Oak Ridge Today

UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge will be viewing site for solar eclipse

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Solar eclipse (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

Solar eclipse (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge will be a viewing site for the solar eclipse on August 21.

It is estimated that the total solar eclipse in Oak Ridge will last 27 to 31 seconds at approximately 2:33 p.m. EDT August 21, a press release said.

The public is invited to view the eclipse in a clear area above the arboretum’s auditorium, the press release said. Gates will open at 1:30 p.m. for cars to park near the site. Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center staff will direct patrons to walk to the area at the top of the hill.

The public is invited to bring chairs, blankets, and viewing devices, the press release said. Normal arboretum rules will be followed including no pets and no picnicking. People are encouraged to bring water. Restrooms will be available in the auditorium building.

For this first solar eclipse over the continental United States since 1979, Oak Ridge is one of the few cities in the path of totality in Tennessee. [Read more…]

Total solar eclipse Aug. 21 in Oak Ridge area path

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The path of totality for the solar eclipse in the United States on Aug. 21, 2017. (Submitted photo)

The path of totality for the solar eclipse in the United States on Aug. 21, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

By Carolyn Krause

Note: This story was updated at 12 p.m. July 30.

On Monday, August 21, a total solar eclipse will blot out the sun starting at 2:31 p.m. for viewers in areas within an hour’s drive of Oak Ridge.

The 70-mile-wide path of totality will extend from Oregon to South Carolina, passing through Nashville, Murfreesboro, Sparta, Cookeville, Crossville, Sweetwater, Athens, and Clingman’s Dome. Oak Ridge will not quite be in the path of totality. The sky over our area will gradually darken starting at 1:03 p.m. It will be plunged into total darkness for up to two minutes and 40 seconds, depending on where you are. The sky should brighten at about 4 p.m.

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

See a map by NASA and a link to a Washington Post interactive map in this story.

The last time the moon’s shadows in a total solar eclipse crossed our nation from the Pacific to the Atlantic was almost a century ago. On June 8, 1918, the path of totality ran from Washington State to Florida. The next total solar eclipse to cross the U.S. will occur on April 8, 2024. [Read more…]

New exercise class at Oak Ridge Senior Center started this month

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Pierce Physical Therapy

The Oak Ridge Senior Center has partnered with Pierce Physical Therapy to sponsor a free exercise class for anyone age 50 and over. The class is being held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. It started Thursday, July 6.

The Pierce Therapy Exercise Program, or P.E.P. for short, will concentrate on strength, balance, and mobility and will incorporate therapeutic exercise, functional training, and individual exercise modifications, a press release said.

Physical Therapist Assistant Chelsea Ferrell will be leading the class at the senior center with assistance from Physical Therapist Ray Pierce. Pierce has operated Pierce Physical Therapy in Oak Ridge for more than 30 years, and Ferrell works full time as a PTA in the practice.

There is no cost for the class, but space is limited. Please call the Oak Ridge Senior Center at (865) 425-3999 to register.

Seminarian partners to visit Grace Lutheran Church on Sunday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Ashton and Jennifer Roberts, seminarian partners to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge, will visit the Oak Ridge congregation Sunday, July 30, to lead worship, talk about their ministry, and get acquainted with local supporters.

Ashton and Jennifer have completed their first year as students at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Columbia, South Carolina. They are both seeking a master of divinity degree under ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), a press release said. Grace partners with an LTSS student each year, providing them financial and other assistance in reaching their goals. [Read more…]

Deadline to apply for free home energy upgrades is Tuesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Tuesday is the deadline to apply for free home energy upgrades through the Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient, or MORE2, program.

MORE2 has provided more than 80 upgrades to Oak Ridge homes at no cost to homeowners since May 2016, according to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

“With only a short time remaining in the program, team members are emphasizing the deadline for applications as August 1, 2017,” ADFAC said.

To assist Oak Ridge residents in this last opportunity to apply, the MORE2 team is hosting a “Sign Up” walk-in application event at ADFAC from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, July 31. ADFAC is in Room 203 at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Reservations for appointments are not required.

“Team members will be on hand to provide additional information and to assist in application submittal,” ADFAC said. [Read more…]

Celebrate summer with music in the park on Aug. 6

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Dale Pendley directs the Oak Ridge Community Band during a concert at Alvin K. Bissell Park on July 4, 2017. (Submitted photo)

Dale Pendley directs the Oak Ridge Community Band during a concert at Alvin K. Bissell Park on July 4, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

After a very successful concert on July 4 before a large and amazing audience who stayed even through the rain showers, the Oak Ridge Community Band is currently rehearsing for its third concert of the summer to be held on Sunday evening, August 6, at A.K. Bissell Park.

Beginning at 7 p.m. that day, the Community Band will perform a “Touch of Latin”program, which will also include some swing, jazz, and show tunes. There is no admission fee for the summer concerts, although donations are gratefully accepted to help with community band expenses.

