Oak Ridge Today

Flatwater Tales returns June 1

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Pictured above from left to right are Carmen Agra Deedy, Bil Lepp, and Bobby Norfolk.

The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival, featuring three world renowned storytellers, returns to Oak Ridge on Saturday, June 1.

It’s the second annual storytelling festival in Oak Ridge. The annual event is led by the three Rotary Clubs in Oak Ridge, all volunteers.

This year’s festival will be in the Historic Grove Theater. Due to public demand at the 2018 performances, a larger venue and an additional performance have been added, a press release said.

Bil Lepp, Carmen Agra Deedy, and Bobby Norfolk will perform for the 2019 festival. They have achieved national and international recognition and appear regularly at festivals, including the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, the press release said.

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Education Foundation to award grants April 24

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Woodland Elementary School teacher Megan Sauer is pictured above with one of her students demonstrating her 2018 grant “Communication for All.” (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation)

The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation will award more than $99,000 in grants to Oak Ridge teachers at a ceremony on Wednesday, April 24.

Oak Ridge High School’s retired math teacher and former department head Benita Albert will be the featured speaker at the event, sharing her talk titled “We’ve Come a Long Way Teachers.”

The ceremony is open to the public, and it will be held in the Pollard Auditorium at ORAU beginning at 2:30 p.m. Demonstrations and displays of some of the projects and technology funded by the Foundation will be given in the lobby after the formal ceremony. Light refreshments will be provided courtesy of Oak Ridge Utility District, a press release said.

The 2019 grant recipients are as follows: [Read more…]

Nine Lakes Wine Festival is May 31-June 1

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The third annual Nine Lakes Wine Festival has been scheduled for May 31-June 1, 2019, in Melton Lake Park in Oak Ridge. The festival, pictured above in 2018, celebrates Tennessee wines and ciders that are 100 percent locally made. (Photo by Keely Rountree/Courtesy Nine Lakes Wine Festival)

The third annual Nine Lakes Wine Festival has been scheduled for May 31-June 1 in Melton Lake Park in Oak Ridge. The festival celebrates Tennessee wines and ciders that are 100 percent locally made. Plus, the festival is home to the South’s only human-powered wine barrel race, benefitting 24 local charities, a press release said.

The Grand Tasting is Saturday, June 1, from 3 to 8 p.m., on the waterfront at Melton Lake Park, featuring 17 wineries sampling more than 100 Tennessee wines and ciders. Festival-goers can receive a complimentary tasting glass and a six-compartment wine tote, the press release said. They may purchase bottles of wine directly from the winemakers, and enjoy shopping with local artisans at the festival as well.

From 4 to 7 p.m., festival participants are invited to join in the Barrels of Fun Charity Race, in which pairs of rollers can earn cash for their chosen charity. “Winning teams will receive a bottle of Tennessee wine!” the press release said.

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Ellen Reid, who grew up in Oak Ridge, wins Pulitzer Prize in music

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Ellen Reid (Photo by James Matthew Daniel)

Ellen Reid, who grew up in Oak Ridge, has won the Pulitzer Prize in music.

Reid, 36, won the prize for her debut opera, titled “p r i s m,” which features a libretto by Roxie Perkins.

The Pulitzer Prize Board described “p r i s m” as “a bold new operatic work that uses sophisticated vocal writing and striking instrumental timbres to confront difficult subject matter: the effects of sexual and emotional abuse.”

The Pulitzer Prizes were announced Monday.

“I am blown away and incredibly honored to receive this year’s Pulitzer Prize in music,” Reid said on her Facebook page. “Composing p r i s m was a challenging, rewarding, and deeply personal experience, and I hope this opera will help shed light on the experience of surviving sexual assault.”

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Celebrate Oak Ridge Business Awards Breakfast to be held May 7

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Consolidated Nuclear Security, UT-Battelle, and the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce are joining together to host a breakfast in May to honor local business leaders and outstanding small businesses. May is National Small Business Month.

The honorees at the May 7 breakfast will be ARS International LLC, Karen Prillhart, Kelsan, Dustin Mackey, and Stephanie Hale-Smith of State Farm.

The Celebrate Oak Ridge Business awards breakfast will be held from 7:30-9 a.m. Tuesday, May 7, at the Doubletree by Hilton.

To reserve a spot at the breakfast, visit the Oak Ridge Chamber’s website at www.oakridgechamber.org. [Read more…]

Edward Jones financial adviser moves to new office

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John Daniels

John Daniels of the financial services firm Edward Jones has opened a new office at 708 South Illinois Avenue. The new office opened for business on Monday, April 1. The phone number is (865) 272−3829.

Daniels, who has been a financial adviser since 2017, said, “We are excited about our new location, and we are eager for our clients and neighbors to visit us.”

Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through its affiliate, in Canada, a press release said. [Read more…]

Sign up for summer term at ORICL

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Catalogs are now available for the summer term at ORICL (Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning). Online registration opens on April 23, and the summer term runs from June 3 through August 2. Registrations may be submitted in paper format as well. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to select from almost 70 interesting, informative, and/or entertaining classes and three special activities.

