Oak Ridge Today

This weekend: arts and crafts, ballet, theater, half-marathon

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There is much to do in Oak Ridge this weekend, ranging from arts, crafts, and theater to ballet, disc golf, and a half marathon.

We’ve already posted stories about some of the events, including today’s cash mob and “The Wiz” at Oak Ridge Playhouse. We’ve also written about the Secret City Half Marathon and free Turkey Bowl Disc Golf on Sunday.

But we’ve also added several new events to our new events calendar. They include an arts and crafts fair at the Oak Ridge Civic Center, Girls Inc. Parade of Trees at Pollard Auditorium, Folk Art Nativities at Oak Ridge Art Center, and “The Nutcracker” ballet at Oak Ridge High School. Those are all happening today, although there is another performance of “The Nutcracker” tomorrow (Sunday).

Please check out our events calendar for more details on these and other events.

Second Clinton resident dies after Nov. 1 head-on collision

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A second Clinton resident has died after a Nov. 1 head-on collision involving three cars on Oliver Springs Highway, authorities said.

Pat Smith, 62, of Clinton, died Monday at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety.

Smith was a passenger in a Hyundai Elantra driven by Alberta Farrer of Clinton. Farrer, 56, died early Thursday, Nov. 8, at UT Medical Center, authorities said.

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‘The Wiz’ opens at Oak Ridge Playhouse tonight

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The Wiz

‘The Wiz’ opens at the Oak Ridge Playhouse on Friday, Nov. 16, and runs through Dec. 2. (Submitted photo)

For more than a century, Frank L. Baum’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” has been a celebrated story that has inspired dozens of iterations, adaptations, and re-imaginings, from the beloved MGM film starring Judy Garland, to animated versions, to current Broadway hit “Wicked.”

But in the 1970s, “The Wiz” came seemingly out of nowhere to hit Broadway like a gale force wind and swept Broadway audiences off their feet with a hip, soulful mix of R&B, disco, and gospel-type music. With its central themes of home, self-reliance, and courage, “The Wiz” is fairly true to the original storyline, but with a style all its own.

The Oak Ridge Playhouse production is going a step further and embracing that 1970s style by conceiving Dorothy’s trip to Oz as a disco fantasy with a pulsing light show and groovy costumes and wigs by Virginia Baldwin and Sandra Herrera.

“If you love ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ you will love this show,” says Managing Artistic Director Reggie Law. “And if you would love a fresher take on ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ you will love this show.”

The production was a landmark in the 1970s for being the first big Broadway blockbuster featuring an entirely African-American cast and quickly was sent into production as a feature film starring major recording artists and actors like Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, and Lena Horne.

Perhaps because of the show’s origins, there is a popular belief that “The Wiz” must be cast all with people of color. Law doesn’t think that holds as true these days.

“Over time the culture of music has really mixed. Plus, I believe in non-traditional casting except where race is a plot point,” he says. “In ‘The Wiz,’ it isn’t. So, we have a great mix of performers and artists in our show.”

Directed by Reggie Law, with musical direction by Sheryl Howard, and choreography by Tony Williams, the impressive and diverse cast is led by Playhouse newcomer Alexis Tidwell as Dorothy, whose powerhouse voice is packed into a petite body. Other principal roles include Tony Williams as the Scarecrow, Kirk Hoxie as the Tin Man, Cavanaugh Mims as the Lion, and Evelyn Jack, who knocked Playhouse audiences out of their seats as Motormouth Maybelle in last season’s “Hairspray” returns as Glinda, the Good Witch.

Presented by CapitalMark Bank & Trust, “The Wiz” opens Friday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m., followed by a performance on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m.

There will be a Thanksgiving night performance on Thursday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. as well as shows on Friday, Nov. 23, and Saturday, Nov. 24, at 8 p.m., with a Sunday matinee on Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. Final performances are Friday, Nov, 30, and Saturday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m., and a Sunday matinee on Dec. 2 at 2 p.m.

