Oak Ridge Today

Call for nominations for annual Naida Finane Award for Courage, Tolerance

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Nominations for the fourth annual award to honor the legacy of educator Naida Finane are currently being collected by the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Board of Trustees.

Any resident of Anderson or Roane counties who has demonstrated a superior act of compassion, love, and/or justice is eligible to be nominated for the Naida Finane Award for Courage and Tolerance, a press release said. The recipient shall have been at the forefront as a “voice for a more compassionate and inclusive greater Oak Ridge with the action(s) recognized having occurred in the greater Oak Ridge area and restricted to human issues.”

“Naida braved the world of Oak Ridge High School, where there was no club for GLBT students and took on the leadership for the first club. She was a memorable person for many students’ lives,” said her friend and fellow educator Jinx Watson.

“Naida’s infectious enthusiasm and openness, coupled with her originality, energy, and humor, captured the imaginations of students fortunate enough to find themselves in her classrooms during her 38-year teaching career, the majority of which was spent teaching English at Oak Ridge High School. A gifted and devoted teacher, an extraordinary person, whose innate joy and determination spilled out onto her family, friends, coworkers, and others, including her students,” words taken from her obituary. She died in February 2011. [Read more…]

Lunch with the League to feature the ‘alphabet soup’ of health care

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Matt Tillery

Matt Tillery

A guest speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday will help decipher the “alphabet soup” of health care, a press release said.

Guest speaker Matt Tillery, director of community services for Cherokee Health Systems, will give a brief history of the Affordable Care Act, Tennessee’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, and resources available to those who are eligible for these services, the press release said.

Tillery will speak specifically on community mental health clinics and federally qualified health care centers, and what these types of service locations mean to community members, the press release said. The program will start at noon Tuesday, March 21, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Harlem Ambassadors basketball show to benefit Habitat for Humanity

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Habitat for Humanity Harlem Ambassadors March 17 2017

Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County will host the Harlem Ambassadors basketball show at Oak Ridge High School on Friday evening. Oak Ridge firefighters have volunteered to be the opposing team.

The show is a benefit for Habitat for Humanity. It starts at 7 p.m. Friday, March 17, at Wildcat Arena.

“Please join us for an evening of entertainment, fun, and zany basketball,” organizers said. “The Ambassadors also bring the message ‘Stay in School, Stay off Drugs and Don’t be a Bully.'”

Tickets are only $5, and there will be plenty of food at the concession stand, organizers said. Advance tickets are available in Oak Ridge at TNBank at 401 South Illnois Avenue and at the Habitat ReStore at 105 Randolph Road. They can be purchased at the door on Friday night. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge man wins regional award for helping wounded, disabled vets

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Photo via WYSH Radio in Clinton, an Oak Ridge Today news partner

Photo via WYSH Radio in Clinton, an Oak Ridge Today news partner

 

Information from WYSH Radio

Steve Brown of Oak Ridge has been named Tennessee Valley Region Volunteer of the Year by Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, or PHWFF, for wounded and disabled veterans. The region comprises the whole state of Tennessee.

Brown is a longtime leader of Trout Unlimited in Tennessee and of the Clinch River Chapter TU, a partner organization of the Knoxville program of PHWFF since its beginning in 2012. He serves as Tennessee’s representative to the National Leadership Council of Trout Unlimited.

In nominating Brown for the honor, Steve Thompson, Knoxville program lead and deputy regional coordinator for PHWFF, wrote: “Since the inception of the Knoxville program, there have been a few critical components to the success of the program. One of those components is Steve Brown. Since October of 2012 Steve has been to almost every single outing, class, meeting or get-together and has played a pivotal role in the healing of many of our veterans. Steve has always given of himself more than most and as a veteran himself is very relatable to all of our participants. [Read more…]

5K Run, Walk on May 5 a fundraiser to help fight cancer

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The American Cancer Society has announced the first 5K Run and Walk at a Relay For Life event in Anderson County in May.

The run and walk will take place on Friday, May 5, at 8 p.m. at Melton Lake Park in Oak Ridge. People ages 12 and up are invited to participate by either walking or running to help raise money in the quest to “create a world with less cancer by helping people get well and stay well, by finding cures, and by fighting back against cancer,” a press release said.

To register for this event, go to the website runsignup.com. You may locate the event by typing in Anderson County Twilight, which will take you to the event page. Individuals may support one of the local teams participating in Relay For Life or may create a team of their own.

“This is a great way to honor or remember someone you love whose life has been touched by cancer,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Philharmonia has open house Sunday; bring your instrument if you’d like to play

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The Oak Ridge Philharmonia performs at Cokesbury United Methodist Church in 2016. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Philharmonia performs at Cokesbury United Methodist Church in 2016. (Submitted photo)

 

By Dale Gedcke

Would you like to join an ensemble that plays famous Baroque, Classical, and Contemporary music…with strings attached?

