Oak Ridge Today

Buy tickets for Bursting the Blues fundraiser by Wednesday

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Photo credit Clint James Photography

Photo credit Clint James Photography

 

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Shake off the winter blues with dinner, a silent auction, a balloon pop, and live music at CONTACT Care Line’s annual “Bursting the Blues Gala.” The evening will offer attendees the opportunity to celebrate the coming of spring, win prizes, and help CONTACT raise money to support those most at risk in its nine-county service area. The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 4, from 6-9 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge.

Contrary to popular myth, suicide rates are highest in spring and are lowest in winter. Studies dating back as far as the early 1800s have demonstrated that this trend has remained constant since then. Researchers are uncertain of the cause. In 2016, Tennessee lost 938 people to suicide, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To reduce these numbers, CONTACT has joined more than 160 crisis centers across the country to form the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. As the only Care Line call center in East Tennessee, CONTACT Care Line provides a confidential crisis line to anyone who needs a listening ear or a referral for other community resources. [Read more…]

Divas for a Cure on March 4, a fundraiser for American Cancer Society

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Divas for a Cure 2017
There is no better way to spend a Saturday than by enjoying the company of other women (and men) in food/drink, entertainment, and pampering by professionals. There will also be music by a local band, Hazel.

The event will be held on Saturday, March 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the High Places Community Church in Grove Center in Oak Ridge. Admission is $30 at the door or early bird, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society Relay For Life Anderson County event. Admission includes a lunch buffet, mimosa bar (two per diva), a fashion show put on by local merchants, and four pampering tickets to be used at the pampering stations of your choice. This will include hand/foot massages, nails, hair, makeup, mini-facials, henna, and much more, a press release said. The popular “Purse Pull” will also take place during the event, which gives you the opportunity to go home with a very nice purse. [Read more…]

Help identify photos in Oak Ridge Library’s Ruth Carey collection

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From the Oak Ridge Public Library Ruth Carey photo collection (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

From the Oak Ridge Public Library Ruth Carey photo collection (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Public Library needs your help. The library is privileged to house the photography collection of Ruth Carey, an original Oak Ridge resident and longtime photographer for The Oak Ridger from the 1960s to the mid-1990s. Her photo collection is vast and varied, including pictures of key political and cultural figures, community events, and weddings. Figures such as Alex Haley and Guilford Glazer, for instance, appear in several photos. Unfortunately, many of the photographs do not include notes about who is in the photo or when or where it was taken.

With the help of volunteers, Oak Ridge Public Library staff members Teresa Fortney and Jordan Reed have begun digitizing the collection. Some of the photographs that have been digitized are available for public viewing online at www.orpl.org. However, Carey’s collection was so comprehensive, only a portion of the total number of photographs have been digitized. As the library continues its digitization efforts, it is important that the people and places are identified so as not to lose this important part of our history. [Read more…]

Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday

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McNally-Ragan-Calfee-at-Breakfast-with-Legislators-April-25-2016

Pictured above at a Breakfast with the Legislators on Monday, April 25, 2016, are, from left, Tennessee Sen. Randy McNally, Rep. John Ragan, and Rep. Kent Calfee. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday. It’s scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, February 27, in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, which is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Breakfast with the Legislators is organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. A light continental breakfast is provided at no charge, and the public is encouraged to attend.

Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to bring everyone up to date on what’s happening in the Tennessee Legislature, a press release said. Members of the audience may ask questions and give opinions. [Read more…]

Woody to discuss State of Roane County at Lunch with League on Tuesday

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Ron Woody

Ron Woody

Roane County Executive Ron Woody will discuss Roane County issues during Lunch with the League on Tuesday, February 21. The program will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Woody said he will talk about such topics as Roane County economic development, education, the impact of legislation, the county jail, and the impending airport. There will be time for questions from the audience following his presentation, a press release said.

Woody was first elected in August 2010. Formerly a consultant with the University of Tennessee’s County Technical Advisory Service, he is a certified public accountant with years of experience in county fiscal management jobs, the press release said. [Read more…]

Alan Williams named 2017 Front Page Follies honoree

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Alan Williams

Alan Williams

 

Alan Williams, Local 8 News and CW anchor and a 37-year veteran in the broadcast business, will be the honoree at the 39th annual Front Page Follies on June 17.

The Front Page Foundation will present the dinner and show that each year roasts state and local newsmakers at the Knoxville Convention Center. Proceeds will fund journalism and broadcasting scholarships presented in Williams’ honor at the University of Tennessee and a media studies scholarship at Pellissippi State Community College.

