Oak Ridge Today

Methodist church has Oct. 30 fundraising festival for Second Harvest

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Canned Food Labyrinth

Pictured above is a food labyrinth like the one that will be constructed at a Harvest Festival at First United Methodist Church on Oct. 30. (Submitted photo)

A fall festival at the end of this month will raise money for Second Harvest Food Bank.

The annual Harvest Festival is scheduled from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, on the front lawn of First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge.

Children are encouraged to wear a costume and celebrate with crafts, games, inflatables, and face painting, a press release said.

Second Harvest is East Tennessee’s local food bank. [Read more…]

Choral concert at ORUUC tonight celebrates National Coming Out Day

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In celebration of National Coming Out Day, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church will present a choral concert headlined by the Knoxville Gay Men’s Chorus, under the direction of Freddie Brabson. The concert is at 7 p.m. today at ORUUC. Tickets are $5.

Proceeds will go to the Gay/Straight Alliance at Oak Ridge High School. ORUUC is located at 1500 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

There will also be featured performances by musicians from other area Unitarian Universalist churches, including the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church choir, the new Foothills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship choir, ORUUC’s own Mighty Choir, as well as musical selections from members of The Westside Unitarian Universalist Church. [Read more…]

Grace Lutheran Church has pet fest, blessing on Saturday

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Pet Fest and Blessing

Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge has its 12th annual Pet Fest and Blessing from 1-5 p.m. Saturday. (Submitted photo)

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Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge will have its 12th annual Pet Fest and Blessing from 1-5 p.m. Saturday. The church is located at 131 W. Gettysburg Ave., and parking will be available at the church or in the Woodland Elementary School parking lot behind the church. (Follow the pink puppy paw print signs!)

“Gather up your leashes or carriers and schedule a grooming for your pets to look their best,” a press release said. “Then bring them, one and all, to enjoy an afternoon of fun with you.”

Admission is free, and you can have a free picture taken with your pets too, the release said. If you come early, there will be a pet walk around the area at 12:30 p.m. If you’d like, you also can have your pet implanted with a microchip, courtesy of Dr. Paul Szluha of McArthur Animal Hospital, for a $20 fee. Proceeds from this, above the costs, will be donated to the Heifer Project. [Read more…]

Crossroads Ministry director to discuss helping young, at-risk single mothers

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The director of Crossroads Ministry will discuss how the agency helps young, at-risk single mothers from Anderson and surrounding counties during a Friday morning presentation.

Cora Rhew, founder and executive director of Crossroads Ministry, will explain how her agency helps the mothers face the challenges of mothering while learning to set goals, make good decisions, and develop job skills, a press release said. Rhew will share news about the progress of transitional housing for at-risk single mothers, the release said. She will also talk about the court-ordered training that her agency provides to single parents, both men and women, in the greater Anderson County area. [Read more…]

Namoli Brennet in concert at Unitarian Universalist Church

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Namoli Brennet

Namoli Brennet

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Dubbed “one of the best folk-rock artists in the country,” transgender artist Namoli Brennet will be in concert at 7 p.m. Friday at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church.

The church is located at 1500 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Tickets are $12 or $10 for students and may be purchased at the door or online at www.oruuc.org/events/. [Read more…]

Drumming, spirituality workshop set for Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church


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Matt Meyer

Matt Meyer

A drumming and spirituality workshop has been scheduled for Sept. 15 at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Drums will be available, or you can bring your own. The workshop will be led by Matt Meyer, and it starts at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15.

The workshop is open to people of all skill levels, and it will include instruction on basic techniques, as well as information on the origins of percussion instruments from around the world, a press release said. Participants will also experience the spirituality of community music-making through stories, games, and discussions. [Read more…]

Altrusa launches weekly meeting of international women on Sept. 12

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Around the World Hands and Globe

Altrusa International of Oak Ridge will launch a weekly gathering of international women called Women of the World, or WOW, on Thursday, Sept. 12. The gathering will welcome women from countries around the world who are interested in making friends, practicing English, and learning more about Oak Ridge and its resources.

The group will hold its first meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, in Room 102 of the Activities Building of the First Presbyterian Church, 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike at Lafayette Drive, for the beginning of a 12-week program this fall and winter. [Read more…]

Forum next week to focus on separation of church and state

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Paul Sharkey

Paul W. Sharkey

The separation of church and state will be the focus of a forum and panel discussion next week in Oak Ridge.

The forum starts at 2 p.m. Sept. 9 at Grace Covenant Church in the Trinity Center on Robertsville Road. It will be led by Paul W. Sharkey, a professor emeritus of philosophy and religion, a press release said.

Sharkey’s presentation is titled “Separation of Church and State: Protect Your Religious Freedom.” He will discuss the country’s founders and their position on the issue, the Constitution’s First Amendment, and the challenges to the amendment that have continued from colonial times to the present day, the release said. [Read more…]

St. Mary’s Fall Festival in Oak Ridge in October

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Information from WYSH Radio

The 63rd Annual St. Mary’s Fall Festival has been scheduled for Oct. 4-5. The festival is not only a tradition for St. Mary’s Parish, but one the entire community looks forward to yearly, a press release said.

The kick-off for this year’s festival will be the 2nd Annual Road Rally. This is a competition of driving accuracy and will test the team’s skills of time, speed, and distance. Teams will be made up a driver and a navigator, and prizes will be awarded to the top three teams. A gathering of all participants will follow. The date for the Road Rally is yet to be announced. [Read more…]

Community-wide, 100-mile potluck at First Presbyterian on Sunday

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Farmers Market

Vegetables from the Farmers Market in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

First Presbyterian Church will host a 100-Mile Potluck meal from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday on its soccer field off Lafayette Drive. The field is behind the sanctuary building at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Everyone in the Oak Ridge community is invited to bring a dish for six to eight people, a press release said. Attendees are encouraged to bring plates and utensils, as well as lawn chairs or comfortable blankets to sit on. Drinks will be provided. [Read more…]

Free community meal at ORUUC this evening

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ORUUC Community Meal

Poppy Sherline and her father Todd at a recent Stone Soup Ministry meal. The two are part of the team of regular volunteers who lend a hand at the ORUUC free monthly community meal. (Submitted photo)

Everyone is welcome to come to a free community meal at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church this evening, a press release said.

Tonight’s menu includes Southwestern bean salad, tortilla chips, chocolate chip granola bars, and icy cold watermelon. Dine-in or take-out will be available from 5 to 6 p.m.

ORUUC is located at 1500 Oak Ridge Turnpike (traffic light number 11) in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

‘Do the math’ about fossil fuels, global warming, activist says

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Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben

Since April 21, environmental activist Bill McKibben’s “Do the Math” movie has been shown around the nation and world. Its message is that catastrophic climate change looms large this century if fossil fuel use is not restricted.

In Oak Ridge, the movie has been shown several times at First Presbyterian Church, which is sponsoring McKibben’s lecture on Sunday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center. The movie can be downloaded from McKibben’s grassroots organization www.350.org.

The author of two classics of environmental literature, “The End of Nature,” and “Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet,” McKibben had the movie made after 350.org’s successful “Do the Math” tour of cities last fall. “Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math,” McKibben’s article a year ago in Rolling Stone magazine, inspired the tour. [Read more…]