For more information, log on to www.orplayhouse.com or call (865) 482-9999. Tickets range in price from $16 to $22 depending on performance date. This production is also made possible through support from WUOT 91.9 FM and the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Briceville man beaten, robbed

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A Briceville man told Anderson County deputies that two men beat him up and stole his medications as he was walking home from Shop-Rite in Lake City on Tuesday afternoon.

A deputy had reported that the victim, who had bought a pack of cigarettes at Shop-Rite, was found lying next to Briceville Highway at Beech Grove Lane, an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department report said.

The 25-year-old victim said the two men pulled up behind him in a black truck, got out and beat him up, and took 60 oxycodone and 30 MS Contin pills, the report said. They also stole a pack of L&M cigarettes and $7 cash, the victim told Deputy Joshua I. Zisman.

The victim told Zisman he did not know the men and did not see them leave. He was taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center after the alleged robbery.

ORNL supercomputer ranks No. 3 on the Green500

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Titan Supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Not only is Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Titan the world’s fastest supercomputer, it is also ranked third in energy efficiency. (Photo courtesy of ORNL)

Not only is Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Titan the world’s most powerful supercomputer, it is also one of the most energy-efficient.

Titan came in at number three on the Green500 list. Organized by Virginia Tech’s Wu-chun Feng and Kirk Cameron, the list takes the world’s 500 most powerful supercomputers—as ranked by the Top500 list announced Monday—and reorders them according to how many calculations they can get per watt of electricity.

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New Anderson County commissioner starts Monday

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Anderson County Clerk Jeff Cole will swear in Commissioner-elect Steve Emert at the beginning of the County Commission meeting on Monday.

Officials say they had to wait for the results of last week’s election to be certified before Emert could be sworn in, and the Anderson County Election Commission is scheduled to meet Monday afternoon to certify the election, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton.

Emert defeated eight other candidates in the Nov. 6 election to serve the rest of former Commissioner Johnny Alley’s term representing District 3. Alley resigned his Commission seat after winning the August election to become Anderson County property assessor.

District 3 includes Andersonville, Fairview, Glen Alpine, and Norris.

Monday’s Commission meeting begins at 6:30 pm in room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton and will be televised on Comcast Cable Channel 95, the Anderson County government channel.

This story brought to you through an agreement between Oak Ridge Today and WYSH. See more local news headlines on the WYSH website at http://www.wyshradio.com/local_news.html.

No one injured in three-car, rollover accident on Edgemoor Road

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No one was injured in a three-car accident on Edgemoor Road on Tuesday evening, but one vehicle rolled, an Oak Ridge Police Department report said.

A 16-year-old Clinton driver told police she took her eyes off the road to look at something, the accident report said. When she looked up, traffic had stopped, and the compact utility vehicle she was driving hit a pickup driven by James Michael Graham, 59, of Clinton, which then hit another pickup, driven by Chester Leon Davis, 46, of Powell, the report said.

The teenager’s vehicle flipped and came to rest on its top just west of Melton Lake Drive at about 5 p.m. Tuesday, the report said.

Oak Ridge leaf pickup starts Monday

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The citywide leaf pickup program begins Monday, Nov. 19. The schedule is printed below.

Oak Ridge officials said workers will try to follow the schedule as closely as possible, but it is a general guide and pickup dates can vary considerably from the real schedule due to the amount of leaves and weather.

Here a few guidelines for the leaf pickup program:

  • Residents should place their leaves near, but not beyond, the curb. Leaves are not to be placed in the street due to possible clogging of storm drains and posing a traffic hazard. Hazards can be removed by the city at the resident’s cost.
  • Leaves should be free of tree branches and twigs as these can cause the leaf vacuums to clog. Because of their impact on production, leaf piles found to contain these items will not be picked up.
  • All leaves must be placed outside fenced areas. Leaves in plastic bags will also be picked up at the curb during the scheduled program.
  • Only leaves will be collected during this fall’s program. Residents are reminded that the leaf pickup program typically begins the Monday before Thanksgiving each year, while the citywide household trash and brush pickup programs are held during April and May.