The public is encouraged to bring chairs or blankets for outdoor seating, and Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab will provide refreshments. [Read more…]

ORICL courses benefit seniors; register by Aug. 7 for fall term

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORICL members recently toured Mayfield Dairy. (Submitted photo)

ORICL members recently toured Mayfield Dairy. (Submitted photo)

 

By Carolyn Krause

As traditionalists and baby boomers age, they are looking for ways to be as productive, safe, healthy, and comfortable as possible. This September, the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning, which will be celebrating its 20th anniversary, is offering many practical courses for seniors.

Sample topics are caregiving, movement improvement, maximizing the brain-body connection, aging in place, fall prevention, effects of normal aging on driving, and making lifestyle changes, such as downsizing and moving.

At ORICL, you can learn how to write a memoir, operate a computer, invest wisely in the stock market, and do estate planning. [Read more…]

Savor marvelous music from the movies on Aug. 5

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Philharmonia is pictured above in rehearsal. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Philharmonia is pictured above in rehearsal. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

Prepare to have your memories stimulated by famous movie music at the free August 5 concert by the Oak Ridge Philharmonia. Whether it is “As Time Goes By” from Casablanca, “The Shadow of Your Smile” from The Sandpiper, the iconic songs from James Bond movies, or the themes from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List, you are sure to find lots to enjoy in this concert.

Herman Hupfeld originally wrote “As Time Goes By” in 1931 for the Broadway musical Everybody’s Welcome. Its appearance in the 1942 movie, Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, is what made the song famous. The refrain was sung by the character Sam (Dooley Wilson).

“The Shadow of Your Smile” by Johnny Mandel premiered in The Sandpiper, a 1965 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Other than a straightforward version of the theme that features a vocal group, Jack Sheldon’s trumpet was prominent throughout much of the haunting score. This song became so popular that virtually every famous crooner recorded and published their own rendition. [Read more…]

Award-winning PBS science educator to present eclipse program Aug. 10

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Submitted photo

Submitted photo

 

Award-winning PBS science educator Janet Ivey will present a program on the solar eclipse in Oak Ridge in August.

Ivey is creator of “Janet’s Planet,” which is syndicated on 140 public television stations throughout the U.S. and has received 12 regional Emmys and five Gracie Allen awards, a press release said.

Her August 10 program is titled “A Day in the Dark! Solar Eclipse 2017!” It’s sponsored by the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society.

The family-friendly program will be held in the UT Arboretum Auditorium on Thursday, August 10, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., the press release said. The arboretum is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

State asks for 10-year sentence in church theft by former commission chair

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

James Michael Cox

James Michael Cox

Prosecutors have asked for a 10-year prison sentence for a former Anderson County Commission chair and retired school teacher who has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $60,000 over more than three years from a church in Rocky Top—and allegedly lost more than $37,000 of the stolen money at a casino in North Carolina.

James Michael “Mike” Cox is scheduled to be sentenced in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Monday.

Through defense attorney Rhonda F. Lee of Powell, Cox has asked for probation.

Cox was indicted on the Class B felony charge of theft of more than $60,000 on February 2, 2016. The thefts were alleged to have occurred from Longfield Baptist Church, where Cox was church treasurer, between June 1, 2011, and December 1, 2014.

Cox entered a guilty plea on June 1, 2017. The minimum sentence is eight years probation, and the maximum is 12 years in prison, according to court documents.

In a notice filed this past Monday, the state outlined enhancing factors that should be considered by Anderson County Criminal Court Judge Donald R. Elledge when he sentences Cox on Monday, July 24. [Read more…]

‘It’s Too Hot for Soup’ summer menu continues at ORUUC free community meal

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Volunteers at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church prepare home cooked meals at the monthly Stone Soup Ministry Free Community Meal. (Submitted photo)

Volunteers at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church prepare home cooked meals at the monthly Stone Soup Ministry Free Community Meal. (Submitted photo)

 

The Stone Soup Ministry team at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church will continue serving a summer menu of lighter and cooler foods at the Friday, July 28, free community meal. Everyone is invited to attend. Dine-in or take-out will be available from 5 to 6 p.m.

ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike (close to traffic light number 2.)

On the menu will be homemade pimiento cheese sandwiches, three bean salad, cookies, and fresh fruit, a press release said. An assortment of nonperishable family friendly groceries will be available for free to anyone in need. The Free Community Meal at ORUUC is held the last Friday of every month at the same time. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool expands schedule for 2017

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road is pictured above. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road is pictured above. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

The City of Oak Ridge Outdoor Municipal Pool will be extending open hours into August of 2017. New hours will begin Monday, July 31, a press release said.

For the dates of Monday, July 31, through Friday, August 18, the extended hours are as follows:

  • Monday-Friday: 100-meter lap swim and kiddie pool open 9 a.m.-12 p.m.*
  • Wednesdays: After school open swim 3 p.m.-8 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday: Open swim 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

* Note: The 100-meter lap swim and kiddie pool will be closed for a special event on August 2, 2017. [Read more…]