Oak Ridge Today

Youth Board has free disc golf Sunday

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The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board has organized a free Turkey Bowl Disc Golf event on Sunday at Groves Park on Tuskegee Drive.

It’s part of the Playful City USA initiative, a press release said.

Free discs will be provided to participants while supplies last. Turkey Bowl Disc Golf starts at 3 p.m. Sunday.

“Disc Golf is growing in popularity, and it is a great activity for families,” Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Supervisor Matt Reedy said. “We have two courses here in Oak Ridge, and it is free to play, 365 days a year.”

Reedy said there is a small, but challenging nine-hole course at Carl Yearwood Park. The Groves Park course, meanwhile, has a mix of open and wooded 18 holes on 46 acres of land.

The Turkey Bowl is hosted annually on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Local players will compete in higher divisions, while beginners and children are encouraged to come out and try the event for the first time, the release said.

Course maps are available for download on the Recreation and Parks Department website at www.orrecparks.org. You can also find tips and rules information on the sport by visiting www.pdga.org.

If you have questions, call Reedy at (865) 425-3442 or visit the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department website at www.orrecparks.org.

Bird feeders to be installed at Melton Lake Park

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The city hopes to cut down on the number of people feeding bread to geese and ducks at Melton Lake Park by installing bird feeders this week.

The new coin-operated feeders will dispense a handful of high-protein pellets for $0.25, which can then be thrown into the Clinch River to feed the waterfowl, a city press release said.

The feeders are being installed on a trial basis by Vaulted Vending.

The press release said Oak Ridge officials have discouraged bird feeding because the waterfowl create a mess and bread can be harmful to them. Feeding them the wrong kind of food can also make them more aggressive.

“We hope the new feeders will eliminate the harmful bread from the bird’s diet and will also move the birds away from the picnic facilities at the park,” said Josh Collins, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director.

The press release said the installation of the new feeders could also produce some money to be used for park improvements.

“These feeders have been successful in numerous other communities that have large populations of geese and ducks,” the release said.

For more information, contact Collins at (865) 425-3450 or visit the city’s website at www.oakridgetn.gov.

New pavilion erected at Oak Ridge Marina

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Melton Lake Park Pavilion

Construction workers erect a pavilion this week on the city’s waterfront at Melton Lake Park.

A few weeks after the old pavilion was removed, construction workers have started erecting a new pavilion at Melton Lake Park.

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department has hired Rich Construction of Lenoir City to build the 2,300-square-foot pavilion at the Oak Ridge Marina.

The pavilion is in the same spot as the old 880-square-foot picnic shelter that was between the playground and the Melton Lake Greenway. The picnic shelter was torn down in late September.

The $159,000 pavilion could be used for rowing and community events. The Oak Ridge City Council awarded a construction contract for it in May.

It’s the second major step in a waterfront development plan approved by City Council in December 2009. The first was the paving of the parking lot at Elza Gate Park.

Rich Construction began site work for the new pavilion in early October. The pavilion itself has arrived and is now under construction on the city’s waterfront, offering “exceptional views of Melton Hill Lake and the Oak Ridge rowing course,” a city press release said.

Construction could be completed sometime in late November, depending upon the weather, the press release said.

The city asked the public to use caution in the park while the pavilion is under construction.

The hexagonal, prefabricated picnic pavilion will include a metal roof, ceiling lighting, and a low stone wall with electrical outlets. It’s designed to serve as a “signature facility” that sets the theme for future waterfront development.

Funding for the proposed pavilion comes from a $140,000 donation from UT-Battelle, which manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and from savings that result from staff turnover in the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department, the city staff said.

The park is used by rowers, runners, walkers, bikers, and families.

For more information, contact the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department at (865) 425-3450 or visit the city’s website at www.oakridgetn.gov.

Children’s Halloween Party tonight at A.K. Bissell Park

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The Oak Ridge Children’s Halloween Party is this evening at A.K. Bissell Park.

The party starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m. It includes carnival games, a giant inflatable caterpillar crawl, a game room for toddlers, Halloween cartoon videos, a glow room, and a craft room, a press release said, and the ever-popular Scary Room will return with a pirate theme.