For more information, contact Waste Connections of Tennessee at (865) 482-3656.

The leaf pickup schedule can also be found on the city’s website at www.oakridgetn.gov.

 

First Week

  • Monday, Nov. 19—Valparaiso Road, East Vanderbilt Drive, West Vanderbilt Drive, Villanova Road, Virginia Road, Scarboro community, Burnham Woods subdivision, Groves Park Commons
  • Tuesday, Nov. 20—Manhattan Avenue from Rutgers Avenue to Manchester Road, Morris Lane, Nasson Lane, Northwestern Avenue from Manhattan Avenue to South Purdue Avenue, Paine Lane, Paris Lane, Park Lane, Pembroke Road, Phillips Lane, Potomac Circle, Pratt Lane, Princeton Avenue, South Purdue Avenue, Queens Road, Quincy Avenue
  • Wednesday, Nov. 21—West Gettysburg Avenue, Marshall Circle, Nevada Circle, Newberry Circle, Niagara Lane, Northwestern Avenue from Manhattan Avenue to North Purdue Avenue, Parsons Road, Piedmont Road, North Purdue Avenue from Manhattan Avenue to Manhattan Avenue
  • Thursday, Nov. 22—Holiday
  • Friday, Nov. 23—Goucher Circle, Manhattan Avenue from North Purdue Avenue to Manchester Road, Manchester Road, Marietta Circle, Marquette Road, Maryville Circle, North Purdue Avenue from Manhattan Avenue to Marquette Road, Willow Place, Liberty Court, Graham Place

 

Second Week

  • Monday, Nov. 26—Hendrix Creek subdivision, Eastridge Drive, English Court, Esquire Court, Wolf Creek subdivision
  • Tuesday, Nov. 27—Briarcliff subdivision
  • Wednesday, Nov. 28—Emory Valley subdivision east of Caldwell Drive, Amanda Drive, Amanda Place, Adelphi Road, Albion Road, Albright Road, Antioch Drive, Artesia Drive, Asbury Lane, Bay Path Drive, Beechwood Court, Belle Creek Drive, Blue Mountain Court, Bridgewater Lane, Stonebridge Way, Rivers Run subdivision, Park Mead Drive, Center Park Lane, Marywater Lane, Marywood Court, Riverview Drive, Rivers Court, Palisades Parkway, Presidential Drive, Patriot Lane, Pinnacle Way
  • Thursday, Nov. 29—Emory Valley subdivision including west of Caldwell Drive, Emory Heights
  • Friday, Nov. 30—East Drive from Endicott Lane to Athens Road, Eastburn Lane, Eaton Lane, Edgehill Lane, Edison Lane, Elliott Circle, Emerson Circle, Emerson Place

 

Third Week

  • Monday, Dec. 3—East Drive from Outer Drive to Endicott Lane, Enfield Lane, Englewood Lane, Essex Lane, Euclid Circle, Euclid Place, Evans Lane, Everest Circle, Reel Heights & Tanglewood Subdivision
  • Tuesday, Dec. 4—North Alabama Road, South Alabama Road, Albany Road, Alder Lane, Alger Road, Alhambra Road, Amherst Lane, Andover Circle, West Arrowwood Road, East Arrowwood Road, Ashland Lane, Atlanta Road, Arizona Road, Arkansas Avenue, Aspen Lane, Athens Road, Audubon Road
  • Wednesday, Dec. 5—California Avenue, Cahill Lane, Carlisle Lane, Cedar Lane, Cedar Road, Chatham Lane, Clarion Road, Outer Drive from East Drive to Delaware Avenue, Oak Lane, Ogden Lane, Ogden Circle, Oglethorpe Place
  • Thursday, Dec. 6—East Tennessee Avenue from California Avenue to Georgia Avenue, Tabor Road, Tacoma Road, North Tampa Lane, South Tampa Lane, Taylor Road, Temple Road, Thayer Lane, Thelma Road, Thornton Road, Tilden Road, Townsend Road, Tomlinson Road, Trevose Lane
  • Friday, Dec. 7—Outer Drive from Florida Avenue to Delaware Avenue, Ogontz Lane, Olean Lane, Olmstead Lane, Olney Lane, Dallas Lane, East Dalton Road, West Dalton Road, East Damascus Road, West Damascus Road, Darwin Lane, Darwin Road, Decatur Road, Delaware Avenue, Delmar Circle, Devon Lane, Dewey Road, Disston Road, Ditman Lane, Dixie Lane

