Oak Ridge Today

Spotlight: Oak Ridge Public Library art show for February

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Robert Forbes Art Show at Oak Ridge Public Library

Photographer Robert Forbes and his banner, “Mystical River.” (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Public Library)

Submitted

The art display at Oak Ridge Public Library for February is a collection of exciting nature compositions photographed by Robert Forbes.

Forbes grew up in the flatlands of the Midwest, but after following his family to East Tennessee in April 2001, he found inspiration in the river rapids and the majestic beauty of East Tennessee’s landscape. Before moving to the Oak Ridge area, Forbes lived just outside the entrance to Cherokee National Forest and also resided on the scenic Cherohala Skyway. These locations spurred him to create and paint with a passion.

John Muir once said, “The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness,” a sentiment that resonates with Forbes. He takes day trips into the mountains almost every weekend and photographs hundreds of scenes each time. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Folk Dancers offer free lessons at library

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Folk Dancing Lessons at Oak Ridge Public Library

The Oak Ridge Folk Dancers will offer a three-part workshop in the Library Auditorium to introduce participants to the joy of folk dancing and provide free lessons, a press release said.

The classes will take place on the following Monday evenings: Jan. 27, Feb. 3, and Feb. 10 from 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Adults and supervised children (8 years of age and older) are welcome to attend.

“No prior dance experience is necessary, no partner is needed, and the only equipment required is comfortable clothes and shoes!” the press release said. [Read more…]

Get the facts about the Affordable Care Act at the Library on Saturday

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The Oak Ridge Public Library will host an objective and educational presentation on the Affordable Care Act on Saturday afternoon, a press release said.

Jim Nelson, an Oak Ridge resident, retired chemical engineer, and healthcare activist, has been researching the Affordable Care Act since 2009, the release said. He has collected a lot of information from various sources (including but not limited to) the Kaiser Family Foundation, Enroll America, and Families USA.

“Come to the presentation and discover resources to help you see where you fit in, what you need to apply in the Marketplace, the 10 essential health benefits, and ways to apply for coverage in the Marketplace,” the release said. [Read more…]

ORHS Madrigal Singers at library at lunchtime Friday

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Shepards Pipes

The Oak Ridge High School Madrigal Singers will perform at the Public Library at noon Friday.

“These students sing routinely in many languages and perform music from many time periods, Renaissance to modern,” a press release said. “Several participate in All East and All State choirs, and many receive college scholarships to help them pursue their music studies.”

Choir director Amanda Ragan is a graduate of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and has a bachelor’s degree in music education, and she has her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. She has been teaching at ORHS for the past 15 years, and her choirs are well-known and consistently earn superior ratings at local, state, and national competitions, the press release said. [Read more…]

Shephard’s Pipes to perform Renaissance carols at Oak Ridge library

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Shepards Pipes

Come in out of the cold and enjoy talented musicians at the Oak Ridge Public Library.

On Dec. 19, from 7:30-8:15 p.m., Shephard’s Pipes will perform Renaissance carols in the Oak Ridge Public Library auditorium.

A recorder consort, Shepard’s Pipes was started in the 1980s by Phyllis Shepard, a music teacher and early music enthusiast in Oak Ridge, a press release said. When she returned to her home state of Vermont in 2001, the then-current members decided to continue on their own. They meet weekly to play the music that they love and they specialize in early music, usually defined as from medieval times through the Renaissance and into the Baroque, a period when much music was composed specifically for recorders. [Read more…]

Varying Degrees performs final concert at Oak Ridge Library

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Varying Degrees Christmas 2011

Varying Degrees is pictured above during Christmas 2011. From left are Marsha Howard, Betsy Abernathy, Judy DiGregorio, Kathy Gillenwaters, Amy Souleyrette. (Submitted photo)

Varying Degrees—a vocal group composed of Amy Souleyrette, Betsy Abernathy, Judy DiGregorio, Kathy Gillenwaters, and pianist Marsha Howard—will perform their final concert on Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 7-7:30 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Public Library.

