Oak Ridge Today

Biblical scholar to give science, religion talk on Sunday

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Stan Saunders

Stan Saunders

Submitted

The topic for the 11th annual Jackson B. Davidson Memorial Lecture on Science and Religion will be “A Dwelling Place for God: Recovering the Forgotten Story of God, Humankind, Temple, and Creation.”

Stanley Saunders, associate professor of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., will deliver the lecture at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 27, in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike (at Lafayette Drive).

Refreshments will be served after the lecture, and childcare will be provided during and after the free talk.

“Modern, western Christians typically presume that Christian salvation entails escape from our bodies and this earth, so that we can dwell with God in an ethereal heavenly realm,” Saunders said. “The New Testament, on the other hand, much more clearly affirms a vision of God coming to dwell with us.” [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from April 25-30

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge starting Friday, April 25, and continuing through April 30.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

Band Arte Musica to perform tonight at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus

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Arte Musica

Arte Musica will play at Roane State tonight (April 25). Pictured above from left are Wade Darnell, Rudolph Nemeth, and Travis Witherington. (Submitted photo)

Oak Ridge band Arte Musica—consisting of pianist Rudolph Nemeth, banjoist Wade Darnell, and bassist Travis Witherington—will host its Spring Concert on Friday, April 25, at Roane State Community College’s Oak Ridge campus at 701 Briarcliff Ave.

The performance will begin at 7 p.m. in the City Room. The event is free and open to the public.

Arte Musica (Latin for “The Art of Music”) formed in December of 2011 when the trio began crafting a unique repertoire that featured piano, banjo, and bass. Darnell and Witherington had studied music under Roane State professor Nemeth for several years before the band’s formation.

Arte Musica will have CDs for sale at the spring concert. For more information, visit www.artemusicaband.com.

UT Arboretum to have presentation on bats on Thursday

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Bat at UT Arboretum

Northern Long-eared Bat (Photos courtesy of Middleton Photos)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum will host a presentation on bats—“Let’s Go BAT-ty”—from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

Gerry Middleton, a biologist who has studied bats extensively, will present a slide show at the Visitor’s Center to discuss his two-year study of Arboretum bats. Using his “bat detector,” he will take the group outside to look for the nocturnal creatures.

A biologist with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in the U.S. Department of Energy-Oversight Office, Middleton promised that this will be an opportunity for all ages to learn more about the local bat population, a press release said. Middleton has an master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. [Read more…]

Get your tickets to support MMC Casino Night 2014

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MMC Casino Night

Grab your best girl and swing into Methodist Medical Center’s Casino Night 2014! The 40s-themed event will celebrate Oak Ridge’s heritage as a military town, and promises to be a night of fun, food and fancy footwork. (Photo courtesy MMC)

Tickets are still available for the Methodist Medical Center Foundation’s Casino Night 2014: Secrets, Science and Swing on Saturday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the New Hope Center at Y-12. This year’s theme hearkens back to the early days of Oak Ridge when the street were in mud, couples were in the mood, and mum was the word.

Guests at Casino Night will enjoy dinner and dancing, as well as silent and live auctions that include tickets to local and national attractions, local art, fine jewelry, weekend getaways, and week-long trips in the Rocky Mountains, Sunset Beach, and the Caribbean. The band Soul Candy and the Traffic Jam will provide late night entertainment. [Read more…]

Stone Soup Ministry serving free community meal Friday

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Stone Soup Community Meal

From left to right, volunteers Jinx Watson, Beatrice Holt, Todd Sherline, and daughter Poppy prepare for guests at a recent ORUUC Stone Soup Free Community Meal. The next meal will be served on April 25. (File photo)

Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church will be serving a free community meal on Friday, April 25. Dine-in or takeout will be available from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Social Hall of the church.

This month’s meal includes homemade tomato soup, sandwiches, chocolate cupcakes, and milk.

The Stone Soup Ministry free community meal is held the last Friday of every month at the same time in the Social Hall of the church. Food for the free monthly meal is provided by the ORUUC congregation along with financial support from several members of the Oak Ridge Community. [Read more…]

Community meal at Oak Ridge Family Bible Church on Wednesday

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Oak Ridge Family Bible Church Logo

Oak Ridge Family Bible Church will host its monthly community meal, Dinner with our Neighbor, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

This event began a number of years ago and has not just been feeding the community, but has also been a time of building relationships and helping neighbors during lonely and difficult times, a press release said.

The Rev. Robert May said: “There are many folks in our area that will sit down to have a meal alone, and it is our aim to give them an opportunity to have a meal with someone who cares and possibly make some new friends. Also, there may be some folks that are finding it difficult to feed their family, and the dinner we serve might relieve that pressure.” [Read more…]

Altrusa to host author Jay Searcy on Wednesday

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Jay Searcy

Jay Searcy

On Wednesday, the Oak Ridge chapter of  Altrusa Club International will be hosting Jay Searcy from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel.

Searcy is an acclaimed newspaper man and author of “The Last Reunion.” The topic of his presentation is  “The Last Reunion—Stories of wartime life in Oak Ridge.”

The Doubletree Hotel is located at 215 S. Illinois Ave.

Sewer rehabilitation work continues in Oak Ridge; schedule for week of April 21

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Sewer rehabilitation in Oak Ridge continues for the week of April 21. Residents should have already received color letters and door hangers providing general information and the applicable contractor’s contact information. The letters and door hangers are orange for Hurst Excavating and purple for Morgan Contracting.

Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are urged to use extra care and caution when traveling on the streets with sewer work areas, a press release said. Temporary road repairs will be made, and loose gravel should be expected until the patches are permanently paved.

[Read more…]

Sister City group has April 25 dinner for middle school exchanges with Japan

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Oak Ridge Naka-shi Middle School Exchange

Participants in the Oak Ridge/ Naka-shi, Japan 2013 Middle school exchange, frolic in the ocean on the Japanese coast. (Submitted photos)

The Sister City Support Organization, in cooperation with the City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools, has sponsored the visit of middle school students to our sister city of Naka-shi, Japan, for 22 years.

In support of the 2014 Middle School exchange, the Sister City Support Organization is hosting a spaghetti supper on Friday, April 25. The supper will be held at the First United Methodist Church from 5:30-8 p.m. Student exchange participants and SCSO board members will don Japanese “happy coats” and kimonos to serve the main course and an array of delicious homemade desserts. [Read more…]

Register now for Graduation Celebration on May 29

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Graduation Celebration 2013

Plans for the 17th annual Graduation Celebration on May 29 are well under way.

Graduation Celebration is an all-night, safe party for our city’s graduates from Oak Ridge High School, homeschool, or private schools.

The party began in 1997, after several tragic deaths during the graduation season, and today about 90 percent of ORHS graduates attend each year. [Read more…]

Free franchising workshop for veterans on Wednesday

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is pictured above.

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center, in partnership with FranNet, will offer a free workshop on franchising for veterans on Wednesday.

The seminar is titled “Veterans and Franchising: A Perfect Fit!” It’s scheduled from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

This workshop will discuss misconceptions about franchising, as well as programs and incentives available to veterans, a press release said. [Read more…]