 

Fourth Week 

  • Monday, Dec. 10—Florida Avenue, East Fairview Road, West Fairview Road, East Farragut Road, West Farragut Road, East Faunce Lane, West Faunce Road, East Fernhill Lane, West Fernhill Road, Firestone Road, East Forest Road, West Forest Lane, Fulton Lane, Tyson Road, Turner Road, Tucker Road
  • Tuesday, Dec. 11—Outer Drive from Florida Avenue to Michigan Avenue, Oneida Lane, Ontario Lane, Orange Lane, Kentucky Avenue, Kelvin Lane, Kenwyn Road, Keystone Lane, Kimball Lane, Kingsley Road, Kingfisher Lane, Georgia Avenue, East Geneva Lane, West Geneva Lane, Glendale Lane, Gorgas Lane, Gordon Road
  • Wednesday, Dec. 12—Orchard Circle, Orchard Lane, Orkney Road, Michigan Avenue, Moylan Lane, Milton Lane, Mayfair Lane, Meadow Road, Mead Lane, Maple Lane, Marion Road, East Malta Road, Malvern Road, West Malta Road, East Maiden Lane, West Maiden Lane, West Magnolia Lane, East Magnolia Lane, West Madison Lane, East Madison Road
  • Thursday, Dec. 13—New York Avenue, Norwood Lane, Norris Lane, Norman Lane, Nolan Road, Nixon Road, East Newkirk Lane, West Newkirk Lane, East Newcomb Road, West Newcomb Road, Nesper Road, Tennessee Avenue from New York Avenue to Georgia Avenue, Utah Avenue, Uvalde Lane, Upsal Road, Ulysses Lane, Umbria Lane, Ulena Lane, Underwood Road, Norton Road
  • Friday, Dec. 14—Pennsylvania Avenue from New York Avenue to Providence Road, Vermont Avenue, Valetta Lane, West Vance Road, Vassar Road, Venus Road, Verbena Road, Vernon Road, Victoria Road, Viking Road, Vienna Road, Viola Road, Vista Road, Pacific Road, Packer Road, Palmetto Lane, Paoli Lane, Palmer Road, East Pasadena Road, Panama Road, Pallas Road, Parma Road, Parker Road, North Tulane Avenue, West Pasadena Lane

 

