director kathy Risley customer service representatives cynthia coleman judy presswood
advertising director of ad development kacey wolters ad research Mary kopshever MILLY MASON Amy SchwartzkoPf Kathy Scott ad traffic Carol Smith senior ad designer joseph goetting ad design jake dement nick marler JOSh Mueller
administrative support administrative support account support human resources assistant customer service advocate mailroom technician
Kathy Hagene carol Smith Terri Ahner Tricia Cannedy Teresa craig Julie Vordtriede melinda bowlin
information technology
publishing systems specialist
chairman and founder chief financial officer
christopher miller
executive leadership
Craig Williams Rhonda Harsy
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 1 800-455-5600 or by e-mail at info@CommunityLink.com 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 Š 2008 Craig Williams Creative, Inc., 4742 Holts Prairie Road, Post Office Box 306, Pinckneyville, IL 62274-0306, 618-357-8653. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher.
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RIDGES DEPARTMENT Chamber invitation
Welcome
From the Chamber I hope you will enjoy your continuing journey into Oak Ridge, one of America’s most intriguing communities.
I
hope by now you have received the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, interactive portfolio, Solid as Oak. Perhaps you’ve spent some time taking the portfolio’s CD-assisted virtual visit to our community. This issue of Ridges magazine and those that follow are intended to help you continue your Oak Ridge journey. It’s full of human interest articles and features stories focused on our schools, our hospital, our business and residential communities, and more. Inside this issue you’ll meet Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli, maestro of the Oak Ridge Symphony. Though you might not expect to come across a native of Switzerland directing a symphony in an East Tennessee city of 28,000, she’s only one of the many remarkable men and women who make this city so very special. I hope you will enjoy your continuing journey into Oak Ridge, one of America’s most intriguing communities. If you’d like to know more about becoming an Oak Ridger, please visit www.orcc.org or call Christy at 865-483-1321. If you haven’t received your Solid as Oak interactive portfolio yet, we would be more than happy to send one to you. Thank you for your interest in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. We would be happy to welcome you and your family to our community. Sincerely, Parker Hardy President Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce
8 RIDGES | Spring 08
CHAMBER INVITATION
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www.orcc.org 9
Judy DiGregorio
hERE anD noW
Calendar of Events February 22 & 23
International Festival Children’s Museum www.childrensmuseumoakridge.org February 22 – March 9
moonlight and magnolias Oak Ridge Playhouse www.orplayhouse.com March 4–6
Energy bowl American Museum of Science & Energy www.amse.org March 15
moonlight and Roses Oak Ridge Symphony www.orcma.org March 29 & 30
Pinocchio & Petrushka Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association www.orcba.org April 5 & 6
a thousand Cranes Oak Ridge Jr. Playhouse www.orplayhouse.com April 9–27
Dogwood arts Festival Dogwood Trail in West Oak Ridge & Open Garden in Jackson Square www.dogwoodarts.com www.orcc.org April 19 & 20
Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Championship (SIRa) Regatta www.orra.org April 25–May 11
Grease Oak Ridge Playhouse www.orplayhouse.com April 26 & 27
Dogwood Regatta Oak Ridge Rowing Association www.orra.org April 27
Dogwood arts Festival / Cardboard boat Regatta www.dogwoodarts.com www.orcc.org June 20 & 21
Secret City Festival Winner of the Southeast Tourism Society’s 2007 Festival of the Year Shining Example Award! www.secretcityfestival.com June 21
Lavender Festival in Jackson Square 865-483-0961 10 RIDGES | Spring 08
S
Sound Company, The Children’s Performing Choir of Oak Ridge: A Winning Group
ound Company, The Children’s Performing Choir of Oak Ridge, won five first-place awards at the Heritage Music Festival in Atlanta in 2007. Of course, this is nothing new for this talented group of almost 100 performers, directed by Katy Wolfe Zahn, a sought-after voice teacher and musical performer herself. In just a few short years, Zahn has produced a top-notch children’s choir with superb choral sound and diction that has won awards everywhere they’ve traveled, including New York and Washington, D.C. Their spring concert in Oak Ridge took audiences on a Caribbean adventure and musical romp. Other concerts have featured songs from places such as Africa and Brazil. Sound Company holds auditions once a year in late summer for rising first graders through 12th graders. Students are auditioned on their ability to sing and must be able to match pitch. No previous training is required.
Oak Ridge Hosts the
Laura Wilcoxen
2007 NCAA Women’s National Rowing Championship
O
ak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Rowing Association (ORRA) were proud to host the 2007 NCAA Women’s National Rowing Championships on the Melton Hill Lake Course in May. Many of the athletes and attendees commented that the 2007 event in Oak Ridge was the best-run women’s national championship ever held, citing not only the outstanding “The 2007 event in Oak Ridge was course and excellent organization, the best-run women’s national but also the Southern hospitality championship ever held.” extended by the City of Oak Ridge. Officials, coaches, and athletes all praised the upgrades to the course, and the NCAA is exploring returning to Oak Ridge for the event in 2009 and 2010. Spectators also enjoyed an outstanding tournament, including a final race that featured one of the closest finishes in the history of the event. Approximately 850 rowers competed in the 2007 Championships. Yale clocked in with the best time in the Grand Final, but Brown University won the competition with the most overall points, despite not winning any single race.
