Oak Ridge Today

Civic Center Recreation Building temporarily closing for ACT testing Tuesday, April 19

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The Oak Ridge Civic Center is pictured above on Oak Ridge Turnpike in March 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Civic Center Recreation Building will be closed to the public during the day on Tuesday, April 19. The Oak Ridge Schools will be using the facility to conduct ACT testing for students. Only students pre-registered for the test, school faculty, proctors, and assigned Recreation and Parks staff will be admitted to the building. The building will reopen for public use at 5 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Civic Center is at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

For more information contact Jon Hetrick, Recreation and Parks Department, at (865) 425-3446 or visit the city’s website at http://www.oakridgetn.gov.

Charlie Daniels Band, Grand Funk Railroad to headline Secret City Festival

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The Charlie Daniels Band will headline the Friday night, June 10, concert at the 2016 Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

The Charlie Daniels Band and Grand Funk Railroad with Atlanta Rhythm Section will be the headliners in the Friday and Saturday night concerts at the Secret City Festival in June.

“After a record-breaking concert turnout in 2015, the 14th annual Secret City Festival on June 10th-11th aims to keep the good times rolling,” a press release said.

The concert headliners were announced Friday by radio sponsors 96.7 MerleFM and 93.1 WNOX.

Daniels continues to “bring down the house” at age 78 with his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and his CMA Award-winning country hits, the press release said. The legendary musician was recently announced as a 2016 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the press release said. He is best known for such hits as “Uneasy Rider,” “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “Trudy,” “Long Haired Country Boy,” “Midnight Wind,” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” [Read more…]

Calhoun’s opening on Oak Ridge waterfront

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Riverside-Grille-Closed-Feb-1-2016

The Riverside Grille was closed Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, and developers and businessmen Rick and Ryan Chinn announced the property on Melton Lake Drive has been sold to the Copper Cellar restaurant family. On Wednesday, March 30, the sign announced that the restaurant will re-open soon. (February 2016 file photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:27 p.m.

Calhoun’s is opening a restaurant on the Oak Ridge waterfront. The restaurant will be on Melton Lake Peninsula, where Riverside Grille and Flatwater Grill used to be.

Calhoun’s has applied for a beer permit from the Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board, which will consider the application on Wednesday, April 6.

The restaurant will be owned by the Copper Cellar Corporation, which purchased the property from businessmen and developers Rick and Ryan Chinn in February.

It’s not clear when Calhoun’s will open. The beer permit application said the restaurant will open in April. Restaurant executives were not available for comment Wednesday. [Read more…]

Church Women United addresses Community Matters on Friday

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Pictured above at a Community Matters forum at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Nov. 1, 2015, are the Rev. Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church, center, the Rev. Jake Morrill of Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, left, and Father Brent Shelton of St. Mary’s Parish. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Church Women United invites the public to a program “Since Community Matters” on Friday, April 1, at Kern Memorial Methodist Church in Oak Ridge. Reverend Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church will be the guest speaker.

Hammond will summarize three community meetings initiated in fall 2015 by the clergy of Oak Valley, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, along with Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi, to encourage citizens to speak up about community concerns. Hammond will give an update about the process of addressing those concerns and suggest steps that we and our church families can take to help strengthen our community.

Kern Memorial Methodist Church is at 451 East Tennessee Avenue in Oak Ridge. Fellowship at the Friday meeting begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by a short meeting, prayer, and program at noon. [Read more…]

Talk on ISIS is Thursday

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Rihab Sawah

Rihab Sawah

The Islamic State, its historical roots, and the ways ISIS differs from the Islamic religion will be explained in a talk at 3 p.m. Thursday in the City Room (A-111) of the Coffey-McNally Building, Roane State Community College, Oak Ridge Campus, a press release said.

Rihab Sawah, a Syrian native and professor of physics at St. Louis Community College–Florissant Valley in Ferguson, Missouri, will deliver the lecture, a press release said. Sawah holds an M.A. degree in Islamic/Arabic science history. She teaches an introductory course on Islam at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.

Her lecture, presented by Roane State’s International Education Department and the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning (ORICL), is free and open to the public.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Reminder: Wellness Fair is today at Civic Center

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Wellness-Fair-2016

Reminder: A city, schools, and community wellness fair will be offered at the Oak Ridge Civic Center today (Wednesday, March 30).

The free wellness fair is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated Health Wellness Committee. The wellness fair is from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 30 at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

Information on what will be offered is included in the image above.

Call (865) 425-3559 or 425-3414 for more information.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Bluegrass music featured in benefit for Colton Stout Memorial Scholarship

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Bluegrass music and barbecue will be featured in a scholarship benefit show in Oak Ridge on April 8.

The show is titled “Follow Chaos: An Evening of Bluegrass.” It’s at the historic Grove Theatre in Oak Ridge at 7 p.m. Friday, April 8.

The show will feature area bluegrass musicians Mason T. and Carl Capps, and Hardin Valley Thunder.

“This special night is a benefit for the Colton Stout Memorial Scholarship and promises to be an evening of homegrown, finger-picking musicianship, and finger-licking cuisine with catering by Buddy’s Barbecue,” a press release said.

