Oak Ridge Today

UT Arboretum Society has monthly hike on Saturday

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Photo courtesy University of Tennessee Arboretum Society

Photo courtesy University of Tennessee Arboretum Society

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s monthly hike for June will be held Saturday, June 16, at the UT Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue. The hike is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Saturday.

“The weather is warm, and this is a great time to spend outdoors,” a press release said. “Learn about the UT Arboretum’s trails on this short trail hike (1 to 1.5 hours).”

This hike will be held outdoors and will be led by a volunteer familiar with the Arboretum and the trail system, the press release said. [Read more…]

Drug Awareness Day is Saturday at Oak Ridge Pool

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2018 Drug Awareness Day at the Pool (Flyer)

The Sixth Annual Drug Awareness Day is Saturday at the Oak Ridge Municipal Pool.

It’s hosted by the Oak Ridge Chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks.

The pool is located at 172 Providence Road.

Drug awareness demonstrations will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the pool area Saturday. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Community Band director retiring

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The Oak Ridge Community Band is pictured above in a concert directed by Dale Pendley at Oak Ridge High School. (File photo/Submitted)

The Oak Ridge Community Band is pictured above in a concert directed by Dale Pendley at Oak Ridge High School. (File photo/Submitted)

 

Oak Ridge Community Band Director Dale Pendley is retiring, and the band is searching for a new director.

Pendley’s retirement will be effective after the Labor Day concert, a press release said.

Those interested in applying for the director position can send an email to lannyhuddleston2@gmail.com or send mail to Lanny Huddleston at 225 Iroquois Rd., Oak Ridge, TN 37830.

People who would like to apply should submit a cover letter, resume, three examples of programs from performances they have produced and conducted over the past five years, and video recordings of performances, the press release said. Applicants will be reviewed by the selection committee, and selected applicants will be invited to conduct one or more Community Band rehearsals. Finalists will be interviewed by the Selection Committee and Board of Directors, the press release said. [Read more…]

Independence Day fireworks show is July 4 at A.K. Bissell Park

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Fireworks at Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge on July 4, 2017. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

Fireworks at Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge on July 4, 2017. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

 

The annual Oak Ridge fireworks show is Independence Day, July 4, at Alvin K. Bissell Park. The fireworks are sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge.

The show is scheduled to begin at dark, around 9:45 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Community Band, now in its 74th year, will perform prior to the fireworks, a press release said. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Anyone planning to attend is advised to bring a lawn chair or blanket for outdoor seating. A safety zone will be established by the Oak Ridge Fire Department. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project Park: Ride with a Ranger on Saturday

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Photo courtesy Manhattan Project National Historical Park

Photo courtesy Manhattan Project National Historical Park

 

Manhattan Project: Ride with a Ranger on the North Boundary Greenway

Join a park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 70 years.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present this free program on Saturday, June 16, at 10 a.m.  The program will begin at the Turnpike Gatehouse and travel down Quarry Trail.

“Along the ride, we will explore the former communities that were here before the Manhattan Project,” a press release said. “Rangers will stop several times along the bike ride to point out the rich history that is found within the Oak Ridge area.” [Read more…]

American Cancer Society’s Festival of Hope is Friday in Oak Ridge

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The American Cancer Society’s Festival of Hope is Friday in Oak Ridge.

It’s a community festival, and Anderson County residents are invited, a press release said. The Festival of Hope will be near the pavilion at Melton Lake Park in Oak Ridge on Friday.

It is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. with opening ceremonies and a cancer survivor recognition. Area cancer survivors will be honored individually before they take a group victory lap while being cheered on by their family, friends, and the public, the press release said. All area cancer survivors are invited to participate and may start registering as early as 5 p.m.

After opening ceremonies, the fun will then begin with games and entertainment for children and adults, the press release said. [Read more…]

Learn more about new AMSE on Thursday

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Image courtesy U.S. Department of Energy

Image courtesy U.S. Department of Energy

 

You can learn more about the new American Museum of Science and Energy this evening (Thursday, June 14).

The “Informational Night” will be hosted from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Oak Ridge High School by the U.S. Department of Energy in conjunction with its partners, the AMSE Foundation and the City of Oak Ridge, a press release said. The public is invited.

The session is intended to brief the local community about the progress made on the new AMSE facility and showcase the layout and design of the exhibits, the press release said. [Read more…]

Lavender Festival is Saturday in Jackson Square

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Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps

Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)

 

The Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday will celebrate health, herbs, crafts, local foods—and lavender. There will also be music, children’s activities, and a wine tasting. It’s the 20th year of the festival, which is the only Lavender Festival in Tennessee.

“The Lavender Festival is a perennial crowd favorite, full of tradition, fun, and always something new,” a press release said.

The 20th annual Lavender Festival is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 16, in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge.

The festival, which attracted about 8,000 people last year, is always free, with plenty of free parking available in surrounding city and business lots, and on side streets.

