Oak Ridge Today

ORUUC has live, silent auctions on Friday, March 20

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ORUUC Auction Quilt

This quilt is one of the items in a live auction on Friday, March 20, at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. (Submitted)

 

Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church is having its annual silent/live auction on Friday, March 20.

The auction starts at 6 p.m. at the church, which is at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. It is $5 to participate in the live auction starting at 8 p.m. with auctioneer Bear Stephenson. The quilt pictured at left is one of the live auction items. Organizers said there will be 25 more items, mostly by local craftspeople as well as cabin rentals and more.

There will be food and live music from 6-8 p.m. during the silent auction, which starts at 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Farmers Market opens April 18

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East TN Farmers Association Logo

The Oak Ridge Farmers Market opens for its 39th season in Historic Jackson Square on Saturday, April 18.

The market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

The market will also be open on Wednesdays beginning May 6.

Here’s what’s new at the market this year:

  • Senior Day every Wednesday! Seniors over the age of 60 get 5 percent off their purchases at the Oak Ridge Farmers’ Market.
  • FARM Fan Club—Members receive text reminders and shopping rewards. To sign up, visit the website at www.EastTNFarmMarkets.org.
  • Kids’ Day, May 23, from 9-­11:30 a.m., with live farm animals, crafts, games, and a FARM scavenger hunt for children ages 5 to 12!

The Oak Ridge Farmers’ Market will also host live music and workshops on topics such as herb gardening and composting all summer long. [Read more…]

Planning for Manhattan Project Park, National Park Service, DOE to visit Oak Ridge on March 26

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Warren L. Gooch

Warren L. Gooch

It took years to win approval of a Manhattan Project National Historical Park, and now that the park bill has been signed into law, planning is starting.

As part of that process, officials from the National Park Service and U.S. Department of Energy will visit Oak Ridge next week. The visit will include a Thursday morning open house hosted by the City of Oak Ridge. The open house is scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, March 26, in the A/B Room at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. It’s open to the public, and reservations are not required.

The team of NPS and DOE officials are visiting Oak Ridge to begin planning for the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The planning team is expected to include senior National Park Service representatives from Washington, D.C., the Southeastern Regional Office in Atlanta, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Big South Fork. [Read more…]

Bobby Osborne, Rocky Top X-press to headline Rocky Top Bluegrass Festival

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Bobby Osborne

Bobby Osborne (Submitted photo)

 

Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top X-Press will headline the inaugural Rocky Top Bluegrass Festival.

The festival is scheduled for 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, April 24, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the George Templin Memorial Athletic Field located at 214 North Main Street in Rocky Top (formerly Lake City).

“Mr. Osborne contacted us because the Osborne Brothers were the first to perform and record ‘Rocky Top,’ and he wanted to be the first to perform the song in our newly named town of Rocky Top, Tennessee”, said Mike Lovely, Rocky Top mayor. “As a result of his interest, we decided to have a festival featuring some of the top groups in bluegrass.” [Read more…]

Bradshaw, Whitson to be honored at Oak Ridge Chamber Luncheon on Thursday

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David Bradshaw

David Bradshaw

Stephen Whitson

Stephen Whitson

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will honor two area businessmen—David Bradshaw and Stephen Whitson—at its annual program of work kickoff luncheon to be held on Thursday, March 19, at the Riverside Grille.

Bradshaw and Whitson will receive the Chamber’s most prestigious awards at the event, the One Voice—One Vision Luncheon, a press release said.

Bradshaw, president of the Oak Ridge branch of CapitalMark Bank and Trust, will receive the Eugene L. Joyce Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given to a nominee who has truly distinguished himself or herself and embodies the essential values of volunteerism, community service, and dedication to the economic vitality of our community. It is the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s preeminent award given to honor the memory of the late Eugene L. Joyce. [Read more…]

Suck It Up Buttercup KTM 5k is Sunday, May 3

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The Suck It Up Buttercup KTM 5k is Sunday, May 3, in Oak Ridge.

The race is in memory of Kerry Trammell. Proceeds from the 2015 race will go to the Aven Crane Cancer Foundation and the Colton Stout Scholarship Foundation.

