Oak Ridge Today

City manager Watson to discuss ‘state of city’ on Tuesday

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Mark Watson

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson will present his annual “State of the City” during Lunch with the League on Tuesday.

The meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Watson has served as Oak Ridge city manager since August 2010. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration and city management from the University of Kansas. In 2019, he received his doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

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Guidebook highlights Oak Ridge’s natural assets

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Oak Ridge Natural Assets Guidebook
Image by Legacy Parks Foundation

A new guidebook highlights Oak Ridge’s natural assets.

The “Oak Ridge Natural Assets Guidebook” by Legacy Parks Foundation is a collaborative project created at the request of the City of Oak Ridge, Roane County, and Anderson County civic and business leaders, a press release said. It’s in response to recommendations from the Oak Ridge Blueprint Plan that urged the exploration of both recreational opportunities and enhancement of the area’s natural assets.

“The Guidebook is intended to be a living, working document that will serve as a philosophical and practical set of guidelines for how to maximize the area’s natural assets so that they provide a sustainable foundation to engage residents, promote wellness, attract tourism, and increase economic development,” said Carol Evans, executive director of Legacy Parks Foundation.

The Guidebook identifies natural assets and related opportunities on public land in Oak Ridge, including U.S. Department of Energy land, but it does not consider future uses of that land for mission-related or growth purposes, Evans said.

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Applications open March 1 for Community Action Grants from Breakfast Rotary Club

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The application process opens March 1 for the 2020 Community Action Grants from the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club.

The Community Action grants are open to nonprofit groups to help with special projects or initiatives of their organizations, a press release said.

In 2019, the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club awarded a combined total of $20,000 in Community Action Grants to 13 recipient organizations, the press release said. [Read more…]

Winter Farmers’ Market moves to different room this Saturday only

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The Winter Farmers’ Market. (Photo courtesy Grow Oak Ridge)

The Winter Farmers’ Market will be in the Social Hall, rather than the gym, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Saturday, February 22, a press release said. The Social Hall is in the basement of the church chapel.

The market is open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., through March 28. It has free entry and free parking.

“We have the same great farmers and bakers, just a different room this week,” said market director Rebecca Williams. The move to the different room is only for this week.

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Experience world cultures at Children’s Museum International Festival

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Folk dancers representing many cultures around the world will be among entertainers at the International Festival on Saturday, February 29, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

The family-friendly International Festival will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from many countries, with musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day and crafts for children to make and take home. The festival entertainment will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Februar 29 at the Children’s Museum at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge.

Entertainers include the Oak Ridge International Folk Dancers; Spice of India Dancers; Kinetics Wellness Studio, with instructor Katrien Sevrin and students presenting contemporary Egyptian dance; Pasión Flamenca, performing flamenco and Spanish folk dances; the Meriaki Greek Dancers from St. George Greek Orthodox Church; the Tennessee Irish Dancers; Debka and the Oasis Dancers; National Martial Arts, demonstrating martial arts with audience participation; and the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee, along with the University of Tennessee Japanese Program. [Read more…]

Nature walks scheduled on Oak Ridge Reservation

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Narrow leaved spring beauties are found on the Oak Ridge Reservation. (Submitted photo)

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On the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Reservation, located in East Tennessee, more than 1,100 vascular plants, 72 fish, 34 mammals, and more than 200 bird species have been observed.

This year, the public is invited to nine nature walks designed to highlight not only the rich flora and fauna diversity of the reservation, but also to demonstrate the work being done to sustainably manage and conserve this resource. Walks will take place on several locations across the Oak Ridge Reservation beginning in late winter through mid-summer. No pets, please.

Reservations for the following events must be made in advance by noon the Thursday prior to each walk by contacting Tracy Clem at (865) 574-5151 or bodinetm@ornl.gov. More information about these walks is available by contacting Trent Jett at (865) 574-9188 or jettrt@ornl.gov.

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Community Unity Celebration continues

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Local organizations and congregations are offering opportunities for residents of Oak Ridge and surrounding areas to get to know each other and build community, a press release said.

The Community Unity Celebration kicked off with the Human Rights Rally on Saturday, January 18, and it will end with the World Day of Prayer on Friday, March 6.

“Please join us as you can!” the press release said.

Here is a calendar of events:

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Family Justice Center to be discussed Tuesday

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Melissa-Miller-Dave-Clark
Pictured above are Melissa Miller and District Attorney General David Clark when Clark signed the grant acceptance form enabling Anderson County to establish the Family Justice Center. (Submitted photo)

The Lunch with the League program on Tuesday, February 18, will feature Melissa Miller, site coordinator of the new Anderson County Family Justice Center, and Detective Wendy Zolkowski of the Oak Ridge Police Department.