Fifth Week

  • Monday, Dec. 17—Outer Drive from Pennsylvania Avenue to Michigan Avenue, Oxford Road, Osage Road, Providence Road, Pennsylvania Avenue from Providence Road to Outer Drive, Pleasant Road, Plymouth Circle, Pomona Road, West Price Lane, East Price Road, Powell Road, Porter Road, Union Road, Pocono Lane, Pine Lane, East Pawley Lane, West Pawley Road, East Passmore Lane, West Passmore Road, Pearl Road, Pelham Road, Peach Road, Poplar Road, Pickwick Lane
  • Tuesday, Dec. 18—West Outer Drive from North Illinois Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue, Warwick Lane, Ivy Lane, Warrior Circle, Warrior Lane, Waltham Lane, Waltham Place, Walsh Lane, Walpole Lane, Walnut Lane, Wadsworth Circle, Wadsworth Place, Wakeman Lane, Wakefield Road, Wainwright Road, North Walker Lane, South Walker Lane, Wabash Lane, Waddell Circle, Waddell Place, Wade Lane, Wedgewood Road, Westlook Circle, Westoverlook Drive, Westlook Drive
  • Wednesday, Dec. 19—Robertsville Road from Oak Ridge Turnpike to North Illinois Avenue, Raleigh Road, Robin Lane, Iris Circle, Inca Circle, Ivanhoe Road, Hillside Road, North Hickory Lane, South Hickory Lane, Hickory Place, Henley Road, Henley Place, Henderson Lane, Highland Avenue, East Holston Lane, West Holston Lane, Howard Lane, Hollywood Circle, Hoyt Lane, Hamilton Circle, Hunter Circle, Hunter Place, East Hutchinson Circle, West Hutchinson Circle, Hutchinson Place, Hubbell Place
  • Thursday, Dec. 20—West Outer Drive from Louisiana Avenue to North Illinois Avenue, Wellington Circle, Wayside Road, Wayne Place, Wayne Road, Washburn Circle, North Illinois Avenue, Iroquois Road, Ithaca Lane, West Irving Lane, East Irving Lane, Iona Circle, Independence Lane, Indian Place, Indian Lane, Robertsville Road from North Illinois Avenue to Jefferson Avenue, Royce Circle
  • Friday, Dec. 21—Lasalle Road, Locust Lane, Livingston Road, Loyola Lane, Revere Circle, Regent Circle, Jefferson Avenue, Jonathan Place, Jonathan Lane, East Judd Lane, West Judd Lane, Johnson Road, Jarrett Lane, Jasper Lane, Jay Lane, Jersey Lane, Jellico Lane, Lawton Road, Lancaster Road, South Lansing Road, North Lincoln Circle, East Lincoln Road, South Jefferson Circle, North Jefferson Circle, Latimer Road, Jefferson Court

 

Sixth Week

  • Monday, Dec. 24—Holiday
  • Tuesday, Dec. 25—Holiday
  • Wednesday, Dec. 26—West Outer Drive from Morningside Drive to Louisiana Avenue, Robertsville Road from Jefferson Avenue to Mississippi Avenue, Salem Road, Scott Lane, Sanford Lane, South Seneca Road, North Seneca Road, Sequoia Lane, Sheridan Circle, Sheridan Place, Stanton Lane, Seymour Lane, Lindale Lane, Lind Place, Lynwood Lane, West Lincoln Road, Louisiana Avenue, Lawrence Lane, Lewis Lane, Lehigh Lane
  • Thursday, Dec. 27—Windham Road, Windhaven Lane, Moore Lane, Montclair Road, Montreal Lane, Monaco Lane, Middlebury Road, Morgan Road, Morningside Drive, Mississippi Avenue
  • Friday, Dec. 28—Robertsville Road from East Melbourne Road to Mississippi Avenue, Bradley Avenue, West Bryn Mawr Circle, East Bryn Mawr Circle, Beverly Circle, Butler Road, Byron Lane, Bermuda Road, Briar Road, Bunker Lane, Rand Circle, Wiltshire Estates

 

Seventh Week

  • Monday, Dec. 31—Montana Avenue, West Melbourne Road, Mockingbird Lane, Maltese Lane, Mallard Lane, Meadowlark Lane, Macaw Lane, Maywood Road, Macon Lane, East Melbourne Road, Monticello Road, Moss Road, Miramar Circle, Mohawk Road, Jackson Crossing
  • Tuesday, Jan. 1—Holiday
  • Wednesday, Jan. 2—West Outer Drive from Nebraska Avenue to Morningside Drive, Walton Lane, Wendover Circle, Wilderness Lane, Woodridge Lane, Willow Lane
  • Thursday, Jan. 3—Nebraska Avenue, Newridge Road, Newell Lane, Normandy Road, Norway Lane, Newton Lane, Newcrest Lane, Naples Lane, Newhaven Road, Netherland Road, Newark Lane, Neville Lane, Newcastle Lane, Newport Drive, Newhope Lane, Nathan Lane, New Bedford Lane, Nantucket Way
  • Friday, Jan. 4—West Outer Drive from Nebraska Avenue to dead end, Wimberly Lane, Windgate Road, Westwind Drive, Windsong Lane, Oklahoma Avenue, Westover Drive, Wildwood Drive, Mason Lane

