Oak Ridge Today

Spotlight: Y-12 dietician conducts educational tour of local grocery store

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Karen Lacey, Amy Hinkel, and Vickie at Food City

Karen Lacey, LiveWise dietician at the Y-12 National Security Complex, explains how to read the nutrition facts from the label on a loaf of gluten-free bread as Amy Hinkel and her mom Vickie listen. Lacey has been advising Y-12 employees for the past three years on how to make good food choices. She recently led a field trip to Oak Ridge’s Food City to educate employees and their families on making good choices when shopping.

 

Karen Lacey, LiveWise dietician at the Y-12 National Security Complex, recently led a field trip to Oak Ridge’s Food City to educate employees and their families on making good choices when shopping. Lacey has been advising Y-12 employees for the past three years on how to make good food choices. [Read more…]

Music, dance, food, crafts at Children’s Museum International Fest on Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Children's Museum International Festival 2013

International tastes, sounds and sights will fill the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge during the International Festival from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15.

The family-friendly event features musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day. Participants will dine on international cuisine, children will make international crafts to take home, and all will visit booths displaying crafts and traditions from world cultures. Food will be served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the museum, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge.

Picti, a duo performing Celtic rock, will be featured performers at the International Festival. Other performers will include the klezmer band Dor L’ Dor; Good Thymes Ceilidh Scottish Fiddle Band; Chinese folk musicians Song Yu; Carib Sounds; South American musicians Cantemos; Andrew Payzant on Scottish bagpipe; and Hmong folk music and dance. Appalachian music—including David Neidig and Tom Smith, Early Bird Special, Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club, and Allen McBride on hammer dulcimer—will be in the Appalachia Heritage exhibit area of the museum, along with crafts exhibitors. [Read more…]

Guest column: Thanksgiving for the ‘First Freedom’

Posted at
By 7 Comments

John Ragan

John Ragan

The search for religious freedom on American shores began nearly four centuries ago. In 1620, Pilgrims arrived in America seeking to escape religious persecution in England.

The following year, this group celebrated the very first Thanksgiving of English-speaking people on our shores. After a hard winter and loss of a number of settlers, but a bountiful harvest, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast with their indigenous neighbors as guests. Thus began a national tradition.

Our grand, national custom of acknowledging religious freedom and abundance through a national day of gratitude to the Divine Author of Liberty remains enduringly impressive. However, for some, remembering the purpose of that celebration may be a bit more difficult. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge has Children’s Halloween Party on Oct. 24

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Halloween Flyer

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2013 Children’s Halloween Party on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. Activities will be planned for every room in the Civic Center, and a hay ride will be offered in A.K. Bissell Park, weather permitting.

There will a scary room, games, prizes, food, crafts, face painting, and many other fun activities. Tickets must be purchased for each activity, and each ticket costs $0.25 each. All access armbands are available and cost $5 each. Armbands give unlimited access to all activities; however, this does not include sale items or food.

For more information call the Oak Ridge Civic Center at (865)425-3450. For more information about this and other events, visit the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks website at www.orrecparks.org.

Fire Prevention Week: State reminds Tennesseans to prevent kitchen fires

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Submitted

It’s Fire Prevention Week this week, and from Oct. 6-12 the State Fire Marshal’s Office is joining forces with the National Fire Protection Association to remind local residents to “Prevent Kitchen Fires.” During this year’s fire safety campaign, fire departments will be spreading the word about the dangers of kitchen fires—most of which result from unattended cooking—and teaching local residents how to prevent kitchen fires from starting in the first place.

According to the latest NFPA research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Two out of every five home fires begin in the kitchen—more than any other place in the home. Many of these fires occur within minutes of residents leaving the kitchen.

“Cooking fires are the second leading cause of fatal fires in Tennessee so far this year,” said State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak. “Fifteen percent of fire victims died from fires caused by cooking. To prevent these tragedies, we must be mindful in the kitchen.” [Read more…]

Something for everyone at this year’s Clinch River Antiques Festival

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Clinch River Antiques Festival

The Clinch River Antiques Festival in 2012 is pictured above. (Photo by Carl Warner)

The 13th Annual Clinch River Antiques Festival kicks off on Friday evening, Oct. 11, from 6–9 p.m. in Historic Downtown Clinton with shops open late, food vendors, carriage rides, and live entertainment.

