Oak Ridge Today





Learn more about Wheat during walk with ranger

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Wheat community before the Manhattan Project during World War II in the area around what is now west Oak Ridge. (Photo submitted by National Park Service)

You can learn more about Wheat, a community that was here before the Manhattan Project, during a walk with a National Park Service ranger on Saturday, July 27.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present the ranger-led walk starting at 10 a.m. July 27. The program is free, and it will start at Blair Road and the North Boundary Greenway.

“The walk will be about one-and-one-half miles, so wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water to drink,” a press release said. “Stops will include ‘downtown’ Wheat, George Jones Memorial Baptist Church, Roane College site, and the Crawford Cumberland Presbyterian Memorial. There will be stories about the development and significance of each site.”

[Read more…]

Advertisement

Photos: July 4 fireworks

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The annual fireworks show was in Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge on Thursday, July 4, 2019. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

The annual fireworks show was in Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge on Thursday. The Oak Ridge Community Band performed before the fireworks.

Here are photos by Julio Culiat and D. Ray Smith.

[Read more…]
Advertisement

Reminder: Fireworks tonight in A.K. Bissell Park

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Fireworks at Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge on July 4, 2017. (File photo by D. Ray Smith)

A reminder: The annual fireworks show in Oak Ridge is in Alvin K. Bissell Park tonight (Thursday, July 4).

The fireworks show is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge to celebrate Independence Day.

Today’s fireworks are expected to begin after dark at about 9:45 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Community Band, now in its 75th year, will perform before the fireworks. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses, a press release said. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m. WMYL 96.7 Merle FM will be live following the band performance and will broadcast the soundtrack for the fireworks display.

[Read more…]
Advertisement



Advertisement







Recreation Department to host indoor yard sale

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host an indoor yard sale on Saturday, July 20. The sale is open to the community, a press release said.

Anyone interested in selling items at the event can reserve space for a small fee, the press release said. The sale is scheduled from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. inside the Oak Ridge Civic Center gymnasium.

The cost to reserve one vendor space is $15. Sellers can purchase up to two spaces while they are available. 

[Read more…]

Butterfly Festival is Aug. 3

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have its fourth annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Highlights will include a release of monarch butterflies, the UT Insect Zoo, speakers, and children’s activities. (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have its fourth annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, August 3. Highlights will include a release of monarch butterflies, the UT Insect Zoo, speakers, and children’s activities.

The festival is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. August 3 at the UT Arboretum Auditorium and its surrounding grounds at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The charge is $5 per carload, a press release said. This is a change from previous years. The gate will be open at 9:30 a.m. The event will take place rain or shine, the release said.

[Read more…]

Community Band has July 4 concert, followed by fireworks show

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Community Band performs at the July 4 concert in 2018. (Photo by Bill Dodge)

The Oak Ridge Community Band will have its annual Independence Day concert on Thursday, July 4, at Alvin K. Bissell Park. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., and it will mark the 75th anniversary of the Community Band’s first concert, which was held on July 4, 1944.

“Come early, bring chairs or blankets for outdoor seating, and enjoy the music and fireworks,” a press release said. Refreshments will be available for sale.

This is a free event, the press release said. However, donations are appreciated to help offset band expenses.

The Community Band’s July 4 performance is a family-friendly event, and it provides an excellent opportunity to relax and enjoy a fun evening of music and fireworks, the press release said. [Read more…]

Roane State students serve, learn in Costa Rica and Panama

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Students in the World Cultures and Serving Learning class taught by Dave Rath and Cody Miller gather around the more than 500 pounds of school supplies, toiletries, and clothing collected for impoverished children in Costa Rica and Panama. From left: Gracie May, Chloe Pierce, Jason Wasilewski, Stephanie Anderson, Jan Joyal, Earl Davis, Lexie Perotti, Amber Meter, Lizet Palacios, Tamara Richardson, April Brannon, Apolonia Garcia, Alyssa McCullah, Jocelyn Middleton, Cody Miller, and kneeling, Dave Rath. (Photo by Roane State Community College)

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Roane State faculty Dave Rath and Cody Miller faced an ironic dilemma.

They had more contributions for impoverished children in Costa Rica and Panama than they had space set aside to fly down to those Central American countries.

“We’ll find a way,” Rath vowed. “Before we leave your hard work in Tennessee, we’ll find a way,” he told their students.