The March 12 Open House with the Oak Ridge Philharmonia may be the opportunity you need to explore the benefits of playing with this excellent orchestra. Bring your instrument, and discuss the possibilities with Director/Conductor Marcelo Urias, the board members, and current players in the Philharmonia.

Refreshments will be served, and you may be able to play a few pieces with us, just for fun, while you are there. No auditions are necessary. Within a few rehearsals, you will be able to decide whether you and the orchestra are a fulfilling match.

Aspiring musicians typically encounter little difficulty locating concert bands in which to play. But orchestras, with the full complement of strings added to the woodwinds and brass, are hard to find. Even experienced professionals have to compete intensely for the scant positions open in sparse, professional orchestras.

The Oak Ridge Philharmonia is a community orchestra dedicated to committed volunteers. It presents a rare opportunity for musicians who want to polish their skills, while enjoying playing with the full spectrum of sounds only the combination of woodwinds, brass, and strings can deliver. [Read more…]

Dine & Donate is Monday, March 13

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Cande Seay, left, and Teresa Myrick enjoy a festive lunch at Gallo Loco, located at 21 E. Tennessee Avenue in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

Cande Seay, left, and Teresa Myrick enjoy a festive lunch at Gallo Loco, located at 21 E. Tennessee Avenue in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

Eleven local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, on Monday, March 13, as part of the monthly Dine & Donate.

In Clinton, the participating restaurants are: [Read more…]

Boys & Girls Club baseball sign-ups end March 18

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Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley Logo IV

Sign-ups for the 2017 baseball season at Boys & Girls Club end March 18. Children must be five before May 1 to sign up.

See the sign-up form here: Baseball Registration2017.

Art Center show to highlight works by instructors, students

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student2

The next installation in the Oak Ridge Art Center’s galleries will be the Instructor/Student Show titled “Movers, Shakers, Mentors, Makers II.”

This will showcase works by the current instructors and their students, a press release said.

“So if you were curious as to what happens in their classes, you will not want to miss this amazing show!” the press release said.

There will be an opening reception for this show from 7-9 p.m. Friday, March 17, with a gallery talk about the newest installation at 6:30 p.m. It’s a free event, and everyone is welcome to attend, the press release said.

Manhattan Project National Park celebrates Girl Scout Week on Saturday

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Photo by Ed Westcott

Photo by Ed Westcott

 

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park is partnering with the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge and the Girl Scouts of USA to celebrate National Girl Scout Week on Saturday, March 11.

Beginning at 10 a.m. at the Children’s Museum, individual Girl Scouts and/or troops are welcome to participate in hands-on activities until 3:30 p.m., a press release said. Admission to CMOR will be free on that day for any Girl Scout in uniform and their families. Girl Scouts can earn the “Our Girl Scout Story” history patch and a MAPR Junior Ranger patch by participating in a historical scavenger hunt. The historical scavenger hunt activity information will be made available from March 11 through March 25 at the National Park Service desk at the American Museum of Science and Energy. [Read more…]

Six East Tennessee women, two from Oak Ridge, to be honored with Peacemaker Awards

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Six long-time advocates for peace and justice, including two women from Oak Ridge, will be honored with the 2017 Peacemaker Awards in Knoxville on Saturday, March 11, a press release said.

Since 1999, the Peacemaker Awards, sponsored by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, have recognized people who have distinguished themselves by speaking, acting, and working for social justice in East Tennessee, the press release said.

This year’s honorees are Shigeko Uppuluri and Marese Nephew of Oak Ridge, Caroline Best of Maryville, and MaryAnne McNutt, Judy Ross, and Sarah Scott of Knoxville. [Read more…]

Farragut Food & Wine Festival is May 5

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Food_&_Wine_Poster

The Eighth Annual Farragut Food & Wine Festival will be Friday, May 5. It’s presented by TDS and hosted by the Farragut Business Alliance and Town of Farragut.

The festival includes food, drink, and fun, a press release said.

“Eight super-sized tents, three generators, one stage complete with band, 60 volunteers, over two dozen restaurants, and eight purveyors of adult beverages help to create one of the most exciting evenings eagerly anticipated every year,” the press release said. “The Farragut Food and Wine Festival has proved to have a regional draw of more than 1,000 food and fun lovers.”

The festival is scheduled from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, on the lawn of Renaissance—Farragut at 12700 Kingston Pike, with the help of a dozen business sponsors, the press release said. [Read more…]