Oak Ridge Today

Ticket prices could increase for football, basketball games starting July 1

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Ticket prices for Oak Ridge Wildcats football and basketball games could increase a dollar or two, although not for students at basketball games, starting July 1.

The price increases will be considered by the Oak Ridge Board of Education during a meeting that starts at 6 p.m. Monday, June 19, at the Robert J. Smallridge School Administration Building at 304 New York Avenue.

If approved, the changes would go into effect July 1.

Ticket prices have not increased since the 2007-2008 school year, according to the school board agenda. Meanwhile, expenses for transportation, officials, equipment, security, emergency services, and other required items for athletics have increased significantly. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project public program: Bike with a Ranger on North Boundary Greenway on Saturday

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Join a park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway in Oak Ridge to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 70 years. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present a free program at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 29, 2017. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

Join a park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway in Oak Ridge to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 70 years. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present a free program at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 17, 2017. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

 

Join a park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway to see how the former communities of the area have changed over the past 70 years.  The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present a free program on Saturday, June 17, at 10 a.m.

The program will begin at the Turnpike Gatehouse and travel down Quarry Trail, a press release said.

“Along the ride, we will explore the former communities that were here before the Manhattan Project,” the press release said. “Rangers will stop several times along the bike ride to point out the rich history that is found within the Oak Ridge area.”

The Turnpike Gatehouse is located at 2900 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Atomic City Sportsmen Club has golf tournament Saturday

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The Atomic City Sportsmen Club has its 16th Annual Golf Tournament on Saturday.

The tournament is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 17, at Centennial Golf Club at 101 Centennial Boulevard in Oak Ridge.

It’s a best ball-shotgun start, an event flyer said. The entry fee is $75 per person. It’s $90 the day of the event.

The tournament includes lunch, range balls, a goodie bag, and door prizes, the flyer said.

Contact Larry Gipson at (865) 254-1346 for more information. You may also contact any sportsman, the event flyer said.

ACHS baseball coach, assistant principal takes new job in Alcoa

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Information from WYSH Radio

Anderson County High School baseball coach and assistant principal Ben Downs has announced his resignation.

Downs, who has spent the last 10 years guiding the Mavericks’ baseball team, has accepted an administrative role in the Alcoa city school system.

WYSH Radio in Clinton is an Oak Ridge Today news partner.

More than 55 runners compete in Oak Ridge Schools Stomp Out Tobacco 5k

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More than 55 runners from Oak Ridge and Morgan, Roane, Anderson, and Knox counties competed in the Third Annual Oak Ridge Schools STOMP OUT Tobacco 5k on Saturday, May 20, 2017. (Submitted photo)

More than 55 runners from Oak Ridge and Morgan, Roane, Anderson, and Knox counties competed in the Third Annual Oak Ridge Schools STOMP OUT Tobacco 5k on Saturday, May 20, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

More than 55 runners from Oak Ridge and Morgan, Roane, Anderson, and Knox counties competed in the Third Annual Oak Ridge Schools STOMP OUT Tobacco 5k on Saturday, May 20. The focus of the event was to encourage physical activity throughout the community while raising awareness to the dangers of tobacco use, a press release said.

Jacob Price of Oak Ridge was the first place male overall winner with a time of 21:24.9. The female overall winner was Amanda Seal of Knoxville with a time of 25:09.9.

The 5k took place on the Grove Center Course that started at Randolph Road. ASAP of Anderson County and Premiere Martial Arts set up at the registration site to provide information regarding their agencies. Breakfast items and water were provided by Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated School Health partnership with Anderson County Health Department. Chick-Fil-A was also on site to provide fruit cups to the first 50 participants to cross the finish line. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge boys summer basketball camps this week, July

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Oak Ridge boys summer basketball camps are this week and again in July.

  • June 6-7—Oak Ridge High School Boys Shooting Camp (Grades K-8th), 5-8 p.m. ($60 pre-registered)
  • July 10-12—ORHS Boys Skills Camp (Grades K-8th), 1-4 p.m. ($85 pre-registered)

To register, contact Aaron Green at hagreen@ortn.edu or go to www.oakridgebasketball.net.

See this form for details: Oak Ridge Basketball Camp 2017.

North Ridge Trail the focus of National Trails Day on Saturday

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Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning Logo

Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning Logo

 

North Ridge Trail Stewards will have a celebration/workday effort scheduled for Saturday, June 3. That day is National Trails Day, which was established by the American Hiking Society.

The North Ridge Trail was built many years ago by Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, and is currently stewarded by Ray and Jo Ann Garrett, a press release said.

The event, which is open to the public, will feature an invasive plant removal session on North Ridge Trail accesses. Participants are asked to meet at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge at 9 a.m. and to wear sturdy shoes and bring bug spray, sunscreen, water, and a hoe, mattock, or lopper if available.

A pizza lunch will be provided around noon. For more information about this event call Sandra K. Goss, TCWP Executive Director, at (865) 583-3967 or write sandra@sandrakgoss.com.

Oak Ridge receives $1.2 million grant for Rails to Trails

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The former CSX railway is pictured near Jefferson Middle School in central Oak Ridge on Dec. 30, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The former CSX railway is pictured near Jefferson Middle School in central Oak Ridge on Dec. 30, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The City of Oak Ridge has received a $1.2 million grant that it can use for the proposed Rails to Trails project.

The executive board of the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization approved the grant in October, said Ellen Zavisca, senior transportation planner.

It could be used for project planning and property acquisition for the Rails to Trails project, and possibly to start construction, said Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department director.

