Oak Ridge Today

UT Arboretum Society to hold MOTH…er’s Night Out on Saturday

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Hebrew Moth (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

Hebrew Moth (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will sponsor the popular MOTH…er’s Night Out program to learn about moths and other nocturnal insects on Saturday, May 20, a press release said. The program is scheduled from 8 to 10 p.m. at the UT Arboretum, which is located at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

“Have you ever wondered about what kind of insects are out hunting and eating while you sleep snugly in your bed at night?” the press release asked. “Come learn about these creatures with naturalist Kris Light. After an introductory program in the Visitors Center, we will venture outdoors to check the sheets to observe the insects that have been attracted by the black lights.

“Bring your camera, your friends, and your kids as well as a magnifying glass, a flashlight, and a desire to learn about these fascinating critters! This program is appropriate for all ages.” [Read more…]

Community invited to ‘Step into Auction’ church fundraiser

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Submitted

With an arm’s long list of unique items and services that includes a llama walk in the Smokies, a fly fishing lesson/excursion, a 1992 Ford Taurus Wagon, getaways, computer geek services, four course dinners that include wine a and food pairing, a back porch summer soiree on the river that will feature a trout dinner, various ethnic meals, and paintings and pottery by local artisans among the offerings up for bid, the “Step into Auction” promises to be a fun filled evening, a press release said.

The community is invited to attend the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church fundraiser on Friday, May 19, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. in the Social Hall of the church located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Entry is $5 for adults. Children are free.

Music from ORUUC’s own “Bifolkals” will kick off the evening, the press release said. Then it’s on to hors d’oeuvres, magic performed by Nick Roberts, door prizes, and silent and live auctions. Drinks will be available for purchase. [Read more…]

Graduation Celebration for ORHS seniors is June 1

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Students always enjoy the “photo booth” at Graduation Celebration. This was taken at the June 2016 party. (Submitted photo)

Students always enjoy the “photo booth” at Graduation Celebration. This was taken at the June 2016 party. (Submitted photo)

 

The 21st annual Graduation Celebration event will be held at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Thursday, June 1. Oak Ridge High School seniors are invited to register for the free party, where they can win cash and prizes while making memories with their classmates in a safe environment, a press release said.

The event requires nearly 200 volunteers and dozens of spots are still open. Volunteer jobs are available in security, inflatables, thank you notes, casino, food, prizes, and more. Please visit www.graduationcelebration.org to register as a volunteer. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool open for Memorial Day weekend

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool will be open to the public over Memorial Day weekend this year, Saturday, May 27, through Monday, May 29, from noon to 6 p.m. each day.

This will be a “soft opening” over the holiday weekend, with the pool being closed for the three days following Memorial Day, from Tuesday, May 30, to Thursday, June 1, a press release said. The outdoor pool will then open for normal summer hours starting Friday, June 2. [Read more…]

Community meeting on May 25 to discuss new Oak Ridge Preschool

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The new preschool could be located at Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge or Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, and the city's school board expects to recommend one of the two sites on Monday, Feb. 27, a school official said Friday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Plans call for the new Oak Ridge Preschool to be located at Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge City Council voted during a special-called meeting on March 27 to select the Scarboro Park site as the location for a new Oak Ridge Preschool. As part of the ongoing dialogue with the community about this future facility, city leaders will host another public forum-style meeting at the Scarboro Community Center on Thursday, May 25, from 6 to 8 p.m., a press release said.

Two previous community meetings were held at the same venue, one on March 23 and another on April 20, to discuss the preschool. Members of the community who attended those meetings were able to see preliminary concepts, ask questions, and provide input on decisions, the press release said.