 

Eighth Week

  • Monday, Jan. 7—Rarity Ridge, West Southwood Lane, East Southwood Lane, Sweetgum Lane, Shagbark Lane, Country Club Estates, Greenview, Whippoorwill Drive, Westview Lane, Weldon Lane, Wesley Lane, Winston Lane, William Lane, Wildcat Lane, Winchester Circle, Wisconsin Avenue

Greenback man dies after SUV rolls, hits tree on Highway 95

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A Greenback man died after his compact utility vehicle went off the roadway and into the ditch on Highway 95 near Bethel Valley Road Tuesday, overturned, and hit a tree, authorities said.

Daniel B. Summers, 46, had been driving northbound on Highway 95 at about 7:30 p.m. when his 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer left the road as he was going around a curve, according to an Oak Ridge Police Department report.

The SUV traveled about 80 feet along the ditch before the right wheels dug in, causing the vehicle to vault and overturn, the report said. The driver’s side door smashed into the tree.

USAF releases report on plane crash that killed Clinton native

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The U.S. Air Force has released the findings of its investigation into the crash of a C-130 Hercules air tanker on July 1 in South Dakota that killed four members of the North Carolina Air National Guard, including a Clinton native.

Lt. Col. Paul Mikael and three other crew members aboard the plane died while fighting wildfires in the Black Hills. The accident report released Wednesday says that the crew misjudged weather and flew into a wind burst that forced their plane down, according to WSYH Radio in Clinton.

The report was issued by the Air Force Air Mobility Command, and it said the crash occurred because the crew had made an “inadequate assessment” of the weather before flying into a microburst, a small and intense thunderstorm, WYSH said.

The report also said two other plane crews in the area failed to communicate critical information to Mikael and his crew, which also received conflicting information on how close they could fly to a thunderstorm, WYSH said. Two other crew members in the rear of the plane were injured but survived the crash.

The North Carolina Air National Guard released a statement Wednesday that said they will study the investigation’s conclusions to prevent future incidents, WYSH said.

The radio station said Clinton has paid tribute to Mikael’s service through remembrances, resolutions and renaming the swimming pool at the Clinton Community Center in his honor.

WYSH used information from the Air Force Times in its story. For more information, visit http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/11/airforce-c130-crash-report-111412w.

This story brought to you through an agreement between Oak Ridge Today and WYSH. See more local news headlines on the WYSH website at http://www.wyshradio.com/local_news.html.

Youth Board has free disc golf Sunday

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The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board has organized a free Turkey Bowl Disc Golf event on Sunday at Groves Park on Tuskegee Drive.

It’s part of the Playful City USA initiative, a press release said.

Free discs will be provided to participants while supplies last. Turkey Bowl Disc Golf starts at 3 p.m. Sunday.

“Disc Golf is growing in popularity, and it is a great activity for families,” Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Supervisor Matt Reedy said. “We have two courses here in Oak Ridge, and it is free to play, 365 days a year.”

Reedy said there is a small, but challenging nine-hole course at Carl Yearwood Park. The Groves Park course, meanwhile, has a mix of open and wooded 18 holes on 46 acres of land.

The Turkey Bowl is hosted annually on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Local players will compete in higher divisions, while beginners and children are encouraged to come out and try the event for the first time, the release said.

Course maps are available for download on the Recreation and Parks Department website at www.orrecparks.org. You can also find tips and rules information on the sport by visiting www.pdga.org.

If you have questions, call Reedy at (865) 425-3442 or visit the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department website at www.orrecparks.org.

Oak Ridge Today adds events calendar

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Oak Ridge Today has added an events calendar. You can get to it by clicking on Events in the navigation bar at the top of each page.

It’s taken us a while to find the right event calendar system, but we like this one. One of the nice features it provides is offering you the option of viewing events in a calendar or as an upcoming events list. Those two options are available as two buttons at the upper right of the events page, underneath the main navigation bar.

We will add events as often as we can.

Please let us know if you have any questions. You may submit an event by sending it to news@oakridgetoday.com.