Established in 2014, the Colton Stout Memorial Scholarship helps selected students obtain their EMT-Advanced Certification. For students, this evening’s benefit concert is confirmation that everyday offers an opportunity to change someone’s life for the better, the press release said.

Colton Stout served admirably as a Campbell County EMT-IV, was a proud member of the Anderson County Rescue Squad, and a firefighter with Marlow Volunteer Fire Department. Helping others was vitally important to Colton, and it is the Colton Stout Memorial Scholarship’s mission to carry on his commitment to helping others by awarding scholarships each year to individuals who share similar goals of service. [Read more…]

Today: Ceremony to commemorate 50th anniversary of Vietnam War

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Vietnam Logo 50th Circle 3-27-12 Final

CLINTON—The Clinch Bend Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with Anderson County government, will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War at noon today.

The commemorative event will be held at noon Tuesday, March 29, at the War Memorial in front of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

“Everyone is invited, but especially our Vietnam veterans,” said Gwen Cole, a member of the Clinch Bend Chapter of DAR. “We want to honor them and thank them.” [Read more…]

April meeting in DC will focus on high-risk DOE buildings that aren’t needed

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U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann

Chuck Fleischmann

A meeting in Washington, D.C., in April will focus on high-risk excess facilities at U.S. Department of Energy cleanup sites, possibly including Oak Ridge.

The discussion could include Alpha-5, a 530,000-square-foot, World War II-era building at the Y-12 National Security Complex. It could include other buildings in Oak Ridge as well.

The House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, a bipartisan caucus co-chaired by U.S. representatives Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican, and Ben Lujan, a New Mexico Democrat, will participate in the event. U.S. Assistant Energy Secretary Monica Regalbuto will outline DOE’s plans for deteriorating buildings that are a risk to public health and safety, a press release said. [Read more…]

Artists, arts supporters to be recognized during Tribute to the Arts on Tuesday

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Arts agencies will showcase their talents during a Tribute to the Arts in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, and local artists and arts supporters will be recognized. (Submitted image)

 

Arts agencies will showcase their talents during a Tribute to the Arts in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, and local artists and arts supporters will be recognized.

This is the second time that the Arts Council of Oak Ridge has offered this unique gala giving members of the community a chance to recognize local artists and arts supporters for their wonderful work promoting the arts in Anderson County, a press release said.

Tribute to the Arts is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at the Saint Mary’s Family Life Center in Oak Ridge.

“Each of the arts agencies will be showcasing their talents, so it’s the perfect time to sample an appetizer of arts in our community,” the press release said.

The event is being co-promoted by Arts Council of Oak Ridge and the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge Sunset, with proceeds from ticket sales and a silent auction benefiting both organizations and their philanthropies. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the Arts Council of Oak office at (865) 482-4432 or contacting any representative from the eight member organizations. Those groups are Oak Ridge Art Center, Oak Ridge Civic Music Association, Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association, Tennessee Mountain Writers, Oak Ridge Playhouse, Oak Ridge Community Orchestra, Oak Ridge Community Band, and the Music Arts School. [Read more…]

Grace Lutheran Church celebrates ‘Rising of the Son’ Easter Sunday

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The outdoor cross at Grace Lutheran is draped for Easter Sunrise Services on Sunday, March 27, 2016. (Submitted photo)

 

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge invites you to join in a celebration of the “Rising of the Son” on Easter Sunday, March 27.

Services will be held at 7 a.m. (sunrise outside), at 8:30 a.m. (traditional service), 9:30 a.m. (contemporary service), and 11:15 a.m. (traditional service). The Men’s Group will provide breakfast after each of the 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., and 9:30 a.m. services.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church is a part of the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and it is located at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue.

Grace Lutheran Church is a Christian church dedicated to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in a diverse community by loving our neighbors as ourselves, developing vibrant ministries to meet current and emerging needs, and helping people know Jesus, a press release said. For more information, call (865) 483-3787 or visit the church on the Web at www.graceoakridge.org.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Today: Harlem Ambassadors for Habitat, former NASA chief astronomer, Smith on Three Bend

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A reminder—There are three events happening this evening: the Harlem Ambassadors Basketball Show in a benefit for Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, a former chief astronomer at NASA who is referred to as the “mother of the Hubble Telescope” discussing the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to black holes, and local historian and writer Ray Smith discussing the Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Management Refuge Area of the Oak Ridge Reservation.

The Harlem Ambassadors Basketball Show starts at 6 p.m. today (Thursday, March 24) at Wildcat Arena at Oak Ridge High School. This show is not only entertaining, organizers said, it also brings an important message to kids: “Stay off drugs, stay in school, don’t be a bully!”

Individuals have sponsored tickets so that student-athletes in Anderson County can come to the game for free.

The “opposing” team, the Habi-bats, is made up of local coaches and other local basketball standouts.

“We hope to fill the arena and sell lots of hotdogs, all in an effort to raise money to build and repair homes in Anderson County,” a press release said. [Read more…]