Report Card:
hERE anD noW Edward Wilhite
What’s Happening at Oak Ridge Schools
• Expansion Management’s 2007 Education Quotient designated Oak Ridge Schools a Gold Medal school system. The Gold Medal is given only to school systems that rank in the top 16 percent nationally. Oak Ridge was the only system in Tennessee to receive the award. • Newsweek ranked Oak Ridge High School one of the top 1,300 high schools in the nation in its 2007 list of Best High Schools. • The Oak Ridge school system made straight A’s on the annual Tennessee Department of Education’s Report Card 2007. Individually, four Oak Ridge schools earned all A’s across the board in the following academic areas: math, reading/language, social studies, and science. • Jefferson Middle School was the only middle school in Tennessee to receive the “Blue Ribbon” designation from the U.S. Department of Education. Nationwide, schools apply for the honor. Decisions are made based on academic programs, test scores, and other
measures of excellence. In all, just 247 schools in the United States received the award. • In 2007, three Oak Ridge High School seniors — Scott Molony, Scott Horton, and Steven Archangeli — won the top $100,000 team prize in the national Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. • The Oak Ridge school system has been selected by the Tennessee Art Education Association to receive the 2007 Outstanding School System of the Year Award. This award honors an outstanding Tennessee school system whose dedication to art education merits recognition and acclaim. • Oak Ridge High School senior Zach Yost was selected to the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. The 91-member band performed at the nationally televised 2008 All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. • Oak Ridge High School students Landon Smith and K.C. Cushman were two of only seven Tennesseans to score a perfect ACT score of 36 in spring 2007. • All Oak Ridge elementary and middle schools met the federal benchmarks set forth by the No Child Left Behind legislation. For more information, please visit www.ortn.edu and click on “Awards & Honors.”
www.orcc.org 11
RIDGES DePARtMent aRounD toWn
Power (of Suggestion)
to the People
Imagine you are biting a slice of lemon. Does your mouth water? Does your face pucker? If so, you have just experienced the power of suggestion.
12 RIDGES | Spring 08
Margaret Pennycook magine you are biting a slice of lemon. Does your mouth water? Does your face pucker? If so, you have just experienced the power of suggestion. Ron Eslinger uses that power to teach people to help themselves. Clients come to his Healthy Visions and Wellness Center in Jackson Plaza in Oak Ridge with chronic pain, smoking addictions, and weight and sleeping problems. Courts send him perpetrators of domestic violence. Expectant mothers seek pain-free deliveries. Eslinger is an advanced practice nurse and a certified registered nurse anesthetist, but those who enter his office do so because he is a world-renowned, board-certified hypnotherapist. Among the sounds of waterfalls and gentle music lies a watch on a chain. Eslinger never swings it in front of his clients, or tells them they are feeling veeerrry sleepy. He knows the stereotype of hypnosis, as portrayed in movies and stage acts, frightens people and makes them think they’ll lose control. Eslinger describes the true hypnotic state as one of “complete awareness of surroundings” and “focused concentration.”
I
A former captain in the U.S. Navy, Eslinger is recognized in many countries as a leading practitioner and teacher of hypnotherapy. His purpose is to bring “the subconscious level of the mind to accept suggestions.” He wants his clients to “come out of the past into the present,” to replace negative beliefs in the subconscious with positive ones, in order to change bodily responses. He likens this to taping over a recording you no longer want. As a nurse, Eslinger observed the importance of positive thinking. “Tell a patient before surgery he’ll feel better than he expects, and he will. There is no pain until the electrical signal reaches the brain.” Hypnosis stops the pain signal using the body’s own resources. Eslinger adds that evidence-based, clinical studies from Harvard, Stanford, and Yale universities support the claims of hypnotherapy. Eslinger also cites a study reported by Blue Shield of California that shows that patients who listen to hypnotherapy CDs prior to surgery save the insurance company $2,000 each. A cost-cutting therapy that pleases both patients and insurance companies? Now that’s a powerful suggestion.
AROUND TOWN
Laura Wilcoxen
I
Kitchen The Soup avoyard Gratin S nts Ingredie day, so your dining experience r ns butte o o p s e l b is always fresh. Each day there 6 Ta flour y cut are seven homemade soups and 1/2 cup leeks, coarsel 1 bunch water chili from which to choose. All per 4 cups poon white pep the soups are nourishing, made s a e e t s ee 1/2 cream ch from fresh, natural veggies and 1 pound chicken stock meats. The reasonably priced menu 4 cups vanilla yogurtspinach 1 pound frozen chopped is chalked on a a blackboard since it sautÊ 1 pound ter and t changes not only daily, but during u b t l e pan, m chicken the day if a certain soup proves In large th pepper. Add water and o especially popular. leeks wi hisk flour int cream cheese stock. W nto stock. Add til smooth A warm, homey cafeteria n strain i rt, and beat u inach. environment — with servers who p u s g o d y d A d n a hisk. are ready and willing to recite the w e r i w with to 10. ingredients of any soup — means you’ll hen.com Serves 8www.thesoupkitc be enjoying this ultimate comfort food source: in an equally comfortable ambience. For more information or to find The Soup Kitchen, call 865-482-3525.
Soup for You
f your routine experience of a hot bowl of soup involves mystery ingredients sliding out of a tin can, you need to check out The Soup Kitchen, an Oak Ridge native franchise that’s changing the way people think about the lunchtime favorite. Featuring succulent, homemade soups with names that taste almost as good as the soups themselves (savor the flavor of “Gratin Savoyard�), The Soup Kitchen’s fare is a delicious and nutritious alternative to the fast food scene. Delicious soups; fresh, homemade bread; a variety of sandwiches; salad plates (the seafood salad is especially recommended); drinks; and desserts are served daily. Constantly re-inventing itself from an ever-growing recipe file (currently holding over 150 soups), the menu changes every
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AROUND TOWN
“Smooth Waters,
Blue Sky” Laura Wilcoxen
coxswain (‘käk-s&n, -”swAn): 1. a sailor who has charge of a ship’s boat and its crew and who usually steers 2. a steersman of a racing shell who usually directs the rowers
14 RIDGES | Spring ’08
AROUND TOWN
T
he Oak Ridge Rowing Association (ORRA) is bringing the classic sport of rowing to citizens of all ages. Beautiful Melton Hill Lake is the ideal setting for rowing, offering idyllic beauty and a smooth, straight course. ORRA has invested over $1 million on improvements to the course, which is recognized as one of the best rowing venues in the nation. Teams from all over come to Oak Ridge to train. Spring Training, held in March, introduces guests to Oak Ridge hospitality and brings abundant tourist dollars to the region. Regattas are held regularly from spring through fall. And Oak Ridge was proud to host the 2007 NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships. Membership is open to anyone, and no experience is needed. The Junior Rowing Program pulls in students from several area schools. After one year, young rowers are eligible to join varsity teams. “Not only does rowing provide great physical exercise and strength training, but it’s also the ultimate team sport,� says Gary Giles, ORRA’s chair of public relations/communications. “Our rowers have “Not only does rowing provide to learn to work together as a team, and that is a wonderful experience that can change a life.� great physical exercise and Adults can join classes for sweeping (each rower operates a single oar) and sculling strength training, but it’s also (each rower operates two oars), and experienced the ultimate team sport.� rowers age 21 and over can compete as Master rowers. And if you’ve got a steady hand and a flair for command, ORRA is always looking for coxswains. “This is an ideal way to get some great whole-body exercise, enjoy the beauty of the river, greatly reduce your stress level, and get to know some interesting people with similar interests,� concludes Giles. For more information on ORRA, visit www.orra.org or call 865-482-6538.
