Oak Ridge Today

New exercise class at Oak Ridge Senior Center started this month

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Pierce Physical Therapy

The Oak Ridge Senior Center has partnered with Pierce Physical Therapy to sponsor a free exercise class for anyone age 50 and over. The class is being held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. It started Thursday, July 6.

The Pierce Therapy Exercise Program, or P.E.P. for short, will concentrate on strength, balance, and mobility and will incorporate therapeutic exercise, functional training, and individual exercise modifications, a press release said.

Physical Therapist Assistant Chelsea Ferrell will be leading the class at the senior center with assistance from Physical Therapist Ray Pierce. Pierce has operated Pierce Physical Therapy in Oak Ridge for more than 30 years, and Ferrell works full time as a PTA in the practice.

There is no cost for the class, but space is limited. Please call the Oak Ridge Senior Center at (865) 425-3999 to register.

Seminarian partners to visit Grace Lutheran Church on Sunday

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Ashton and Jennifer Roberts, seminarian partners to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge, will visit the Oak Ridge congregation Sunday, July 30, to lead worship, talk about their ministry, and get acquainted with local supporters.

Ashton and Jennifer have completed their first year as students at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Columbia, South Carolina. They are both seeking a master of divinity degree under ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), a press release said. Grace partners with an LTSS student each year, providing them financial and other assistance in reaching their goals. [Read more…]

Government contractor expands, hires first East Tennessee employee

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Bedrock Federal Services, a government contractor based in Maryland, has expanded and hired its first East Tennessee employee, a press release said.

Shelley Kimel, the first East Tennessee employee, will serve as public affairs specialist for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board under a contract awarded to Bedrock earlier this year, a press release said. Kimel was previously brand director at Aries Clean Energy in Knoxville.

Bedrock Federal Services has headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland, and the company provides management and information technology services.

ORHS WildBand has preview show this evening

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The Oak Ridge High School WildBand trombone section is shown above during a practice in 2017. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge High School WildBand trombone section is shown above during a practice in 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge High School WildBand Preview Show is at 6 p.m. today (Friday, July 28) at Blankenship Field.

If it’s raining at 4 p.m. today, the show will be presented in the ORHS Performing Arts Center Auditorium.

The students have been working hard to prepare “Danza del Toro” for the fall marching season, a press release said. [Read more…]

Workers start demolishing Poplar Creek facilities at ETTP

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Workers tear down the K-832 Cooling Water Pumphouse at East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management)

Workers tear down the K-832 Cooling Water Pumphouse at East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management)

 

Note: This is an edited version of a story that was first published by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management in an EM Update on Friday, July 28.

Workers began demolishing the Poplar Creek facilities this month, bringing Oak Ridge’s environmental management, or EM, program closer to completing major cleanup at the East Tennessee Technology Park by 2020.

“Demolishing the Poplar Creek facilities is significant for our program because it continues the visible transformation of ETTP’s skyline, and it removes the most contaminated facilities remaining at the site,” said Jay Mullis, acting manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM.

OREM has taken down more than 400 facilities at ETTP, including all five former uranium enrichment facilities. That’s about 10 million square feet of buildings that have been removed.

ETTP, also known as Heritage Center, is the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge. The site was built to help enrich uranium for atomic bombs during the top-secret Manhattan Project in World War II, and it continued to operate through the Cold War, including to enrich uranium for nuclear power plants. [Read more…]

Deadline to apply for free home energy upgrades is Tuesday

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Tuesday is the deadline to apply for free home energy upgrades through the Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient, or MORE2, program.

MORE2 has provided more than 80 upgrades to Oak Ridge homes at no cost to homeowners since May 2016, according to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

“With only a short time remaining in the program, team members are emphasizing the deadline for applications as August 1, 2017,” ADFAC said.

To assist Oak Ridge residents in this last opportunity to apply, the MORE2 team is hosting a “Sign Up” walk-in application event at ADFAC from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, July 31. ADFAC is in Room 203 at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Reservations for appointments are not required.

