On the eve of early voting comes a League of Women Voters forum about the referendum for the Crestpointe bond issue:
Tuesday, May 15, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Pollard Auditorium (on the ORAU campus, above the hill from the Oak Ridge Civic Center)
LWV’s announcement says “Representatives of Citizens Oak Ridge (COR) and Future of Oak Ridge (FOR) will discuss topics related to the referendum and take questions from the audience.”
ADDED May 16: I participated in last evening’s forum as one of the speakers representing the “Vote No” (COR) position.
This forum was videotaped. Reportedly it will be broadcast by BBB Communications on Channel 12 at the following times:
Friday, May 18th at 8:30pm
Saturday, May 19th at 8:30pm
Saturday, May 26th at 8:30pm
Friday, June 1st at 8:30pm
Saturday, June 2nd at 8:30pm
As they have done in a couple of recent elections, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce sponsored a series of videotaped candidate interviews that are now airing on Channel 12 on the Oak Ridge cable system. All City Council and Board of Education candidates are included.
I haven’t seen the video yet (it has already aired twice), but I need to watch it (or tape it) at one of the following broadcast times (you might want to do the same):
Monday, May 14, 8:30 pm
Friday, May 18, 7:30 pm
Saturday, May 19, 7 pm
Tuesday, May 22, 8 pm
Saturday, May 26, 7 pm
Friday, June 1, 7 pm
Saturday, June 2, 7 pm
Monday, June 4, 8:30 pm
ADDED (omitted earlier because it was kind of late at night when I typed the above details): The Chamber of Commerce and BBB-TV deserve our thanks for making this possible, and I thank the Chamber staff for sharing the time schedule.
ADDED May 16: Today’s Oak Ridger has a slightly different version of the schedule for the remaining showings (I suspect this is an updated version):
Friday, May 18, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday, May 22, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 26, at 7 p.m.; Monday, May 28, at 9 p.m.; Friday, June 1, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m.; and Monday, June 4, at 8:30 p.m.
Political yard signs are all over town. Some of them have my name on them — they are a necessary part of political campaigning.
Some people like yard signs — they take pride in displaying signs that tell the world who they support, and they want to see their candidates’ names all over town. Many other people think they are ugly clutter. There are a few spots around town where there are so many signs (many for the same candidate or cause) that I expect everyone thinks they are ugly clutter.
The city has an ordinance restricting the display of political signs. Its main effect is to keep signs out of places where they are most likely to distract drivers. (Signs can’t be placed on medians, traffic islands, or within 15 ft of the shoulder on our major streets. City staff say they “harvested” 75 illegal signs from along highways a few days ago — I was pleased to hear that none of those signs had my name on them.)
The ordinance also says campaign signs can’t be displayed until 30 days before the election, which this year is being interpreted to mean 30 days before early voting starts.
Signs in yards are supposed to indicate that the residents support the candidate or cause whose sign they display, but a dirty little secret is that many signs are placed in front of vacant houses and other places where it is highly unlikely that they represent an actual resident’s actual opinion. This year, this is particularly true of “FOR” signs.
Until the last few days, I asked my supporters to place my signs only on private property controlled by someone who supports me (ADDED: or gave permission to place the sign), but now that the election is getting closer we are putting signs out on public rights of way and similar places. My apologies to those of you who consider these to be ugly clutter, but in order to get elected I need to put my name out where people can see it.
Some of the apparently public places where folks see many campaign signs (and where people urge me to place signs) are private property, often controlled by real estate developers who are engaging in political speech by allowing display of signs for candidates they approve of. Thus, for example, all those signs at the triangular intersection of Lafayette and Illinois, across Emory Valley Rd. from the Food Lion, and at various locations on the east Oak Ridge Turnpike reflect the views of R&R Properties and/or the Chinn family.
PS - If you want one of my signs for your yard (I admit that as lawn ornaments go, they are pretty tacky, but I’ve seen worse), please send me an e-mail or phone me (I’m in the book).
Here’s the scoop on voting arrangements for folks in the Roane County part of Oak Ridge:
Early voting will be at the Mall for both Anderson and Roane County residents.
