Oak Ridge Today

Cleanup at Worthington Cemetery scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

volunteers-on-new-bird-observation-deck-at-worthington-cemetery2015-1

Prairie Rosinweed at Worthington Cemetery: Clean-up volunteers enjoy the bird deck at Worthington Cemetery in 2015. (Submitted photo)

 

Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning and Tennessee Valley Authority will partner again to clean up in the Worthington Cemetery area, near Elza Gate Park, on Saturday, September 24.

The cleanup is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. September 24 in the Worthington Cemetery area, which is on the Melton Hill Reservoir. It is classified as an ecological study area, or ESA.

This has become an annual National Public Lands Day celebration, with a complimentary noon pizza lunch for volunteers, a press release said. There are new bird boxes and bat boxes, thanks to the Tennessee Valley Authority, the press release said.

Ann Worthington, family historian for the Worthingtons, will talk about the Worthingtons, who lived here and are buried here, along with their slaves, the press release said. [Read more…]

Great start: Oak Ridge boys finish first in Nashville cross country meet

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

oak-ridge-boys-cross-country-team-af-bridges-invitational-nashville-sept-10-2016

The Oak Ridge boys cross country team finished first at the A.F. Bridges Cross Country Invitational in Nashville on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016. From left are Asher Chance, Reid Dukes, Christian Borden, Will Jeter, Jacob Etheridge, Jose Villegas, and Dalton Morgan. (Photo courtesy Allen Etheridge)

 

The Oak Ridge boys cross country team finished first in its first meet of the season. Oak Ridge Coach Allen Etheridge called it a great start.

Oak Ridge senior Jacob Etheridge was third in the boys 5k (5,000-meter) run, and the Wildcats had four runners in the top 10. Besides Etheridge, they were Reid Dukes (8th place), Dalton Morgan (9th), and Will Jeter (10th).

The A.F. Bridges Cross Country Invitational was in Nashville on Saturday. The Oak Ridge girls finished third. [Read more…]

Cross country: Oak Ridge girls run well, finish third in first meet of year

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

oak-ridge-girls-cross-country-team-af-bridges-invitational-nashville-sept-10-2016

The Oak Ridge girls cross country team finished third in the A.F. Bridges Cross Country Invitational in Nashville on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016. From left are Ruthie Froning, Eden Gee, Maddie Zawisza, Genevieve Schwartz, Jessie Strader, Robyn Wood, and Bailey Baldwin. (Photo courtesy Allen Etheridge)

 

The Oak Ridge girls cross country team finished third in its first meet of the year, and Coach Allen Etheridge said the girls ran well.

Oak Ridge junior Genevieve Schwartz finished seventh in the girls 5k (5,000-meter) run with a time of 21:31.13.

The A.F. Bridges Cross Country Invitational was in Nashville on Saturday. The Oak Ridge boys finished first. [Read more…]

USRowing Masters Nationals returns to Oak Ridge in 2017

Posted at
By 2 Comments

usrowing-1

The 2017 USRowing Masters National Championships will be held in Oak Ridge in August. The championships are scheduled for August 17-20 on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy USRowing)

 

The 2017 USRowing Masters National Championships will be held in Oak Ridge in August.

The championships are scheduled for August 17-20 on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge. USRowing announced the dates and location on Friday.

There were more than 2,000 entries from 165 clubs for the 2016 event on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts, in August. It was the largest USRowing event ever, according to USRowing. (Oak Ridge rower Michael Schay won several gold medals there.)

The bar has been set even higher for 2017, USRowing said, citing Oak Ridge Rowing Association Regatta Director Sarah McAuliffe.

“Oak Ridge Rowing Association is extremely excited to provide an excellent athlete experience for rowers at Masters Nationals 2017,” said McAuliffe. “With our race course recognized as one of the best in the country, and an organization that has decades of experience hosting high-caliber events, rowers will have the ability to connect with other athletes socially and competitively…With our race course that is recognized as one of the best in the country, and an organization that has decades of experience hosting high-caliber events, rowers will have the ability to connect with other athletes socially and competitively.” [Read more…]

TCWP: See fall flowers in power line prairie on Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

There will be a guided hike along a power line in the North Chickamauga State Natural Area on Saturday, September 10, and participants can meet for carpooling in Oak Ridge.

Led by well-known botanist Larry Pounds, the outing will begin at the Hixson Springs Trail Head with a walk through the woods, and then onto the power line right-of-way.

“We expect to see a wide array of fall flowers including Alabama rosinweed (Silphium gatesii), slow goldenrod (Solidago tarda), and Eastern silvery aster (Symphyotrichum concolor),” a press release said.
[Read more…]

Football: Oak Ridge Wildcats ranked No. 2 in Class 5A

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

The high school football polls for this week were released on Monday, and here is how area teams stack up.

In Class 6A, Maryville remains at number one.

