Oak Ridge Today

Former NASA astronomy, relativity chief to discuss evolution of universe, from Big Bang to black holes

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Nancy Grace Roman

Nancy Grace Roman

A former chief astronomer at NASA will discuss the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to black holes during a lecture on Thursday, March 24.

It’s the opening of the 19th Annual Dick Smyser Community Lecture Series.

It will feature Nancy Grace Roman, former chief of the NASA Astronomy and Relativity Programs in the Office of Space Science.

The free lecture is jointly sponsored by Friends of ORNL, or FORNL, and the American Association of University Women, or AAUW. It will be held at the American Museum of Science and Energy, which is at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge. A reception will be held in the museum lobby starting at 5:30 p.m. (snacks will be served), and the lecture starts at 6 p.m. in the museum auditorium. [Read more…]

Wellness Fair is March 30 at Civic Center

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Wellness-Fair-2016

A city, schools, and community wellness fair will be offered at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Wednesday, March 30.

The free wellness fair is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated Health Wellness Committee. The wellness fair is from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 30 at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

Information on what will be offered is included in the image above.

Call (865) 425-3559 or 425-3414 for more information.

UT Arboretum Society has spring plant sale in April

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UT-Arboretum-Spring-Plant-Sale

​The ​2016 University of Tennessee Arboretum Society Spring Plant Sale will be held April 15 and 16 on the grounds of the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge. The 15th is a members-only sale, but you may choose to join the Society on the spot to attend the sale on that date. (Photo courtesy UTIA)

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s 50th annual Spring Plant Sale will gather the best of four local nurseries in one location in Oak Ridge in April.

Beaver Creek and Riverdale Nurseries from Knoxville, Sunlight Gardens from Andersonville, and East Fork Nursery from Sevierville will be offering a large and varied selection of shrubs, trees, wildflowers, perennials, annuals, and edibles, a press release said. Brad Greenwood Designs will have unique botanically themed copper garden ornaments and steel features for the home and yard. Dano’s Hot Dogs, with an expanded menu, will again be at this event.

Back by popular demand, the Society will be offering ‘The Rising Sun” Redbud. This new Redbud displays brilliant, golden tangerine and lime-colored, heart-shaped foliage all summer and was a quick sell-out plant last year. The Society will also be offering a limited supply of another new redbud tree: “Alley Cat.” “Alley Cat” was literally discovered in an alley in Kentucky and has beautiful green and white variegated foliage that is stable and scorch-resistant, the press release said. [Read more…]

Council supports grant application for synthetic turf at Blankenship

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Blankenship Field Overall Plan

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday unanimously supported a grant application for synthetic turf on Blankenship Field. An overall view of part of the proposed renovation of Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium is pictured in this image from early 2015.

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday unanimously authorized a grant application for synthetic turf on Blankenship Field.

If approved by Tennessee officials, the grant could be worth up to $500,000. It would be matched by the Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation, a nonprofit organization chaired by Tennessee Senator Randy McNally.

The synthetic turf is part of the first phase of a multi-million-dollar proposal to renovate Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium.

Previous work has included replacing the visitors side bleachers and renovating the Broadway Avenue parking lot.

The application approved by City Council in a 7-0 vote on Monday is for a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The requested grant funding could range between $250,000 and $500,000. The grant requires a 50 percent match. [Read more…]

Council to consider applying for state grant for synthetic turf at Blankenship

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Wildcats Tee Higgins Catch against Campbell County Oct. 30, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider applying for a state grant worth up to $500,000 to install synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. Pictured above, Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) hauls in a catch near the left sideline during a 45-6 win over Campbell County on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. (File photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider applying for a state grant worth up to $500,000 to install synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. It’s the first phase of a multi-million-dollar proposal to renovate Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium.

The application that City Council will consider is a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The grant requires a 50 percent match, which would be provided by the nonprofit Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation. The requested grant funding could range between $250,000 and $500,000.

The Local Parks and Recreation Fund, or LPRF, grant provides state funding for parks and recreation development and capital projects, said Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director. It requires the facility to be maintained as a public recreational facility and open to the public. Grant reports must be filed with the state every five years to document ongoing use as a public recreational facility. [Read more…]

Healthcare employers invited to participate in Roane State job fair

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Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building

Roane State Community College is having a job fair from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building at the Oak Ridge campus at 701 Briarcliff Avenue. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Employers are invited to participate in a March 30 job fair at Roane State Community College for students who are pursuing careers in health care and plan to graduate this year.

The fair is planned for Wednesday, March 30, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus, which is at 701 Briarcliff Avenue. Setup begins at 11 a.m. in the Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building.

