Oak Ridge Today

Second Dragon Boat Festival scheduled for May 30

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Four Dragon Boats

Dragon boats at the first Oak Ridge Dragon Boat Festival on May 31, 2014, at Melton Lake Park. (Submitted photo)

 

The second annual Oak Ridge Dragon Boat Festival will be held Saturday, May 30, at the Oak Ridge Marina and Pavilion in Melton Lake Park. The annual festival was launched a year ago by the three Rotary clubs of Oak Ridge.

This year, the festival will be preceded by an evening social event and beer garden on Friday, May 29, at the park. For the dragon boat paddlers and other visitors from out of town, the host hotel is Comfort Inn of Oak Ridge.

The festival’s organizing committee is headed by Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge. Chairs and members of the steering committee and subcommittees are members of this club, the Breakfast Club, and the Sunset Club. [Read more…]

Regional Prevent Child Abuse manager to discuss Healthy Families, Healthy Start

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Susan Moore of Healthy Start

Susan Moore

Susan Moore, program manager for the East Tennessee region of Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee, will be the featured speaker at a February meeting of Women’s Interfaith Dialogue of Oak Ridge.

Moore will discuss “Healthy Families, Healthy Start: A home-visiting program promoting the well-being of children.”

The meeting will start at 11 a.m. Monday, February 2, in the Entry Forum of the Jewish Congregation at 101 West Madison Lane. [Read more…]

Breakfast with Legislators kicks off Monday

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

John Ragan

John Ragan

This year’s Breakfast with the Legislators kicks off Monday.

Breakfast with the Legislators is a monthly morning meeting with state legislators from Oak Ridge and Anderson and Roane counties. It’s held the first few months each year while the Tennessee General Assembly is in session in Nashville.

It includes brief updates of the legislative session from local legislators and a question-and-answer session with those who attend. It’s open to the public. [Read more…]

Free Family Symphony Sunday features guest violinist Hannah Shipstad

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Hannah Shipstad

Hannah Shipstad

Special guest violinist Hannah Shipstad, 11-year-old winner of the Youth Aliyah competition in Oak Ridge, will play as a soloist with the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra during its free family concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

Hannah will join the orchestra in “Spring” from “Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi. A small symphony orchestra will also perform the musical story of “Peter and the Wolf,” by Sergei Prokofiev.

The Children’s Museum, at 461 West Outer Drive, is offering free admission from 1-5 p.m. Sunday to support the concert. Children are invited to come early for paper puppet making and instrument making beginning at 2 p.m. at the museum. [Read more…]

Earthquake lecture: Can ‘the big one’ happen here?

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Robert D. Hatcher Jr.

Robert D. Hatcher Jr.

Could we have a major earthquake in East Tennessee? Do we live in an active seismic zone?

These and many other questions will be answered by Robert Hatcher, University of Tennessee distinguished scientist, at a lecture sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society on Thursday, January 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the City Room at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge.

Due to popular demand, Hatcher is again returning to address these and other questions about earthquake activity in our area, a press release said.

Hatcher will discuss whether earthquakes are frequent in our area, and he will also discuss the chances of experiencing a strong quake. [Read more…]

Barbeque and Bluegrass Bash on Feb. 21 helps abused, neglected children

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Ridge City Ramblers

The Ridge City Ramblers will play at the 12th Annual Barbeque and Bluegrass Bash, a February 21 fundraiser for CASA of the Tennessee Heartland. (File photo)

 

The 12th Annual Barbeque and Bluegrass Bash in February will feature food, music, and entertainment, and it will raise money to help abused and neglected children in Anderson, Blount, and Scott counties.

It’s a fundraiser for CASA of the Tennessee Heartland. This year’s bash is at 6 p.m. Saturday, February 21, at a new venue—205 Main Street in Clinton.

A full barbecue buffet dinner will be provided along with decadent desserts, a press release said. Silent and live auctions will include vacation packages, Raku Pottery from Bill Capshaw, fine jewelry, and many baskets and packages of interest. [Read more…]

Photos: Community leaders sleep outside to raise awareness of homelessness

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Pastor Steve Sherman with Homeless Sign

Pastor Steve Sherman of First Christian Church is pictured above at a camp-out on a cold Thursday night at First United Methodist Church that was intended to raise awareness of homelessness. (Photos by James Lewis) 

 

Several community leaders camped out Thursday night at First United Methodist Church to raise awareness of homelessness. The volunteers also collected linens and personal care items for the upcoming Warming Center project and brought attention to the need for volunteers to help with the Point in Time Count.