A hayride is planned, weather permitting, the press release said.

Tickets will be sold at the door for 25 cents each, and most of the activities cost one or two tickets. The craft room, cartoon videos, and toddler area are free.

Concessions and souvenirs will also be available for sale in the Glow Room.

Volunteers are still needed. Call the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department at the Civic Center at (865) 425-3450 if you would like to volunteer to help.

A.K. Bissell Park is at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board hosts Tennis Play Day

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Oak Ridge Tennis Play Day

Participants of Saturday’s Tennis Play Day are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board hosted a free Tennis Play Day on Saturday as part of the Playful City USA initiative.

“Participants of all ages tried their hand at a variety of challenges, while also learning about new tennis opportunities in Oak Ridge,” a press release said.

United States Tennis Association instructor David Bowman led skills and challenges for the event, the release said.

“This event is an example of the partnerships that the city YAB is attempting to build in the community,” said Matt Reedy, Oak Ridge recreation program supervisor and YAB liaison. “David Bowman is a great resource and advocate for youth tennis here in Oak Ridge, and he is bringing in USTA tournaments several times a year as well.”

Reedy said the YAB subsidized the cost of painting “Quickstart Tennis” lines for kids’ tennis and added an informational sign.

“This event was designed to be free, fun, and informative about youth tennis here in Oak Ridge,” Reedy said.

He said the Youth Advisory Board is working on another new initiative involving a partnership with the Grove Center Merchants to host a Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 1.

“Our annual Breakfast with Santa event has always been hosted in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Gym, and we felt that it was time to change the event up and branch out a bit,” Reedy said. “Through this partnership, we will free up Recreation Department resources for Youth Basketball Leagues to begin, while also supporting local businesses in Grove Center. It is a win-win.”

YAB meetings are held twice per month on Wednesday afternoons at the Oak Ridge Civic Center and are open to the public. Board members serve a one-year term of office and must re-apply in May of each year.

For more information, call Reedy at (865) 425-3442 or visit the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department website at www.orrecparks.org.

Construction starts on Melton Lake Park pavilion

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Melton Lake Park Waterfront Pavilion

Construction work has started on a new waterfront pavilion at Melton Lake Park in Oak Ridge.

Construction work has started on a long-awaited pavilion at Melton Lake Park.

The $159,000 pavilion could be used for rowing and community events. The Oak Ridge City Council awarded a construction contract for it in May.

It’s the second major step in a waterfront development plan approved by City Council in December 2009. The first was the paving of the parking lot at Elza Gate Park.

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Oak Ridge offers lifeguard course during Fall Break

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An American Red Cross Lifeguarding course will be offered during Oak Ridge schools’ fall break next week, Oct 22-26.

Students who are 16 years old and older and successfully complete the course can apply for a City of Oak Ridge lifeguard position, a press release said.

The class is offered by the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department, and it will be taught daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory, a press release said.

Successful completion of the class will provide the student with certificates for Lifeguarding, CPR for the Professional Rescuer, AED, and First Aid, the press release said.

All students must be at least 15 years old. Prerequisites include a 300-yard continuous swim using the front crawl and breaststroke using rhythmic breathing, a timed 20-yard swim and recovery of a 10-pound weight, and treading water for two minutes using legs only. The prerequisites must be met the first day of class.

The class fee is $135. Registration is available at the Oak Ridge Civic Center front desk, and payment is due at the time of registration. Enrollment is limited.

For more information, call the Recreation and Parks Department at (856) 425-3450 or visit www.orrecparks.org.

With help from UT, tree inventory under way in Oak Ridge

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The city of Oak Ridge and forestry students from the University of Tennessee are conducting a tree inventory to help develop a tree planting plan.

The inventory started Saturday at the west end of Oak Ridge near Rarity Ridge. The first two-week inventory will move east along State Route 95/58 to State Route 62, also known as Illinois Avenue.

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Swim lessons, water exercise classes start in September

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A handful of classes that offer swimming lessons and water exercise start in Oak Ridge in September.

The classes include the Oak Ridge City Aquatics swim team, Aqua Power, water exercise, and fall swimming lessons.

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