“Team members will be on hand to provide additional information and to assist in application submittal,” ADFAC said. [Read more…]

Celebrate summer with music in the park on Aug. 6

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Dale Pendley directs the Oak Ridge Community Band during a concert at Alvin K. Bissell Park on July 4, 2017. (Submitted photo)

Dale Pendley directs the Oak Ridge Community Band during a concert at Alvin K. Bissell Park on July 4, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

After a very successful concert on July 4 before a large and amazing audience who stayed even through the rain showers, the Oak Ridge Community Band is currently rehearsing for its third concert of the summer to be held on Sunday evening, August 6, at A.K. Bissell Park.

Beginning at 7 p.m. that day, the Community Band will perform a “Touch of Latin”program, which will also include some swing, jazz, and show tunes. There is no admission fee for the summer concerts, although donations are gratefully accepted to help with community band expenses.

The public is encouraged to bring chairs or blankets for outdoor seating, and Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab will provide refreshments. [Read more…]

National associations name Oak Ridge teacher as STEM Ambassador

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The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) announced that Elaine Vaughan, a math teacher at Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was one of 10 math and science teacher leaders selected to serve as a 2017 STEM Teacher Ambassador.

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) have announced that Elaine Vaughan, a math teacher at Oak Ridge High School, was one of 10 math and science teacher leaders selected to serve as a 2017 STEM Teacher Ambassador.

 

The National Science Teachers Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics have announced that Elaine Vaughan, a math teacher at Oak Ridge High School, is one of 10 math and science teacher leaders selected to serve as a 2017 STEM Teacher Ambassador.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“Many of the policies and practices that shape K–12 STEM education today have resulted with little or no input from classroom teachers,” said David Evans, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. “Throughout the year, the STEM Teacher Ambassadors will be taking on additional responsibilities and leadership positions, which will create new roles and a greater voice for teachers and for STEM education.”

Vaughan joined colleagues—all recipients of the Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching—for intensive training in communications, media, and policy. The training was created by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and it is designed to expand the classroom teacher voice at the local, state, and national levels, a press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge cross country team has pancake breakfast Aug. 5

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The Oak Ridge cross country team will have its annual pancake breakfast on Saturday, August 5, at First United Methodist Church next to the high school. Breakfast will be served from 8-10 a.m.

Tickets are available from any team member or at the door for $5.

“So come on out and support ORXC,” a press release said. “We look forward to seeing you there and thanks for your support!”

ORICL courses benefit seniors; register by Aug. 7 for fall term

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ORICL members recently toured Mayfield Dairy. (Submitted photo)

ORICL members recently toured Mayfield Dairy. (Submitted photo)

 

By Carolyn Krause

As traditionalists and baby boomers age, they are looking for ways to be as productive, safe, healthy, and comfortable as possible. This September, the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning, which will be celebrating its 20th anniversary, is offering many practical courses for seniors.

Sample topics are caregiving, movement improvement, maximizing the brain-body connection, aging in place, fall prevention, effects of normal aging on driving, and making lifestyle changes, such as downsizing and moving.

At ORICL, you can learn how to write a memoir, operate a computer, invest wisely in the stock market, and do estate planning. [Read more…]

Fulmer to be keynote speaker at Industry Appreciation Breakfast in September

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Industry Appreciation Breakfast Sept 12 2017

Former University of Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer will be the keynote speaker at an Industry Appreciation Breakfast in Oak Ridge in September.

The invitation-only breakfast is sponsored by the Oak Ridge Utility District and the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. It will be at ORUD on Tuesday morning, September 12.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Savor marvelous music from the movies on Aug. 5

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The Oak Ridge Philharmonia is pictured above in rehearsal. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Philharmonia is pictured above in rehearsal. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

Prepare to have your memories stimulated by famous movie music at the free August 5 concert by the Oak Ridge Philharmonia. Whether it is “As Time Goes By” from Casablanca, “The Shadow of Your Smile” from The Sandpiper, the iconic songs from James Bond movies, or the themes from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List, you are sure to find lots to enjoy in this concert.

Herman Hupfeld originally wrote “As Time Goes By” in 1931 for the Broadway musical Everybody’s Welcome. Its appearance in the 1942 movie, Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, is what made the song famous. The refrain was sung by the character Sam (Dooley Wilson).

“The Shadow of Your Smile” by Johnny Mandel premiered in The Sandpiper, a 1965 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Other than a straightforward version of the theme that features a vocal group, Jack Sheldon’s trumpet was prominent throughout much of the haunting score. This song became so popular that virtually every famous crooner recorded and published their own rendition. [Read more…]