Oak Ridge Senior Center, City Court closing; egg hunt canceled

The Oak Ridge Senior Center will close today (Monday, March 16) due to COVID-19, and the City Court will be closed until Tuesday, March 31. The egg hunt scheduled for Saturday, April 4, will be canceled.

The Oak Ridge Recreation Center and Scarboro Community Center remain open for now, but Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said precautions are being taken to limit the risk of exposure.

“The public health situation is rapidly changing, here are the latest updates affecting city facilities,” Watson said in a message Friday:

Senior Center

• The Senior Center will close on Monday, March 16, until further notice.
• As a result, the ETHRA Senior Nutrition Program Congregate Meal program (on-site meals) will also be suspended.
• The ETHRA Senior Nutrition Program Home Delivered Meals (“meals on wheels”) will continue.
• The MyRide program will be suspended until further notice.

Recreation Center and Scarboro Community Center

• The Recreation Center and Scarboro Community Center will remain open at this time, but precautions are being taken to limit exposure risks.
  • Free play basketball and volleyball will be suspended until further notice.
  • The Rec Center game room will be closed.
  • Martial arts lessons will be suspended until further notice.
  • At this time, the indoor pool will continue to operate as scheduled, but that is subject to change.
• The Eggspo egg hunt, scheduled for Saturday, April 4, will be canceled. It may be rescheduled at a later date.
• Other programs and activities may be subject to postponement or cancellation as the situation develops.

City Court

• City Court will be closed until Tuesday, March 31.

Library

• Every other computer will be closed to public use in order to reduce the amount of surfaces needing disinfectant.
• The Children’s Room, Oak Ridge Room, and Microfilm room will close to the public until further notice.
• Tables in the main reading room will seat only two people rather than four at a time.
• Hand sanitizer will be made available more widely throughout the library.
• Water fountains will be covered and not available for public use.
• Programs for all ages are canceled until further notice, with the exception of Census Taker recruitment and training.
• All due dates will be extended for nine weeks, and overdue fines will be canceled.

Fire Department

• All resident visits and tours to fire stations and headquarters have been suspended.

Community Development

• Walk-in applications are discouraged.
• Applications for building, planning, and zoning are encouraged and will be accepted via phone or email.

For more information, call the City Manager’s office at (865) 425-3550.