Oak Ridge Today

Sunset Rotary expands Da Vinci Arts, Science Fair; winners announced today

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In 2016, the Oak Ridge Sunset Rotary Club expanded its annual Da Vinci Arts and Science Fair to include middle school grades. The middle school fair is being held today (Saturday, January 30) at the New Hope Center in Oak Ridge.

Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony in the New Hope Center auditorium at the Y-12 National Security Complex at 3 p.m. Saturday. That will be preceded by an afternoon open house with all entries will be available for viewing. All participants, parents, teachers, and the public are invited to attend.

The middle school grades arts and science fair provides a gateway for students to participate in other regional science fairs. Science project winners in grades 6-8 will qualify to participate in the Junior Division of the Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair to be held in Knoxville April 4-7. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra has free family concert Sunday

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Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra Family Concert

The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra has a free family concert on Sunday, January 31.

The concert was rescheduled because of the weather last week. It starts at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center (the ORHS auditorium).

The ORHS Chamber Orchestra will also play, and children will have a chance to participate in the instrument “petting zoo.”

An event flyer said the concert, “The Thrill of the Orchestra” concert, will feature music from “Star Wars” and “Jurassic Park.” Cellist Jerry Zhou, winner of the 2015 Youth Aliyah Competition, will be a special guest. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Community Band has Showcase Concert on Sunday

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Tanasi-2016

Pictured above are bassonist Ardyce Lee, clarinetist Dave Greenwood, horn player Bill Schwenterly, flutist RaNaye Dreier, and oboist Dana Fox. They are members of the Tanasi Winds Quintet and will perform in the Showcase Concert on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016. (Submitted by Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble)

 

The Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble has a Showcase Concert on Sunday afternoon, January 31.

It’s a good way to usher out a cold and dreary January, organizers said.

The concert starts at 3:30 p.m. Sunday and will be held in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church at 1101 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

“Band members look forward every year to the Showcase Concert because it gives them and area musicians the opportunity to perform in small ensembles showcasing their talents with an array of musical selections including classical, jazz, blues, swing, show tunes, and novelty pieces,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Reminder: Voting ends today for ASAP’s Anderson County Ally of the Year

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Reminder: Voting ends today for the Anderson County Ally of the Year. The contest is sponsored by Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP.

The 2016 candidates are Michael Foster, Becky Grubb, Kim Pouncey, Theresa Scott, and David Vudragovich.

You can donate in support of your candidate by voting at www.ASAPofAnderson.org or by calling (865) 457-3007.

Voting ends Thursday, January 28.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Red Ribbon Rivalry this month, buy ribbon for substance abuse prevention

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ASAP Logo

The 2016 Red Ribbon Rivalry is this month. It’s sponsored by Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP.

This year, in Anderson County, ASAP is holding the Red Ribbon Rivalry during the month of January, culminating on Sunday, January 31. The main goal is to raise funds to prevent and reduce substance abuse here in Anderson County.

Local businesses are competing against each other by selling red ribbons for a $1 donation and displaying them in their businesses to show support for substance abuse prevention. The winning businesses and employees will receive recognition for their efforts as well as individual prizes for the top sales associates. Anderson County High School, Clinton High School, and Oak Ridge High School are also competing this year to see who will be the recipient of the Red Ribbon Rivalry trophy to be displayed at their school for the year. [Read more…]

Technology in our everyday lives the topic at Wednesday meeting

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“Technology for our Everyday Lives” will be the topic at an Altrusa meeting on Wednesday, January 27.

Speaker Dan Thompson, chief technical correspondent for WBIR-TV in Knoxville, will look at how technology can enhance our daily lives, but also how some “unwanteds” may have crept in, a press release said.

Thompson will discuss security for our online lives, as well as some ideas on how to communicate this to children. He’ll cover social media profiles, content filtering for our homes, and how to deal with those annoying phone calls from “Microsoft” insisting that something is wrong with your computer.

As a senior analyst for 451 Research, Thompson provides insight into the multi-tenant datacenter market space. He has spent 15 years as a practitioner in the information technology (IT) industry, the last 10 of which were spent at a top managed/cloud service provider, the press release said. [Read more…]

Pierce to discuss suffrage, Tennessee Women Suffrage Monument during Monday meeting

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Patricia-Pat-Pierce

Patricia “Pat” Pierce

Patricia “Pat” Pierce will speak at the Monday, January 25, meeting of the AAUW, Oak Ridge Branch, and she will discuss “suffrage and the effort to erect a Tennessee Women Suffrage Monument at Legislative Plaza in Nashville,” a press release said.

The meeting starts at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the First Presbyterian Church, Room 102, in the activities wing of the church.

