Oak Ridge Today

Come watch artists chalk the walks Saturday

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2014ouitanorthcutt

This chalk painting by Ouita Northcutt received the People’s Choice Award and first prize in the professional category at the 2014 Street Painting Festival. Last year’s festival was rained out. This year’s festival is Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

The 16th annual Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival is drawing near—it will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (rain day on Sunday) at the Oak Ridge Campus of Roane State Community College.

Dozens of artists will be brushing up on their skills as they transform concrete sidewalk squares into colorful chalk paintings. The public is invited to this free festival organized by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge in conjunction with Roane State.

While would-be Rembrandts are chalking the walks, young children will enjoy free activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Kid Zone.

Music will be provided by Roane State music groups. [Read more…]

Free tech assistance offered at Oak Ridge Senior Center

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The Oak Ridge Senior Center will soon be offering free classes for area seniors to get assistance with personal electronic devices such as tablets, laptops, and smart phones, a press release said.

There are two programs that will be offered: Tech Savvy Saturdays, a drop-in program offered by local students, and an individual class offered through the East Tennessee Human Resources Agency, or ETHRA. [Read more…]

City offering paddleboard yoga classes at Civic Center

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A unique weekly class will be offered at the Oak Ridge Civic Center’s indoor pool starting next month: paddleboard yoga.

The first class will be held on Thursday, October 13, and will continue each week on Thursdays. The one-hour class is also offered at two different times to accommodate various schedules: in the mornings from 7 to 8 a.m. and in the evenings from 8 to 9 p.m. [Read more…]

Tuesday forum to feature candidates for City Council, Board of Education

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A forum in Oak Ridge on Tuesday will feature candidates for Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Board of Education, and city judge.

The forum will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 4, in the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater at 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike. It’s been organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.

Candidates for Oak Ridge City Council [Read more…]

Reminder: School board candidate forum is Thursday morning

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Reminder: The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has a forum for candidates for Oak Ridge Board of Education on Thursday morning.

It’s the second of three candidate forums for the November 8 election.

The Board of Education candidate forum will start at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, September 29, in the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Joyce Conference Room. It’s free and open to the public.

There are three candidates for two seats on the school board: the incumbents, Angi Agle and Keys Fillauer, and challenger Myra Mansfield. [Read more…]

Hobby Lobby has grand opening celebration Monday

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The Hobby Lobby at the former Kroger store on South Illinois Avenue has a grand opening on Monday morning, Oct. 3, 2016. The store is pictured above on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 30.

Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. will open in Oak Ridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and official grand opening celebration on Monday morning. The ceremony is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. October 3. It’s open to the public.

Hobby Lobby is a privately held national retail chain of craft and home decor stores.

The Oak Ridge store, which will be managed by Michael Ramsey, is Hobby Lobby’s 23rd location in Tennessee. The 63,000-square-foot store is in the former Kroger store in a shopping center near the intersection of South Illinois and South Rutgers avenues.

“We feel blessed for the fantastic opportunity to be a part of the Oak Ridge community,” said John Schumacher, Hobby Lobby assistant vice president of advertising. “Our goal is for customers to experience the exceptional service, selection, and value Hobby Lobby offers.”

Local dignitaries, ambassadors from the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and other business leaders will attend the Monday morning celebration, a press release said. [Read more…]

Fifteenth Annual Pet Fest, Blessing planned on Saturday

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Pam Williams

Pam Williams and her Westie Jessica at the 2014 Pet Fest. (Submitted photo)

 

Grace Lutheran Church will celebrate its 15th Annual Pet Fest and Blessing on Saturday, October 1.

This year’s event will provide a chance to spend a productive day with your pet while you gather important information about the services and associations available to pets and their owners, a press release said. The Blessing of the Animals is held in the pavilion behind the church at 3 p.m. The church will also hold a Bake Sale, Rummage Sale, and Silent Auction to raise funds for all the participating rescue groups. Boy Scouts and other volunteers will walk your pet while you shop.

Activities will take place from 1-5 p.m. and parking will be available for the mobility-impaired at the church or in the Woodland Elementary School parking lot behind the church. [Read more…]

Local environmental board meets with federal, state agencies to discuss cleanup mission

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The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board holds its annual planning meeting in August 2016 with U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. (Submitted photo)

 

In August, members of a citizen’s advisory board met with representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to consider key issues for Oak Ridge Reservation cleanup in fiscal year 2017, which begins in October.

The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board held its 2016 Annual Planning Meeting in Townsend, Tennessee, on August 6. The Saturday meeting brought together members of the Oak Ridge board, leadership from DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, and liaisons from federal and state regulatory agencies to review cleanup accomplishments in FY 2016 and discuss priorities for FY 2017.

ORSSAB is a federally chartered citizens’ panel that provides recommendations to OREM on its environmental management activities at DOE sites locally. OREM encourages public participation in federal projects and meets regularly with the Oak Ridge board, as well as with other citizen and stakeholder groups within the community to gather public perspectives regarding a diverse cleanup mission that addresses legacy nuclear waste at sites across the Oak Ridge Reservation through numerous activities, including waste disposition, long-term stewardship, and site restoration. [Read more…]

Elks Lodge in Oak Ridge to host school board debate Oct. 3

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The Elks Lodge in Oak Ridge will host a school board debate at 6:30 p.m. Monday, October 3.

The forum will be moderated by Mike Marsh, and the audience can submit written questions.

The Elks Lodge is at 684 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

Smallridge, a former school superintendent, running for Charter Commission

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Bob Smallridge

Bob Smallridge

Bob Smallridge is running for Anderson County Charter Commission in District 8, which includes the Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, and Woodland voting precincts.

The eight-member Charter Commission will be elected in November with the purpose of considering and voting on possible changes to Anderson County government, a press release said.

Once elected and certified, the Commission will have nine months to come up with a recommended document for voter approval or rejection through a countywide referendum.

As pointed out in a recent newspaper editorial, a home rule charter provides, “numerous options for improving county government, but also ample opportunity to make government worse,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Fillauer, the school board chair, seeks re-election to BOE

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Keys Fillauer

Keys Fillauer

Keys Fillauer is seeking to be re-elected to the Oak Ridge Board of Education.

Fillauer has served on the school board for 15 years and has served as chair for the last four years. He also serves as East director for the Tennessee School Board Association Board of Directors.

Fillauer is a retired Oak Ridge teacher and coach. He taught and coached at Robertsville Junior High for 27 years and at Oak Ridge High School for four years, a press release said. Fillauer has been recognized as a member of the All Tennessee School Board, Tennessee Teacher of the Year, and Freedom Foundation Award winner, and he received the Governor’s Outstanding Tennessean Award.

Fillauer has also received the Service Above Self award from the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club, the press release said. He is a member of the Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame and the Anderson County Hall of Fame.

Fillauer serves as president of a property management business in Cleveland, Tennessee. He is involved in many fundraising efforts, especially for the Ronald McDonald House, the press release said. [Read more…]

Final concert of Jazz on the Hill series is Saturday

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The Green McAdoo Cultural Organization will be hosting its final concert of the Jazz on the Hill series on Saturday, October 1. The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra will perform.

The event is open to the public. You are can bring your families, blankets, lawn chairs, etc.

Performance times will be 6:30-9:30 p.m., a press release said. It’s a free event, but vendors will be available for food and drink purchases. The event will be held outside of the Green McAdoo Cultural Center at 101 School Street in Clinton. [Read more…]