Oak Ridge Today

Secret City Festival features ‘something for everyone’

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Homemade Wine Band

The Homemade Wine Band played after the Friday morning opening ceremony at the Secret City Festival.

The annual Secret City Festival started today, and it features Manhattan Project bus tours and history displays, World War II living history activities and demonstrations, arts and crafts and antiques dealers, food vendors and exhibitors, a children’s festival area and youth events, and a car show and concerts.

“Join more than 20,000 visitors and residents to celebrate the end of World War II and the heritage of Oak Ridge from 1945 to the present,” a press release said.

Oak Ridge was built during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project, a federal program to build the world’s atomic bombs, and the festival celebrates the city’s heritage.

Festival organizers have provided an overview of some of the many activities and events taking place at this year’s festival:
 [Read more…]

Secret City Festival announces return of ‘Kid City Circuit’

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For the second year in a row, Oak Ridge has been named a Playful City and is proud to announce the return of the Kid City Circuit to the children’s area of the Secret City Festival. Playful City USA is a nationally recognized program honoring cities and towns that make play a priority and use innovative programs to get children active, playing, and healthy.

Because the Secret City Festival is focused on community unity and children’s and family activities are such a big part of the festival, organizers are excited about the return of this festival favorite. [Read more…]

First Presbyterian Church offers movie nights for middle-schoolers

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“Movie Nights” for Oak Ridge middle school students will be Friday, June 28, at First Presbyterian Church at the corner of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Lafayette Drive. The movie will be “Ramona and Beezus.”

Children ages 10 to 13 are invited to bring their friends to play table games, create crafts, and enjoy pizza and drinks, as well as watch the movie, from 6 to 9 p.m. during the second and fourth Friday of every month, a press release said. [Read more…]

‘Nikon Small World’ exhibition open at AMSE

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“Nikon Small World” will be open from June 14 through Sept. 15 at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

Art and science combine in “Nikon Small World” as the photos showcase the delicate balance between scientific technique and artistic quality, a press release said. “We are proud that this competition is able to demonstrate the true power of scientific imaging and its relevance to both the scientific communities as well as the general public,” explained Eric Flem, communications manager for Nikon Instruments. [Read more…]

UT football coach helps ORNL kick off United Way campaign

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Butch Jones at ORNL United Way Kickoff

Fans of University of Tennessee football and supporters of the United Way had a chance to see UT coach Butch Jones, right, on Monday at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s United Way campaign kickoff. (ORNL photo by Jason Richards)

University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones helped Oak Ridge National Laboratory kick off this year’s United Way campaign on Monday morning.

“United Way means everything,” Jones said after discussing leadership—and football—with several hundred workers at ORNL. “It’s a great way to give back to your community.”

He said United Way agencies help about 100,000 people in the Knoxville area. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival announces new concert security measures

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James T. Akagi

James T. Akagi

The Secret City Festival will have tighter security at the Friday and Saturday night concerts this year, and visitors could experience a few delays as organizers try to make the shows safer, a press release said.

No backpacks or coolers will be allowed into the concert site, and all bags will be subject to search, the release said.

“In light of recent events, we’re being extra vigilant in our protection of our attendees, staff, and the community during the festival concerts,” Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi said. [Read more…]

Children’s Museum hosts Wonderful Wednesdays

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Mark Young

Magician Mark Young will be featured at Wonderful Wednesday at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge on June 19. (Submitted photo)

The sleight-of-hand tricks of a magician will be featured at Wonderful Wednesday, from 11 a.m.-noon June 19 at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. Mark Young will bring his entertaining magic show to the museum, delighting children with his magic tricks.

Young was a professional magician for 20 years, working in such locations as the Big Red Boat cruise line of Walt Disney World, Cypress Gardens in Florida, and Opryland in Nashville. The magician began learning tricks as a child in Oak Ridge and has entertained children and adults at past museum events. [Read more…]

Organizing for Action has Climate Cleanup at Melton Lake Park on Saturday

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Organizing for Action will be holding an event on Saturday called Climate Cleanup. This event will take place at 3:30 p.m. and be held at the pavilion at Melton Lake Park next to the New China Place restaurant in Oak Ridge.

Climate Cleanup will start with Organizing for Action fellow Scott Julius giving a speech about climate change, why the climate change deniers are wrong, and how this problem impacts Tennessee. His assistant Rose Williams will give a short speech about what one can do to help. Their goal is to encourage people to contact senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander to get them to sponsor comprehensive climate change legislation.

After the speeches, a  cleanup will take place to help remove litter from the park, allowing those present to do something tangible to help the environment. [Read more…]

Charity dog walk on Saturday receives $2,000 donation

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Radio Systems Corp.—home of the PetSafe and SportDOG brands—recently awarded $2,000 to the Mutt Strutt, a charity dog walk created by the Young Professionals of Oak Ridge Community Outreach Committee in partnership with SARG (Shelter Animal Rescue Group).

The Mutt Strutt was created to support the improvement of the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter, and this year’s event will be held at A.K. Bissell Park at 10 a.m. Saturday. [Read more…]

Lavender Festival returns to Jackson Square on Saturday

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Lavender Festival

Celebrating all things herbal in Oak Ridge, the Lavender Festival returns to Historic Jackson Square on Saturday. It’s the festival’s 15th year, and it’s scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

The free festival features food and music, and close to 100 vendors. They will have plants and herbs, and products related to gardening, cooking, health, and aromatherapy, in addition to fine art and crafts. There will also be booths for children, with crafts, a dinosaur exhibit, and street performers.

Festival-goers can sample foods made with herbs from 9 to 11 a.m. and watch a grilling-with-herbs demonstration by Market House chefs beginning at 1 p.m. Live music will be performed by local musicians throughout the day. Informative presentations and workshops will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the CapitalMark Bank and Trust building next to the playhouse. [Read more…]

FORNL monthly luncheon lecture Tuesday

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Liyuan Liang

Liyuan Liang

The Friends of ORNL will hold its monthly luncheon lecture meeting on Tuesday, June 11.

This month, Liyuan Liang and members of her team will discuss “ORNL Mercury Research Program and the Story of Methylation Gene Discovery.” This meeting is open to the public.

Liang, who heads the U.S. Department of Energy-funded mercury research program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Northeastern University at Boston, and a master’s and doctorate from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in environmental engineering sciences. [Read more…]

Child advocacy seminar on Tuesday

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The community is invited to attend the third annual Nurturing and Safe World Child Advocacy Seminar on Tuesday. The seminar will be held at the Roane State Community College City Room on the Oak Ridge campus.

Robert May, of ORPD Chaplains; Annette Beebe, of Anderson County Task Force on Domestic Violence; David Kitts, of Knox Police Family Crimes Unit; Margaret Durgin, of the Child Advocacy Center; and others will speak on the issue of domestic violence as it relates to the children who are affected by this challenging problem. [Read more…]