“Alan Williams is a veteran broadcast journalist who brings both a professional approach and a personal touch to the news he reports,” said Frank Murphy, Front Page Foundation president.

“Alan can tell sports stories with insights he gained as an SEC athlete, then cover an entertainment event with the experience of a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Country Music Association,” Murphy said. “He knows the community well because he’s worked here more than 30 years, and he’s been an active community volunteer. That kind of perspective has meant a lot to his East Tennessee audience, and we’re proud to name Alan Williams this year’s scholarship honoree.” [Read more…]

Show of support for AMSE planned for Saturday, Feb. 18

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Submitted photo

Submitted photo

 

A show of support and appreciation for the American Museum of Science and Energy is planned for Saturday, February 18, an organizer said.

“This is a gathering for appreciation and support for the museum and its role as a cornerstone and icon of our community,” organizer David Hackett said in an email. “It is not a political rally or protest as such.”

Hackett said politics and economics have affected the museum. He pointed out that the museum will be smaller after its relocation to the former Sears Roebuck store near JCPenney at the former Oak Ridge Mall, which is now being redeveloped as Main Street Oak Ridge.

“The downsizing comes at a crucial time for the advance of tourism and the creation of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park,” Hackett said. “Just when we should all be pulling together to make the park work, the rug is being pulled from under it.” [Read more…]

Turn your New Year’s resolutions into personal plan for 2017

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Come to the Oak Ridge Public Library Auditorium on February 25 from 10-11 a.m. for coffee, refreshments, and to create an individualized plan for your success.

Join Certified Life Coach Yvonne Hart and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor Josh Klinger to mold your resolutions into a working personalized plan for your 2017 and beyond. Learn tips on how to reach your life goals, fulfill your New Year’s resolutions, and maximize your financial fitness into your future.

This event is free and open to the public, and a library membership is not required for participants.

For more information, call the library at (865) 425-3455.

This press release was submitted by Virginia Bayne.

Children’s Museum hosts International Festival Saturday

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Obayana Ajanaku will play the djembe drums Saturday at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Submitted photo)

Obayana Ajanaku will play the djembe drums Saturday at the Children’s Museum International Festival. (Submitted photo)

 

Obayana Ajanaku, who leads Indigenous Vibes, has traveled to Brazil, Russia, and Africa as a professional drummer. He teaches African drumming at Austin East High School in Knoxville, and he has introduced drumming in other Knox County schools.

On Saturday, Ajanaku’s Indigenous Vibes will be the featured entertainer at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge International Festival, a family-friendly gathering offering entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world. Music, dance, comedy, and martial arts will be on stage throughout the day, and children may make and take home a variety of international crafts.

“Our purpose is to reach out to the community, to talk about unity, diversity, and our outreach program with youth,” Ajanaku said, adding that at-risk youth benefit from learning drumming and participating in performances.

He said he has been drumming since he was six years old, encouraged by his mother. She was interested in the African culture and encouraged her children to learn African drumming and dance. He entertains and educates with the djembe drums, a set of drums that all work together, he explained. [Read more…]

Register today: Love and Logic parenting class at First United Methodist on Feb. 26

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Would you like to learn how to never argue with your kids again? Then join us at First United Methodist Church, 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, from 3:30-5:30 pm on Sunday, February 26, for our Love and Logic parenting class.

This class will be led by Holly Roe, a certified love and logic instructor. Roe is a well-known children’s ministries director, and she has a passion for helping parents and families.

The cost for materials is $20 per person. [Read more…]

Book sale at Roane State Coffey Library in Oak Ridge on Feb. 28, March 1

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Roane-State-Coffey-Library

The Coffey Library at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo by RSCC)

 

The Coffey Library at Roane State Community College’s Oak Ridge campus will host its annual “Love Your Library” book sale Tuesday, February 28, and Wednesday, March 1, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. each day.

The sale will include fiction, non-fiction, hardback books, paperbacks, textbooks, cookbooks, foreign language, children’s books, craft books, and more. Only cash and checks will be accepted. Checks need to be payable to the Roane State Foundation. Prices range from $1-3.

The campus is located at 701 Briarcliff Avenue. For more information, contact Christi Moss at (865) 354-3000, ext. 4739, or mosscl@roanestate.edu.

Spring maintenance planned for Big Turtle Dog Park

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Photo by City of Oak Ridge

Photo by City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will be conducting turf maintenance at Big Turtle Dog Park in west Oak Ridge starting in early March. The dog park will remain open to the public during the project.

Big Turtle Dog Park is at 2525 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

During the maintenance project, areas of turf being renovated will be closed off with orange construction fencing, a press release said. The fence will be removed once the new grass has become established. [Read more…]