Just Briefly: Camp Jordan events postponed because of weather

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo Camp Jordan Parkway road was closed Sunday because of flooding from weekend rain. Creeks and streams overflowed around the tri-state region Sunday and flooding is expected to continue.

Camp Jordan events postponed

A children's fishing rodeo and a fundraising run and bicycle race scheduled this weekend for Camp Jordan have been postponed because of potential flooding.

"If predicted accurately, the upcoming rainfall for this weekend will likely force the creek to exceed the banks and flood Camp Jordan Parkway," Cpl. Robert Wade of the East Ridge Police Department said in a news release.

The East Ridge Optimists Club/Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Kids' Fishing Rodeo at Dickert Pond has been postponed until May 11 with registration set for 8:30 a.m. All kids old enough to hold a fishing pole are invited to fish for free from 8:30 until noon May 11.

The East Ridge Optimist Club will offer fishing, prizes, refreshments, lunch and fun for all in the area who attend. The TWRA has stocked the pond with catfish and will be there to help conduct the event.

The Choices Pregnancy 5k run and 10k bicycle race have been postponed, and the entertainment rally has been moved to Chattanooga Church.

For more information, call 423-344-3936 or 423-771-8617.

Public invited to meet hopefuls

The Signal Mountain Town Council is interviewing three finalists for the position of town manager.

A reception will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall so the public may meet and question the candidates, Town Manager Honna Rogers said in a news release. Rogers is leaving, and the town is looking for her replacement.

Rogers said in the release that the council will discuss the candidates and vote at the regular meeting May 13 at 6:30 p.m.

photo Lamar Alexander

Alexander praises land preservation

The announcement of a plan to preserve nearly 4,000 acres connecting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee National Forest drew praise Friday from U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander.

"There is no more popular or magnificent section of the great American outdoors," the Tennessee Republican said in a news release.

"Any effort to find new ways to protect that land and make more of it available for outdoor recreation certainly will be welcomed by Tennesseans. Today's announcement means tens of thousands of Tennesseans and visitors will be able to continue to enjoy more hiking, hunting, fishing and boating," he said.

Alexander joined officials with the Brookfield Renewable Energy Group, the state, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park service for a news conference at Calderwood Dam near Maryville, Tenn.

Brookfield is transferring nearly 4,000 acres to The Nature Conservancy, which will hand it over to the state and federal governments over the next two years. The property will join 6,000 acres that became part of the Smokies park and the Cherokee National Forest after an agreement in 2004 to relicense Alcoa's hydropower facilities.

Alexander continued, "Brookfield's generosity, and the efforts of The Nature Conservancy, will ensure that this land will be available for Tennesseans and others to enjoy now and in the future."

Water plant set for Oak Ridge

A new water treatment plant will be built to combat mercury contamination in water near Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander announced Friday.

The Tennessee Republican joined with officials from Oak Ridge, Tennessee and the U.S. Department of Energy to press for more resources to clean up mercury contamination.

In a news release, Alexander called mercury pollution "one of the biggest problems we have from the Cold War era."

He spoke at a news conference announcing plans for a water filtration facility at the head of the East Fork Poplar Creek. Mercury contamination can cause brain and nervous system damage in people who eat contaminated fish.

"This water treatment plant is a major step in addressing one of the biggest problems we have from the Cold War era -- mercury once used to make nuclear weapons getting into our waterways," Alexander said. "As we finish other cleanup priorities, like cleaning up radioactive waste at the East Tennessee Technology Park, we need to strengthen our commitment to dealing with the mercury that's already gotten into waterways at Oak Ridge."

About 200,000 gallons of mercury was used at Oak Ridge during the 1950s and 1960s as the United States built up its nuclear arms, the release stated. About 18,000 gallons have been lost to the environment or are otherwise unaccounted for.