Sept. 8 - 14, 2017
Explore Historic Oak Ridge, Sept. 16 First-time event will offer rare glimpses into some of town’s oldest treasures For more details, a tour map and a description of the 17 properties on the Explore Historic Oak Ridge tour, view the EHOR publication at nwobserver.com or look for a printed copy of the publication inside next week’s issue.
Contributions to this article by SANDRA SMITH and ANN SCHNEIDER OAK RIDGE – Regal, majestic or even humble or utilitarian, many of Oak Ridge’s historic properties will soon open their doors and allow the public a peek inside for the first time. From noon to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 16, as part of a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the town’s Historic District being formed and the 250th anniversary of the Old Mill of
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Local hikers to blaze a trail on Sept. 9
MST in a Day showcases efforts to expand trail system locally and throughout the state by JOE GAMM
OAK RIDGE/NW GUILFORD – Almost 700 miles of the Mountains to Sea Trail have been completed to date. Each year new segments of the almost 1,200-mile trail are built as volunteers work closely with municipalities to create a state treasure that will stretch from Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks. The Town of Oak Ridge’s five-year capital improvement budget, approved last
June, earmarks hundreds of thousands of dollars to get walkers off the road, according to Bill Bruce, Oak Ridge’s planning director and interim co-manager. Tying into the MST is part of the plan. “The MST route comes along roadway portions of Oak Ridge,” Bruce said. “What we’re trying to do is get off the roadway and get trails from one end of town to the other.” To do that, the town will incorporate miles of already-planned trails, he said. Oak Ridge’s Pedestrian Plan, adopted in October 2013, calls for several miles of trails and sidewalks to be built over the next 18 years. To view the Pedestrian Plan, visit www.oakridgenc.com, then select “Ordinances and Plans” on the lefthand side of the homepage.
Bruce describes the plan as ambitious. Some of the funds set aside in the town’s capital budget are intended to identify potential routes and obtain easements. “We’ve got some easements already,” Bruce said. “But, we have a whole lot more analysis to do.” Even though $150,000 is earmarked for the MST this fiscal year, with $50,000 in each of the next two fiscal years, that money won’t be released until more specific costs are identi-
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IN THIS ISSUE News in Brief ........................3 Your Questions ....................4 Youth / School news...........9 New name, same teacher 10 High School Sports ........... 13 Student Profiles ................. 14 Community Calendar ...... 19 Bits & Pieces .....................20 Grins & Gripes ............... 23 Crime/Incident Report 24 Classifieds ................. 27 Index of Advertisers 31 NWO on the Go! ..32