Here are photos by James Lewis.

The community was invited to come out to support the sleep-out participants from 6-7 p.m. Thursday (January 15), and local homeless providers were expected to talk about their agencies and what they are providing to homeless individuals in the community. [Read more…]

Relay for Life kickoff scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 29

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American Cancer Society Relay for Life

The kickoff for this year’s Relay for Life of Oak Ridge is scheduled for Thursday evening, January 29.

During the kickoff, volunteers and participants will launch fundraising efforts for 2015. The kickoff will be at the Holiday Inn Express at 114 Tulsa Road from 5:30-7 p.m. January 29.

Anyone interested in learning more about this event and current team captains/members is invited to attend, a press release said. [Read more…]

Free family concert Sunday features ‘Peter and the Wolf,’ ‘Spring’

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Martha Damiano

The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra will present “Peter and the Wolf” and Vivaldi’s “Spring” in a free family concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, January 25, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

Children are invited to come early for paper puppet making and instrument making beginning at 2 p.m. at the museum at 461 West Outer Drive. The museum is offering free admission from 1-5 p.m. Sunday to support the concert.

Puppets from the “Peter and the Wolf” story are in the Anna Cebrat Puppet Room at the museum, where children may act out the story in the puppet theater in the week leading up to the concert. [Read more…]

Cold hands, warm hearts: Leaders to sleep outside to raise awareness of homelessness

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Several community leaders will spend the night of Thursday, January 15, sleeping outside at First United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge to raise awareness of homelessness and to collect linens and personal care items for the upcoming Warming Center project and bring attention to the need for volunteers to help with the Point in Time Count.

The community is invited to participate by coming out to support the sleep-out participants from 6-7 p.m. Thursday. There will be a free soup dinner. All community members are invited to attend.

Local homeless providers will be present to talk about their agencies and what they are providing to homeless individuals in our community. Information on the warming center project and the Point in Time Count will also be available. [Read more…]

ORAU, MCLinc donate services to Emory Valley Center Capital Campaign

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ORAU Survey Team

An environmental survey team from ORAU partnered with Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc. to provide sampling and laboratory analysis for Emory Valley Center, which is in the initial stages of demolishing an old building on its campus to make room for a new facility. The ORAU survey team consisting of Tim Vitkus, Adam Kirthlink, Jason Lee, Daniel Edds, Evan Harpeneau, and Mark Berkheimer donated their time and performed sampling to identify any contaminants that may be present at the site. (Submitted photo)

 

Oak Ridge Associated Universities and Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc. recently joined together to donate a total of $9,000 in services to Emory Valley Center in support of their Capital Campaign for a new facility.

The new building will incorporate many features to enhance the lives of people with disabilities being served, including a Job Training Center, Life Enrichment Classrooms, Adult Day Center, Medical Clinic, Speech, Physical and Occupational Services, Gym, and more, a press release said.

An environmental survey team from ORAU partnered with Oak Ridge-based Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc., or MCLinc, to provide sampling and laboratory analysis for Emory Valley Center, which is in the initial stages of demolishing an old building on its campus to make room for the new facility. [Read more…]

ORNL Federal Credit Union raises $65K for United Way

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ORNL FCU Donation to United Way

Pictured above from left to right are Chris Outland (ORNL FCU title services manager), Lydia Birk (2014 UWAC campaign chair), Ben Jones (ORNL FCU Maryville Branch manager), and Bethany Rush (branch floater). (Photo courtesy United Way)

 

ORNL Federal Credit Union raised $64,861 for the United Way of Anderson County’s annual giving campaign, bringing the total for the last two years to more than $131,000, a press release said.

“At ORNL Federal Credit Union, we are committed to making a difference by giving back and helping to improve the quality of life for others in our communities,” said Colin Anderson, ORNL FCU executive vice president and chief financial officer. “An investment in the United Way is an investment in our community.”

Donations to UWAC are an investment in the community, a United Way press release said. [Read more…]