Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge to host movie premiere of ‘Oppenheimer’

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On Thursday, Oak Ridge will host a movie premiere of “Oppenheimer,” a movie about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team of scientists who helped build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II. Oak Ridge was part of the top-secret project to build those bombs.

The movie will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20, at Cinemark Theater.

“Explore Oak Ridge is thrilled to present the premiere of ‘Oppenheimer, a movie that not only entertains but also pays tribute to the remarkable history of our city and the Manhattan Project,” said Katy Watt, president of Explore Oak Ridge. “This event celebrates Oak Ridge’s contributions to science and innovation, and we are honored to showcase our community’s heritage on the silver screen. Everyone is invited to an evening filled with drinks, popcorn, and a deep sense of pride as we honor the enduring spirit of our remarkable community and the remarkable history that defines us.”

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Oak Ridge Schools to host panel discussion, documentary screening for ‘Oppenheimer’

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Oak Ridge Schools will host a free, community-centered red carpet event Wednesday featuring a 90-minute panel discussion and a screening of the documentary film “Oppenheimer After Trinity.”

The panel—made up of local scientists, historians, filmmakers, and Oak Ridge students—will re-examine the conversations held over 80 years ago surrounding the splitting of the atom and discuss the development and deployment of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and their potential impact on future generations, a press release said.

The event will be held at the Oak Ridge High School Auditorium on Wednesday, July 19, from 6-8:30 p.m. and it will include free popcorn and soda for attendees. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for guests to mingle, enjoy the red carpet, and take photos, the press release said.

“As a nod to the birth of Oak Ridge, 1940s era attire is encouraged, though not required,” the release said

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Free Trunk or Treat, movie in Rocky Top on Oct. 28

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ASAP of Anderson is partnering with the City of Rocky Top to present free trunk-or-treating and a showing of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” on Friday, October 28.

It’s scheduled from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on October 28 at Rocky Top’s George Templin Field, a press release said.

“Fun activities and free resources will be available for the whole family!” the release said.

The free event will include food and costume contests, the press release said.

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Monologue Slam will feature artistic competition, fundraising

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The first East Tennessee Monologue Slam Fundraiser for Veterans and First Responders will be in Clinton on Saturday, November 12, and it will benefit the Infinite Warrior Foundation.

The Monologue Slam will feature a performance competition, and it will be at E. Claire’s Coffee House in Clinton in partnership with Actor’s Way In acting studio. It is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. November 12.

“Each performer is given three minutes to perform a monologue of their choice and then receive critiques from the judges,” a press release said. “After the first round of actors have gone up, three finalists are selected to move on to the second round.

“Here’s where things get interesting. In the second round, finalists are given plot twists that must be incorporated into their original piece. Some twists have included the actor now being drunk at their wedding or turning into a werewolf.

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‘Elf’ will be shown at Kids’ Movie Night on Friday

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The Christmas movie “Elf” will be shown during Kids’ Movie Night in Oak Ridge on Friday.

Kids’ Movie Night will start at 6 p.m. Friday, December 13, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

“Elf” is a 2003 Christmas movie that is rated PG. It will be shown in the Shep Lauter Room (gymnasium) at 7 p.m. Friday. Before the movie, participants can enjoy milk and cookies, crafts, a visit with Santa, and other activities, a press release said. Admission is free. Children, teens, and parents are encouraged to attend, the press release said.

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Christmas Tree Lighting is Friday in Oak Ridge

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The Christmas Tree is pictured in a previous year in Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department has updated plans for the annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting scheduled for Friday, December 6. The event will now begin at 6 p.m. in Alvin K. Bissell Park. That is 30 minutes earlier than previously announced.

The order of events has also been updated so that the tree lighting kicks off the event in the Secret City Commemorative Walk area on the east side of the Oak Ridge Public Library parking lot. At the conclusion of the tree lighting, participants will proceed to the outdoor pavilion stage located behind the Oak Ridge Civic Center for holiday music and refreshments. 

The entire program will take place outside in the park (weather permitting). Guests are encouraged to dress appropriately. In the event of rain, the music program will take place in the Civic Center’s Shep Lauter Room (gymnasium), a press release said.

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Tonight: Free Movie Night in the Park

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The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board, in partnership with the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department and Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson, will host a free Movie Night in the Park event tonight (Friday, October 11).

