Oak Ridge Today

Labor Day concert at A.K. Bissell Park on Monday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Community Band July 4, 2014

Photo by Larry Perry

 

The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform its last outdoor concert of the summer at A.K. Bissell Park next Monday.

The concert starts at 7 p.m. Monday, September 7. There is no admission fee, and the public is encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for outdoor seating, a press release said. Cool refreshments will be available.

“Attendance at the Community Band’s concerts this summer has been large due to outstanding programs, and the band directed by Dale Pendley and assistant conductor Lisa Michaels have still another excellent performance planned for Monday evening featuring as special guests the Dixieland Band, the Community Band Choir, vocalist Deidre Ford, and former mayor Tom Beehan, who has been narrator at the previous summer concerts and will once again appear in this role for the Labor Day program,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Reminder: ORHPA celebrates 70th anniversary of end of WWII with special showing of historic movie

Posted at
By 1 Comment

The Beginning or The End

A historic Ed Westcott image of the original showing of the movie, “The Beginning or the End”—The Story of the Atomic Bomb and Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

Reminder: A 70th anniversary celebration of the end of World War II will feature a special showing of the historic movie “‘The Beginning or the End,’ The Story of the Atomic Bomb and Oak Ridge.”

This movie was Hollywood’s first attempt to tell the fascinating story of the creation of the world’s first atomic bomb in the massive, top-secret Manhattan Project. The movie was originally released in 1947, just two years after the end of the war. It stars Brian Donlevy, Robert Walker, and Tom Drake.

The celebration has been organized by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. It’s scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, August 29, at the Historic Grove Theater at 123 Randolph Road in Grove Center.

“We wanted to honor those who perished in WWII, our great veterans, Manhattan Project and Cold War workers, and the world-changing Y-12 plant on this anniversary,” said Mick Wiest, president of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. “It’s important to remember and be grateful.” [Read more…]

TORCH Brew Review, a beer-tasting fundraiser, on Aug. 29

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

TORCH Brew Review

Photo from the Brew Review on Sept. 12, 2014, by Margaretanne Ingle.

 

Trinity Out-Reach Center for Hope, or TORCH, has its Second Annual Brew Review on Saturday, August 29. It’s a one-of-a-kind fundraiser in Oak Ridge.

The Brew Review is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, from 7 to 11 pm, at St. Mary’s Catholic School Gymnasium at 323 Vermont Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The evening will include beer tasting, finger foods, and live music, a press release said. Guests can mingle with their food and beer, dance to live music and/or enter the Corn Hole Tournament.

The bands performing are The Portals, Rhiannon, Jack Russell and the Terriers, and Ridge City Ramblers. [Read more…]

Festive Italian music featured in Aug. 29 ORCO concert

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Marcelo Urias

Marcelo Urias

By Dale Gedcke

The mystery maestro can now be revealed. The new conductor and music director for the Oak Ridge Community Orchestra is Marcelo Urias.

Those long familiar with the ORCO will recall that Urias was an enthusiastic conductor of the orchestra from February 2009 through September 2010. In the meantime, he was working diligently on a doctorate in choral conducting, which he received from the Indiana University School of Music in 2014.

Now, he has returned to build an exciting program of music that everyone is going to enjoy. Uriah maintains strong roots in the area, with full-time employment as music director at the Cokesbury United Methodist Church in West Knoxville.

For a free concert on Saturday, August 29, Maestro Marcelo has programmed the energetic “Roman Carnival Overture” by Berlioz and the vibrant “Capriccio Italienne” by Tchaikovsky.

In addition, he has arranged a surprise bonus of famous and fabulous opera arias sung by April Hill, Kathryn Marvel, Taylor Stone, and Ryan Colbert.  Their performances will be the “whipped cream and cherry on top of the banana-split sundae.” This will be a flavorful program to enjoy on a Saturday afternoon. [Read more…]

ORHPA will celebrate 70th anniversary of end of WWII with special showing of historic movie

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Beginning or The End

A historic Ed Westcott image of the original showing of the movie, “The Beginning or the End”—The Story of the Atomic Bomb and Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

A 70th anniversary celebration of the end of World War II will feature a special showing of the historic movie “‘The Beginning or the End,’ The Story of the Atomic Bomb and Oak Ridge.”

The celebration has been organized by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. It’s scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, August 29, at the Historic Grove Theater at 123 Randolph Road in Grove Center.