Linda Brown Realty 1666 Oak Ridge Turnpike Oak Ridge, TN 37830 Phone 865-482-9990 Cell 865-389-1969 Fax 865-482-6675 As members of the Oak Ridge community since 1966, my husband Walter and I have watched the area grow and prosper through the years. We have seen young companies rise to become industry leaders, and we have seen young men and women mature to become community leaders. We have seen and experienced the Oak Ridge spirit that has helped to create a strong economic base, unparalleled schools and community pride.
With Experience
Walter and I, along with our two sons David and Roger, made a commitment to the Oak Ridge area many years ago, because we love the people and what everyone is working together to build. We truly enjoy giving back to a community that has given us so much.
We are proud to call Oak Ridge our home, and we hope you will be, too.
LBROWN LINDABROWNREALTY COM s LINDABROWNREALTY COM www.orcc.org 15
New High School
The New High School
Brings 21st-Century Learning to Oak Ridge
Rebecca D. Williams
16 RIDGES | Spring ’08
T
he sounds of jackhammers and excavation equipment have served as a backdrop for Oak Ridge High School classes since 2005. “The patience of our staff and students has been amazing,” says Dr. Tom Bailey, superintendent of Oak Ridge Schools. He promises the mess and wait will be worth it. The three-year, $55 million renovation and expansion project touches every inch of the 58-acre campus and will provide Oak Ridge with a state-of-the-art, 21st-century, technologically advanced school. “This is going to be a gorgeous building,” says Bailey. “The big thing is it’s really designed for interactive learning. This school is not just a box. It looks like a business. It’s aesthetically pleasing as well as having academic learning as its focus.” Work is scheduled for completion in fall 2008. The newly appointed high school will include a new gymnasium, cafeteria, and learning center, as well as renovated auditorium and classroom space. Every room will be outfitted with state-of-the-art technology and wired for Internet, computers, and the latest in teaching technologies. Teachers will be able to combine lectures with hands-on learning and use video-conferencing technologies to introduce students to far-away business leaders and scientists.
“Our community has long valued education. This new building will further enhance the educational experience of our students,” says Chuck Carringer, principal of the school. Oak Ridge High School has consistently been rated as one of the top schools in the United States by publications such as Newsweek, Expansion Management, and Offspring magazines. The school offers an array of challenging advancedplacement classes, and each year it produces more than a dozen National Merit Semifinalists. Despite its history of excellence, by 2004 most of the Oak Ridge High School campus’ seven buildings were showing their age. Built in the 1940s and 1950s, the buildings held deteriorating plaster, cracked walls, worn-out flooring, and excessively loud heating systems that made listening difficult. It was time for a complete overhaul. As plans for the new high school got under way, architects held workshops with teachers and students to get their opinions about what should be included in the new facility. Everything from the number of cabinets to the placement of outlets was planned with teaching in mind. The needs of the community were included as well. “The new building will serve both students and the community,” says Bailey, pointing out that
New High School
the community will use the new high school for educational and arts events. With construction under way, the whole town is excited about the new building. But Bailey emphasizes it is the people of Oak Ridge who make the high school a success. “We have the greatest students, parents, and teachers around. This is a gorgeous building for them, and I think it’s going to do a lot for all students and the community.” Features of the New Campus • There’s a new, dramatic entryway to campus, with panoramic views of the lawn and the heart of Oak Ridge. • Wildcat Arena is a new 20,000-squarefoot gymnasium and athletic facility that seats 2,200 and includes locker rooms, a weight room, and a fully equipped injury treatment and training facility. Bleachers and new restrooms located behind the gym serve soccer and track events. The new gymnasium is large enough to allow the high school to host regional TSSAA sporting events. • The Learning Center, completed in spring of 2007, is a three-story building that features a beautiful media center and traditional classrooms, as well as flexible science classrooms for lecturelab formats. Teachers can lecture
and then allow students to conduct experiments in the same space. There’s even room enough for students to leave experiments out for longer periods of time and to engage in multiple projects at once. All classrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies for Internet access and computers. The Learning Center encourages interdisciplinary coursework. For example, the science lecture-labs are adjacent to math classrooms, a consolidation that will permit much greater interaction and collaboration between disciplines. The new Career Academy spaces are centrally located
“We have the greatest students, parents, and teachers around. This is a gorgeous building for them, and I think it’s going to do a lot for all students and the community.” — Dr. Tom Bailey, superintendent of Oak Ridge Schools
www.orcc.org 17
New High School
The Learning Center features flexible science classrooms for lecture-lab formats (right). Wildcat Arena is a new 20,000-square-foot gymnasium and athletic facilty that seats 2,200 (below).