The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools have been working to choose a site for the new preschool for about two years. Once the building is complete, the preschool will relocate from the school administration building on New York Avenue. Members of a committee formed to recommend possible sites looked at city-owned properties and a multitude of factors that would impact future students, their families, and the community as a whole, the press release said. Scarboro Park, the site ultimately selected by City Council and the Board of Education, is across the street from the Scarboro Community Center on Carver Avenue. [Read more…]

Ray Smith selected to serve on Tennessee Historical Commission

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D. Ray Smith (Submitted photo)

D. Ray Smith (Submitted photo)

 

Ray Smith, historian for the City of Oak Ridge and the Y-12 National Security Complex, has been selected to serve on the Tennessee Historical Commission, a press release said.

It’s the first time an Oak Ridger has been selected to serve on the Tennessee Historical Commission, the press release said.

There are 20 members from across the state, and a balanced mix of members is maintained to best represent the entire state on the commission, the release said.

It said Oak Ridge contributes to the State of Tennessee in a number of significant ways, including economic development and heritage and science tourism. [Read more…]

Education Foundation awarded more than $90,000 in grants in April

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Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation board members who were present with a big check at an grant awards ceremony at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, April 26, 2017. (Photo courtesy ORPSEF)

Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation board members who were present with a big check at an grant awards ceremony at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, April 26, 2017. (Photo courtesy ORPSEF)

 

In the final year of its “Making the Critical Difference” campaign, the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation awarded more than $90,000 in grants to Oak Ridge teachers. The grants were awarded during a ceremony at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, April 26.

Shirley Raines, president emeritus of the University of Memphis, was the featured speaker. Her talk was titled “Dreamers, Thinkers, Doers.” During her talk, Raines exhibited great appreciation and provided inspiration for teachers, a press release said.

“She asked teachers to think of the person who moved them to pursue their dreams, to be innovative thinkers, and to share their success stories which result from their grant awards in order to encourage their peers,” the release said.

The April 26 ceremony was open to the public with demonstrations of some of the projects and technology funded by the Foundation on display.

The 2017 grant recipients were: [Read more…]

UCOR awards 25 mini-grants for local school projects

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URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) on Monday, May 15, 2017, announced 20 winners from five East Tennessee counties in the 2017 UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program, which recognizes and supports excellence in teaching. (Photo courtesy UCOR)

URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) on Monday, May 15, 2017, announced 20 winners from five East Tennessee counties in the 2017 UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program, which recognizes and supports excellence in teaching. (Photo courtesy UCOR)

 

URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) on Monday announced 20 winners from five East Tennessee counties in the 2017 UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program, which recognizes and supports excellence in teaching.

Awarded annually since 2012, grant funds assist classroom teachers in developing specific projects or curricula, focusing primarily on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), a press release said.

“One of UCOR’s primary objectives is to support and encourage education initiatives,” said Ken Rueter, UCOR president and project manager. “The UCOR Mini-Grant Program enables teachers to enhance their students’ educational experiences. Selected projects funded by our program give students a greater insight into the essential STEM subjects in fun and exciting ways.”

Applications were screened and awardees selected using a blind process that prevented members of the selection panel from knowing the names of the teachers or the schools. Schools in Roane, Anderson, Loudon, Knox, and Morgan counties were eligible to submit proposals. [Read more…]

Dick Smyser Lecture on Thursday features science educator discussing total solar eclipse

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Chap Percival (Submitted photo)

Chap Percival (Submitted photo)

The 20th Annual Dick Smyser Community Lecture Series opens on Thursday, May 18, and it will feature Chap Percival, a science educator from Sarasota, Florida.

Percival will talk about the total solar eclipse that will occur on August 21. The title of his presentation is “Go See the Eclipse.”

This event is co-sponsored by the Oak Ridge Isochronous Observation Network (ORION), the National Park Sevice (NPS), and Friends of ORNL (FORNL), a press release said.

It’s free of charge, and it will be held at the American Museum of Science and Energy, which is at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge. A reception will be held in the museum lobby starting at 5:30 p.m. (snacks will be served), and the lecture will start at 6 p.m. in the museum auditorium.

