Oak Ridge Today

Asian garden specialist to introduce dry landscape gardens Thursday at UT Arboretum

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Martin McKellar will speak on dry landscape gardens at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Submitted photo)

Martin McKellar will discuss dry landscape gardens at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Submitted photo)

 

Artistic designs raked in fine gravel around carefully placed boulders offer peaceful settings for contemplation gardens. Known as karesansui (pronounced car-uh-san-swee), the dry landscape gardens are a centuries-old tradition in Japan but rare in the United States.

Soon, however, Oak Ridge will have its own karesansui garden. As landscaping begins around the International Friendship Bell Peace Pavilion in Oak Ridge, the Japanese karesansui gardens will lend a distinctive and contemplative element to the Oak Ridge landmark.

Introducing the gardens to Oak Ridge will be Martin McKellar, retired from the University of Florida International Center and now a volunteer as the Asian garden specialist at the university’s Harn art museum. He will present a public talk at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 24, on “Dry Landscape Gardens around the World and in Oak Ridge” at the University of Tennessee Arboretum auditorium, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The karesansui gardens at the Friendship Bell site will be maintained by volunteers who learn the skills to create the designs and maintain the gardens for the city. McKellar will hold four-hour training sessions for volunteers interested in designing, raking, and taking care of the Oak Ridge karesansui gardens on at 1 p.m. Friday, January 25, and at 8:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, January 26. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge firefighter named Roane State Paramedic Student of the Year

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Roane State paramedic program director David Blevins, left, and Dr. Todd Heffern with TEAMHealth, right, congratulate Brandon Payne of Oak Ridge, Roane State’s Paramedic Student of the Year. (Submitted photo)

Roane State paramedic program director David Blevins, left, and Dr. Todd Heffern with TEAMHealth, right, congratulate Brandon Payne of Oak Ridge, Roane State’s Paramedic Student of the Year. (Submitted photo)

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

An Oak Ridge Fire Department captain has been elected by his peers as Roane State Community College’s Paramedic Student of the Year.

Brandon Payne, 40, an Oak Ridge firefighter since 2007, received the tribute during a luncheon last year that continues a longstanding tradition of honoring graduating paramedic students.

TEAMHealth, a hospital staffing firm based in Knoxville, sponsored the luncheon for paramedic students who were in the spring semester cohort.

“It was challenging,” Payne said of the three-semester program to obtain certification as a paramedic. “There was a lot of information in a short amount of time.” [Read more…]

Roane State to offer extended business hours

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Roane State Community College will offer extended business hours to help students get ready for the spring semester.

  • Friday, January 4: Business hours offered at all campuses, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. local time
  • Monday January 7- Thursday January 10: Business hours offered at all campuses, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. local time
  • Friday, January 11: Campuses on normal Friday schedule.
  • Monday January 14- Thursday January 17: Business hours offered at all campuses, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. local time
  • Friday, January 18: Campuses on normal Friday schedule.

Spring classes begin January 14.

ORICL announces winter/spring classes for 2019

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Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning has opened online registration for its winter/spring term. A total of 82 classes and 7 trips are being offered for the winter/spring term running from February 4 through April 26, 2019, a press release said.

For those unfamiliar with ORICL, it is a not-for-profit organization offering classes, field trips, and other opportunities for area residents of all backgrounds and educational levels. ORICL is sponsored by Roane State Community College and located at the Oak Ridge campus of RSCC. ORICL is administered by a board of directors elected by the members and has two part-time paid employees. RSCC provides classrooms, an office, and administrative support. ORICL’s motto is “Enriching Lives Through Continued Learning.” There are no tests.

In order to attend classes, one must join ORICL as a dues-paying member. [Read more…]

Suresh Babu to lead UT-ORNL Bredesen Center

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Suresh Babu

Suresh Babu

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville have selected Suresh Babu as the next director of their jointly operated Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education.

Babu will retain his position as UT-ORNL governor’s chair for advanced manufacturing when he assumes his new role on January 3, a press release said. He will be replacing Lee Riedinger, who is retiring at the end of January.

“Dr. Babu has worked extensively with both UT and ORNL through his governor’s chair position, and we’re excited about him taking on this new role,” UT Knoxville Interim Chancellor Wayne T. Davis said in the press release. “He is a nationally recognized expert in the development of advanced materials and advanced manufacturing and has helped us emerge as a leader in those critical research areas.” [Read more…]

Roane State campuses will be closed Dec. 18-Jan.1 for holidays

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Roane State Community College campuses will be closed Tuesday, December 18 through Tuesday, January 1 for the holidays.

The college will reopen Wednesday, January 2, and spring classes will begin on Monday, January 14.

Registration and other self-service options are available through the Roane State website at www.roanestate.edu.

For more information, visit www.roanestate.edu or call 1-866-GO2-RSCC (1-866-462-7722).

Cybersecurity expert to lecture at Roane State in Oak Ridge on Oct. 19

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Adam Keown, cybersecurity expert for the Tennessee Valley Authority, will speak on Friday, October 19, at 10 a.m. at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge.

Keown’s talk, “Enterprise Cybersecurity: Organization, Job Roles, and Information Security,” will be held in Room 104 of the Goff building. Anyone is welcome to attend, a press release said.