The entertainment starts Friday evening in Hoskins Lane Park on Market Street with The Real McCoys, a bluegrass band that grew up playing music together in Lake City. It’s hosted by the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Anderson County Class of 2014. The show is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. [Read more…]

DOE employees boost donations to local food bank

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

DOE Employees Donate to Second Harvest Food Bank

U.S. Department of Energy employees donate 13,872 pounds of food to the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. (Photo courtesy DOE/Lynn Freeny)

U.S. Department of Energy employees donated 13,872 pounds of food to the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. The donation was part of the national Feds Feed Families campaign.

This is the fourth year the DOE’s Oak Ridge site has participated in the annual summer campaign, which helps replenish local food banks and raises awareness about the prevalence of hunger nationally. The campaign continues to garner high participation and serve as a cornerstone charitable event for local federal employees, who have tallied more than 11,000 pounds in donations every year. In addition, the program continues to be a success, as this year’s donation total reached an all-time high. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge to support crime prevention with National Night Out

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge will join communities throughout the country celebrating National Night Out from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1. The evening is designed to heighten awareness of crime prevention and to strengthen neighborhood involvement in anti-crime programs and police-community partnerships.

The Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program is supporting the Oak Ridge Police Community Resource Office in planning the city-wide National Night Out event. This year marks the 30th anniversary of this unique crime prevention program promoted by the National Association of Town Watch Groups. [Read more…]

Local food, music served at ‘Taste of Oak Ridge’ on Sept. 28

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Red Shoes and Rosin

Female string trio Red Shoes and Rosin is one of the music groups scheduled to appear at the Taste of Oak Ridge on Sept. 28. (Submitted photo)

Submitted

The flavors from some of Oak Ridge’s best restaurants and the sounds of local musicians will fill Jackson Square for the fifth annual “Taste of Oak Ridge” on Saturday, Sept. 28. The highly anticipated event will start at 4:30 p.m. and continue to 10 p.m.

While area restaurants will be able to showcase some of their finest food in small portions or ” tastes,” the community-focused event will raise money to benefit the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. The “tastes” from each vendor will cost $1 or $2 per item. Tickets will be available for purchase. Attendees can buy as many tickets as they want for $1 each. In addition, beer and wine will be available for purchase. [Read more…]

NNSA Production Office tops Feds Feed Families campaign goal

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Second Harvest

NNSA Production Office employees deliver food to the Second Harvest facility in Maryville that serves a multi-county area of East Tennessee.  Shown from left to right are Jim Goss, Julieanne Rendon, Donna Riggs, Rebekah Nwangwa, Ken Rhyne, James Piatek, Mark Sundie, and Steven Wyatt. (Photo courtesy NPO)

Employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration Production Office, or NPO, have donated 17,348 pounds of food as part of the annual U.S. Department of Energy’s “Feds Feed Families” campaign. The campaign, which ended on Sept. 6, surpassed the goal of 17,000 pounds.

“I am extremely proud and moved by the generosity of NPO employees,” said Steve Erhart, NNSA Production Office manager. “Each year, the Feds Feed Families food drive reminds us there are people in our own communities who go to bed hungry. Serving our country starts at home, and that is what this effort is all about.” [Read more…]

Taste of Oak Ridge this month features food, music

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jackson Square Merchants Association

Members of the Jackson Square Merchants Association are pictured above. From left to right standing are Myra Langley, Debbie Magill, Jeannie O’Brien, Nancy Cosgrove, Wendy Holloway, and Bob Bardoff. Seated are Manderley Swain, Jo Ann Hasty, and Barbara Ferrell. (Submitted photo)

The Fifth Annual Taste of Oak Ridge later this month will feature small portions of food from local restaurants and music by local musicians—and raise money for the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge.

This year’s Taste of Oak Ridge is scheduled from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, in Jackson Square. The “tastes” from each food vendor will cost $1 or $2 per item. Attendees can buy as many tickets as they want for $1 each. In addition, beer and wine will be available for sale.

Taste of Oak Ridge is sponsored by the Jackson Square Merchants Association.

Community-wide, 100-mile potluck at First Presbyterian on Sunday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Farmers Market

Vegetables from the Farmers Market in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

First Presbyterian Church will host a 100-Mile Potluck meal from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday on its soccer field off Lafayette Drive. The field is behind the sanctuary building at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Everyone in the Oak Ridge community is invited to bring a dish for six to eight people, a press release said. Attendees are encouraged to bring plates and utensils, as well as lawn chairs or comfortable blankets to sit on. Drinks will be provided. [Read more…]