“This talk should be of interest to students and the general public,” the press release said.

Percival is a lifelong educator. He lives in Sarasota, Florida. He has a BA in mathematics and physics from Taylor University, an MAT in planetarium education from Michigan State University, and an MEd in instructional technology from the University of Virginia, the press release said. [Read more…]

Area care line seeks volunteers to make calls to seniors

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CNS Y-12 recently presented a check for launch of new program for Knox area senior citizens to Contact Care Line. Pictured from left are Alison Sides, secretary of the CNS-Y12 Advisory Committee; Helen Morton, vice president of the Board of Contact Care Line; Bruce Marshall, executive director of Contact Care Line; and Mike Fierley, chair of the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Fund Advisory Committee. (Submitted photo)

CNS Y-12 recently presented a check for launch of new program for Knox area senior citizens to Contact Care Line. Pictured from left are Alison Sides, secretary of the CNS Y-12 Advisory Committee; Helen Morton, vice president of the Board of Contact Care Line; Bruce Marshall, executive director of Contact Care Line; and Mike Fierley, chair of the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Fund Advisory Committee. (Submitted photo)

 

Reassurance Contact, an Oak Ridge-based service of local nonprofit Contact Care Line, is seeking caring individuals to volunteer a few hours each week to make calls to elderly Anderson and Knox County residents who live alone, a press release said.

“Volunteers donate a few hours one day a week to make social and safety calls to senior citizens who can use a cheerful moment in their day, a quick check that they are safe, and perhaps a reminder to take their medicine,” the press release said.

It said nearly 20 percent of the area’s population is 65 or older and 43 percent of those in this age group have a disability.

“Surveys reveal that seniors prefer to remain in their own homes as they age,” the press release said. “But safety concerns, coupled with social isolation, threaten the capacity of seniors to live on their own. Reassurance Contact addresses these issues, allowing senior residents to remain in the own residences as long as possible.”

The launch of this new program is helped by a $9,000 grant from the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Fund at East Tennessee Foundation, the press release said. [Read more…]

Roane State professor to lead May 25 cybersecurity seminar at Anderson County Chamber

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Roane State computer science professor George Meghabghab will lead a cybersecurity seminar on Thursday, May 25, at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, which is at 245 North Main Street in Clinton.

The Snack-and-Share session will last from 3-4:30 p.m. Register for the seminar at www.andersoncountychamber.org.

Meghabghab is the director of Roane State’s Computer Information Technology program, a press release said. The program includes a programming concentration and a new cyber defense concentration.

Roane State cyber defense students will learn how to recover data using digital forensics techniques, perform computer forensics analysis and validation, design and configure firewalls, and configure and implement intrusion detection systems, among other skills. [Read more…]

Seven ORHS students among thousands at national scholastic chess championships

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Edward Moran

Oak Ridge High School freshman Edward Moran, left, bears down to win his last-round match against a senior from Maryland to clinch second place. (Submitted photo)

 

There were 1,585 high school category entrants among the 5,578 students from across the country competing in the 2017 USChess SuperNationals tournament, which was held May 12-14 at the Opryland Convention Center in Nashville. ORHS juniors Bronson Burdick, Andrew Chan, and Carson McGhee, as well as freshmen Justin Blanchard, Edward (“Bear”) Moran, Logan Ogle, and Mack Patrick were among them, joined by former world champion Garry Kasparov, who made the ceremonial first move.

The school’s top score was Bear Moran’s 6.5 of a possible 7 in the U800 category, which was a clear second overall behind only a junior from Florida who had the only perfect score of the 220 players in that division. The ORHS players overall had a winning percentage of more than 55 percentage against the top competition in the United States.

Each year, there are national competitions for elementary (K-6), junior high (K-9), and high school (K-12). Every four years, these championships are combined in one venue as “SuperNationals.” The organizers stated this was the largest chess tournament in history in terms of participants. [Read more…]