Keown has been a program manager in the TVA Cybersecurity Risk Management team since 2016. In his role, he is responsible for understanding cybersecurity risk at TVA and communicating risk issues to leadership and TVA business units, the press release said. [Read more…]

Halloween spectacular ‘Kindred Spirits’ is Oct. 27 at Roane State’s Roane County campus

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Pictured is a scene from the 2017 version of "Kindred Spirits," which drew crowds of about 350 to each of its two performances. This year’s “Kindred Spirits” production, with performances at 1 and 3 p.m., will be held on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, in the O’Brien Theatre on Roane State’s main campus in Harriman. (Photo by Roane State)

Pictured is a scene from the 2017 version of “Kindred Spirits,” which drew crowds of about 350 to each of its two performances. This year’s “Kindred Spirits” production, with performances at 1 and 3 p.m., will be held on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, in the O’Brien Theatre on Roane State’s main campus in Harriman. (Photo by Roane State)

 

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

It’s an extravaganza for the Halloween season that features a cast of 130 singers, dancers, musicians, and actors, and it’s growing in popularity.

It’s the annual “Kindred Spirits” production, with performances at 1 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 27, in the O’Brien Theatre on Roane State Community College’s main campus at 276 Patton Lane in Harriman. Admission is $5.

“It’s one of the highlights of our year,” said Professor Brenda Luggie, Roane State’s choral director. “The music students absolutely love it.”

The hour-long, family-friendly show features Roane State music students, actors from Midway High School’s Drama Club, and about 100 dancers of all ages from Arts in Motion, with studios in Rockwood and Kingston. [Read more…]

Turtle expert to be featured at UT Arboretum Society dinner, community event

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George L. Heinrich with an adult male alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) in Harris County, Texas. (Photograph by Jordan Gray)

George L. Heinrich with an adult male alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) in Harris County, Texas. (Photograph by Jordan Gray)

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society is offering two opportunities to hear renowned turtle expert George L. Heinrich in October as part of a nationwide speaking tour. Heinrich is executive director and co-founder of the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust.

The first opportunity to hear him speak will be at the UT Arboretum Society’s Annual Membership Dinner and Silent Auction. It’s scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. Monday, October 15, at Calhoun’s Event Center at 100 Melton Lake Peninsula in Oak Ridge. Heinrich will be the featured speaker. The public is welcome to attend, and the cost is $30 for members and $35 for non-members of the UT Arboretum Society, a press release said.

Reservations are required for the dinner. To reserve a place or for more information on the annual dinner and silent auction, call Pat Row at (865) 482-9096 or send her an email at [email protected]. Credit cards, cash, or checks will be accepted at the door, the press release said.

“Come enjoy an evening of great food, an interesting presentation, and silent auction,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Street Painting Festival at Jackson Square will include Ed Westcott Challenge

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The annual Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, is fun for artists of all ages. This year’s festival, which raises funds for Roane State Community College scholarships, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 13, at historic Jackson Square. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

The annual Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, is fun for artists of all ages. This year’s festival, which raises funds for Roane State Community College scholarships, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 13, at historic Jackson Square. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

 

In celebration of Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary, the 19th annual Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival will have two “firsts.”

The October 13 event will be held in historic Jackson Square, and it will offer the first-ever Ed Westcott Challenge for artists interested in chalking a creative interpretation of a famous photograph by Manhattan Project photographer Ed Westcott.

The festival will, as always, offer prizes for artists in each category. But this year, artists in any category can win an all-ages, all-categories bonus prize as part of the Ed Westcott Challenge, a press release said.

Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge and a fundraiser for Roane State Community College scholarships, the annual art extravaganza will be held on Saturday, October 13, at historic Jackson Square. Chalking will begin at 8 a.m. Categories are available for all ages, teams, and families. Artist participation is free, the press release said. [Read more…]

Calling all artists! Register for Street Painting Festival at Jackson Square

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The Rotary Club of Oak Ridge’s annual Street Painting Festival will, for the first time, be held at Jackson Square on Oct. 13, 2018. (Submitted photo)

The Rotary Club of Oak Ridge’s annual Street Painting Festival will, for the first time, be held at Jackson Square on Oct. 13, 2018. (Submitted photo)

 

The Rotary Club of Oak Ridge’s annual Street Painting Festival will, for the first time, be held at Jackson Square.

The festival gives artists of all ages an opportunity to showcase their talent and have fun, a press release said. Plus, the event raises funds that provide scholarships to Roane State Community College students who otherwise could not afford to attend college. More than $200,000 have been raised since the first festival in 2000, the press release said.

The festival will be held on Saturday, October 13. Chalking of sidewalk squares at Jackson Square will begin at 8 a.m. Categories are available for all ages, teams, and families. Artist registration is free, and chalk and other supplies will be provided, the press release said. [Read more…]

Roane State to screen suicide prevention film ‘The S Word’ on Thursday

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Roane State Community College is participating in Suicide Prevention Awareness Month with a variety of events, including the screening of a highly acclaimed documentary titled “The ‘S’ Word.”

“Unfortunately, right now you hear so much about suicide,” Roane State Dean of Students Brenda Rector said. “We lose some 1,000 Tennesseans each year to suicide, and that’s just not acceptable.”

“The ‘S’ Word” will be screened at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 20, at the Princess Theatre, which is at 421 North Roane Street in Harriman, and it is free, a press release said.

The public is invited to view the 90-minute documentary, featuring interviews with four people who tried to kill themselves, but survived, the press release said. [Read more…]