Oak Ridge Today

City Blueprint: Discussion continues at Woodland Open House on Monday, May 15

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Woodland Open House Flyer May 15 2017

The Oak Ridge Community Development Department is continuing the Oak Ridge City Blueprint effort with a discussion focused on the Woodland neighborhood. An open house will be held between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday, May 15, at Woodland Elementary School to gather additional community feedback, a press release said.

Families living in the area are encouraged to attend and provide their ideas and suggestions for how the neighborhood can be made even better. Those attending can come and go anytime during the open house to share their thoughts with City staff.

The blueprint is being coordinated by the Community Development Department, with input from the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, as well as other boards, commissions, and City leaders, the press release said. Once finished, the blueprint will be a guiding document that provides direction for future growth, development, and decision-making. [Read more…]

Janelle Arthur is the special guest at CASA Barbeque & Bluegrass Bash on Saturday

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Janelle Arthur

Janelle Arthur

 

The Barbeque and Bluegrass Bash by CASA of the Tennessee Heartland on Saturday will include a barbecue buffet and live music by the Mt. Le Conte Jug Band, along with special guest Janelle Arthur. There will also be a silent auction along with a live auction with Bear Stephenson, a press release said.

Tickets are $65 each, or $520 for an eight-person table.

The Barbeque and Bluegrass Bash is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Elizabeth Claire’s at 364 Market Street in Clinton.

You can see the CASA events here. You can see the event page on Facebook here.

Arthur is from Oliver Springs. She began singing in the heart of the Smoky Mountains at eight years old, when she landed the role as a young Dolly Parton in a production at Dollywood, the press release said. She performed thousands of shows in the Smoky Mountains area before moving to Nashville in 2010, where she soon began her “American Idol” journey. After three years of persistence, Arthur made it all the way to the Top 5, the release said. [Read more…]

HonorAir Flight brings Manhattan Project veterans from Oak Ridge to DC

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Honor Flight 2017 Manhattan Project Veterans Velva Irwin Hugh Barnett Sarah Archer Louise Keaton

On April 5, 2017, Atomic Heritage Foundation staff enjoyed meeting four Manhattan Project veterans from Oak Ridge who participated in an HonorAir Flight Knoxville program. The veterans were Velva Irwin, Hugh Barnett, Sarah Archer, and Louise Keaton. (Photo courtesy Atomic Heritage Foundation)

 

Story and photos courtesy Atomic Heritage Foundation

On April 5, 2017, Atomic Heritage Foundation (AHF) staff enjoyed meeting four Manhattan Project veterans from Oak Ridge who participated in an HonorAir Flight Knoxville program. The veterans were Velva Irwin, Hugh Barnett, Sarah Archer, and Louise Keaton.

Honor Flights, organized by nonprofits around the country, bring World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the national memorials that pay tribute to their sacrifices. This flight, the 23rd organized by HonorAir Knoxville, carried more than 130 veterans from East Tennessee, including 22 World War II veterans. After arriving in Washington, D.C., the veterans visited the United States Air Force Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the National World War II Memorial, the Marine Corps Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery.

AHF’s Cindy Kelly, Alexandra Levy, and Nathaniel Weisenberg met the veterans after they came off the bus at the National World War II Memorial. The AHF enjoyed speaking with Hugh, Velva, Sarah, and Louise about their Manhattan Project experiences. The organization took photographs and presented each of them with a Manhattan Project National Historical Park T-shirt featuring Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Three Rotary clubs to present Flatwater Festival on Friday, June 2

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Flatwater Festival logo (Created by Jim Dodson)

Flatwater Festival logo (Created by Jim Dodson)

 

Bands, beer, boats, and bounce houses. A cornhole tournament. Wine, water, and soda pop.

Teams that build, decorate, and paddle boats while you watch and listen to live music. Barbeque, hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream.

Does that sound like a party? It’s the inaugural Flatwater Festival fundraiser on Friday, June 2.

The Flatwater Festival, a fundraiser for community projects supported by the three Rotary clubs of Oak Ridge, will be held from 5 to 11 p.m., Friday, June 2, on the peninsula of Melton Lake Park. Admission to the festival is free, and $5 per person will be charged for unlimited time at the bounce house and obstacle course.

A portion of the proceeds from the festival will go to Emory Valley Center in memory of Dr. Gene Caldwell, a pediatrician, state lawmaker, EVC fundraiser, and Rotarian. The rest will support the diverse community service projects of the Rotary clubs. [Read more…]

Dine & Donate: Treat mom early on Monday, May 8

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Candey Seay Hoskins_small

Operating since 1930, Hoskins is an institution in downtown Clinton. The restaurant is well known for its 1940s-style soda fountain and daily lunch specials, and it is a great place to start your day with time-honored breakfast items. (Submitted photo)

 

On Monday, May 8, eleven local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC).

Dine & Donate Mondays are always an easy way to treat loved ones to a special meal that also gives back to the community, a press release said.

“With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, Dine & Donate is a fantastic way to celebrate early with the mom(s) in your life!” the press release said.

Participating restaurants are: [Read more…]

Missing four-year-old boy found with family dog after four-hour search

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Note: This story was updated at 12:50 p.m. May 7.