to integrate math and science skills with specific career classes. • New cafeteria, amphitheater, commons, and administrative areas serve as the new central hub of the high school, with a connector bridge as a main avenue for students to walk between areas of the building. The space also includes an enlarged auditorium lobby, a multi-level dining space that seats 400 for lunch, and a new 110-seat amphitheater for classes, community forums, or small performances. This new area is the creative core for both the high school and the community. • A geothermic heating and cooling system has been designed to pull heat out of the ground in the winter to heat the building and to put heat back in the ground in the summer to cool the building. Many modern schools are using this approach, and the design is expected to account for about $100,000 in annual energy savings. • New security systems enhance teacher and student safety. • Existing gym and locker areas have been renovated. Adding air conditioning to the old gym and upgrading the 1950s-style locker rooms will provide new training and competition spaces for sports. 18 RIDGES | Spring ’08
• Renovation of two older buildings and demolition of several older buildings is in the works. Plans call for a complete overhaul of the remaining interior spaces to provide flexible teaching and meeting areas and to wire them for the latest technologies. • The renovated auditorium and new choir, orchestra, and band rooms will provide fine arts facilities of exceptional quality that will be open to the entire Oak Ridge community. • The high school auditorium will seat 1,200 and will continue to serve as home to the Oak Ridge Symphony, the oldest symphony in Tennessee. The auditorium will feature an orchestra pit as well as modern acoustical and lighting systems for the school’s dramatic and musical performances. After hearing suggestions from community arts groups, architects included dressing rooms, restroom facilities, and a “green room” for performers waiting to go onstage. There will also be room for small and large group practices for orchestra and band students.
New High School
Funding
the Future Edward Wilhite
M
uch of the $55 mil lion for the high school renovation and expansion is being paid for by the private sector,
Citizens overwhelmingly passed a schools-dedicated sales tax increase in 2004.
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both directly through a campaign and through sales taxes. Major employers, small businesses, individuals, and families have contributed more than $8 million to the project through the Oak Ridge Public Schools Foundation, and citizens overwhelmingly passed a schools-dedicated sales tax increase in 2004. Nationwide it is uncommon for sales tax increases to be passed by citizens. Not so in Oak Ridge. Not only did the sales tax increase pass, but it passed with nearly 80 percent of voters voting for it — a true testament to the dedication Oak Ridge citizens have for their schools. www.orcc.org 19
RIDGES DePARtMent hEaLth notes
Photo provided by methodist medical Center / Don Dudenbostel
A Helping Hand: Gifts That Keep on Giving: Recently expanded in the Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, the Pink Placebo Gift Shop is staffed entirely by volunteers. All proceeds are donated to the hospital for benevolent causes such as medical student scholarships, patient support, and even the new robotic surgery suite. The gift shop is open daily and is located off the hospital’s front lobby.
Rebecca D. Williams
The da Vinci Surgical Robot Brings Pinpoint Precision to Methodist Medical
W
ith four arms and a video screen at its head, the new robotic surgery system at Methodist Medical Center looks like something scary in a science fiction movie. But this robot is taking some of the fear out of surgery, offering treatments with less bleeding, smaller incisions, and quicker recovery times than traditional surgeries or even laproscopic procedures. Meet the da Vinci Surgical System, a $1.2 million high-tech surgery tool purchased in the spring of 2006. The robot doesn’t really do the surgery. Rather, a physician sits at a special console in the operating room and manipulates robotic “arms” with special tools attached. The patient is on a regular surgical bed monitored
by an anesthesiologist, another surgeon (who can change out the functions of the arms by simply snapping in place a laser or certain type of scalpel), and specially trained nursing and support staff. For many patients suffering from prostate, heart, or gynecological problems, this technology means less pain, a shorter recovery period, a faster return to work, fewer complications, and minimal scarring. Robotic technology is safer than regular surgery because it compensates for even slight tremors in a human hand. It is precise and versatile. The 3-D video screen run by the surgeon enhances what he or she can see. “The surgical robot represents a better way to help people return
more quickly to their work and their lifestyles,” says Bill Hall, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon on staff at Methodist who has used robotic surgery on many patients. “I have been tracking the outstanding patient care advantages of the surgical robot for many years. Our efforts to bring this technology to Methodist will translate to great benefits for our patients.” Hall was the first surgeon in the Southeast to perform lung surgery utilizing the surgical robot technology, using a robot in nearby Knoxville. Now, he is excited at the opportunity to offer the very latest in minimally invasive procedures to his patients at his home hospital of Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.
New Internal Medicine Specialist Joins MMC Staff
Joanna King, M.D., has joined the staff of Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. She is in practice with Oak Ridge Internal Medicine Associates. Dr. King is board-certified in internal medicine and earned her medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Memphis. She completed
Kelly Owens an internal medicine residency at the University of Memphis Hospitals. King is a member of the American College of Physicians. Oak Ridge Internal Medicine Associates is located in Physician’s Plaza, Suite 245, 988 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Dr. King is now accepting new patients.
For information about appointment scheduling, call 865-835-5138.
20 RIDGES | Spring 08
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Innovation
What’s Special About
Spallation? Rebecca D. Williams
M
ore efficient fuels, lighter-weight plastics, new medicines
and drug delivery systems — these are just a few of the possibilities stemming from the world’s largest scientific
experiment, the Spallation Neutron Source in Oak Ridge.
Tech Belt: The Knoxville/Oak Ridge Innovation Valley is part of the Technology Corridor, a region that stretches from Oak Ridge to Charleston and Research Triangle Park to Birmingham. It includes two national labs, 16 research universities, and a vibrant industrial base. The Corridor’s 23 million residents represent a population larger than any state except California, concentrated into an area smaller than Texas. Edward Wilhite PhotoprovidedbyOakRidgeNationalLaboratory/SpallationNeutronSourcewww.sns.gov
22 RIDGES | Spring 08
Innovation
The $1.4 billion SNS, built on 80 acres at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is run by the lab and the U.S. Department of Energy. The facility took seven years to build and opened in 2006 with a staff of about 450. Through its visitors program, the SNS welcomes about 2,000 scientists per year from around the world to conduct experiments that will continue to benefit new technologies in health and industry. So How Does It Work? A neutron is one of the smallest particles of matter, usually found in the nuclei of atoms. Neutrons can be harnessed and pulsed at an object, like a flashing strobe light. The Oak Ridge SNS can pulse neutrons every 17 milliseconds, producing the most powerful stream of neutrons in the world — more than 10 times more powerful than streams at other similar facilities. When neutrons hit an object, many will pass through it. But others will interact with the atomic nuclei and
technologies we use every day. Someday the basic research being conducted in Oak Ridge will benefit others with the following innovative products and technology: • New lightweight magnets for small motors, like the adjustable seat motors in cars. • Improvements in fluids, such as longer-lasting paints, more efficient motor oils, and even better shampoos. • Better and faster electronics such as computers, MP3 players, CD players, and video wristwatches. • Synthetic fibers for highperformance exercise and outdoor clothes. • More efficient recycling of plastics. • Environmentally friendly dry cleaning. • Medical advances such as timereleased drugs and a better understanding of DNA, proteins, and blood cells in the development of disease.