As is tradition, a bagpipe player will open the festival at 8 a.m., playing from upper Blankenship Field into Jackson Square. Also keeping with tradition, Alan McBride will follow with the hammered dulcimer in the bandstand. A complete music schedule is found below.

Informative presentations will be held in the lobby of Pinnacle Financial Partners, and they will include Thyroid Health & Tips for Optimal Brain function (10 a.m.), Home-Crafted Lavender Products (11:30 a.m.), and Turning Back the Bones of Time (1 p.m.).

Also returning for its third year is “A Taste of Tennessee Wines,” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., benefitting the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Children learn through play at Children’s Museum Imagination Station Summer Camps

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Children enjoy making slimy concoctions during Junior Wizarding Summer Camp last year (2017) at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

Children enjoy making slimy concoctions during Junior Wizarding Summer Camp last year (2017) at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

Children will create art, join the wizarding world, generate some “mess-terpieces,” become gumshoes and chefs, shape designs with clay, delve into science and STEAM, and more during Imagination Station Summer Camps beginning June 4 at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

Summer camps, from June 4-July 27, are for children from age 3 through rising fifth graders. The Children’s Museum’s enriching environment provides the backdrop as an experienced staff helps campers learn and grow through play in fun and safe surroundings, a press release said. Each camp is created with age-appropriate activities aligned with the child’s developmental stage.

“We hope to foster campers’ imaginations and passion for lifelong learning through our wide range of themes and activities, as well as our many hands-on exhibits,” said Beth Shea, Children’s Museum executive director.

The fee for Monday-Friday half-day camps is $115 for members, lower fees this year, and $135 for non-members. A discount is available if two siblings register for camp during the same week or if a child registers for two half-day camps in the same week. A limited number of scholarships for camp are available. Download the scholarship application from the museum’s website. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has MOTH-er’s Night Out tonight

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Images submitted by UT Arboretum Society

Images submitted by UT Arboretum Society

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will sponsor the popular MOTH-er’s Night Out program to learn about moths and other nocturnal insects today (Saturday, June 9). The event is scheduled from 8 to 10 p.m. at the UT Arboretum Visitors Center, which is located at 901 South Illinois Avenue (State Route 62) in Oak Ridge.

“Have you ever wondered about what kind of insects are out hunting and eating while you sleep snugly in your bed at night?” a press release said. “Come learn about these fascinating creatures with naturalist Kris Light. Why should you spend a Saturday night learning about moths? Moths are one of the most diverse species on earth with more than 11,000 moth species in the United States alone! Their colors and patterns make them masters of camouflage. Moths are both important pollinators and a food source for other animals. After an introductory program in the Visitors Center, we will venture outdoors to check our moth attraction sheets to observe the insects that have been attracted by the black lights.”

Organizers recommend you bring a camera, your friends, and your kids, “as well as a magnifying glass, a flashlight, and a desire to learn about these fascinating critters! Bring your mother too!”

The free program is appropriate for all ages.

Reminder: Oak Ridge will try to set world record in ‘knockout’ basketball today

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Guinness World Records Knockout Basketball Attempt 2018

A reminder: Oak Ridge will try to set a Guinness World Record on Saturday in a basketball game known as “knockout” today (Saturday, June 9).

The attempt to break the previous world record is part of the Secret City Festival this weekend. The game will start at noon in the parking lot of Dick’s Sporting Goods at Main Street Oak Ridge. The first 702 people will get a free T-shirt, organizers said. Then, every 30 minutes, prizes will be awarded from Electronic Express and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Once you have taken your shot (and missed…), you get to register for a Jeep awarded at no cost from Secret City Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Every 30 minutes, one of those registrations will be pulled as a finalist for the drawing for the Jeep on June 27, organizers said. (You must be present to win and 18 and over with a valid driver’s license).

The Dallas Mavericks set the record for the largest game of basketball knockout with 701 participants in Dallas, Texas, on October 4, 2015. The game lasted 27 rounds and more than three hours, according to Guinness World Records. Team owner Mark Cuban was there before the record-setting attempt to check out the court and the turnout, and he also motivated the basketball shooters.

Organizers of this year’s Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge want to do better than Cuban and the Mavericks. They need at least 702 shooters to set the new world record. [Read more…]

Friends of Library has authors table, readings at Secret City Festival

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Danita "Dee Dee" Ashley

Danita “Dee Dee” Ashley

The Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library will participate in the Secret City Festival held at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, by sponsoring local authors. The authors will be in the Club Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, autographing and selling their books at the following times:

Friday, June 8

  • 10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Danita “Dee Dee” Ashley; Charles and Beverly Connor
  • 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Connie Green; Carol Grametbauer
  • 2 p.m.-4 p.m.: Wes Sims

Saturday, June 9

  • 10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Carol Oen; Judy DiGregorio
  • 12 p.m.-2 p.m.: Shirley Raines; Patricia Hope
  • 2 p.m.-4 p.m.: Ray Smith

The featured local authors will read from their work at 15-minute intervals, and they include: [Read more…]