Oak Ridge Today

ORUD installs natural gas fueling station

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ORUD Natural Gas Fueling Station

Oak Ridge Utility District Operations Director Jeff Patterson, center, explains a new compressed natural gas fueling station to Breakfast Rotary Club members. (Photo by Nick Morris)

Oak Ridge Utility District has installed a compressed natural gas fueling station behind its office on South Jefferson Circle to power a growing fleet of vehicles that can run on natural gas or conventional fuel.

ORUD already has a Ford Fusion car and an F-150 truck that can use either fuel, and a second truck will be converted this week, General Manager Ben Andrews said.

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ADFAC repair fair helps homeowners

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ADFAC Summer Repair Fair

Volunteers make free repairs for homeowners who are elderly, disabled and/or low-income during ADFAC’s annual Summer Repair Fair. (Photo submitted by ADFAC)

More than 800 teenagers and adult volunteers have come from across the county to make repairs to homes in Oak Ridge and Anderson County.

The work is part of the 16th Annual Summer Repair Fair organized by Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

The fair started June 17 and ends June 30. The volunteers could make repairs to as many as 84 homes, an ADFAC press release said.

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Cash Mob on Saturday at J&M, Mickey’s

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The Young Professionals of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce have invited the public to take part in a Cash Mob on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will take place at J&M Butcher Shop and Mickey’s Produce.

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‘Close Encounters’ at Knoxville Zoo Saturday

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This Saturday, the Knoxville Zoo is offering a chance to experience its Close Encounters of the Wild Kind program. This summer program gives visitors the chance to take a behind-the-scenes tour and meet some “residents” at the Knoxville Zoo.

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Friends of Haw Ridge proposes bike skills area on Edgemoor

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Haw Ridge Bike Skills Area

Steve Dittner, president of Friends of Haw Ridge, talks about plans to build a bike skills area on unfinished soccer fields off Edgemoor Road in Oak Ridge.

A city board has recommended that horses be banned from Haw Ridge Park for now, and a nonprofit organization that helps maintain the park wants to build a bike skills area on an abandoned, unfinished soccer field off Edgemoor Road.

Friends of Haw Ridge expects to vote on a plan for the bike skills area on June 28, said Steve Dittner, the organization’s president. The plan could then be presented to the city.

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‘Zoo To Do’ on Saturday

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Knoxville Zoo is hosting an evening of feasting and festivities on Saturday, June 30, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

“Zoo To Do” is an after-hours event featuring food from different area restaurants and entertainment.

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July 4 fireworks at A.K. Bissell Park

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The July 4 fireworks display will begin at 10 p.m. Independence Day at A.K. Bissell Park, Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley announced Monday.

Radio host Jack Ryan from Merle 96.7 will broadcast live from the park beginning at 6 p.m. and will end his broadcast with a patriotic musical medley as the fireworks are shot. Listeners can tune their radios to 96.7 Merle FM and enjoy the fireworks.

Before the fireworks begin, the Oak Ridge Community Band will play its annual Fourth of July concert at the park’s pavilion starting at 7:30 p.m.

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Urban forestry, tree survey discussed Thursday

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A University of Tennessee assistant professor will lead a discussion on urban forestry and a potential Oak Ridge tree survey on Thursday.

The talk starts at 7 p.m. at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge and features Sharon Jean-Philippe, an assistant urban forestry professor and member of the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council.

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Lavender Festival in Oak Ridge this past weekend

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Gourd Vendor

Elese P. Steward Meadows, left, sells decorated gourds at the 14th Annual Lavender Festival in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

The 14th annual Lavender Festival in historic Jackson Square was in Oak Ridge this past weekend.

There were many repeat vendors, such as Erin’s Meadow Herb Farm and Heaven Scent, as well as musical performances and food. Performers included Allen McBride, Liz and Tim, and Frost Bottom Boys.

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World War II re-enactments provide glimpse into history

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World War II Re-enactment

American military forces attack the Germans in a re-enactment of a World War II battle during the Secret City Festival on Saturday.

For some spectators, the annual World War II re-enactments in Oak Ridge are more than just entertainment.

Some fought in the war or had relatives who did.

Jonathan Tackett said the re-enactments during the Secret City Festival give him an idea of what his grandfather experienced when he fought in the U.S. Army in Europe.

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Thousands enjoy 38 Special, Jimmy Buffett tribute band

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38 Special

Vocalist Donnie VanZant, left, and guitarist Danny Chauncey play with 38 Special during the Secret City Festival on Saturday. (Photo by John Westcott)

Several thousand people danced and sang as Southern rock band 38 Special played a Saturday night concert in Oak Ridge.

It was likely one of the largest crowds ever for a concert at the Secret City Festival, but organizers could not immediately estimate the crowd size.

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Secret City Greenway runners raise money for park benches

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Battle for the Secret City Greenway

Runners get ready to start at the Battle for the Secret City Greenway on Melton Lake Greenway Sunday morning. The top three finishers are in the front row: Ed Wright of Oak Ridge, left; James Grufferty from Ireland, center; and Jeremy Sexton of Clinton, right.

About 175 athletes competed in a 4.2-mile fundraising run and walk on Melton Lake Greenway on Sunday morning.

The first annual Battle for the Secret City Greenway Run/Walk raised money for park benches on a recent extension of the trail, said Frank Chmielewicz, race director and former president of the Oak Ridge Track Club. It also raised awareness of the new 2.4-mile extension, which starts at the Edgemoor Road bridge over the Clinch River and ends at Solway Park East.

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