Th race starts at 8 a.m. May 3 on the peninsula of the Oak Ridge Marina on Melton Lake Drive. [Read more…]

First Oak Ridge Schools on the Run 5k is Saturday, March 21

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The first Oak Ridge Schools on the Run 5k is on Saturday, March 21. Organizers want to make it an annual event.

The 5k is sponsored by Oak Ridge Schools Office of Coordinated School Health. The race will take place on March 21 at Melton Lake Park. Race-day registration will open at 6:30 a.m. at the Melton Lake Pavilion, and the race will begin promptly at 8 a.m. Organizers encourage race participants to arrive about 30 minutes before the start of the race to ensure smooth registration.

Registration is $10 for students and $20 for school and city employees, and standard registration is $25. The price includes a race‐day T‐shirt and a participation ribbon. [Read more…]

Locally Grown Artists Gallery has grand opening April 11

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Locally Grown Artists Gallery, a coop of more than 20 local artists and craftsmen, will be holding their grand opening at their new location on Saturday, April 11, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The grand opening will feature door prizes, refreshments, and demonstrations.

The gallery has recently moved to new and expanded space at 109 Towne Road in Oak Ridge. Everyone is invited to celebrate their new expansion with them.

Democratic Women’s Club to hear about Selma anniversary on Monday, March 23

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The Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club will hear about the recent 50th anniversary observance of the Selma-to-Montgomery March at its meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, March 23, at Shoney’s Restaurant at 204 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Heidi Brenner, who attended the Selma anniversary with about 20 members of the Oak Ridge United Universalist Church, will be the guest speaker. Other local organizations that sent members to Selma, Alabama, included Organizing for Action, the NAACP, and the Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Club. [Read more…]

Cumberland Trail work/hike scheduled for Saturday, March 21

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Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning will sponsor a day of trail work and hiking on Saturday, March 21, on the segment of the Cumberland Trail State Park between Rock Creek Campground and Alley Ford at the Obed Wild and Scenic River. TCWP adopted this 2.5-mile section of the trail in 1998.

“We will concentrate on routine trail maintenance such as cleaning out clogged water bars, removing down logs and limbs, brushing the area along the trail, and finishing up at Alley Ford to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Obed River,” a press release said.

Participants should wear sturdy shoes or boots and bring work gloves, shovels, mattocks or pulaskis, loppers, clippers, and small bow saws or folding saws (Please, no chainsaws). Some hand tools and work gloves will be available at the event. Please bring clothing appropriate for weather conditions, and plenty of water, snacks, and a lunch. [Read more…]

Hospitality Houses keep family close during son’s medical crisis

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Hospitality Houses

One of the Hospitality Houses is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

Part of being a parent is letting your children go. You want them to grow up, become independent adults, get a job, “leave the nest.” But when the unthinkable happens, when your independent, self-supporting, adult child is critically ill or hurt, you instantly become that protective parent of bygone years, and your only wish is to be with them and to offer comfort, support, care, and love.

So when Pauline and Sammie Gary got a call from their son Myron saying he’d passed out twice and was going to the emergency room at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, they did what any parent would do, they got in their car and drove the five hours from their home in Aiken, South Carolina.

On their way to the hospital, the Garys were able to speak with Myron’s doctor and nurse, and they learned that their 26-year-old son’s heart had stopped and that he would require a pacemaker. They needed to be by their son’s side during this difficult and scary time, and that’s all they could focus on as they made the trip to Oak Ridge.  [Read more…]

Hargett, president of CVMR-USA, to speak at Oak Ridge Chamber Luncheon

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Michael Hargett and Kamran Khoza of CVMR USA

CVMR President Michael Hargett, left, and Kamran Khozan, chairman and chief executive officer, joined local, state, and federal officials on Friday to announce they’re moving company headquarters from Toronto to Oak Ridge, investing $313 million and adding 620 jobs.

 

Michael Hargett, president of CVMR-USA, which announced Friday that it’s moving from Toronto to Oak Ridge, will be the keynote speaker at an Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday, March 19.

The One Voice—One Vision Luncheon will be at noon Thursday, March 19, at the Riverside Grille in Oak Ridge.

CVMR announced at a special event on Friday that the company will be locating its international headquarters in Oak Ridge. The company plans to invest $313 million and will bring 620 new jobs to the city. [Read more…]