Community Archives - Oak Ridge Today

YWCA Knoxville, Tennessee Valley celebrate renovated YWCA building

Posted at 4:24 pm October 29, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The YWCA building is pictured above on Oak Ridge Turnpike. (Submitted photo)

YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley are celebrating the opening of the renovated YWCA building in Oak Ridge with a ribbon cutting and open house today (Monday, October 29).

The celebration is scheduled from 4:30-7 p.m. at the YWCA building at 1660 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Assisted by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, the ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin promptly at 4:30 p.m. with brief remarks by District Attorney General Dave Clark, Pastor Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church, Ridgeview Behavioral Services Chief Executive Officer Brian Buuck, Katatra, a representative from Leadership Oak Ridge, class of 2018, and YWCA representatives, a press release said. Building tours will be offered following the ribbon cutting, and light refreshments will be served. [Read more…]

Flat top house to move to Children’s Museum on Tuesday

Posted at 9:47 am October 16, 2018
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

The historic flat top house that has been at the American Museum of Science and Energy for about a decade will be moved to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The flat top house move from the American Museum of Science and Energy to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, October 16. The move was delayed earlier this month due to heavy rains.

The move is expected to begin at AMSE about 9:45 a.m. and continue along Illinois Avenue about 10 a.m. Tuesday. Residents along West Outer Drive from Illinois Avenue to the Children’s Museum at 461 West Outer Drive have been notified of the move date and are asked to move cars from the street on Tuesday, a press release said.

The Children’s Museum offered to give the flat top a new home when AMSE, which is re-opening in its new location in Main Street Oak Ridge, announced its move. AMSE’s new location doesn’t have space to keep the flat top as an exhibit, the press release said. The Children’s Museum does have room on its property southeast of the museum building. [Read more…]

Children’s Halloween Party set for Oct. 26; game booth sponsors, volunteers needed

Posted at 7:42 pm September 26, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Halloween Party 2017 Star Wars Family Costume (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2018 Children’s Halloween Party on Friday, October 26, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. This annual event is now in its 36th year and will be attended by hundreds of local children and their families, a press release said.

Activities will be planned for every room in the Oak Ridge Civic Center, and a hay ride will be offered in Bissell Park, weather permitting, the press release said. There is no admission fee for the event, but participation in most activities requires one or more tickets. Tickets can be purchased at the Civic Center. The cost is 25 cents per ticket or $5 for a pack of 20. [Read more…]

Free Medical Clinic one of five organizations to receive total of $10,000 in grants

Posted at 4:35 pm September 25, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge was one of five local organizations to receive a total of $10,000 in grant funding on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. Pictured above, Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon officials present the grants to the organizations at Cool Sports in Farragut. Provided through the race event’s Community Contribution Program, the grant funds will support healthy living in East Tennessee. Pictured from left are David Black of Knoxville Track Club, Lana Burl of Bike Elf, Isabell Senft-Daniel of PJ Parkinson’s Support Group of Blount County, Jason Altman of Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, Jackie Clay DuBose of Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge, and (front) Carly Pearson of Knoxville Sled Bears. (Not pictured: Girls on the Run of Greater Knoxville). (Submitted photo)

The Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge was one of five local organizations to receive a total of $10,000 in grant funding on Friday.

The five grants were presented by Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon through its Community Contribution Program, a press release said. The grants support healthy living in East Tennessee, the press release said.

Besides Free Medical Clinic, grant recipients include Girls on the Run of Greater Knoxville, Knoxville Sled Bears, Bike Elf, and PJ Parkinson’s.

