Oak Ridge Today





ORHS Masquers presents ‘Into the Woods’

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The production of ‘Into the Woods’ by Oak Ridge High School Masquers features Emmaline Estep as “Rapunzel,” Anna Younger as “Cinderella,” Norah Younger as “the Witch,” Max Mischler as “Jack,” Emily Salko as “Little Red Riding Hood,” and Jack Lloyd as “the Narrator.” (Photo submitted by ORHS Masquers)

Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s extracurricular drama program, is presenting “Into the Woods,” the Stephen Sondheim musical based on the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tales, in four performances this weekend.

The performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, March 4; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 5; and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6, at the Oak Ridge Performing Arts Center at Oak Ridge High School.

“Into the Woods” blends the story of Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, the Baker, his Wife, and the Witch into a single interwoven tale of adventure and loss, a press release said. Backed by the brilliant music and lyrics of Sondheim, the songs explore choices the characters must make and how they process the experiences they are having. The first act brings every character their dreamed successes and is very family friendly, the press release said.

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Oak Ridge names first honorary poet laureate

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Erin Elizabeth Smith

The City of Oak Ridge has named Erin Elizabeth Smith as its first honorary poet laureate. Smith will serve in this role for a two-year period, a press release said.

“In this role, she will inspire and promote literacy and literature to the residents of the city at things like cultural events and city celebrations,” the press release said. “With Oak Ridge being a unique community as the first and primary Manhattan Project site, it places a high value on literacy as foundation to our other values of education, science, technology, and environmental stewardship.”

In the fall of 2021, Oak Ridge City Council was approached about the concept of establishing the honorary position of poet laureate for the city. City Council was in concurrence, the Oak Ridge Poet Laureate Committee was created, and a nomination and selection process took place, the press release said.

Smith was selected after a detailed review of three nominees and was formally designated to the role at the February 14 City Council meeting.

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Experience world cultures at Children’s Museum International Festival

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The Tennessee Irish Dancers join Charlie Bear, the Museum mascot, at an earlier International Festival at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Photo by Rob Welton)

Flamenco, Irish, and Greek dancers will be among entertainers at the International Festival on Saturday, February 26, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

A special guest from Ireland, musician and singer Fionan Casey, will join the band, The Missing Goats, performing traditional Irish music at the festival, a press release said.

The family-friendly International Festival will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from many countries, with musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day and crafts for children to make and take home. The festival will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, February 26, at the Children’s Museum, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Four qualifiers win at songwriters competition

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Locals, visitors, and music industry leaders came together for a lively celebration and songwriting competition for East Tennessee songsmiths at Tennessee Songwriters Week’s qualifying round in Oak Ridge, Tenn., on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. (Submitted photo)

Locals, visitors, and music industry leaders met for a celebration and songwriting competition for East Tennessee songsmiths at Tennessee Songwriters Week’s qualifying round in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

“A slew of songwriters provided one of the most engaging and exciting songwriting competitions to date,” a press release said.

The competition was at Oakey’s Sports Bar in Oak Ridge. Each competitor was judged based on their overall performance, originality, and connection to the audience, the press release said. Out of the 20 applicants, only four were part of the winners from Oak Ridge’s qualifying round to advance to the next round at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville.

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Friends of Library Book Sale this weekend

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Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library Winter 2022 Book Sale will continue Saturday, Feb. 5, and Sunday, Feb. 6. Pictured above are FOL officers Nancy Hardin and Jan Pierce sorting books in a previous book sale. (Submitted photo)

A book sale organized by Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library continues this weekend through Sunday.

The FOL Winter Book Sale is at the Oak Ridge Public Library.

Saturday, February 5, is Half-Price Sale Day from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, February 6, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., is Buy-A-Bag-of-Books Sale with each bag provided by FOL priced at $3.

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Celebration of life in April for John Rice Irwin

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John Rice Irwin, founder of the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, plays the mandolin in this photo by Linda Gunderson.

A celebration of the life of museum founder John Rice Irwin will be held in April at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris. The celebration of life is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24.

Irwin was a cultural historian and founder of the Museum of Appalachia, among other notable achievements.

Irwin died Sunday, January 16, in Clinton. He was 91.

He was born on December 11, 1930, in Union County, Tennessee.

“While Irwin was still a toddler, his family was forced to move from their farm to make way for the flooding of Norris Lake and the construction of Norris Dam,” his obituary said. “They first settled in Robertsville (in Oak Ridge), but the Manhattan Project forced them to move yet again, this time to the Bethel Community.”

Irwin’s obituary said he was captivated by the rich cultural history of East Tennessee and its people for as long as he could remember.

“As a young boy, he would sit at the feet of his grandmother, Ibbie Jane Rice, and grandfather, Marcellus Moss ‘Sill’ Rice, and listen intently to their stories of the past,” the obituary said. “Sill took notice of his grandson’s fascination and said to him, ‘you ought to keep the old-timey things that belonged to our people and start you a little museum sometime.’ It was this advice that would ultimately inspire Irwin to create the Museum of Appalachia.”

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Oak Ridge will host songwriter competition qualifier

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Oak Ridge has been selected to host a qualifying round in February for Tennessee Songwriters Week, and applications are now open for the competition.