In Class 5A, Oak Ridge remains number two, with Knox West at number three. Farragut is number nine, and Campbell County enters the poll at number 10. Two teams that local teams could see in the postseason are also ranked, with Cleveland at number four, and this week’s Clinton opponent, Rhea County, coming in at number six. [Read more…]

Council approves $548,350 contract for eighth rowing lane

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

SIRA-Regatta-April-17-2016-6

Officials and referees used Oak Ridge Rowing Association boats to monitor the races on the seven-lane course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council approved a $548,350 contract to add an eighth lane to the city’s rowing course in a 6-0 vote during a brief special meeting Tuesday.

The contract will be awarded to First Place Finish Incorporated. The work will include a precast concrete block retaining wall and associated dredging and site work.

The six Council members who were present voted “yes.” Council member Trina Baughn was absent.

More details about the project are included in this special meeting agenda.

Funding for the eighth lane project comes from several sources, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said in a September 2 memo to City Council. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development has allocated $250,000 for the project. The city’s Capital Improvements Program, or CIP, has budgeted $585,000 for the project, with the city’s share being $185,000.

Other sources of funding include: [Read more…]

Football: Dragons rally on road, upend Beavers; AC falls to Fulton

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

Clinton 29, Karns 26: The Dragons entered the fourth quarter of Friday night’s game at Karns down by a score of 26-14. Instead of packing it in, however, Clinton took over in the fourth quarter and rallied for a 29-26 win over the Beavers.

The young Dragons grew up a lot on Friday night, especially first-year starting quarterback, sophomore Luke Harrison, who led the Dragons’ comeback with two fourth-quarter touchdown tosses, one to Demarea Whitt and the game-winner to J’Quan Thomas with 5:08 to play.

From there, the defense held, and the Dragons won their first game of the season to improve to 1-2, 1-1 in Region 3-5A. [Read more…]

Council to consider $548,350 contract for eighth rowing lane

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

SIRA-Regatta-April-17-2016-Slider-1

Officials and referees used Oak Ridge Rowing Association boats to monitor the races on the seven-lane course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

On Tuesday, the Oak Ridge City Council will consider a $548,350 contract to add an eighth lane to the city’s rowing course on the Clinch River.

Council will consider the contract, which would be awarded to First Place Finish Incorporated, at 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 6, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

The work would include a precast concrete block retaining wall and associated dredging and site work.

Funding for the project comes from several sources, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said in a September 2 memo to City Council. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development has allocated $250,000 for the project. The city’s Capital Improvements Program, or CIP, has budgeted $585,000 for the project, with the city’s share being $185,000.

Other sources of funding include: [Read more…]

Soccer photos: Oak Ridge vs. Science Hill

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak-Ridge-Lady-Wildcats-Soccer-Hoyt-Science-Hill-Aug-31-2016-Web

Oak Ridge senior Olivia Hoyt (18) plays defense against Science Hill during a 3-1 win for the Lady Wildcats at home on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge girls soccer team beat Science Hill 3-1 at home on Wednesday. Here are photos by John Huotari of Oak Ridge Today. [Read more…]

Lady Wildcats outshoot Science Hill in 3-1 win

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak-Ridge-Lady-Wildcats-Soccer-Science-Hill-Save-Aug-31-2016-Cropped-Web

The Oak Ridge girls soccer team beat Science Hill 3-1 at home on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. Pictured above, Science Hill junior goalkeeper Tess Mrozek (28) makes a save against Oak Ridge. Trying to score for Oak Ridge are Maddie Peters (21), left; Zoe Van Hook (17); and Ashlyn Riikola (33). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge girls soccer team beat Science Hill 3-1 at home on Wednesday.

It was the first match between the Lady Wildcats and Lady Hilltoppers since September 2014, when Oak Ridge lost 2-1 in the Science Hill Invitational.

Oak Ridge won the Science Hill Championship at Science Hill in Johnson City last year, but the two teams did not meet because the Lady Hilltoppers were bumped out of the tournament, Lady Wildcats Coach Jeff Trombly said.

Oak Ridge (6-1, 3-0 District 3-AAA) had a big shot advantage throughout the game on Wednesday at the Pro2Serve Oak Ridge Soccer Complex. With one minute to play, for example, the shot margin was 27-7.

“I think it was a good effort, good to get three goals,” Trombly said. Oak Ridge could have had even more, he said. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project program: Bike with a ranger on Melton Lake Greenway on Sept. 24

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Manhattan Project National Historical Park Bike with a Ranger

You can join a National Park Service ranger for a bike ride down beautiful Melton Lake Greenway on Saturday, September 24, a press release said. (Submitted photo)

 

You can join a National Park Service ranger for a bike ride down beautiful Melton Lake Greenway on a Saturday in September, a press release said.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present the free program at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 24. The program will begin at Elza Gate Park, the former entry point to the once-secret city now known as Oak Ridge, and continue down Melton Lake Greenway. Rangers will stop several times along the bike ride to point out the rich history that is found within the Oak Ridge area, the press release said.

Elza Gate Park is located at 101 Oak Ridge Turnpike in east Oak Ridge, just east of Melton Lake Drive. Maps are available at the National Park desk in the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, or you can call (865) 576-6767. [Read more…]