“These five programs make a difference in the community’s overall health and well-being” Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Race Director Jason Altman said. “Reinvesting in our community is part of the mission of the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, and we applaud these groups for the work they do every day to encourage a better quality of life.” [Read more…]

Dedication ceremony for Friendship Bell Peace Pavilion is Thursday

Posted at 12:16 pm September 19, 2018
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

The new Peace Pavilion for the Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell will be dedicated Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in A.K. Bissell Park. This architect’s rendering shows the large cantilever structure, crossed by a series of beams, that will support the Bell in its new location. (Image courtesy of demianwilburarchitects)

The new Peace Pavilion for the Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell will be dedicated in a ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, September 20, at the bell’s new site in A.K. Bissell Park. The bell’s sound will resonate for the first time from its new location that evening, from a pavilion designed to project harmony, stability, innovation, and peace, a press release said.

“We would not be where we are today without the passion of Shigeko Uppuluri and her son, Ram Uppuluri, who initiated the project by connecting us with a visionary architect, Ziad Demian, who embraced not only the challenge of an innovative design but an entire city,” said Alan Tatum, who co-chaired the International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee with Pat Postma.

In the press release, Postma said that the architect’s first elegant and contemporary designs introduced a different way of thinking about what was possible for the new bell housing. That, and the decision to move the bell to a new location will make it more visible and accessible to the community, with added benefits of gardens and gathering spaces on benches around the bell, she said.

“This accomplishment and the fundraising it required was not just ambitious,” Postma said. “It was probably audacious, but Oak Ridge has a way of stepping up. Oak Ridgers are willing to support exceptional projects that speak for who we are as a city.” [Read more…]

AMSE: Current museum could close this month, with new home open this fall

Posted at 4:55 pm July 4, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The current location of the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue could close at the end of July, and the museum could re-open at its new home at Main Street Oak Ridge in the early fall, officials said. The new location is pictured above under construction on Thursday, June 21, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

In the meantime, the museum might not be open a month or two as exhibits are moved, said Ken Tarcza, manager of the Oak Ridge Office for the U.S. Department of Energy. But DOE bus tours will continue, Tarcza said at a meeting to give an update about the AMSE project at Oak Ridge High School on June 14. Some specifics of the transition haven’t been worked out yet.

Tarcza said the new 18,000-square-foot museum will feature state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and hands-on activities. It will be in renovated space on the north side of Main Street Oak Ridge near JCPenney. Besides exhibits and activities, the new museum will also have a lecture hall and two classrooms.

There will be four major categories featured in the museum, Tarcza said: energy leadership, “big science,” national security, and environmental restoration. Many of the exhibits at the current AMSE need to be refreshed, and the majority of the exhibits at the new location will have a brand-new design, Tarcza said. [Read more…]

Reminder: Fireworks are Wednesday at A.K. Bissell Park

Posted at 10:51 pm July 2, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Fireworks at Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge on July 4, 2017. (File photo by D. Ray Smith)

A reminder: The City of Oak Ridge is again sponsoring a fireworks show to celebrate Independence Day. The display will be held in A.K. Bissell Park on Wednesday, July 4, and is scheduled to begin at dark, around 9:45 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Community Band, now in its 74th year, will perform prior to the fireworks, a press release said. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Anyone planning to attend is advised to bring a lawn chair or blanket for outdoor seating, the press release said. A safety zone will be established by the Oak Ridge Fire Department. Please sit only in the designated areas, the press release said. [Read more…]

Photos: Lavender Festival 2018

Posted at 10:50 am June 22, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Lavender Festival is pictured above in Jackson Square on Saturday, June 16, 2018. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

Here are photos by Julio Culiat of the Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday. [Read more…]

Lavender Festival is Saturday in Jackson Square

Posted at 4:14 pm June 13, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)

The Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday will celebrate health, herbs, crafts, local foods—and lavender. There will also be music, children’s activities, and a wine tasting. It’s the 20th year of the festival, which is the only Lavender Festival in Tennessee.

“The Lavender Festival is a perennial crowd favorite, full of tradition, fun, and always something new,” a press release said.

The 20th annual Lavender Festival is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 16, in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge.

The festival, which attracted about 8,000 people last year, is always free, with plenty of free parking available in surrounding city and business lots, and on side streets.

