Oak Ridge Today

TORCH will count homeless in January, will train volunteers who want to help

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Each year in January, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, coordinating with county mayors in conjunction with the Tennessee Valley Coalition to End Homelessness, do what is called a Point in Time Count of the homeless. This is an unduplicated count on a single night of the people in a specific county who are experiencing homelessness.

The Point in Time Count of 2011 showed 28 homeless individuals. The PIT count of Jan. 24, 2013, found a total of 86 people were homeless (sheltered and unsheltered) and 68 people were precariously housed (almost homeless).

Unsheltered means that the people sleep outside without a roof over their heads or in places not fit for human habitation like a car or an abandoned building. Sheltered means that they were either in transitional housing such as half-way houses or they were actually living in a homeless shelter. Precariously housed are more commonly called “couch surfers.” They live at the homes of friends or family but do not have an address of their own. [Read more…]

Reunirse con nosotros para practicar la conversación inglés (Spanish version)

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Únase a nosotros para conversar inglés, café y aperativos.

Cuidado a los niños y ayuda con las tareas escolares para los niños en edad escolar (edades 6-10) estarán disponibles.

Clases de inglés formales comenzarán en enero de 2014.

Para mas información llame a 865-483-3787. [Read more…]

English conversation evening on Wednesday at Grace Lutheran

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Grace Lutheran Church is having its second English conversation evening on Wednesday evening.

It’s scheduled from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the church, which is at 131 W. Gettysburg Ave. in Oak Ridge.

“Join us for conversation, coffee, and snacks,” a press release said. Child care will be available, and there will be homework help for school-age children from 6-10. [Read more…]

Sponsored: Music Arts studios move to Robertsville Baptist, lessons make great gifts

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Music Arts Michael Johnston and Warren Clark

Trumpet teacher Warren Clark, left, and student Michael Johnston, a junior at Oak Ridge High School, practice at Music Arts’ new studio space at Robertsville Baptist Church.

Music Arts, a longtime Oak Ridge music school, has moved across town to a larger space at Robertsville Baptist Church.

Its two dozen professional instructors continue to offer top-quality instruction at competitive prices. They offer private lessons on all instruments and also teach voice lessons, jazz improvisation, and music theory and composition.

Music Arts moved to Robertsville Baptist Church in October. The school had been at Oak Ridge Alliance Church. Lessons are offered Monday through Saturday.

“We offer instruction in a wide variety of instruments,” Music Arts says. “Our faculty have been educated at such schools as the University of Tennessee, Peabody, Indiana University, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Hartt School of Music.” [Read more…]

Treat yourself to an early holiday meal with ADFAC’s ‘Dine and Donate’

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With the hustle and bustle of holidays all around, ADFAC says it’s a great time to treat yourself and your loved ones to a special meal.

With their monthly “Dine and Donate” event, there is a way to do that and support the less fortunate in our community.

This month’s event is Monday, and five local restaurants are participating. They have agreed to donate a portion of their sales to support ADFAC (Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties).

The participating restaurants are: [Read more…]

Girls Inc. aviation program features hot air balloon rides

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Girls Inc. Hot Air Ballon Ride

An aviation program at Girls Inc. recently featured hot air balloon rides. (Submitted photos)

Girls Inc. recently received a grant for $10,000 from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, or AOPA.

The grant is allowing the nonprofit organization to have a “Sky Girls” aviation program. In that program, the girls will learn about air traffic controllers and their alphabet, women in aviation, and weather experiments, have field trips to an aviation museum, and hear from women pilots, a press release said.

In November, the girls were able to ride in a tethered hot air balloon from Tennessee Balloon Rides, the release said.

Here are a few pictures courtesy of Girls Inc. [Read more…]

AAUW has holiday tea Sunday

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The Oak Ridge Branch of the AAUW has its annual Holiday Tea from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church.

The AAUW, or American Association of University Women, is a national organization that works to provide scholarships, fellowships, and grants to assist women in pursuit of their education and careers. The public is invited to attend.

The tea is in Room 106 at First Presbyterian Church at the corner of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Lafayette.