The Anderson County Family Justice Center will open in July 2020, a press release said.

“Miller and Zolkowski are working together to set up a world-class center that will provide a combination of services and interventions available in one location to help victims of child abuse, elder abuse, and domestic violence,” the press release said. “The Center will help victims break the cycle of violence and become thriving survivors by providing access to onsite professionals who will assist them in making this transition. The Center will be a free and confidential resource for clients.”

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Free backyard mushroom workshop Saturday at Winter Farmers Market

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Geordie Schmidt
Geordie Schmidt of Oak Ridge holds a giant wine cap mushroom, grown in a mulch bed in his family’s backyard. Geordie’s father, Jason Schmidt, will be hosting a free workshop at the Winter Farmers’ Market on Growing Backyard Mushrooms, Sat., Feb. 15, 2020, at 11 a.m. The market is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the gym at St. Mary’s School, 323 Vermont Ave., Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

The Winter Farmers’ Market will offer a free workshop about “Growing Backyard Mushrooms” on Saturday, February 15, at 11 a.m. at the Winter Farmers’ Market, which is in the gym at St. Mary’s School at 323 Vermont Avenue in Oak Ridge. The market is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, and the workshop is in the back room of the market.

“Oak Ridge is a great place to grow mushrooms,” said Jason Schmidt, who will be presenting the workshop. “They don’t need a lot of room, and they love shady, wooded areas, which we have in abundance.”

Participants will be able to sign up for a “Mushroom Inoculation Station” offered March 7, in which they can make their own shiitake mushroom log at the market.

The Winter Farmers’ Market features 30 local farmers, bakers, and artisans, and it is open every Saturday through March 28. 

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Oak Ridge Orchestra, violist to pay tribute to trailblazing black, African American composers

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Derek Reeves

The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra with special guest violist Derek Reeves will pay tribute to trailblazing black and African American composers in Musical Firsts on Sunday.

The concert is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Sunday, February 9, in the Historic Grove Theater at 123 Randolph Road in Oak Ridge. Tickets are available at ORCMA.org, by phone at (865) 483-5569, or at The Ferrell Shop in Jackson Square. Tickets are also available at the door. Prices are $25 for adults, $10 for young adults ages 19-29, and free for youth 18 and younger through the Penny4Arts initiative.

The orchestra will perform music by acclaimed composers Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, William Grant Still, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and Jessie Montgomery. Reeves, the soloist, will be featured in the music by Still and also the “Viola Concerto” by Georg Friedrich Telemann before leading area viola students in a master class, a press release said.

“I’ve known Derek since he was a talented undergraduate student at Indiana University,” said Music Director Dan Allcott. “Now a seasoned professional, Derek belongs to that special category of musicians who has the ability to cross multiple boundaries and musical genres to engage all audiences. Oak Ridgers are in for a treat.”

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Dine and Donate to help ADFAC on Monday, Feb. 10

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The Soup Kitchen features eight soups each day. Monday’s selections include chili, hearty vegetable, and gratin Savoyard. (Submitted photo)

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Punxsutawney Phil might think early spring is on the way, but there is still plenty of time to enjoy your favorite winter weather comfort foods and help local families!

On Monday, February 10, leave the cooking to ADFAC’s Dine & Donate partners. On that day, participating restaurants will donate a portion of sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC).

February’s featured Dine & Donate supporter is the Soup Kitchen, located in Jackson Square. Although spectacular any time of year, there’s nothing quite like a hot bowl of homemade soup to disrupt winter’s chill. In addition to soup, the Soup Kitchen also offers a variety of in-house baked bread, sandwiches, salads, and desserts. [Read more…]

Free urban gardening workshop on Saturday

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Jason Schmidt presented “Making Simple Worm Bins,” a free workshop at the Winter Farmers’ Market recently. The market is offering another free workshop Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020, on urban gardening, by Jacob Resor of Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum. (Submitted photo)

The Winter Farmers’ Market will offer a free workshop on urban gardening in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

The workshop will start at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 8. It will be presented by Jacob Resor, manager of the Center for Urban Agriculture at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum. Resor will talk about how KBG maintains a series of community gardens that help people grow food for themselves and others.

The workshop is located at the Winter Farmers’ Market, which is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March 28. The market is in the gym at St. Mary’s School at 323 Vermont Avenue in Oak Ridge. Previous free workshops at the market have included “Making Simple Worm Bins” and “Healthy Eating on a Budget,” a press release said.

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