As is tradition, a bagpipe player will open the festival at 8 a.m., playing from upper Blankenship Field into Jackson Square. Also keeping with tradition, Alan McBride will follow with the hammered dulcimer in the bandstand. A complete music schedule is found below.

Informative presentations will be held in the lobby of Pinnacle Financial Partners, and they will include Thyroid Health & Tips for Optimal Brain function (10 a.m.), Home-Crafted Lavender Products (11:30 a.m.), and Turning Back the Bones of Time (1 p.m.).

Also returning for its third year is “A Taste of Tennessee Wines,” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., benefitting the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival is this weekend

Posted at 10:22 am June 7, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Although numbers weren't immediately available, organizers said a record-setting crowd attended the Three Dog Night concert at the Secret City Festival on Saturday. (Photo by Jon Hetrick)

A record-setting crowd is pictured above at the Three Dog Night concert at the Secret City Festival in June 2015. (File photo courtesy Jon Hetrick)

The Secret City Festival on Friday and Saturday will feature music, food, children’s activities, historic exhibits, arts and crafts, technology, robotics, magic, a juggler, a K-9 search demonstration, wine tasting, tours of two federal sites, veterans parade, an attempt to set a world record in a basketball game, and headline concerts featuring Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx, and Little River Band.

There have been pre-festival events this week, including a Battle of the Bands tonight (Thursday, June 7), and a live radio broadcast featuring two bands on Monday, and a Children’s Movie Night on Wednesday.

At the Secret City Festival this weekend, a main stage concert on Friday night will feature Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx. The opening band is The Band Legacy. The show starts at 7 p.m.

The main stage concert on Saturday night will feature the Little River Band. The opening band is Janelle Arthur. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available online or at Citizens First Bank at 1298 Oak Ridge Turnpike for $25. [Read more…]

Pre-Festival tonight: WDVX live broadcast with Ridge City Ramblers

Posted at 9:44 am June 4, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Ridge City Ramblers

A live radio broadcast show in Oak Ridge tonight will feature Ridge City Ramblers and Kukuly and Gypsy Fuego. It’s a pre-festival event for the Secret City Festival this weekend.

Ridge City Ramblers plays bluegrass, and Kukuly and Gypsy Fuego plays gypsy jazz, according to WDVX 89.9 FM, a listener-supported radio station that will broadcast the show live.

The concert is this evening (Monday, June 4). The music is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., according to WDVX and ORNL Federal Credit Union, which is presenting the show.

It’s the first in a series of free summer concerts in Oak Ridge called the “Summer Sessions” and presented by ORNL Federal Credit Union. Performers will include bluegrass and Americana bands from throughout the region. Future concerts will be held on the following Saturdays: July 21, August 18, September 8, and October 6. All concerts will be held outdoors at the pavilion in Alvin K. Bissell Park at 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. They are free. The full lineup can be found on ORNL FCU’s Facebook page or at ornlfcu.com/summer-sessions. [Read more…]

Three Rotary clubs present Flatwater Festival on June 2

Posted at 11:54 am May 18, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Ridge City Ramblers perform at the Flatwater Festival in 2017. (Photo courtesy Flatwater Festival)

Bands, beer, boat races, and bounce houses. Wine, water, and soda. Face painting, food vendors, and fun for all, including corn hole games.

The second Flatwater Festival presented by the three Rotary clubs of Oak Ridge will be held from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Melton Lake Park.

What’s new this year? A team-building regatta featuring up to 20 boats will be held from 12:30 to 5 p.m. in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Rowing Association. A “build a boat” race by participants who make their own cardboard boats ahead of time will be held at 5 p.m.

In addition, the festival at Melton Lake Park is sandwiched between the Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival events on Friday, June 1, at the University of Tennessee Arboretum and Sunday, June 3, at the Oak Ridge Playhouse.

The three-day festival will be a fundraiser for the three Rotary clubs’ community service projects, including four new benches for the Oak Ridge waterfront in 2018, a press release said. [Read more…]