Oak Ridge Today

Manhattan Project Park: Ride with a Ranger on Saturday

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You can join a National Park Service park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway on Saturday, May 25, 2019, to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 75 years. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

You can join a National Park Service ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 75 years.

The free program is presented by the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge.

The bike ride program will start at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 19, at the Turnpike Gatehouse and travel down Big Oak Trail and North Boundary Road.

“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.”

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UT Arboretum Society has Fall Plant Sale on Saturday

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University of Tennessee Arboretum Society Fall Plant Sale (Submitted photo)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s Fall Plant Sale will be held Saturday at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge.

The sale is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 19, at the UT Arboretum, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

“Fall is the ideal time to add plants to your landscape because of milder temperatures and more dependable rainfall,” a press release said. “In addition, the fact that plants are not putting energy into their top growth but devoting all their resources to developing a strong root system will give them a head start in the spring and a much better survival rate.”

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Sound Company has auditions on Saturday

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Children currently in first through 12th grade who enjoy music and performing are encouraged to come to the Grove Theater (High Places Community Church) in Oak Ridge to audition for Sound Company, the children’s show choir of Oak Ridge, on Saturday, October 19. Auditioners should prepare a song to perform, a press release said. You can sign up to audition and find out more at the Sound Company website, www.soundcompanytn.net.

Sound Company is comprised of approximately 100 children who come from all over East Tennessee. They present concerts featuring a wide range of music, from pop to Broadway to classical to multicultural, incorporating choreography and costumes into many of their pieces, and they have travelled regularly to Switzerland, where they have a “sister” choir, and to other places such as New York City. Sound Company is divided by age into four groups, and is led by Katy Wolfe and Terry Silver-Alford, both on staff at the University of Tennessee in the vocal music/musical theater departments and both regular performers in the area.

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Children’s Halloween Party is Oct. 24; sponsors, volunteers needed

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Halloween Party 2017 Star Wars Family Costume (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the annual Children’s Halloween Party on Thursday, October 24, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This event is now in its 37th year and will be attended by hundreds of local children and their families, a press release said.

Activities will be held inside the Oak Ridge Civic Center, located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike, and a hay ride will be offered outside in A.K. Bissell Park, weather permitting. There is no admission fee for the event, but participation in most activities requires one or more tickets. Tickets can be purchased at the Civic Center. The cost is 25 cents per ticket or $5 for a pack of 20.

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Greenway, park closures announced during fall hunts

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The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has scheduled two scout days and three quota hunts on the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area this fall.

During the scout and quota hunt days, these greenways and this park will be closed: Gallaher Bend Greenway, North Boundary Greenway, Haw Ridge Park, and the section of Melton Lake Greenway adjacent to Haw Ridge Park.

The hunts, which are open only to those with a valid TWRA quota permit, will take place on the following weekends:

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ASAP to celebrate move with Oct. 24 ceremony

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ASAP of Anderson will celebrate its move to a new office building in Clinton with a building dedication ceremony on Thursday, October 24.

ASAP had been in the Robert Jolley Building on Main Street in Clinton for 10 years, a press release said.

The building dedication ceremony is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. October 24 at 131 South Charles G. Seivers Boulevard in Clinton. Everyone is invited, the press release said.

The ceremony will include coffee and light snacks, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and open house for community members to explore the new space, the press release said.

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Tonight: Free Movie Night in the Park

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The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board, in partnership with the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department and Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson, will host a free Movie Night in the Park event tonight (Friday, October 11).

The event will be held in Alvin K. Bissell Park beginning at 7 p.m. The movie shown will be Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion” (rated PG) from 2003 starring Eddie Murphy. Free popcorn and drinks will be available while supplies last, a press release said.

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Oak Ridge Public Library to host concert with cellist

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Alicia Randisi-Hooker (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Public Library will host a lunchtime concert with cellist Alicia Randisi-Hooker on Wednesday, October 16, from noon until 1 p.m. as part of the World Wise Wednesdays program.

