Oak Ridge Today

World Wise Wednesdays begin at Oak Ridge Public Library

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Public Library is hosting a new series of programs on the third Wednesday of every month at 10:30 a.m.

World Wise Wednesdays are open to the public, and they will offer discussions on a variety of topics from gardening and seed swapping to how to get the most for your vacation money by cruising, to the natural history of hummingbirds.

The March program featured Ijam’s naturalist and author Stephen Lyn Bales, who talked about hummingbirds, their life cycle, and which ones we can hope to see this summer.

On April 19, Betty Longworth of Countryside Gardens will demonstrate flower arranging for bouquets and window boxes. [Read more…]

Secret City Wildbots start qualification rounds Friday morning at Smoky Mountain Regional

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Members of the Secret City Wildbots crew work on Luna, the 2017 robot, during the opening practice matches on Thursday, March 23, 2017. At left (in black long sleeves) is Eric Thornton; center (also in black) is Jacob LaRose, Luke Buckner (next in yellow) as a graduate advisor, Caden Webb (in pink), mentor Chuck Agle (in black, back to camera), and Olivia Mahathy (in black, back to camera). (Photo by Angi Agle)

Members of the Secret City Wildbots crew work on Luna, the 2017 robot, during the opening practice matches on Thursday, March 23, 2017. At left (in black long sleeves) is Eric Thornton; center (also in black) is Jacob LaRose, Luke Buckner (next in yellow) as a graduate advisor, Caden Webb (in pink), mentor Chuck Agle (in black, back to camera), and Olivia Mahathy (in black, back to camera). (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

The Secret City Wildbots start qualifications rounds Friday morning at the Smoky Mountain Regional in Knoxville.

The first match for the Wildbots, Team 4265 from Oak Ridge, is scheduled at about 9:45 a.m. Friday. It’s Match Number 7 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Wildbots are competing in the FIRST Robotics “FIRST Steamworks” challenge, which is scheduled from Thursday, March 23, to Saturday, March 25. Their 2017 robot is named Luna.

There were practice matches on Thursday. [Read more…]

Energy Secretary Perry honors Oak Ridge’s EM program with two awards

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Energy Secretary Rick Perry, right, presents Wendy Cain, left, with DOE’s Federal Project Director of the Year award for 2016. He also presented the Oak Ridge K-31 Facility demolition team with the Department's Achievement Award. The employees received the awards at the 2017 DOE Project Management Workshop in Washington, D.C., on March 22. (Photo by DOE)

Energy Secretary Rick Perry, right, presents Wendy Cain, left, with DOE’s Federal Project Director of the Year award for 2016. He also presented the Oak Ridge K-31 Facility demolition team with the Department’s Achievement Award. The employees received the awards at the 2017 DOE Project Management Workshop in Washington, D.C., on March 22. (Photo by DOE)

 

At a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Energy Secretary Rick Perry honored the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management’s Wendy A. Cain as Federal Project Director of the Year for 2016, and a team under Cain’s oversight won a U.S. Department of Energy Achievement Award.

Cain, who oversees the cleanup portfolio at the East Tennessee Technology Park, was described as the best of DOE project management leadership. She earned the award by demonstrating exceptional leadership and project management acumen while overseeing the demolition of a former uranium enrichment facility. Her leadership, attention to detail, empowerment of team members, and fostering of open communications enabled the demolition of the K-31 Building at ETTP almost four months ahead of schedule and about $4 million under budget, a press release said.

“This is an incredible honor for Wendy and the Environmental Management program in Oak Ridge,” said Jay Mullis, acting manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM. “Everyone who works with Wendy knows how deserving she is of this distinguished award. She brings an impeccable work ethic and commitment to achieve our mission every day, and is representative of all the dedicated and skilled federal and contractor employees executing the important cleanup mission here.” [Read more…]

Community Band Concert is April 2 at ORHS

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Pictured above is Deidre Ford, who will be singing "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" in the Community Band Concert in Oak Ridge on April 2, 2017. (Submitted photo)

Pictured above is Deidre Ford, who will be singing “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” in the Community Band Concert in Oak Ridge on April 2, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

On Sunday afternoon April 2, the Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble/Community Band will present its last concert of the 2016-2017 “Exploring Our Roots in Wind Band Music” series. The “Music of North America” performance will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center at 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The April 2 concert promises to be an exceptionally entertaining show featuring music by outstanding American composers such as Gershwin, Leroy Anderson, John Phillip Sousa, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Henry Fillmore, and others presenting a variety of selections ranging from dixieland, classical, gospel, jazz, and cajun two-step to marches, show tunes, and light pop, a press release said.

The Community Band is also pleased to present trumpet soloist Tim Michaels, vocal soloist Deidre Ford, and the band’s own Dixieland ensemble with trombonist Don Batchelor, clarinetist Deidre Ford, trumpet player Tim Ford, tuba player Tim Powers, and percussionist Cindy Redd, the press release said. [Read more…]

‘Pearls and Politics’ political forum scheduled for April 6

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Pearls and Politics Political Forum April 6 2017

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Oak Ridge Chapter, is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge and the NAACP of Anderson County to present “Pearls and Politics” on Thursday, April 6, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church.

The political forum starts at 6 p.m. April 6. The church is at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

This nonpartisan voter education event will feature city and county officials, school board members, and state legislators, a press release said. Heavy hors d’ouerves will be served. The event is free and open to the public.

See the event flyer here: Pearls and Politics.

Community sets up memorial fund to build statue to honor former coach

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Garry Kreis

Garry Kreis

 

By J. Brad Jones

COALFIELD—The people of Coalfield and Oliver Springs have put aside their sports rivalry to come together to honor one of their own.