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101 Elmhurst Drive • Oak Ridge, TN 37830
The usefulness of neutron scattering was first developed in Oak Ridge by the late Dr. Clifford Shull, who shared a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his work. bounce away, like balls in a game of pool. This is called spallation. As the neutrons scatter, scientists use about 20 different instruments to study how far they moved and the angles at which they veered. This helps scientists “see� inside a material, revealing valuable information about its structure and properties. The usefulness of neutron scattering was first developed in Oak Ridge by the late Dr. Clifford Shull, who shared a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his work. Today, neutron scattering research is leading to new developments in
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Although the SNS is new, it is likely to generate industries in new chemicals, plastics, metals, pharmaceuticals, and instrument development. Research at SNS is complemented by other Oak Ridge facilities such as the High Flux Isotope Reactor, the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, the High Temperature Materials Laboratory, and the National Center for Computational Sciences. Together these research facilities attract some of the world’s most accomplished scientists to the city of Oak Ridge.
865.483.5564
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Maestro Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli
24 RIDGES | Spring 08
Maestro Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli
MU IC Ears
to Oak Ridgers’
W
Edward Wilhite
hile there are many things that contribute to Oak Ridge’s unique character, it is the astounding array of cultural and entertainment activities that
lends the city its more cosmopolitan flavor. While Oak Ridge certainly has not abandoned the pursuit of traditional Southern culture, it readily embraces offerings more frequently reserved for urban areas.
www.orcc.org 25
Maestro Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli
Upcoming 2008 ORCMA Schedule Saturday, February 9 Oak Ridge Chamber Orchestra: “Music of the Soul” First United Methodist Church 8 p.m. Sunday, March 16 Woodwind Quartet: “Prairie Winds” Pollard Auditorium 3 p.m. Friday, April 11 Oak Ridge Symphony and Chorus: “Beloved Spring” Central Baptist Church of Oak Ridge 8 p.m. Saturday, April 26 Piano Trio: “Triple Helix” Pollard Auditorium 8 p.m.
www.orcma.org
26 RIDGES | Spring ’08
Among the many surprising discoveries in the cultural tapestry of Oak Ridge is its claim to a fully staffed, professional symphony led by Swissborn Maestro Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli. Maestro Cornelia is a delightfully colorful ambassador for the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association (ORCMA), exhibiting a tremendous passion for music and an unwavering determination to transform the entire Oak Ridge populace into a community of symphony-goers. Born in a small, German-speaking Swiss village, Cornelia embraced music at the age of 7 by learning to play the recorder. At age 8, an orchestra was organized in her village, and she was infected with the music bug. Piano lessons commenced at age 9, but as she grew up she realized there was another great love in her life: animals. Eventually, she had to choose between pursuing a career in music or veterinary medicine. To the benefit and delight of all her current associates, she chose music, and after coming to America six years ago to study with Russian conductor Victor Yampolsky, she was retained by the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association (ORCMA), where she is now in her second season as conductor. While maintaining a full performance schedule with ORCMA, Maestro Cornelia also serves as principal guest conductor for the Knoxville Symphony and is the music director for the Symphony of the Mountains based in Kingsport, Tennessee. Adjusting to life in Tennessee hasn’t been an overly daunting task for Cornelia. She notes that the kindness of the people here makes it very easy to feel welcome in the community. She does,
however, miss some things from her home — ancient architecture and Swiss chocolate being among the first things on the list. Cornelia admits to being a chocoholic and laughingly terms most of the chocolate she finds here as “a disaster.” She does have a favorite, though — fittingly it is a chocolate called “Symphony.” Curiously, even though she is now firmly ensconced in the South, her newest favorite food is sushi. Go figure. In addition to her work as the symphony’s conductor, Maestro Cornelia also conducts Oak Ridge’s Community Chorus. This group, comprised of about 70 local residents, is a collection of singers ranging from teens to 80-somethings. Their rehearsals each week demonstrate not only the skill of the Maestro in bringing such a diverse group together, but also the determination of the participants to contribute something of cultural value to the community. Unlike the symphony, there are no paid professionals among this group, only individuals who are deeply committed to ORCMA’s choral music aspirations and to enriching the appreciation of choral music. The chorus recently teamed up with Sound Company, The Children’s Performing Choir of Oak Ridge, normally under the guidance of trained opera singer Katy Wolfe Zahn, With encouragement from to rehearse for Maestro Cornelia, they their annual Holiday Concert. “lifted,” “floated,” and It wasn’t long “exalted” as they sang. before the stage of the local high school’s auditorium was filled with singers enthusiastically swaying from side to side as they rehearsed an upbeat number. With encouragement from Maestro Cornelia, they “lifted,” “floated,” and “exalted” as they sang. No dry music theory here; only love of the music and heartfelt performance. Cornelia’s presence on the podium energizes the chorus, and her enthusiasm is not without reward: These part-time performers give their utmost to their conductor. The end result of this rehearsal is a performance approaching the level of polish necessary to hold an audience spellbound and a strengthening of the bond among this group and between them and Cornelia. Maestro Cornelia claims no talent as a composer but is, however, an accomplished pianist, and in the past 18 months she has taken up the cello. Her take on the new instrument is interesting. “Cello is something I do for myself. It sounds horrible when I play it, but it is something I have fun with!” Aside from her work with the symphony and the chorus, Cornelia satisfies her love of animals by keeping a Dutch Trakehner dressage horse in a nearby stable and riding whenever she has an