It’s the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development’s fourth annual Tennessee Songwriters Week. The Knoxville area’s qualifying round will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 9, at Oakey’s Sports Bar in Oak Ridge.

“The Tennessee Department of Tourism Development created this week to celebrate the foundation of the craft for which Tennessee is known: music,” a press release said. “Oak Ridge was among 30 locations statewide selected as a qualifying round host.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development as we host a 2022 Tennesseee Songwriter’s Week qualifying round at our signature Oakey’s Sports Bar,” said Katy Watt, president of Explore Oak Ridge. “Positioned perfectly in a valley along Knoxville’s trending city scene and the Great Smoky Mountains, Oak Ridge is the ideal destination for a musical experience unlike any other.”

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Tickets on sale for Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival

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The 5th Annual Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival in Oak Ridge will feature three world-class storytellers from June 2-4, 2022: Sheila Arnold, Bil Lepp, and Kim Weitkamp. (Submitted photo)

The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival in Oak Ridge in June will feature three renowned storytellers: Sheila Arnold, Bil Lepp, and Kim Weitkamp. The festival is scheduled from June 2-4, and “early bird” tickets are now on sale. This fifth annual event will be in person with four shows at the Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge, and it will include the story of the Oak Ridge 85.

Early bird tickets can be purchased online at Eventbrite or the Ferrell Shop (cash or check only) in Oak Ridge. “This is a great Christmas gift for all ages,” a press release said.

The two-day storytelling event on Friday and Saturday will feature Arnold, Lepp and Weitkamp, “who are known to audiences nationwide for their wit, wisdom, and abilities to make audiences laugh, cry, and reminisce,” the press release said.

On Thursday, June 2, Lepp will lead a workshop.

Arnold will highlight the Friday night performance by telling the story of the Oak Ridge 85, the 85 brave young people who were the first to desegregate a school district in the South, the press release said.

“Few people know of this 1955 milestone event that took place in Oak Ridge,” the press release said. “Sheila will honor the Oak Ridge 85 by telling some of their stories.”

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First employee art contest raises $608 for Project Safe, ADFAC

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Back row, left to right, are Brittany Burger, Oak Ridge Police Department (ORPD); Jim Sherrill, Utilities Business Office (UBO); Lt. Matthew Tedford, ORPD; and Andrew Lape, UBO. Middle row, left to right, are Rachelle Clowers, Jamie Fischer, DeDe Wolfe, and Amy Justice, all of UBO. Front row, left to right, are Marlene Bannon, UBO; Kirsten Aslinger, UBO; Annie Cacheiro, ADFAC; and Joey Smith, ADFAC. (Submitted photo)


The City of Oak Ridge had its first employee art contest benefitting Project Safe, a program administered by Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC), this fall, and the winners and donation totals are in, a press release said.

The theme for the inaugural art contest, which ran from October 4 through November 17, 2021, was “City of Oak Ridge Facilities, Services, or People.”

Employees were invited to create artwork within this theme and then the work was placed on display for voting.

Employees could make $1 donations to Project Safe to cast a vote for their favorite pieces. Project Safe helps those in our community who need assistance with utility bills, the press release said.

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City of Oak Ridge accepting nominations for poet laureate

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The Oak Ridge Public Library is supporting an initiative to select and name a poet laureate for the City of Oak Ridge.

The Oak Ridge Poet Laureate Committee is seeking a poet of excellence, who has lived in Oak Ridge for at least one year and is inspired to represent the city and all it strives to be, a press release said.

“Anyone can nominate someone they believe is best fit for the role and self-nominations are accepted as long as they can continue to live in the city throughout the appointment,” the press release said. “They must have significant publication history including books (excluding self-published and vanity presses), and in a variety of journals, and/or media. They must have received recognition in the field and have demonstrated literary excellence.”

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ORHS Band has holiday concert Thursday

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Josh Hunt, University of Tennessee music intern, with the Oak Ridge High School Band trumpets rehearsing for a Holiday Concert on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge High School Band will have a Holiday Concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 16, in the ORHS Performing Arts Center.

“Come enjoy an hour of music with the Percussion Ensemble, JazzKats, and Concert Band students as each group showcases their talent,” a press release said. “Fan favorite, ‘Sleigh Ride,’ by Leroy Anderson is a must hear!” [Read more…]

Community Band has Christmas Concert Sunday

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The Oak Ridge Community Band performs at the recent Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in A.K. Bissell Park on Dec. 1, 2021. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Community Band will play familiar holiday songs, and you will be able to sing along to favorite carols during a Christmas Concert on Sunday afternoon, December 12.

The family-friendly concert to ring in the holiday season will begin at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church, and there is no admission fee, a press release said.

Among the compositions on Sunday’s program will be one of Leroy Anderson’s most popular holiday tunes, “Sleigh Ride,” in which you can not only hear the bells on the horse pulling the sleigh but the crack of the whip, the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves, and the horse’s distinctive neigh, the press release said. The band will also perform Robert Buckley’s arrangement of “Let the Bells Ring!” based on “Ukrainian Bell Carol,” Alfred Reed’s “Russian Christmas Music,” and Robert Smith’s arrangement of “All is Calm.” More holiday tunes performed by the band will be Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival,” Paul Lavender’s arrangement of “A Home Alone Christmas,” and John K. Evans’s “Angels We Have Heard on High.” [Read more…]

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