Snidely are you suggesting that these business owners move their businesses out of Oak Ridge, or that they move themselves into the city? Why start with business owners? Why not start with those that are paid by the city? City employees.
Snidely are you suggesting that these business owners move their businesses out of Oak Ridge, or that they move themselves into the city? Why start with business owners? Why not start with those that are paid by the city? City employees.
Start the boycott, until they move their residence into Oak Ridge. Hard to Boycott Oak Ridge services.
Hard to Boycott Oak Ridge services.
Not if the goal is worthy...
Boycott any business whose owner does not live in Oak Ridge? Insist that city employees live in Oak Ridge? Would that (gasp) include school employees? Even TEACHERS?
Had no idea the Taliban was active here. Last time I checked Oak Ridge was still in the U. S. of A.
A mentor once told me that Oak Ridge had more than it's fair share of educated fools. I never doubted it.
My personal feeling is we need to make this place into the place these folks want to live. That would solve the issue the right way.
A mentor once told me that Oak Ridge had more than it's fair share of educated fools. I never doubted it.
Ah yes... this is true. Nobody take offense. Oak Ridge is my favorite place to live. And the educated fools? You are my people, and I love you because you are mine.
Oak Ridge has a lot to offer, but much is lost in our presentation. Maybe this is a stupid suggestion, but I think cleaning up the eateries located on the main drag might help to encourage new ORNL employees to live here. People travel here to check us out, and they are going to eat here. When they drag their poor tired selves into Hardee's and encounter a filthy mess, they are going to be unhappy. If they go to the Dead Lobster and encounter loud staff and badly prepared food, they are going to be unhappy. If they have a discouraging eating experience two or three times in a row, it can't help but influence the way they view Oak Ridge. We don't need to look like a dirty little run-down hick town.
Of course I have no idea what city council could do about that. Issue a mandate that restaurant staff must get the burger order right sometime before the third try? Require that tables be cleared and wiped regularly? Probably not, but maybe there's a way to persuade the managers to up their standards.
Yes, I know Knoxville is full of dirty fastfood restaurants, but since they have many more restaurants and hotels than we do, they can afford to put up with it. But since our selection is so small, it would be nice if the odds of having an enjoyable dining experience approached greater than 50% -- especially on Illinois and the Turnpike.
It would be nice if more people who worked in Oak Ridge also lived in Oak Ridge. However, it is unrealistic to expect companies to mandate that employees live here.......a lawsuit waiting to happen. But if Oak Ridge had a nice city center with shopping, eating, entertainment and leisure, more concerts on the lawn (for every different taste in music), fun nightclubs that would appeal to a widing ranging crowd, etc. etc. These are the reasons that my family go to Knoxville. If I were a young new resident living in the Bristol Apartments with a 6 month lease, had a new job in OAk Ridge, and was looking to establish my home within that six month period, I would probably end up in Knoxville because that is were my quality time is spent.
One of the biggest challenges that Oak Ridger's face is how to spread this vision among a divided community with opposing views. It's time to get everyone at the table, roll up our sleeves and find consensus (if possible). If we don't do this soon it's going to be too late.......Knoxville, and all of it's amenities, will be just outside our back door on the other side of Solway!
Cowboy, I think you are right. The community needs to come together and reach consensus. No one will get everything they want except for that consensus. Then we can solve real problems.
Tell me this, peoples. Do you want the Oak Ridge Turnpike to become Kingston Pike? Believe me, I want people to choose Oak Ridge. I find it to be paradise. I want to expand retail and the tax base and all the positive things that could make others find it more attractive. But I caution...be careful what you ask for. If you build it they will come. And we better be ready when they do. I love this town the way it is. Even if I have to trek over to Knoxville every now and then. FYI...I like Knoxville and enjoy the bigger city feel on occasion.
I agree with WP. It's a fine line we walk. I'm originally from Dallas and once wondered at how Knoxville only had 1 Turkey Creek while DFW had them at every corner. I now appreciate why that is - because size matters. In fact, that's one of the reasons I chose to move back here instead of there. We may need to remember that Knoxville's population is around 300,000 while OR isn't even a tenth of that. We simply can't support, nor expect, the similarities that some seek.