The program will include the presentation of the flag by the Volunteer State Honor Guard, patriotic music by the Oak Ridge High School Ensemble, and the special recognition of all veterans, a press release said. Also, a special proclamation will be presented to the Y-12 National Security Complex recognizing 70 years of supporting our nation’s freedom, the release said. [Read more…]

Knoxville has First Friday, now Oak Ridge has Third Friday

Posted at
By 1 Comment

The Locally Grown Gallery, home to 39 regional artists, will be hosting events from 5:30-9 p.m. in their gallery and studio as part of a new Third Friday.

The Locally Grown Gallery is located ​behind the Soup Kitchen in Greenwich Village Mall in historic Jackson Square.

The ​inaugural Locally Grown Gallery Third Friday event will be August 21. Weaver Andy Lyle and author B.J. Gillum will be the featured artists.

Lyle is an Oak Ridge native and member of the Foo​thills Craft Guild. She will be demonstrating on her large loom as well as teaching easy beginner projects. She will have small loom kits and fiber available for purchase. [Read more…]

Avery, Stone to give vocal recital at First Presbyterian on Aug. 13

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Rachel Avery

Rachel Avery

Rachel Avery and Taylor Stone will perform a vocal recital on Thursday, August 13, in Oak Ridge. The recital starts at 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church on Oak Ridge Turnpike and Lafayette Drive.

Avery is a recent graduate of American University with a minor in vocal performance. She performed her senior voice recital in Washington, D.C., in March and will be presenting several numbers from that performance.

Avery will be joined by her friend and fellow Sound Company alumni Taylor Stone. Stone is a senior at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville majoring in vocal performance, and he will be presenting selections from his junior recital, also from March. [Read more…]

Free Medical Clinic Bash on Saturday features dance contest, auctions

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Hit Men

Performers in the Hit Men band are, from left, Mark Akers, Bob Andres, Alan Keck, Pat Andres, and Uwe Lueth. They will perform at the Free Medical Clinic Bash on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Parish Life Center of St. Mary’s Church. (Submitted photo) 

 

Tickets are still available for the FMC Bash, the annual fundraiser for the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge, which will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, August 8, in the Parish Life Center of St. Mary’s Church.

It will include a catered dinner, music by the Hit Men (a Knoxville rock and pop dance band), a Celebrity Dance Contest, silent auction (80 items), and live auction conducted by the entertaining Bear Stephenson.

Live auction items include a four-day vacation in a beach condo near St. Augustine, Florida; North Carolina barbecue dinner for 12; an Indian dinner for eight; a walnut jewelry box, hand-made earrings (sterling and mother of pearl) by Frederick Duclos; a fly-fishing package; a wine cooler; and Cajun dinner.

Couples who have entered the Celebrity Dance Contest are Sharon and Brian Annis, Naomi Asher and Jim Dodson, Tom Beehan and Kay Brookshire, David and Sandy Bradshaw, Gene Caldwell and Dottie Thompson, Keys Fillauer and Scott Hinton, Judy Gooch and Michael Shrader, and Austin Keathley and an amazing “secret” dancer. [Read more…]

Magic at the Grove features magicians, family entertainment on Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Magic at the Grove

Magic at the Grove on Saturday, August 8, will feature magicians that will entertain the entire family, a press release said.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. at the Historic Grove Theater in Grove Center, and beverages and snacks will be available for sale.

Tickets can be purchased through www.brownpapertickets.com or at the door.

The featured magicians are: [Read more…]

Community Band has free concert at A.K. Bissell Park today

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Community Band July 2014

The Oak Ridge Community Band performs in July 2014. (Photo by Larry Perry)

The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform in a free concert in A.K. Bissell Park on Sunday evening, August 2, at 7 p.m.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Oak Ridgers, especially school students, to enjoy just one more summertime event before starting school on Monday,” a press release said.

It said band leader Dale Pendley and assistant conductor Lisa Michaels have planned another outstanding program for Sunday evening featuring show tunes, Broadway, marches, swing, and Latin rhythms. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Library art exhibit in July features Ray Smith photos

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Ray Smith Wall of Photos

Ray Smith Wall of Photos (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

The art exhibit at Oak Ridge Public Library for the month of July is a collection of 40 photographs by D. Ray Smith. Titled “Some of My Favorites,” this exhibit is a wonderful selection of images from Ray Smith’s archive of nature photographs. His images depict wildflowers, trees, rivers, and streams from various East Tennessee locations including the University of Tennessee Arboretum and Frozen Head State Park.

Smith is well-known to most Oak Ridgers. He is the historian at the Y-12 National Security Complex and a journalist for The Oak Ridger newspaper, and he serves on a number of boards of directors for local nonprofit organizations. A resident of Oak Ridge for 44 years, he and his wife Fanny have two sons and five grandchildren. He is often found at community events taking photographs that he generously shares with the public. [Read more…]