Oak Ridge Today

Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival returning to Oak Ridge

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Lyn Ford, Bil Lepp, and Rev. Robert B. Jones (Images courtesy Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival)

The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival will return to the Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge with nationally acclaimed storytellers Lyn Ford, Bil Lepp, and Rev. Robert B. Jones on June 2 and 3.

“Well-known to audiences throughout the country for their wit and wisdom, these three performers are guaranteed to make audiences laugh, cry, and reminisce,” a press release said. “The storytellers will perform different stories at each show on both days. In addition, two special workshops will be offered to precede the performances.”

The Friday, June 2, performance will be at 7 p.m. The next day, Saturday, June 3, will feature a memorable family show at 10 a.m. and shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children for each show, except for the June 3 Family Show at 10 a.m. Tickets for that show are $10 for adults and $5 for children. For the Flatwater Tales website, click here.

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City brush pickup continues

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The annual citywide brush pickup program continues this week. During the program, which began May 8, tree limbs and bagged yard clippings/leaves will be picked up.  

City collection efforts will follow the accompanying schedule as closely as possible, a press release said. The proposed schedule is a general guide and can vary considerably from the actual schedule due to weather conditions and/or the amount of participation by residents.

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ORAU employees donate more than 300 pounds of toys and household items to Holiday Bureau

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ORAU donation to Holiday Bureau (Submitted photo)

ORAU employees recently dropped off 337 pounds of toys, holiday decorations, and household items that were donated during their annual recycling event to the Holiday Bureau.

The ORAU recycling event is held over two days and gives employees an opportunity to recycle their technotrash, batteries, medication, and other household items. An additional aspect of the event is the chance for employees to donate gently used items, diverting these items from the landfill, and giving them to local families in need, a press release said. Employees collected more than 10,000 pounds of recyclables and donations at the event, and 337 of those went to the Holiday Bureau. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge hosting three regattas this month

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A mural by artist Megan Lingerfelt is pictured above on the Oak Ridge Rowing Association boathouse at Melton Lake Park. (Photo courtesy Jim Dodson)

Oak Ridge is in the middle of hosting three championship regattas this month.

The regattas began May 12-14 with the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship. SMU (Southern Methodist University) of Dallas won all four races at the AAC Women’s Rowing Championship and captured the team title for the third consecutive season, according to Rowing News. The Mustangs finished with 168 points to finish first, while Tulsa placed second with 140. UCF (University of Central Florida) was third with 112 points.

Those three teams were in the top three last year also, with SMU, the champion, powering away from UCF and Tulsa in an intense matchup, a press release said.

This weekend’s regatta is the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) Championship.

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Guided paddle trip on Melton Hill Lake on Sunday

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A guided scenic paddle trip on Melton Hill Lake from Clark Center Park is scheduled for Sunday, April 30.

It will begin at the Clark Center Park boat ramp, a press release said. After paddling across the lake, there will be a stop at Knox County’s Melton Lake Park, where Knox County is sponsoring a weekend camporee. Along the way, participants can pick up and haul back manageable trash, a press release said. [Read more…]

Ernie’s Creek cleanup is Saturday

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Several organizations and volunteers will be cleaning up a section of Ernie’s Creek in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

The cleanup is hosted by the National Ecological Observatory Network (Domain 07 Appalachians and Cumberland Plateau), in partnership with Oak Ridge Healthy Waters and the Adopt-A-Stream program.

“The event aims to provide an opportunity for our office and the greater community of Oak Ridge to work together to reduce the impacts of accumulated garbage in a local creek,” a press release said. “Work gloves, safety vests, trash bags, etc. will be provided along with extra water for hydration.”

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DOE asks for public comment about ETTP groundwater decision

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The U.S. Department of Energy has asked for public comment about a proposed plan to reduce groundwater contamination in the main plant area of East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge.

Comments are for an interim record of decision. There will be a public meeting Tuesday evening in Oak Ridge.

“The proposed plan identifies enhanced in situ bioremediation (EISB) as DOE’s preferred alternative to remediate six specific areas of groundwater in the main plant area of the East Tennessee Technology Park,” DOE said in a public notice distributed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. “EISB is a method that involves using microorganisms to reduce contamination levels in these specific areas of groundwater. For these six areas, workers have excavated, or will excavate, the primary sources of contamination, as specified in the Record of Decision for Soil, Buried Waste, and Subsurface Structure Actions in Zone 2, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (DOE/OR/01-2161&D2).

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Governor appoints new chancellor in Anderson County

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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has appointed Wartburg attorney Jamie Brooks as chancellor for the Seventh Judicial District in Anderson County.

The vacancy was created when former Chancellor M. Nichole “Nicki” Cantrell, the county’s first female chancellor, resigned in January.

“Jamie is a highly qualified attorney who will bring significant legal experience to the Seventh Judicial District,” Lee said in a press release last week. “I appreciate his leadership and am confident he will serve Tennesseans with integrity.”

Brooks is currently a solo practitioner at Wilson and Brooks, and he has more than 37 years of varied legal expertise, including real property law, family law, wills and estates, and criminal defense, the press release said. His law firm page said he has has also practiced divorce, personal injury, elder, appellate, and real estate law.

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Breakfast with Legislators on Monday

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The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will host Breakfast with the Legislators on Monday, April 24.

The breakfast is scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Senators Randy McNally and Ken Yager and representatives John Ragan and Monty Fritts have been invited to provide updates about what’s happening in the Tennessee General Assembly, which is the state legislature. Members of the audience may ask questions and give opinions, a press release said. A light continental breakfast is provided at no charge. The public is encouraged to attend.

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Two championship regattas in Oak Ridge this month

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Two championship regattas have been at the Oak Ridge Marina this month.

The first was the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championship Regatta on April 15-16.

The second is the Dogwood Junior Championship Regatta this weekend, April 22-23.

The regattas are hosted by the Oak Ridge Rowing Association.

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MCLinc donation funds ramp for Children’s Museum

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Barry Stephenson, left, Michele Sanders and Beth Shea stand on steps leading to the World of Trains exhibit in the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. A ramp funded by Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc. will be built here later this year. (Submitted photo)

Submitted

Barry Stephenson believes the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is one of the city’s treasures.
The laboratory he leads, employee-owned Materials & Chemistry Laboratory Inc. (MCLinc), wants to make sure this treasure continues to serve children and families well. MCLinc recently made a $50,000 contribution to fund the final ramp needed to make the interior of the historic Children’s Museum building accessible for strollers and those with disabilities.

The ramp will meet standards of the Americans for Disabilities Act, which describes what is needed for a building to be physically accessible to persons with disabilities. The ramp will connect the Selma Shapiro Wing of the Museum to the next level housing the World of Trains exhibit. [Read more…]

ORNL Credit Union president retiring

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ORNL Federal Credit Union President and Chief Executive Officer Colin Anderson plans to retire September 30. Anderson has been president and CEO since July 2015, and he has informed the ORNL FCU Board of Directors and employees of his intention to retire.

The board has hired D. Hilton Associates of The Woodlands, Texas, to lead the executive search efforts, a press release said.

“The credit union consulting firm is an industry leader in executive search recruitment,” the press release said. “Anderson will work with D. Hilton and the ORNL FCU Board on a smooth transition of leadership.”

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