To take advantage of these outstanding offerings, one must join ORICL as a dues-paying member. The fee for membership is $100 for a full year of fall, winter/spring, and summer terms beginning in September; $80 for two terms beginning in January; and $45 for the summer term only. If you are already a member of ORICL for the 2018-19 session, there are no fees due. If you are new to ORICL, the fee will be $45 for the summer term.

What is ORICL? ORICL is a continuing education opportunity for seniors, retirees, and anyone else who is able to fit the classes into his/her schedule of activities. ORICL is sponsored by Roane State Community College, and most classes are held at the Oak Ridge campus of RSCC. The courses offer varying content and appeal to people from all backgrounds and educational levels. ORICL is learning, for the fun of learning, taught by people who love to teach to people who appreciate gaining new information, a press release said.

“There is no pressure; there are no tests,” the press release said.

[Read more…]

Boys & Girls Club of Oak Ridge’s annual gala is back in the swing with A Tribute to the 1940s!

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The tradition of the Lawrence A. Hahn Boys & Girls Club of Oak Ridge’s annual gala is back in the swing with A Tribute to the 1940s!

“The Board of Directors is excited to host this elegant dinner dance gala on May 4 at 6 p.m. in Oak Ridge’s historic Jackson Square,” a press release said.

“Let the 1940s flair, décor, and music take you back in time for a magical evening at Oak Ridge’s Historic Jackson Square,” the press release said. “Bear Stephenson will emcee the evening’s festivities, featuring Ensemble Swing Time, a local brass band specializing in ’40s era, and contemporary dance music.”

This premier gala will provide a memorable evening of delectable food, desserts, entertainment, including professional swing dancers, an open bar, and a live and silent auction, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Rec & Parks director to talk to League on Tuesday

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The next Lunch with the League program will be held on Tuesday, April 16.  The speaker will be Jon Hetrick, director of the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department.

Hetrick will provide an update on the department, which is responsible for planning, organizing, supervising, and coordinating a comprehensive plan of leisure activities for the citizens of Oak Ridge, a press release said. It is also charged with providing safe and well-maintained facilities for its patrons.  The department maintains more than 30 city-owned properties, including athletic fields, horticultural displays, playground areas, tennis courts, community center buildings, and swimming pools.

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Oak Ridge announces new senior transportation program

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The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Senior Center are working to implement a new transportation program for senior citizens. The program, called “MyRide Oak Ridge,” has already provided its first ride with the full program set to roll out soon, a press release said on Friday, April 12, 2019. Pictured above are Bob Smallridge, Senior Advisory Board vice chair; Linda McGhee, Oak Ridge Senior Center manager; Denise West, ETHRA/ETAAAD SVTN region coordinator; Marty Adler-Jasny, Senior Advisory Board member; Pat Gengozian, volunteer driver and Senior Advisory Board chair; Willie Wade, rider; Jon Hetrick, City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Senior Center are working to implement a new transportation program for senior citizens. The program, called “MyRide Oak Ridge,” has already provided its first ride with the full program set to roll out soon, a press release said.

On Friday afternoon, April 12, local senior Willie Wade was driven by Pat Gengozian, chair of the Oak Ridge Senior Advisory Board and the program’s first volunteer driver.

The City of Oak Ridge has offered transportation help to its senior population since 1974. Due to changes in grant reporting procedures from the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the current taxi coupon program will be ending June 30. When fully operational, the new MyRide Oak Ridge program will allow for a new way to provide this assistance, the press release said.

The program includes door-through-door service provided by volunteer drivers in their own vehicles. This service helps seniors be more independent by allowing them to take trips to the grocery store, social events, and medical appointments, the press release said. It will also allow volunteers to accompany seniors into the store or doctor’s office, if needed, as well as help carry in groceries or other items.

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Woman injured by falling tree during Sunday storms

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A woman was injured by a falling tree at a home on Nesper Road during the storms on Sunday, April 14, 2019, Oak Ridge officials said. A fallen tree damaged a quadplex near Nesper Road and New York Avenue. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

A woman was injured by a falling tree at a home on Nesper Road during the storms on Sunday, Oak Ridge officials said.

A storm at about 4:15 p.m. Sunday hit Oak Ridge with heavy rain and strong winds, the city said.

“As a result, there were widespread power outages across the city with downed power lines and fallen trees,” the city said.

Emergency crews responded to many storm damage calls, including a roof that was partially blown off a building on Warehouse Road. Trees fell on buildings and houses and across roads.

[Read more…]

Ts117 Modern CoWorking has grand opening Monday

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Ts117 Modern CoWorking has a grand opening on Monday afternoon, April 15, 2019. (Submitted photo)

Ts117 Modern CoWorking has a grand opening on Monday afternoon, April 15.

The grand opening is scheduled from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Monday at 701 Scarboro Road. It will feature guest speakers, hors d’oeuvres, and personal tours of the facility, an event notice said.

The notice said Ts117 has been named the largest coworking facility in the area.

“We cannot wait to share it with you!” said the notice, sent out by Rick Chinn of R&R Properties. “Come out and experience the next generation of office space.”

[Read more…]