Maestro Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli opportunity. Although she does not compete with the horse, whose name is Rubix, she does trail ride and sometimes jumps him. As one might expect, she sees parallels between her two loves. “I think horses can dance,” Cornelia asserts. “Riding and dressage is so much about rhythm and timing.” After moving to Tennessee, the horsewoman in her was treated to another thrill when she got an opportunity to ride a Tennessee Walking Horse for the first time. “It was unbelievable, so smooth and easy,” she says. “It was an incredible experience, and they’re beautiful horses!” Because of her full-time schedule with ORCMA and her other obligations, Cornelia does not keep house pets, something she misses, since her family raised German shepherds in her native Switzerland. “It wouldn’t be fair to the animal because I am away so much,” she states. “I love them, but I could never take care of one here.” The symphony schedule is indeed demanding. In addition to the holiday concert, there is a chamber series that is among the oldest continuing chamber series in the nation. Additionally, the concert series consumes vast quantities of time and energy, and, of course, there are Cornelia’s responsibilities with the chorus. “I am very busy but I love it,” Cornelia admits. ORCMA serves as an umbrella organization for both the symphony and chorus programs and operates following their stated mission: “ORCMA, Inc., functions to promote and present music and fine arts programs in the area, contracting with artists and their representatives to this end, making all necessary arrangements to present such programs, lectures, opera, orchestras, choral groups and other activities classified as fine arts. ORCMA also operates to provide challenging, musically satisfying participatory opportunities for amateur musicians of sufficient training and for professional musicians of Oak Ridge and the surrounding area, through maintenance and support of a symphony orchestra, a chorus, and through presentation of quality programs and concerts by these and other musicians and music groups.” “My goal,” Maestro Cornelia emphasizes, “is to make sure that people know that the symphony belongs to everybody! I am quite certain that people will be delighted with the experience. Just give us a try!” When asked about her plans for the future, the conductor is quick to point out, “I love Oak Ridge and Tennessee. Where I grew up in a small village, we all knew everyone else. Here, in this country, it is so expansive that people have to develop personal skills with others, even over great distances. I have been so happy here because I have been so readily accepted by these wonderful people.” Her greatest challenge? She jokingly admits that her “accent has a long way to go”
before being mistaken for a native Tennessean. Historically, the Oak Ridge Symphony has been around since the community was developed in 1944. Given her enthusiasm, one would think Maestro Cornelia had been a passionate devotee of the group for her entire life. Being in the same room with her as she talks about her symphony is akin to listening to a proud parent. Certainly the town of Oak Ridge is being enriched, not just by her contributions, but also by the increased awareness and appreciation for fine music she seeks to instill in all her associates. She readily embraces Tennessee’s most indigenous forms of music, bluegrass and country, and is fond of many of the South’s longrunning traditional forms of gospel and spiritual music. “Music touches the soul,” she states. “When we perform, our aim is to strike a chord in the hearts of the people who listen. It is collaboration between my interpretation of the music, the musicians’ response and performance, and the audience. Music is a deeply moving medium, and we love bringing it to the people.” Oak Ridge, without question, is years ahead in its pursuit of technology and innovation. It is also undeniably rich in culture, thanks in no small degree to the efforts of ORCMA and Maestro Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli.
“I am quite certain that people will be delighted with the experience. Just give us a try!”
www.orcc.org 27
“
aCCoLaDES
Where else can you find a community of 28,000 with a symphony, a playhouse, a community chorale, and an artist-friendly environment? Where else can you find a town this size with a nationally recognized rowing program that hosts NCAA rowing events? Oak Ridge is a world-class place with small-town hospitality and all anyone needs to truly enjoy a gracious lifestyle. “The history of Oak Ridge is there, and we acknowledge it and take pride in it. This is the birthplace of nuclear energy, but it also the birthplace of nuclear medicine. There are many innovative companies here involved in research that will impact the lives of all Americans for generations to come.” Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce CEO Parker Hardy
The Voices of Oak Ridge
“
It is a great place to live. A very clean and neat place with a wonderful small-town atmosphere. However, the population of Oak Ridge multiplies about three times due to all the folks who are working in Oak Ridge from out of town. I also like the fact that anyone who wants to work can find a job in Oak Ridge. There are lots of opportunities in this town.” Jamia, customer service representative
“
In Oak Ridge, you have it all — great jobs, great pay, great people, and beautiful scenery. I’ve driven all over the nation. I’ve seen it all, and there is no place that I would choose over Oak Ridge.” Toby, retired long-haul trucker
Secret City Festival Receives Shining Example Award T
he Fifth Annual Oak Ridge Secret City Festival was honored with the prestigious 2007 Festival of the Year Award at the Southeast Tourism Society’s (STS) Fall Meeting on Wednesday, September 5, in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The STS Shining Example Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the advancement of tourism in the 12 Southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, 28 RIDGES | Spring 08
South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The award honors the “best of the best” in nine general categories. The Festival of the Year Award is given to an outstanding festival that generated substantial growth in the past year. “This year was our most exciting year yet, as the Secret City Festival featured the return of the Oak Ridge Boys to the city from which the group derived their name. The 2007 festival set new records for attendance, community participation, and corporate sponsorships,” stated Jane Miller, Oak Ridge mayor pro tem and co-chair of the Secret City Festival for the past three years. “The Shining Example award is a tribute to all those who worked to make the festival what it was, including
“ “ I came to live with my son and daughter-in-law. I was a little hesitant, but I am glad I moved. I really enjoy living here. I love the community spirit.” Kenneth, retiree and new Oak Ridge resident
“The Shining Example award is a tribute to all those who worked to make the festival what it was.” the many volunteers, the corporate sponsors, the City of Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Arts Council, and the entire community.” Festival corporate sponsor George Dials, general manager and president of BWXT Y-12, said, “This award is a result of partnerships, and we look forward to continuing to set a ‘Shining Example’ for future years and doing our part to grow the city’s favorite festival to be even bigger and better.”
