Area Briefs

Hartley receives distinguished military operations award

Dean S. Hartley III, president of Hartley Consulting in Oak Ridge, has received the Clayton J. Thomas Award, an annual distinguished award of the Military Operations Research Society (MORS).

Hartley worked for 15 years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory carrying out and leading national security operations research projects, according to a news release.

The Thomas award recognizes an individual who has made sustained, positive and meaningful contributions to the field of military and national security operations research by sharing knowledge, experience and mentorship with others in the field and by providing sound, applied insights to decision makers. Thomas was one of the original directors and a president of MORS, which was founded in 1966.

For more than 50 years Hartley has been involved in a variety of research projects but most of his research has focused on national security. He served four years on active duty in the U.S. Army supporting Joint Staff modeling and simulation requirements in the Pentagon before joining ORNL.

He has served MORS by offering informal advice and formal presentations at numerous MORS conferences, as well as conferences of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), which he served as director in 2001-02 and vice president in 2003. He was president of the Military and Security Society (MAS) from 1993 to 1995.

Accepting applications for artists

The Appalachian Arts Craft Center (AACC) is accepting applications for artists interested in selling their handmade arts and crafts at the AACC.

Interested artists should submit their completed application, three samples of their work, and a nonrefundable $25 jurying fee by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, for the jurying process. Visit www.appalachianarts.net or the AACC for an application.

Caughman to lead study on 'The Artist’s Way'

Julia Cameron’s best-selling book, "The Artist’s Way," explores the creative process as a means of both accessing a deeper part of ourselves and connecting with the spiritual, according to a news release from the Rev. Jenny Caughman. Through sharing what she has learned as a person and a teacher, as well as insightful questions, Cameron examines our creativity and helps readers to better understand that which can foster and hinder creative expression. Her approach is accessible, meaningful, and effective. Since its original publication in 1992 over four million copies have been sold and authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) sing its praises. With all the changes and challenges in our world many of us are craving a connection with something deeper, something greater than ourselves. While all artists are creative people, not all creative people are artists; the creative process is open to people of all backgrounds, interests and abilities yet many of us are uncertain of how to access and foster our creativity.

The Rev. Jenny Caughman will be leading a 13-week book study of "The Artist’s Way," starting Sept. 15.

Jenny has led several "Artist’s Way" groups, and holds master’s degrees in both music therapy and divinity.

The group will be meeting at Roane State Community College on Thursday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. For more information or to register, contact Jenny at jcaughman@fumcor.org.

NAMI meets online Tuesday

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) will be holding its monthly

With Hope in Mind support group meeting on at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, via Zoom. The meeting is open to the family members and loved ones of those

living with a mental illness. It will be facilitated by two trained

NAMI leaders. There is no cost to attend.

This will be a full support group meeting, according to a news release.

The steering committee meets on the third Monday of each month at 7

p.m. via Zoom. (Sept. 19) Anyone is welcome to join and learn

more about Oak Ridge National Alliance on Mental Illness,

volunteering, or joining.

For more information and to sign up for the meetings email namioakridge865@gmail.com or call Kathy at

(865) 466-1234.

Tour an Oak Ridge 'Prairie Pocket' Saturday

See September blooms at an outing at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10.

There will be blazing star (two species), big bluestem, Indian grass, black-eyed Susans, white crownbeard, butterfly milkweed, grey headed coneflowers, false aloe, whorled milkweed, woodland sunflower, lespedeza, rose pink, whorled rosinweed, and golden asters. Larry Pounds is the leader of this approximately 1.5-mile easy walk with occasional rough trail surfaces, according to a news release.

This event, co-sponsored by Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, Tennessee Native Plant Society, and Wild Ones, will be at the Oak Ridge Barrens adjacent to Jefferson Middle School, 200 Fairbanks Road. The barren is a small property that supports at least three Tennessee rare plant species: prairie goldenrod (Solidago ptarmicoides), naked-stem sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis), and Torrey’s mountain mint (Pycnanthemum torreyi). Torrey’s mountain mint is not only rare in Tennessee, but considered globally imperiled by NatureServe. TCWP has managed the Barrens for 26 years; volunteer workdays there continue to control exotic and native woody, invasive plant species that threaten the integrity of the prairie pockets and to create additional habitat for barrens vegetation.

Participants should bring water, a lunch, and bug spray. Participants will meet in the parking lot at the school, next to the baseball diamond off Fairbanks Road. RSVP to Larry Pounds at (865) 705-8516 or via email at PoundsL471@aol.com.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Area Briefs