The event will be held in Alvin K. Bissell Park beginning at 7 p.m. The movie shown will be Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion” (rated PG) from 2003 starring Eddie Murphy. Free popcorn and drinks will be available while supplies last, a press release said.

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Outdoor Pool has movie night on Saturday

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The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road will show the 2018 movie “The Meg” on Saturday night, July 20, 2019. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool will host a movie night on Saturday, starting at 8:30 p.m.

The 2018 movie “The Meg” (rated PG-13) will be shown poolside on an inflatable screen, a press release said. Gates will open at 8:30 p.m. with the movie scheduled to start at approximately 9 p.m. Attendees can watch the movie while floating in the water (shallow end only) or sitting in the grassy area.

Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at the gate. Only cash or check will be accepted, no credit or debit cards, the press release said.

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McDaniel completes Oak Ridge oral history project

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Keith McDaniel interviews Oak Ridge Historian Ray Smith at the Oak Ridge History Museum for the Center for Oak Ridge Oral History. (Submitted photo)

Filmmaker Keith McDaniel has completed a nine-year project to document the oral histories of about 400 current and former Oak Ridge residents, including those connected to the Manhattan Project during World War II.

The life stories were used to build a digital collection for the Oak Ridge Public Library’s Center for Oak Ridge Oral History, or COROH. McDaniel was part of the group that made plans for the COROH and, following the city’s receipt of an annual grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, took the contract for the documentary work.

“A lot of original Oak Ridgers were dying and getting older,” McDaniel said in a press release from Carson-Newman University. “We felt it was really important to collect their memories, to collect their stories.”

The one-on-one filmed interviews gave those connected to the Manhattan Project, and later to the city at large, the opportunity to share their life stories, the press release said.

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Watch ‘Aquaman’ at outdoor pool Saturday night

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The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road will show the 2018 movie “Aquaman” on Saturday night, June 15, 2019. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool will show the 2018 movie “Aquaman” on Saturday night, June 15.

“Aquaman” (rated PG-13) will be shown poolside on an inflatable screen during the “Flick N Float” movie night, a press release said.

Gates will open at 8:30 p.m. with the movie scheduled to start at approximately 9 p.m., the press release said. Attendees can watch the movie while floating in the water (shallow end only) or sitting in the grassy area.

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Manhattan Project: National Parks World War II Film Festival on Saturday

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K-25-69 Close up of welding in prefabrecation shop 1944 (bld.300) Photo by Ed Westcott

K-25-69 Close up of welding in prefabrecation shop 1944 (bld.300) Photo by Ed Westcott

 

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present films from National Park Service sites that commemorate events and issues related to World War II and the nuclear deterrent used during the Cold War on Saturday, a press release said.

The film festival is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at the American Museum of Science and Energy.

National parks tell the stories of America’s World War II experience—from Pearl Harbor to the war’s atomic end, the press release said.

“The range of our nation’s national parks show how a resilient America mobilized its people to triumph over tyranny, explore places where technological and social barriers collapsed, confront the war’s darker legacies, and stand atop soils where American blood was shed, coastlines defended, and valor was memorialized forever,” the press release said. “Across the nation, national park sites help tell the story of our nation during World War II and help us ensure President Truman’s promise that ‘America will never forget their sacrifices’ will always hold true.”

National Park Service films on March 16, will come from: [Read more…]

Secret City Festival is this weekend

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Although numbers weren't immediately available, organizers said a record-setting crowd attended the Three Dog Night concert at the Secret City Festival on Saturday. (Photo by Jon Hetrick)

A record-setting crowd is pictured above at the Three Dog Night concert at the Secret City Festival in June 2015. (File photo courtesy Jon Hetrick)

 

The Secret City Festival on Friday and Saturday will feature music, food, children’s activities, historic exhibits, arts and crafts, technology, robotics, magic, a juggler, a K-9 search demonstration, wine tasting, tours of two federal sites, veterans parade, an attempt to set a world record in a basketball game, and headline concerts featuring Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx, and Little River Band.

There have been pre-festival events this week, including a Battle of the Bands tonight (Thursday, June 7), and a live radio broadcast featuring two bands on Monday, and a Children’s Movie Night on Wednesday.

At the Secret City Festival this weekend, a main stage concert on Friday night will feature Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx. The opening band is The Band Legacy. The show starts at 7 p.m.

The main stage concert on Saturday night will feature the Little River Band. The opening band is Janelle Arthur. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available online or at Citizens First Bank at 1298 Oak Ridge Turnpike for $25. [Read more…]