I would not live anywhere else. Living in Oak Ridge is different from living in other places. There’s security for myself and my family, and the pay scale of Oak Ridge jobs is high. It’s beautiful here — from the farms that border the river, to the mountains. There’s a natural, peaceful ambience throughout the area.” Walter, lifelong Oak Ridge resident
“
aCCoLaDES
Oak Ridge is a great place to be mayor. People here listen and care. If you’re up front and honest with them, they will work with you. “We have one of the best school systems in the nation. Our new high school was funded by a sales tax increase that passed on the ballot at a rate of more than 3-to-1! Oak Ridgers have given more than $8 million in private contributions toward the anticipated $50 million cost of the upgrade to the high school. “I see no reason to live anywhere else. Everything you could possibly want can be found right here in our community.” Former Mayor David Bradshaw
Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau The Secret City Festival takes place the third weekend in June each year. The dates for this year’s festival are June 20–21, 2008. Information for the festival can be found at www.cortn.org/ secretcityfestival/about.html. STS is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the development of industry organizations and professionals and the promotion of tourism within and to STS member states.
www.orcc.org 29
RIDGES We The DEPARTMENT People
Edgar Meyer
Get to Know» Mayor Tom Beehan
Wanda Ensor Grooms Why did you get involved in governmental public service?
Eclectic Musician and Composer Lifts the Voice of the Double Bass
N
Judy DiGregorio
o one plays the double bass like Edgar Meyer, world-renowned virtuoso of the instrument. Originally from Oak Ridge, Meyer is a three-time Grammy winner and an accomplished composer and instrumentalist. Meyer learned to play the double bass from his father, the late Edgar Meyer Sr., who directed the local strings program for the Oak Ridge Schools. Meyer has transformed the double bass into a solo instrument and is one of a group of modern musicians steering music in edgy new directions. He frequently records and performs with other outstanding artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Bela Fleck, James Taylor, Alison Krauss, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. He is not a musician you can pigeonhole, as his styles include classical, bluegrass, and jazz. In addition to the double bass, Meyer plays the piano, guitar, banjo, violin, mandolin, and dobro. Meyer is also an exceptional composer who has won remarkable acclaim for his creativity and the inexhaustible variety of his work. In a recent Oak Ridge concert, former teachers, friends, and family filled the high school auditorium as Meyer performed one of his original compositions, Concerto No. 1 for Double Bass and Orchestra. No matter where he lives or performs, Oak Ridgers still proudly hail Meyer as one of their own.
30 RIDGES | Spring 08
I just couldn’t help myself! I do have a passion for it. I enjoy creative kinds of things and working with people, bringing people together for common goals and the wonderful legacy that comes from these cooperative efforts. What do you see as your biggest challenge as mayor? Helping lead this community to set a vision, not for six weeks or six months from now, but a vision of what we want Oak Ridge to look like in 2015 and in 2020. If there’s no long-term vision, unforeseen and undesirable things are more likely to happen. And I want to include the WHOLE community. If we have 1,000 or more people participating in the process, I’ll know it’s succeeding. Is there any project you especially savor? I have a passion for building strong neighborhoods. The city is well laid out. It’s important to keep our historic neighborhoods vital while planning for growth in housing and sense of community. What are some things you see as positive signs of the city’s direction? There are many. Oak Ridge has a good quality of life, great schools, a long and successful legacy of science and service. It’s rewarding to see the new multi-million-dollar expansion of our high school take shape. In housing, the Bristol Apartments and Willow Place, where my wife and I live, are important additions. And there’s been a lot of interest in new retail businesses locating here.
What is/are your favorite … Song? Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA Book? Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat Movie? Remember the Titans Sports? Football and rowing TV show? Monday Night Football Thing about Oak Ridge? Great schools and teachers and the wonderful education our children receive
What are three adjectives or descriptors that encapsulate who Tom Beehan really is? I hope people see me as warm and able to connect to others, as having a good sense of humor, and as high energy … although another view of “energetic” is being impatient, and I guess I am someone always on the go, ready to go. Do you have any special hobbies or interests? I play guitar and banjo on the side — have for 30–40 years. I don’t really consider myself a musician, but it’s very relaxing. I also enjoy photography and have documented a lot of the events in my children’s and grandchildren’s lives. What are you really bad at that you wish you were really good at? Golf!
Common / unCommon KnowLEDGE
The
Oak Ridge
Prophet
“They will be building things and there will be great noise and confusion and the earth will shake. I’ve seen it. It’s coming.”
Edward Wilhite
A
round 1900 in Anderson County, Tennessee, a man, considered by many to be a prophet, went into the forest and lay upon the ground for 40 days. When he emerged, he spoke of visions he had seen: “Bear Creek Valley some day will be filled with great buildings and factories, and they will help toward winning the greatest war that will ever be. There will be a city on Black Oak Ridge, and the center of authority will be on a spot middle-way between Sevier Tadlock’s farm and Joe Pyatt’s place. Big engines will dig big ditches, and thousands of people will be running to and fro. They will be building things and
there will be great noise and confusion and the earth will shake. I’ve seen it. It’s coming.” As if in answer to John Hendrix’s prophecy, in 1943 the first of what would ultimately become 75,000 workers descended on the Tennessee farming communities of Wheat, Scarboro, Elza, and Robertsville and began construction of America’s first nuclear city, what we know today as Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Born of a vision, forged in the crucible of war, and dedicated to the destruction of America’s gravest enemies, Oak Ridge today is the Crown Jewel in Knoxville/Oak Ridge Innovation Valley.