On election day (June 5) all voters in the Roane County portion of the city will vote at the Oak Ridge Country Club on Gum Hollow Road. This includes residents of Rarity Ridge, who normally are assigned to the Lawnville precinct.
Simple, straightforward and sensible. How nice! Thanks to the two county election commissions for arranging things so smoothly.
UPDATED MAY 11th. Early voting is Wednesday, May 16, to Thursday, May 31, 2007, at the Oak Ridge Mall. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays (except for Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, when the voting site will be closed) and 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday, May 19 (the voting site will be closed May 26th).
My guess is that the voting location will be near the corner entrance that formerly led to a now-empty anchor store (the corner entrance that’s between Penney’s and Sears).
Earlier it was reported that Roane County voters would need to go to the Roane County courthouse to vote, but the Anderson County Election Commission website has good news:
Any registered voter who is a resident of Oak Ridge — including those who live in the Roane County portion of Oak Ridge — may vote early at the Oak Ridge Mall location.
I had a great time at my campaign open house — connecting with some old friends and meeting new folks. 
We displayed a couple of posters on which people entered their answers to a question worded something like “IF the city had $10.5 million to spare, how should it be spent?” The responses were diverse, but no one suggested the Crestpointe project.
A few might cost more than $10.5 million, but several listed priorities would use only a tiny fraction of that amount ($10.5 million is a lot of money!):
RETAIL & BUSINESS PROPOSALS
* Sign for Jackson Square with a list of the businesses there
* New attractive light for Jackson Square (”pay attention to this great place!”)
* Grove Center needs generic sign showing businesses
* Subsidize new local businesses in existing retail space (that got one comment of “Amen”)
* Do what’s necessary to revitalize the Mall!
* Initiate and maintain a program to encourage and expand new small businesses
EDUCATION AND ARTS
* Education! and the arts (that got one comment of “I second that”)
* Fund school budget - keep schools strong - good music program - do not go backwards
* Full funding of school system - all those unfunded mandates!
SENIOR CENTER, ETC.
* Build a new senior center and preschool
* Build or acquire senior/community center SOON (that got comments of “I second that!!!” and “I third this motion”)
OTHER LOCAL PROJECTS
* Bike lanes on all thoroughfares
* Invest in the preservation of the north tower of K-25 to jump start massive heritage tourism in the city
* Make Oak Ridge a leader in fighting global warming
* Make Oak Ridge a leader in energy-efficient homes and businesses
* Be part of a regional passenger rail system (that got a comment of “I second that”)
* Condos on ridge top (not Target), rent to city government operations as income
LAW ENFORCEMENT PROPOSALS
* More video surveillance cameras throughout the city
* More police officers
FINANCIAL PROPOSALS
* Pay down debt, borrow no more
* 5 kegs on the 18th hole and put the rest in the bank, hedge funds, and my business in order to get 6% to 8% return for schools
Oak Ridgers who want to “study up” in preparation for the upcoming June 5 election have several opportunities to do so.
Several candidates and the pro-Crestpointe group “Future of Oak Ridge” have already held campaign kick-offs or rallies, and the local AARP held a candidates forum last week. Upcoming opportunities include:
Tuesday, April 24 (that’s today) - Citizens Oak Ridge organizing meeting for the Crestpointe bond referendum, 6:30-8:30 pm, Oak Ridge Civic Center Craft Room
Friday, April 27 - Open House for Ellen Smith for City Council, 6-8 pm, Midtown Community Center (corner of Oak Ridge Tpke and Robertsville Rd). Please attend to meet me, talk about issues, and enjoy the hammered dulcimer music of Oak Ridge’s own Allen McBride. Please attend!
Tuesday, May 1 - League of Women Voters candidate forum, 6:30-9:30 pm, City Room (A-111), Roane State Community College Oak Ridge campus.
Thursday, May 3 - City Council candidate forum sponsored by Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning , 6:30-8:30 pm, Midtown Community Center
Tuesday, May 15 - League of Women Voters forum on Crestpointe bond referendum, Pollard Auditorium (on ORAU campus)
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