The group has sung together for six years and has appeared on WBIR-TV, “Rock to Bach,” the Tennessee Mountain Writers’ Conference, Holiday Lights at Methodist Medical Center, and numerous area churches and civic groups. The group thanks the public for their past support and invites everyone to come hear their Christmas concert, which is free of charge.

About 620 customers lose power during Sunday outage

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About 620 customers lost power during a Sunday afternoon outage, Oak Ridge Electric Director Jack Suggs said Monday.

The outage started around 3 p.m. and lasted until 4:45 p.m. It affected the center of the city north of Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Suggs said workers did not find the exact cause, but they suspect it was a tree limb that fell onto an electrical line and then blew off or fell through before workers arrived.

The outage affected the Oak Ridge Public Library, Oak Ridge High School, and Grove Center. [Read more…]

Annual Christmas tree lighting in Bissell Park scheduled for Dec. 6

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Oak Ridge Christmas Tree Lighting

The Oak Ridge Woman’s Club and the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will have the annual Christmas tree lighting at A.K. Bissell Park on Friday, Dec. 6.

The Oak Ridge Woman’s Club and the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will sponsor the annual Christmas tree lighting and reception at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6.

Participants should gather at the Secret City Commemorative Walk on the east side of the Oak Ridge Public Library parking lot for a brief ceremony, a press release said. Following the tree lighting, a reception will be held in the Oak Ridge Civic Center gymnasium. Participants will enjoy seasonal music and refreshments provided by the Oak Ridge Woman’s Club Civic Affairs Committee.

For more information, visit the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department website at www.orrecparks.org.

Supply of 2013 tax forms will be limited at Oak Ridge Library

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The Oak Ridge Public Library has supplied the community with federal and state tax forms for the past several years. This year, the Internal Revenue Service is limiting the amount and type of forms the library and other institutions can order for the public.

For the tax year 2013, the 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ forms and instruction booklets will be available after Jan. 1, 2014, as well as Schedules A, B, C, and D and other miscellaneous individual tax forms. Most tax forms not available at the library can be printed for the cost of 10 cents a page. Tennessee state tax forms and instructions are always available at the library for no charge. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Public Library offers help with Affordable Care Act

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The Oak Ridge Public Library is joining libraries across the country as the starting point for people who will be participating in the Affordable Care Act.

The Marketplace opens Oct. 1, and it can be accessed through the website www.healthcare.gov. President Obama has called upon libraries with public Internet access to help fill the need of the estimated one in five Americans who do not have Internet access. [Read more…]

Council to consider utility rate increases, sewer tanks, new fire trucks

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Emory Valley Road Sewer System Holding Tank

A draft image of what a sewer system holding tank could look like on Emory Valley Road east of the former Daniel Arthur Rehabilitation Center. The proposal could change based upon input from Oak Ridge City Council members. (Images courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge officials are considering utility rate increases that could cost many residents another $6.87 per month, and they have also proposed building three large sewer system holding tanks, including two near busy roadways, in response to a federal order requiring the city to stop all sewer system overflows by September 2015.

Council could consider those proposals, as well as a request to buy three new fire trucks, during its Sept. 9 meeting. [Read more…]

New service, digital collections at library; DOE, other collections available online

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Y-12 Alpha Type I "D" Unit

A Y-12 Alpha Type I “D” Unit is pictured above. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Public Library)

The Oak Ridge Public Library has announced a new service for the community and new online photograph collections. With Reference by Appointment, individuals can obtain one-on-one, in-depth assistance with research, résumés, or online job applications with a trained professional at no cost.

Anyone may schedule an appointment to meet with a librarian for assistance in the use of the library’s many resources. A librarian can help format résumés, search census records in Heritage Quest, assist with databases searches in Tennessee Electronic Library, suggest research material for a school or work project, and help with basic computer skills. No library card is needed in order to take part in this service. [Read more…]