5 O’Clock Whistle PhotoprovidedbyU.S.DepartmentofEnergy
L
ongtime Oak Ridge residents speak fondly of a rather unique aspect of their community. What was originally meant to be a warning system in the event of a man-made disaster became the equivalent of a mother’s dinner bell. Installed in the early days of Oak Ridge was a siren system designed to provide warning coverage to the entire community. Located throughout the city, the sirens were placed in Oak Ridge because of the role Oak Ridge’s federal facilities played in the Manhattan Project and the Cold War. The sirens were tested every day at 5 p.m. Though never used to warn the community of a disaster, the sirens did evolve into a well-known, communitywide-recognized system to notify children that it was time to return
home for dinner. In the 1950s, 1960s, and well into the 1970s, when children spent more carefree time outdoors, Oak Ridge children knew when the siren sounded at 5 p.m. it was time to return home. It was commonly referred to as the 5 O’Clock Whistle. These days, the sirens are tested the first Wednesday of each month at 12 noon. Testing the sirens ensures they will operate properly if they are ever needed in the event of an emergency. For nearly 60 years, the sirens have been faithfully tested, but fortunately have never been used for the purpose for which they were meant. However, on the first Wednesday of each month, many an Oak Ridger pauses and remembers with fondness their childhood in Oak Ridge. www.orcc.org 31
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Sharing Joy A
t the First United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge, special-needs seniors and precocious preschoolers have the unique opportunity to learn with one another. Among its many ministries, the church is the site of both the Keystone Adult Day Program and the First Steps preschool program. Though they are at opposite ends of the age spectrum, the participants bring a great deal of joy to one another. Keystone Adult Day Program is a licensed facility that offers a variety of services designed to meet the needs of people with functional impairments caused by physical and cognitive disabilities and/or memory loss. A high percentage of its clients suffer from Alzheimer’s. On the other hand, First Steps Child Development Center offers care and education for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Licensed by the state of Tennessee, First Steps is a top-rated preschool program, having received three stars — the highest “It’s such a boost for the seniors, honor — across and we’re called the grandmas the board from the Tennessee Childcare Report Card Program and grandpas of the kids.” for outstanding performance in such areas as professional development, parent and family involvement, and program assessment. According to Phyllis Spangler, activities director for Keystone, the two programs are located adjacent to one another, along the same hall in the same building. This allows participants to enjoy numerous activities together, such as crafts, coloring, reading stories, and playing recreational games. “The older folks really enjoy sharing time when the children have show and tell,” Spangler says. “The children 32 RIDGES | Spring ’08
Carol Cummings share with the participants and describe the object. This helps them with their verbal and demonstration skills, and it is a great learning experience for them and fun for the adults as well.” The adults particularly enjoy visiting with the babies, Spangler says. “We bring the babies in every day. We wheel them in their strollers and take them around to let the participants see and hold them. The caregivers are really good about talking about the babies and telling about what they are doing.” The program participants share in special events as well. At Halloween, the children dress up, come to the activity room, and trick or treat. During the Chinese New Year celebrations, the children visit the adults and do a special dance with the Chinese Dragon. Likewise, the adults invite the children to special programs, such as music programs and magic shows. The opportunity to learn about others who are different is also an added benefit. “Some of our folks are in wheelchairs, and some are in walkers or are using canes,” Spangler says. “The daily interaction helps the children get used to that, so they are not afraid of people who are different.” Though this was a fairly new concept years ago when the church programs began to interact, Spangler notes that it is becoming more and more common. “Now day cares are being put into some retirement centers,” she says. “It’s such a boost for the seniors, and we’re called the grandmas and grandpas of the kids. Some of our folks don’t have the opportunity to see their grandchildren grow up or to remember them. This day-to-day interaction gives them the chance to experience the next best thing every day.”
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Presenting
Ridges magazine is a bi-annual publication produced by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce in partnership with CommunityLink, a division of Craig Williams Creative, Inc. Ridges tells the story of Oak Ridge through the eyes of its citizens and community leaders. It is committed to being a trusted source of quality content while attempting to better the lives of Oak Ridge residents and future residents alike. To submit story ideas, letters, or local testimonials, contact the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at 865-483-1221 or CommunityLink at 800-455-5600 ext. 3013.
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34 RIDGES | Spring ’08
Index of AdvertIsers
When Quality & Service Matter
Advanced Measurement Technology, Inc.......................................... 33
Family Practice • Contact Lenses 1143 Oak Ridge Turnpike • Oak Ridge, TN 37830 • fx 483-7641
American Museum of Science & Energy .............................. 34
Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
AT&T ............................. Inside Front Cover
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Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Group, Inc........... 34
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Choice Properties Realty Company ...................................... 13 Citizens National Bank ............................ 35
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Howard Hildreth Agency..........................6
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Herron-Connell Insurance .......................7
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Hampton Inn ....................................................5
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The Ferrell Shop ......................................... 23
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Energy Solutions.............................................9
483-3031
www.oakridgevisioncenter.com
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Endoscopy Center of Oak Ridge............Inside Back Cover
Optometrist - Joseph E. Crump, O.D. Optician - Melissa K. Howard, Dp.O.
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Edward Jones – Todd Wilson..................6
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Days Inn ..............................................................5
prov
Coldwell Banker – Wallace & Wallace, REALTORSŽ ......3
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ICX Radiation ............................................... 34 Len Hart Construction ..............................7 Linda Brown Realty ................................... 15 Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home ..... 23 Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge.......Outside Back Cover NHC Healthcare......................................... 34 Oak Ridge Gastroenterology Associates ............ 21 Oak Ridge Tool-Engineering Inc.......... 19 Oak Ridge Utility District....................... 33 Oak Ridge Vision Center ....................... 35 Pellissippi State Technical Community College .............................. 19 Rarity Ridge .......................................................1 Ridgeview ........................................................ 33 Roane State Community College ..... 11 S&R Insurance Services, Inc. ................. 14 Strategic Consulting Solutions, Inc............................................... 19 Tara Hills Apartments .............................. 23 Tetra Tech ...........................................................9 Val-U-Signs...................................................... 13
www.orcc.org 35
Parting Shot
»
Competing in the Summer National Senior Games and the Tennessee Senior Games, Oak Ridger Mike Morris has garnered the gold medal at most of the meets he’s entered and has set a number of records. Morris swam in college at Beloit (Wisconsin) and Northwestern. He moved to Oak Ridge in 1971.
36 RIDGES | Spring ’08