Employers are asked to register by March 18. There is no registration fee. To register, visit www.roanestate.edu/jobfair. [Read more…]

TVC announces sessions, speakers for 2016 Summit at Tennessee Tech

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TVA 2016 National Summit

On June 1-2, more than 300 community, academic, and government leaders from the five-state region will gather at Tennessee Tech University for the 2016 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit to focus attention on the vital role entrepreneurs provide in turning the brain power and technologies from the region’s universities and federal programs into new business start-ups and the expansion of existing businesses.

The Summit is themed “Where Entrepreneurs and Technology Meet.” The event will be hosted by Tennessee Tech University President Phil Oldham in cooperation with U.S. Representative Diane Black.

The Summit will include two main sessions. [Read more…]

Volunteers raising money for Howe H. Irwin Memorial Playground at Glenwood

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Glenwood-Elementary-School

Glenwood Elementary School in Oak Ridge is pictured above.

Volunteers are raising money for the Howe H. Irwin Memorial Playground at Glenwood Elementary School in Oak Ridge, and they are asking for your help.

“A safe playground for all Glenwood Elementary students has been the primary focus of the Glenwood PTO’s Playground Committee, staff, and students for more than seven years,” a press release said. “Currently, the playground has a wooden fort structure that was installed approximately 25 years ago. At the time of installation, it was a wonderful fit for the playground. However, it has weathered significantly over the years, causing the wood to splinter and break, resulting in multiple safety concerns for the children.”

Once it is built, the new playground will be named The Howe H. Irwin Memorial Playground in honor of a beloved former principal of Glenwood Elementary School, the press release said. [Read more…]

Workshop on lawn, garden tool maintenance is Saturday

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Downtown-Hardware-UT-Arboretum-2016

A workshop on lawn and garden tool maintenance is being offered at the University of Tennessee Arboretum Auditorium in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

The workshop is sponsored by UT Arboretum Society and Downtown Hardware of Oak Ridge. It’s scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Roger Clary of Downtown Hardware and the store’s Husqvarna representative, David Waugh, are working with the UT Arboretum Society to put on the workshop, organizers said.

Door prizes will be given away along with store coupons. The UT Arboretum Society will accept donations for its program.

“Last year’s workshop was a great success!” organizers said.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Photo: ORHS places third in DOE’s 2016 Tennessee Science Bowl

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ORHS-DOE-2016-Tennessee-Science-Bowl

Oak Ridge High School placed third at the U.S. Department of Energy’s annual Tennessee Science Bowl this past weekend. The ORHS team is pictured above. From left to right they are Albert Xue, Ting Wang, Joseph Andress, Adithyan Sujithkumar, and Melissa Yuan. (Photo courtesy DOE)

 

Oak Ridge High School placed third at the U.S. Department of Energy’s annual Tennessee Science Bowl this past weekend. The ORHS team is pictured above.

The 2016 Tennessee Science Bowl included 60 teams from across the state on Saturday, February 27, at Pellissippi State Community College’s Blount County Campus. As the third-place team, the ORHS team received a $500 prize.

Cedar Springs Homeschool of Knoxville finished first, received a $1,000 cash prize and a first-place trophy, and will advance in an all-expenses-paid trip to the DOE National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., from April 28-May 2. Lausanne Collegiate School finished second, and won a $750 cash prize and trophy, and Brentwood High School finished fourth for a $250 cash prize and trophy. [Read more…]

Cedar Springs Homeschool wins DOE Tennessee Science Bowl

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Cedar-Springs-Homeschool-Tennessee-Science-Bowl-Feb-27-2016

Winning first place in the 2016 Tennessee Science Bowl is Cedar Springs Homeschool of Knoxville. Pictured left to right with their trophy are Lily Turaski, Josiah Boyle, Tara Conway, Tyler Fulghum, Wesleigh Wright, and Coach Dee Dee Turaski. (DOE photo courtesy Lynn Freeny)

 

Cedar Springs Homeschool advances to National Science Bowl 

Countless hours studying math and science paid off for some exceptionally bright students from Cedar Springs Homeschool. They were first-place winners in the U.S. Department of Energy’s annual Tennessee Science Bowl this past weekend.

Cedar Springs Homeschool competed against 58 other high school teams on Saturday, February 27, to place first in the annual competition. The schools edged out its competition by successfully answering challenging questions in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, earth and space science, and energy.

Held at Pellissippi State Community College’s Blount County Campus, the Tennessee Science Bowl is the nation’s third largest regional competition. The regional bowl prepares students to compete nationally with other exceptional students from schools across the country. As the first-place team, Cedar Springs Homeschool receives an all-expenses-paid trip to the DOE National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., April 28-May 2, as well as a $1,000 cash prize and a first-place trophy. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools has community tour March 9

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Oak Ridge Schools has a community tour on March 9. It will include visits to elementary, middle school, or high school classrooms.

The tour is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 9.

“See how Oak Ridge teachers and students are teaching and learning while school is in session,” a press release said. “The day will begin at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, then will proceed through an elementary and middle or middle and high school classroom visits.” [Read more…]