Hetrick said the grant was awarded by TPO, but it’s actually a Tennessee Department of Transportation grant. The city is entering into a contract with TDOT for the grant, and the Oak Ridge City Council could consider accepting the grant in July.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson briefly mentioned the $1.2 million grant during a budget presentation to City Council members on Tuesday of this week. The city would administer the $1.2 million grant but would have to follow certain TDOT requirements.

The Rails to Trails project would convert a few miles of former railway that runs through the center of Oak Ridge into a bicycle and pedestrian trail. The railway runs from Melton Lake Drive in east Oak Ridge; past Jefferson Middle School and near the Hank’s Market shopping center in central Oak Ridge; and to the Y-12 National Security Complex. [Read more…]

Flatwater Festival is Friday at Melton Lake Park

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The three Rotary clubs of Oak Ridge will hold a fundraiser on Friday, June 2, at five that’s full of fun. It’s called the Flatwater Festival, and it is open from 5 to 11 p.m. You can watch teams of two build boats of plywood with simple hand tools in two-and-a-half hours. Then you can watch them paddle their boats as they race across the lagoon at Melton Lake Park.

The event is free and you can listen to area bands Ridge City Ramblers, The Unnamed, and Four Leaf Peat, as they play folk, blues, and Irish/Appalachian music on the stage, starting at 5:30.

But bring money so your kids can play in a bounce house ($5) and you can be a contestant in a cornhole tournament ($10). You will also want to drink and eat. At the festival for a small price, you can buy beer, barbecue, and burgers. Other offerings include hot dogs, wine, ice cream, and bottles of “flat” water. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge boys finish ninth in state 4×800 meter relay

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Oak Ridge senior Jake Etheridge raced in the 1,600 meter run and was part of the 4x800 meter relay team at the 2017 TSSAA Boys' State Track Championships at MTSU in Murfreesboro on Friday, May 26, 2017. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

Oak Ridge senior Jake Etheridge finished 12th in the 1,600 meter run and was part of the 4×800 meter relay team that finished ninth at the 2017 TSSAA Boys’ State Track Championships at MTSU in Murfreesboro on Friday, May 26, 2017. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

 

MURFREESBORO—The Oak Ridge boys 4×800 meter relay team finished ninth in the state track meet in Murfreesboro on Friday.

The boys 4×800 meter relay team includes senior Jake Etheridge and juniors Reid Dukes, Will Jeter, and Jose Villegas. They finished ninth in a field of 16 teams with a time of 8:14.63. Houston finished first with a time of 7:58.51. Blackman (8:03.53) and Daniel Boone (8:06.03) had the other top three finishes.

Hardin Valley Academy was sixth in the 4×800 meter relay with a time of 8:11.29, while Farragut finished 12th at 8:33.98.

The 2017 TSSAA Boys’ Track State Championships were at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on Friday.

Etheridge also raced in the boys 1,600 meter run, where he finished 12th with a time of 4:39.27. He finished just ahead of senior Brennan Humphreys of Hardin Valley, who crossed the finish line at 4:41.91. [Read more…]

Norris Dam State Park Pool opens for season

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The 2017 lifeguard staff at Norris Dam State Park is pictured above. They are, from left to right, Bailey Braden, Ben Vinsant, Emily Griffith, Chris Powell, Issac Ward, Jordan Goins, Devon Reeves, Kaitlyn Meyers, and Lauren Floyd. (Submitted photo)

The 2017 lifeguard staff at Norris Dam State Park is pictured above. They are, from left to right, Bailey Braden, Ben Vinsant, Emily Griffith, Chris Powell, Issac Ward, Jordan Goins, Devon Reeves, Kaitlyn Meyers, and Lauren Floyd. (Submitted photo)

 

The Norris Dam State Park Pool opens for the season on Saturday, May 27.

Admission is $5 per person for ages 3 and older, and $3 per person for campers and cabin guests. Pool passes are available for $140 for 40 visits.

Children age 3 and younger must wear a swim diaper/swimsuit at all times in the pool area, a press release said.

More information can be found here. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge girls finish ninth in state 4×800 meter relay

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Oak Ridge junior Genevieve Schwartz competed in the 4x800 meter relay at MTSU in Murfreesboro on Thursday, May 25, 2017, when the girls finished ninth out of 16 teams. Schwartz also competed in the 3,200 meter run, where she finished 15th. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

Oak Ridge junior Genevieve Schwartz competed as part of the 4×800 meter relay at MTSU in Murfreesboro on Thursday, May 25, 2017, when the girls finished ninth out of 16 teams. Schwartz also competed in the 3,200 meter run, where she finished 15th. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

 

MURFREESBORO—The Oak Ridge girls 4×800 meter relay team finished ninth in the state track meet in Murfreesboro on Thursday.

The team includes senior Abbey Greenhalgh, junior Genevieve Schwartz, and freshmen Rebecca Joyal and Muskaan Vohra.

The team finished ninth in a field of 16 teams with a time of 10:02.58.

The top three teams in the girls’ 4×800-meter relay were West (of Knoxville), Brentwood (of the Nashville area), and Hardin Valley Academy. West finished first with a time of 9:30.90.

The 2017 TSSAA Girls’ Track State Championships were at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on Thursday.

In a second event, another Oak Ridge girls team finished 12th in the 4×200 meter relay. That team includes senior Breanne Young, junior Desiree Bates, sophomore Makiya Garrett, and junior Shatyrah Copeland. Their time was 1:47.72. The first-place team, Whitehaven, had a time of 1:41.44. [Read more…]