Pierce has been deeply involved in the effort to have the memorial approved, the press release said. On December 15, the Tennessee Capitol Commission unanimously approved the request.

A lunch of soup, sandwiches, and cookies at a cost of $8 will be provided by The Soup Kitchen at 11:30 a.m., with the program beginning at noon. Tea and coffee will be available also. Those attending are welcome also to bring a sack lunch.  Reservations are necessary to reserve a space, however. They may be made by calling Mary Uziel at (865) 483-1043 or Marge Congdon at (865) 483-3120. Those wishing to attend were encouraged to call by Thursday, January 21. [Read more…]

Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday morning

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This year’s first Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday morning. It’s scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, January 25,  in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to discuss the legislative outlook for this session of the Tennessee General Assembly and to respond to questions and hear opinions from the audience. The public is encouraged to attend. A free continental breakfast will be served.

The breakfasts are organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. They are held at the same time and place on the fourth Monday of each month. This year, that will be February 22, March 28, and April 25, or as long as the General Assembly is in session. [Read more…]

Atomic City Sportsmen Club has Martin Luther King Breakfast on Monday

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Jake Morrill

Jake Morrill

The Atomic City Sportsmen has a Martin Luther King Fellowship Breakfast on Monday morning.

It’s the 28th annual breakfast, and it will be on Monday, January 18, at the Oak Valley Baptist Church, which is at 191 Hampton Road in Oak Ridge. The breakfast was previously held at the East Tennessee Family Services Building on Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The program begins at 8 a.m. Monday, and this year’s keynote speaker will be the Reverend Jake Morrill, minister of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. [Read more…]

Learn about volunteering in the Manhattan Project National Park on Thursday

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National-Park-Service-Employees

You can learn more about volunteering for the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a meeting at the Midtown Community Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. National Park Service employees are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

You can learn more about volunteering for the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a meeting at the Midtown Community Center on Thursday.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park-Oak Ridge will host a volunteer opportunities information session starting at 10 a.m. Thursday. It’s scheduled to last until 12 p.m.

The new park, which also includes Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, was formally established on November 10, 2015, in a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C. The signing ceremony featured U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II. [Read more…]

Normally not controversial, this proclamation, recognizing the sanctity of human life, was

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Oak Ridge City Council on July 27, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, approved a proclamation that recognizes Sunday, January 17, as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Ellen Smith, third from right, cast the only vote against the proclamation, saying it was a controversial political statement. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7:48 a.m. Jan. 13.

Proclamations by the Oak Ridge City Council are normally not controversial, but one that passed on Monday was. It was perceived by some as a controversial political statement that entered the abortion debate.

The proclamation recognizes Sunday, January 17, as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. It says Tennessee residents “aspire to honor the dignity and worth of every person and to defend the sacredness of each human life.” Also, the proclamation says Tennessee residents care for “society’s weakest and most vulnerable, including the infirm, the elderly, and the unborn,” and no person shall be deprived of his life, liberty, or property.

The question of what rights to grant to the unborn or fetuses can be controversial because of the impact they might have on abortion rights. There is also considerable debate about when life begins.

Tim-Stallings

Tim Stallings

Tim Stallings, executive director of Choices Resource Center in Oak Ridge, requested the City Council proclamation, and he did not think it weighed in on the political debate.

“It’s not just about the unborn,” Stallings said. “It’s about people with infirmities, the elderly.”

He said the day started with former President Ronald Reagan and has been recognized by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Reagan established National Sanctity of Human Life Day on Sunday, January 22, 1984, the 11th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the still-controversial Supreme Court decision that granted women the right to an abortion in 1973.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is on the third Sunday in January, near the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. [Read more…]

Dine and Donate in 2016 starts Monday, raises money for ADFAC

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Cande Seay

Cande Seay

Dine and Donate, a popular fundraiser for Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, launches its 2016 season on Monday, January 11, at five local restaurants.

“Dine and Donate is a great way for local residents to try new restaurants or visit their favorites,” said Dine and Donate Chair Cande Seay. “Last year, hundreds of local families and over 20 restaurants came together to raise thousands of dollars to support ADFAC’s mission.”

On Dine and Donate Mondays (the second Monday of each month), local restaurants donate a significant portion of their daily sales to ADFAC. Restaurants participating on Monday, January 11, are Hoskins and Riverview Grill in Clinton, and Mediterranean Delight, Papa Murphy’s, and Razzleberry’s in Oak Ridge.

Several business and media sponsors have also stepped up to support Dine and Donate 2016, including Oak Ridge Today, Leidos, UT-Battelle, Enrichment Federal Credit Union, J&M’s Butcher Shop, and Randy Mcfarland-State Farm Agent, a press release said. [Read more…]