Singer and songwriter Brad Austin will play a free concert tonight (Saturday) at Community Coffee Café in Oak Ridge.
The show starts at 9.m. The café is at 32 N. Jefferson Circle.
Austin is a Knoxville folk and Christian pop musician who will support 555 with tonight’s show and debut songs for his new album, a press release said. It will be his first Oak Ridge show in three years. [Read more…]
Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge starting Thursday, Oct. 10, and continuing through Oct. 16.
This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]
Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge starting Friday, Oct. 4, and continuing through Oct. 9.
This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]
by David Stanley
Our city urgently needs to market Oak Ridge to the local U.S. Department of Energy workforce. That workforce brings a billion dollar payroll into East Tennessee each year. Unfortunately, the Oak Ridge economy sees very little of this money.
Over the last two decades, the erosion of DOE residency has cost the City of Oak Ridge a great deal of payroll. The problem looks even worse when one considers the concurrent payroll increase of our city’s competition. For example, over those two decades the gap between the annual Oak Ridge and Knox County DOE payrolls grew by $130 million dollars. That’s just the growth in the gap. The total gap in DOE payroll between Oak Ridge and Knox County is now approximately $270 million dollars per year.
No wonder Turkey Creek and so many new housing developments have gone over there. That’s where the DOE payroll went! [Read more…]
Applications are now available for about $17,000 worth of literacy grants awarded by Altrusa International of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club.
The grants are used to help improve literacy in Oak Ridge and Anderson and Roane counties, and they will be awarded to selected recipients. Applications and award criteria may be found on the Altrusa International website or Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club website. Hard copies are also available at the Oak Ridge Public Library.
Applications must be submitted by Nov. 1.
It’s that time of year again. With only a few months remaining for the 2013 calendar year, the city is excited to be gearing up to begin the end-of-year recruitment for board and commission members. The recruitment process begins Oct. 1.
This year’s process is similar to previous years in that interested residents must complete a Boards and Commissions application and may attach additional documents that includes cover letters, references, and resumes. The application allows residents to choose and rank their top three board choices for membership consideration. [Read more…]
Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge starting Thursday, Sept. 26, and continuing through Oct. 2.
This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]
The City of Oak Ridge has achieved platinum status in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s new “Valley Sustainable Communities” program. This designation will enhance the city’s competitiveness for new investments and jobs when companies are looking to grow in new or expanded locations.
The program is sponsored by TVA and developed and administered by consultant Boyette Strategic Advisors.
“The platinum designation recognizes that the Oak Ridge community has made a significant and comprehensive commitment to sustainability and also has thoroughly integrated economic development into its sustainability efforts,” said Del Boyette, BSA president and chief executive officer. [Read more…]
What an amazing sight! A middle-aged woman and a man sitting at a picnic table surrounded by fascinated young people all listening attentively to what she was saying. I wanted to go over there but didn’t. I waited to see what would be said afterward.
Revonna has had visions. You might ask, “Visions? Were they about the past? The present? The future?” The answer is yes. They are as ancient as the earth and as modern as tomorrow. These kids wanted to hear about it.
We don’t do church like everyone else. We didn’t even mean to start a church, and I’m not sure we should even call it a church. One night with seven people present, after three hours of nothing but prayer and scripture, suddenly the Holy Spirit broke in and spoke to us that we were to meet in our basement on Sunday morning, and have Rich Bean bring the message. We were shocked honestly because none of us had talked about it. Rich didn’t even answer whether he would do it or not. One woman said, “Yes, please.” I responded as any gracious hostess would, though tentatively, “Ok.” Everyone then left. [Read more…]
A sign at the Midtown Community Center on Robertsville Road celebrates the 71st birthday of Oak Ridge on Thursday (Submitted photo)
By Martin and Anne McBride
On Sept. 19, 1942, only two days after being appointed the head of the Manhattan Project in September 1942, Gen. Leslie R. Groves selected Oak Ridge as the first major site of the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II.
Ultimately, $1.1 billion was spent on the huge, first-of-a-kind Oak Ridge nuclear plants and the fledgling “Secret City” of Oak Ridge. This expenditure represented 72 percent of the money spent on the three principal Manhattan Project sites: Oak Ridge; Hanford, Wash.; and Los Alamos, N.M.
The Oak Ridge tract was approximately 17 miles long by an average of seven miles wide. The Corps of Engineers paid $2.6 million dollars for the land and initially named the site the “Kingston Demolition Range.” Local opposition to having a demolition range in the area caused the name to be changed to “Clinton Engineer Works.” [Read more…]
Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge starting Thursday, Sept. 19, and continuing through Sept. 25.
This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]
A Neon Vibe 5K will be held in Oak Ridge on Sept. 21. (Photo courtesy Neon Vibe 5K)
Runners and walkers will “light up the night” in Oak Ridge on Saturday, as the state’s first Neon Vibe 5K makes its way to the Secret City. Race organizers are expecting large crowds with more than 1,200 participants already registered and more expected to sign up later this week and on race day.
The road race begins at 8 p.m. near the Pavilion inside A.K. Bissell Park. Participants and spectators should plan to arrive early, at least an hour before the race, and allow ample time to find parking prior to road closures occurring around the race site.
Parking for participants and spectators is available at the Oak Ridge Civic Center, the Oak Ridge Municipal Building, Oak Ridge High School, the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau at the Midtown Community Center, and the back parking lot of Oak Ridge Associated Universities. [Read more…]