Saturday open house offers information on Affordable Care Act

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Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge will host an open house on Saturday to provide information about getting insurance via the Affordable Care Act, sometimes called “Obamacare.”

The open house is from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday.

“Although the deadline for individuals to sign up has been extended to Dec. 23, time is getting short for those who wish to have insurance that takes effect as of Jan. 1,” a press release said.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the new health care act is invited to attend this educational event, especially those who need to get health insurance in the new Marketplace, the release said. Both printed information and computers to get online resources will be available to those attending, as well as individual assistance. [Read more…]

Elks Lodge dance on Friday

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The Oak Ridge Elks Lodge is inviting adults 21 and older to be their guests at a dance on Friday that features the Jay Storm Project. The dance will be held from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Lodge located at 684 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge. There is no admission fee.

“Join friends for an evening of fun dancing to the sounds of the popular Knoxville based band, the Jay Storm Project,” a press release said.. “Described as a mix of as a mix of rhythm and blues, rock, funk, and soul, their music is the perfect combination to get any crowd moving on the dance floor.”

Guests must sign in at the door. No one under 21 will be admitted. A cash bar will be available.

For more information, call (865) 483-3510.

B&W Y-12 donates $75,000 for new Emory Valley Center building

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Emory Valley Center Early Learning Center

B&W Y-12 donated $75,000 to Emory Valley Center on Wednesday as part of a capital campaign to help build a new facility to replace the former Daniel Arthur Rehabilitation Center on Emory Valley Road by 2015.

Fundraisers at 75 percent of goal

B&W Y-12 donated $75,000 on Wednesday to help the Emory Valley Center build a new facility by early 2015, when a county-owned building that houses some of its programs is expected to be torn down.

B&W Y-12 has now donated $175,000 of a $250,000 pledge, and EVC volunteers have raised $2.5 million of their $3.3 million goal, said former state representative and pediatrician Gene Caldwell, who is co-chair of the EVC capital campaign. That’s 75 percent of the fundraising goal.

Emory Valley Center now has two facilities across the street from each other on Emory Valley Road. The new 30,000-square-foot building west of the current administrative and workshop areas on the south side side of Emory Valley Road would consolidate the nonprofit’s operations, which include an Early Learning Center, gym, offices, kitchen, and work training center.

“This is a huge, huge help,” EVC President Jennifer Enderson of the B&W Y-12 donation. “The clock is ticking on when we must vacate an existing facility, and we can’t start construction of the new one until we have raised enough money.” [Read more…]

Comfort Inn holiday events benefit CASA of the Tennessee Heartland

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Breakfast with Santa

Proceeds from a “Breakfast with Santa” at Comfort Inn Oak Ridge on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. will benefit CASA of the Tennessee Heartland. (Photo courtesy T. Whigham Photography)

Families can kick off the Christmas season with Santa and help a local nonprofit volunteer organization at the same time by visiting the Comfort Inn Oak Ridge during December. The hotel is offering several different activities for the community to get in the holiday spirit with a portion of the proceeds from each event going to CASA of the Tennessee Heartland.

“We are so thankful to Comfort Inn for contacting us with this opportunity,” said Naomi Asher, executive director of CASA of the Tennessee Heartland. “Every dollar raised will help provide a voice in court for an abused and neglected child right here in our community.”

The Comfort Inn Oak Ridge will serve as the official site for “Pictures with Santa” throughout the holidays. T. Whigham Photography will be taking professional photos with Santa at the hotel from Friday, Nov. 29, through Saturday, Dec. 21. The hours are as follows: Monday through Friday from 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sundays from noon-6 p.m. One dollar from every photo taken will benefit CASA and will be matched by Enrichment Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

ORHS basketball clinic for Boys, Girls Club league on Monday

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Coach Aaron Green and the Oak Ridge High School basketball staff are hosting a free basketball skills camp on Monday for the Boys and Girls Club league.

The clinic is for children from kindergarten to seventh grade, and it’s from 6-7 p.m. Monday at the Oak Ridge High School Wildcat Arena. There is a coaches’ question-and-answer session from 7 to 7:30 p.m.

Call (865) 482-4433 for more information, or visit the Boys and Girls Club on Facebook.