Garry Kreis, also known as “High Pockets,” played his high school football in Oliver Springs and at the University of Tennessee before becoming a teacher at Norwood Middle School in Anderson County.

In 1979, he became the assistant football coach at Coalfield High School, as well as the head basketball coach and teacher. For the next 28 years, Coach Garry Kreis was Coalfield football. Garry was assistant coach until 1987, when he became the head coach. He continued that role through 2007.

Recently, Garry Kreis was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and was doing very well with that until he received the bad news that the cancer had spread to his brain. Coach Kreis was placed in hospice care on March 14, 2017, where he remains now. However, Garry’s health has been deteriorating rapidly.

The community has begun several projects to honor the memory of Coach Garry Kreis for his continued dedication and support of the Coalfield community. [Read more…]

Secret City Wildbots to compete at Smoky Mountain Regional this week

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Secret City Wildbots are primed for competition this weekend in the FIRST Robotics “FIRST Steamworks” challenge at Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville from March 23-25, 2017. (Submitted photo)

The Secret City Wildbots are primed for competition this weekend in the FIRST Robotics “FIRST Steamworks” challenge at Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville from March 23-25, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

The Secret City Wildbots are primed for competition this weekend in the FIRST Robotics “FIRST Steamworks” challenge.

This year’s event is scheduled from Thursday, March 23, to Saturday, March 25 at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. It invites teams and their robots to join an adventure club and prepare their airship for flight. Teams were challenged to build their robot for collecting and placing gears on their airship for their pilots (the team’s human player) to populate gear trains to start their airships rotors, scoring fuel (“wiffleballs”) into a low goal or firing them into a high goal of their boiler in order to build up steam pressure, and lastly, climbing a rope to board their airship so they can help their pilots win the race.

The Secret City Wildbots, along with their alliance, were semi-finalists at the Palmetto Regional in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from March 2-4. [Read more…]

Celebrated violinist Rachel Barton Pine to perform in Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine (Submitted photo)

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine (Submitted photo)

 

There will be a series of performances and outreach activities featuring internationally renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine in late March and early April, a press release said.

The events, scheduled from March 30-April 2, are presented by the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association.

Pine is an American violinist who made her solo debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 10, and she was the first American and youngest ever gold medal winner of the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition, the press release said.

Saturday, April 1: [Read more…]

CNS introduces hundreds of girls to engineering

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Chloe Roach from Anderson County Career and Technical Center pedals a bike to generate electricity. (Photo by Y-12)

Chloe Roach from Anderson County Career and Technical Center pedals a bike to generate electricity. (Photo by Y-12)

 

Y-12 National Security Complex shows how STEM skills lead to careers

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC recently hosted more than 200 female high school students from 15 area schools as part of Introduce a Girl to Engineering. The goal of the event was to inspire girls to consider careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, a press release said.

This program was conducted in concert with Girl Day, an initiative founded by DiscoverE and expands CNS’ existing relationships with area schools.

Kristin Waldschlager of CNS Educational Outreach said educating the younger generation about STEM-related opportunities is “critical” for Y-12.

“At Y-12, we have a sense of responsibility to make sure we support the development and growth of future scientists and engineers who could be working here,” Waldschlager said in the press release. [Read more…]

Community listening event in Rocky Top to focus on painkillers, substance abuse, addiction

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Terry-Frank-Aug-15-2016

Terry Frank

A community listening event in Rocky Top in April will focus on painkillers, substance abuse, addiction, and overdoses.

The listening event will be at the Rocky Top Community Center on Monday, April 3, from 6-7:15 p.m. It will be hosted by Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and concerned citizen Patricia Adkins, a press release said.

“The open invitation event will focus on receiving community comments about opiate abuse, addiction issues, and/or treatment, and any concern surrounding substance abuse issues in the community,” the press release said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses now account for more deaths in the U.S. than motor vehicle accidents, with 52 percent attributed to prescription medications. [Read more…]

Breakfast with Legislators is Monday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

McNally-Ragan-Calfee-at-Breakfast-with-Legislators-April-25-2016

The next Breakfast with the Legislators is at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Monday, March 27, 2017. Pictured above in a breakfast in 2016 are Sen. Randy McNally (now lieutenant governor), Rep. John Ragan, and Rep. Kent Calfee. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The next Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday morning at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. The breakfast is scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 27, in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The Civic Center is at 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike. A light continental breakfast will be provided at no charge. The public is encouraged to attend, a press release said.

Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally, who is now lieutenant governor, and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to bring everyone up to date on what’s happening in the Tennessee General Assembly, the press release said. Members of the audience may ask questions and give opinions. [Read more…]

DOE finishes demolishing another building at ETTP

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Building K-731 at East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge, is pictured above during demolition. (Photo by DOE)

Building K-731 at East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge, is pictured above during demolition. (Photo by DOE)

 

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and its cleanup contractor have finished demolishing another building at East Tennessee Technology Park, or ETTP, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge.

The work is part of an effort to advance toward Vision 2020, a goal to complete cleanup at ETTP by 2020 and continue transferring the remaining land to private industry, benefiting the regional economy, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management, or EM, said in a story published February 28.

The latest progress involves the removal of Building K-731. The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, and cleanup contractor URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, or UCOR, began demolishing Building K-731 on August 30, moments after taking down the final pieces of Building K-27 and fulfilling Vision 2016. That was Oak Ridge’s ambitious goal to be the world’s first to successfully remove all of its former uranium enrichment facilities by the end of 2016. [Read more…]