An engaging speaker and performer, Alicia Randisi-Hooker is a well-known member of the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra and the Trillium Piano Trio, a press release said. She has performed extensively in a rich variety of settings, from the Knoxville Symphony to the Philly Pops orchestras, and in many chamber ensembles.

She studied in Germany with members of the renowned Alban Berg Quartet, and performed concerts in Italy, France, Germany, and across the United States. As a noted Suzuki cello teacher, her private cello students have won awards and scholarships both nationally and internationally, the press release said.

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ORCMA to celebrate 75 years with concert, reception

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Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra and Oak Ridge Chorus 2019 (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a gala concert and reception on Sunday, October 20.

The concert and reception are scheduled to start at 3 p.m. October 20, at the Oak Ridge Performing Arts Center at 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The concert will be performed by the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and special guests, Sound Company. Radio personality Melony Dodson will serve as the master of ceremonies.

“We are thrilled, as always, to feature Katy Wolfe and the awesome Sound Company,” said Music Director Dan Allcott. “They put the word ‘future’ in our title.”

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Dine and Donate on Monday, Oct. 14, to help local families

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Dean Russell is pictured above with Joe Kenda. (Submitted photo)

 

You can enjoy great food and support an important organization on Monday, October 14. That’s when several area restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, for Dine & Donate.

Participating Dine & Donate restaurants are Dean’s, Gallo Loco, Hoskins, Burchfield’s, Mediterranean Delight, Razzleberry’s, The Soup Kitchen, and Subway locations in Clinton, Oak Ridge (at 1968 Oak Ridge Turnpike), Oliver Springs, and Rocky Top.

October’s featured Dine & Donate supporter is Dean’s Restaurant & Bakery, which is located in Oak Ridge’s historic Jackson Square.

“Dean’s has been a favorite among locals for years,” said Jamie LaRose, ADFAC development director. “However, on October 9, viewers around the world got a little ‘taste’ of the restaurant’s hospitality and menu.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge church to host Emmy-nominated vocal ensemble in free holiday concert

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Inversion (Submitted photo)

An Oak Ridge church will host a free holiday concert in December that will feature Inversion, an Emmy Award-nominated vocal ensemble.

The special concert will be presented by Masskus Productions in cooperation with Oak Valley Baptist Church of Oak Ridge. The concert will be at the church at 194 Hampton Road at 5 p.m. Sunday, December 8, a press release said.

“We feel blessed here in Oak Ridge and are delighted to offer this musical celebration to the community free of charge,” said Pastor Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church.  “This is just one way for folks to settle down and relax during this hectic holiday season. We hope everyone will bring friends to enjoy a beautiful Sunday afternoon.”

Under the direction of David Ragland Jr., Inversions was born from a desire to showcase an array of talented friends, the press release said.

“They bring an eclectic vibe to a variety of musical genres,” the press release said.

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Centrus finishes preparing centrifuge testing building for demolition

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The “footprint,” the area where the K-25 Building used to be in west Oak Ridge, is pictured above at the East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge. The white K-1600 Building is pictured in the middle of the “footprint.” The brick building in the foreground is Oak Ridge Fire Station No. 4. (File photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

Centrus Energy Corporation on Wednesday said it has successfully completed a $15 million project to decontaminate and decommission a building at the East Tennessee Technology Park that has been used to test and demonstrate centrifuges that could be used to enrich uranium.

The building is K-1600, which is in the middle of the former mile-long, U-shaped K-25 Building at East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge.

Centrus said it finished the work budget and on time, within a year. The work was to occur between October 1, 2018, and September 30, 2019.

“I’m pleased our team was able to deliver the results the department expected on a very short timetable,” said Centrus President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel B. Poneman.

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Centrus a $15 million work authorization on September 27, 2018, to prepare K-1600 for demolition.

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