A four-year-old boy reported missing with a family dog was found Friday afternoon after a four-hour search and help from a CodeRED alert, authorities said.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a report of a missing child at a home on Hinds Creek Road shortly before 11 a.m. Friday, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.

“A four-year-old boy had wandered away from home apparently with the family dog,” Lucas said. “An intensive search began using Sheriff’s Department K-9 teams, including bloodhounds. A Blount County Sheriff’s K-9 bloodhound also responded to assist.”

Emergency personnel from the Andersonville Fire Department, Norris Fire Department, Claxton Fire Department, Clinton Fire Department, Clinton Police Department, Anderson County Rescue Squad, Anderson County Emergency Management, and Anderson County EMS came to the scene and helped with the search, both on foot and by using ATVs, Lucas said. [Read more…]

New anthology published, author reading & signing May 6

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In Gods Hand

The Writers of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church have published an anthology, “In God’s Hand,” featuring poems, essays, memoir, and fiction from some of the area’s top writers. Readings from the book will be the program for the Grace Lutheran Church Flower Festival Tea at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6. The readings will be followed by a book sale and autograph session. The book costs $15. All proceeds from the sale will go toward literary scholarships.

The book features 50 writers from seven states, including well-known writers such as KB Ballentine, Bill Brown, Judy DiGregorio, Sue Weaver Dunlap, Penny Dyer, Carol Grametbauer, Connie Jordan Green, Jane Hicks, Elizabeth Howard, Marilyn Kallet, Denton Loving, John C. Mannone, Linda Parsons, Phyllis Price, Jane Sasser, Wes Sims, Kory Wells, Sylvia Woods, and others, many from Oak Ridge and the surrounding area, a press release said.

The Flower Festival celebrates the 70th anniversary of Grace Lutheran Church and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with the theme “For the Beauty of the Earth,” based on the hymn by that name. In addition to the readings, the Flower Festival will feature a flower show, exhibits from Boy and Girl Scouts, children’s activities, a plant swap (all on Saturday 1-4), and a music program in the church sanctuary at 3 p.m. Sunday, the press release said.

Arissa Garden Club of Oak Ridge, a group that meets at Grace, is holding a flower show during the Festival, including both flower arrangements and horticulture specimens. The show will open on Saturday afternoon and remain in place through the music program on Sunday afternoon. [Read more…]

Friends of Oak Ridge Library have book sale May 11-14

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Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library will have its Spring 2017 Book Sale May 11-14 in the Oak Ridge Public Library Auditorium.

The sale will include fiction and nonfiction books, magazines, audiovisual materials, and other publications covering almost every subject, a press release said. A few non-publication items will also be available. Most titles are 50 cents or $1 each. Titles withdrawn from the Library are half-price Thursday through Saturday. The Silent Auction begins on Thursday evening and ends at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Thursday evening from 5 to 7:30 p.m. is a preview sale for members. Memberships will be available at the door ($5 per individual, and $10 per family). (Scanning devices cannot be used during the preview sale on Thursday.) [Read more…]

Pull For Our Veterans starts 2017 fundraising campaign on Friday

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Pull For Our Veterans, the Oak Ridge-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans and their families, is beginning its 2017 fundraising campaign with its Second Annual Sporting Clays Shoot hosted by the Lucky 7 Ranch in Sweetwater on May 5.

The president of Pull For Our Veterans, Richard Stouder, said: “We’re eager to start 2017 with the first of our two efforts this year. We’ll begin in Sweetwater with our sporting clays shoot. Since we want to support as many different kinds of groups that help veterans and their families, this year we have two different organizations to support. One of the groups is Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, and the other is Operation Stand Down Tennessee. They’re both outstanding organizations that need our assistance. ”

The mission of Smoky Mountain Service Dogs is to enhance the physical and psychological quality of life for wounded veterans by providing custom-trained mobility-assisted service dogs at no cost to the veterans, a press release said. [Read more…]

Suicide prevention training on May 16

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Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis can as well.

As a resource for the community, the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Pastoral Care Team will host a QPR Institute suicide prevention training on Tuesday, May 16, from 6-7:30 p.m. in the church’s Social Hall. This event is free and open to the public. ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike (close to traffic light 2) in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Arissa Garden Club has Flower Show this weekend

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Arissa Garden Club members at their annual plant sale. (Submitted photo)

Arissa Garden Club members at their annual plant sale. (Submitted photo)

 

Arissa Garden Club is having a flower show this weekend. It’s scheduled for Saturday, May 6, and Sunday, May 7, at Grace Lutheran Church at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue.

The free event is open to the public from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The flower show will remain in the narthex at the church for viewing by those who attend Sunday morning services and the special music program at 3 p.m. Sunday, a press release said.

The flower show is part of the Flower Festival that takes place at Grace Lutheran Church this weekend. [Read more…]

Pink lady’s slipper nature walk scheduled for Sunday, May 7

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A wildlife nature walk featuring observance of the pink lady’s slipper will be conducted from 1:30 until 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7, on the Oak Ridge Reservation.

This is part of the spring nature walk series offered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and was rescheduled due to rain from a previous date.

Participants will meet at 1:30 p.m. at the North Boundary Greenway along Tennessee Highway 95 located east of the junction with Tennessee Highway 58. [Read more…]