Rath and Miller and 14 students in their World Cultures and Service Learning class recently packed up large cardboard boxes of shoes, toothbrushes, school supplies, and a myriad of other items to transport to remote areas of the two countries during the trip, May 8-17.

This year’s supply drive was the biggest yet, Rath said. [Read more…]

Watch ‘Aquaman’ at outdoor pool Saturday night

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

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.

[Read more…]

‘Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge’ activity book for sale with proceeds benefitting ADFAC

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Left to right, ADFAC Committee member Ray Smith is joined by Barbara Ferrell, The Ferrell Shop; Denise Parten, Southern Bliss; Annie Cacheiro, ADFAC executive director; Becky Hook, ADFAC school supply coordinator and activity book chair; and Jim Dodson, ADFAC board of directors and committee member. (Photo courtesy ADFAC)

Looking for a great summer activity for your family or perhaps visiting relatives? ADFAC (Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties) has the answer, a press release said.

“The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” is an activity book designed to present the history of Oak Ridge through pictures and activities for children ages 5-13, the press release said. Art work, poems, puzzles, and short stories created by students from Oak Ridge schools were submitted for publication. Area adult artists and photographers also donated their services to benefit ADFAC.

Developed in conjunction with ADFAC’s 30th anniversary and Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary, “The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” gives a pictorial history of the city and includes organizations of interest to children. Graphic designer Ariana Rector created the cover, which highlights Oak Ridge’s historically significant accomplishments in a timeline from black and white to color, the press release said. She is also credited with illustrating many of the coloring pages and compiling the submitted works. [Read more…]

Fireworks are July 4 in A.K. Bissell Park

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge fireworks are July 4 in Alvin K. Bissell Park. The Independence Day fireworks show is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, and it is expected to begin after dark at approximately 9:45 p.m. July 4, 2019. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge fireworks are July 4 in Alvin K. Bissell Park. The Independence Day fireworks show is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, and it is expected to begin after dark at approximately 9:45 p.m. July 4.

The Oak Ridge Community Band, now in its 75th year, will perform prior to the fireworks. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses, a press release said. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m. WMYL 96.7 Merle FM will be live following the band performance and will broadcast the soundtrack for the fireworks display, the press release said.

“Anyone planning to attend is advised to bring a lawn chair or blanket for outdoor seating,” the release said. “A safety zone will be established by the Oak Ridge Fire Department. Please sit only in the designated areas.”

[Read more…]

Lavender Festival features herbs, crafts, food, music Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

2017 Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)

Tennessee’s only Lavender Festival returns for its 21st year in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge on Saturday, June 15. The festival is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Celebrating all things herbal, crafts, local foods, and more, the Lavender Festival is free to customers, and last year attracted an estimated crowd of 11,000,” a press release said. “In addition to free admission, Lavender Festival also offers plenty of free parking in city and business lots surrounding Jackson Square.”

The festival is full of tradition and fun, and it always features something new, the press release said. For example, a traditional bagpipe player will open the festival at 8 a.m., playing from upper Blankenship Field into Jackson Square. Also keeping with tradition, Alan McBride will follow with the hammered dulcimer in the bandstand, the release said. A complete music schedule is included below.

The highlight of Lavender Festival will be the group of 150 artisan, herb, and floral vendors that will line the covered walkways of Jackson Square, the parking lot, and both sides of Broadway Avenue, which will be closed to traffic.

[Read more…]

Imagination Station Summer Camps begin June 10 at Children’s Museum

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Children enjoy Wizarding World summer camp at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge in 2018. (Submitted photo)

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge invites children to explore a rainforest, become CSI investigators, combine art with poetry, make sweets in the kitchen, launch model rockets, and ride the rails, among other adventures, during Imagination Station Summer Camps.

Summer camps, from June 10-July 26, are for children from age 3 through rising fifth-graders. The Children’s Museum’s enriching environment provides the backdrop as an experienced staff helps campers learn and grow through play in fun and safe surroundings. Each camp is created with age-appropriate activities aligned with the child’s developmental stage.

The fee for Monday-Friday half-day camps is $115 for members and $135 for non-members. A discount is available if two siblings register for camp during the same week or if a child registers for two half-day camps in the same week. A limited number of scholarships for camp are available, thanks to a grant from the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. Download the scholarship application from the museum’s website. [Read more…]

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today