Oak Ridge Today

Egg Hunt is Saturday, March 24; volunteers needed

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Photo by City of Oak Ridge

Photo by City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2018 Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 24, at 11 a.m. Hundreds of children and their families are expected to participate in this annual spring event, a press release said.

More than 15,000 candy and prize-filled eggs will be hidden in A.K. Bissell Park with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize egg in each age group, the press release said. This event will be held rain or shine, so participants should dress for the weather. If severe weather prevents hiding the eggs outdoors, they will be given away in the gym and prizes will be randomly distributed.

Families should arrive early and assemble in the Oak Ridge Civic Center gymnasium prior to 11 a.m. Participants will be divided into separate age groups and will be escorted to their respective hunt areas. The hunt is targeted for preschool-aged children (4 years old) up to fourth grade. [Read more…]

Little River Band will headline Secret City Festival concert in June

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Secret City Festival Logo Web

The Little River Band will headline the Secret City Festival concert on Friday night, June 8, organizers said Monday.

The headliner was announced during the Oak Ridge City Council meeting.

The Little River Band had multi-platinum albums in the 1970s and 1980s and chart-topping hits that included “Reminiscing,” “Cool Change,” “Lonesome Loser,” “The Night Owls,” “Take It Easy on Me,” “Help Is on Its Way,” “Happy Anniversary,” “We Two,” “Man on Your Mind,” “The Other Guy,” and “It’s a Long Way There,” according to its website. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project public program: Oak Ridge past to present through A.K. Bissell Park on Saturday, Feb. 17

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A bridge in Alvin K. Bissell Park in central Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

A bridge in Alvin K. Bissell Park in central Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

Join National Park Service staff for a walk and talk tour through Alvin K. Bissell Park on Saturday, February 17.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present this free program starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 17, at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

“During the program, we will discuss the different lifestyles and challenges that Oak Ridge residents faced during the project,” a press release said. “In this easy to moderate walk of about one mile, we will visit some historical structures and discuss how the town has changed and how it has stayed the same in the 75th anniversary of Oak Ridge. Visitors should be prepared for this walk with weather appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes.” [Read more…]

Council to consider design contracts for Senior Center, Preschool

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The Oak Ridge City Council is pictured above in December 2016. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider design contracts for the new Oak Ridge Preschool at Scarboro Park and the new Oak Ridge Senior Center at the Civic Center.

The two contracts could total about $771,000. They would be awarded to Studio Four Design Inc. of Knoxville, which has been working on the projects. They would include architectural, interior design, and consulting engineering services.

The contracts could use $1 million in bond funding being considered by the Oak Ridge City Council for the design services and other initial project costs.

Council had earlier authorized a professional services agreement to Studio Four Design to provide architectural services for various projects, including the Preschool and the Senior Center, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said in an October 2 memo to City Council. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Police Department will host National Night Out on Tuesday

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Oak Ridge Police Department K9 Officer Ray Steakley is pictured above at a K9 demonstration at the 2016 National Night Out at Alvin K. Bissell Park. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge Police Department K9 Officer Ray Steakley is pictured above at a K9 demonstration at the 2016 National Night Out at Alvin K. Bissell Park. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Police Department is teaming up with the Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program to host a National Night Out celebration on Tuesday, October 3.

The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Alvin K. Bissell Park behind the Oak Ridge Civic Center. National Night Out is a free community gathering that heightens awareness of local efforts to prevent crime, violence, and drug use while generating support for and participation in anti-crime programs, a press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Fire Department’s Then & Now Parade part of 75th anniversary celebration

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Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy/Ed Westcott

Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy/Ed Westcott

 

The Oak Ridge Fire Department will be hosting a fire prevention celebration on Saturday, October 7, as part of the city’s 75th anniversary.

In the 1940s, Oak Ridge hosted a parade during Fire Prevention Week every October to help spread the word about fire safety. ORFD hopes to rekindle this tradition in honor of the City’s milestone anniversary, a press release said.

The celebration will kick off with a Then and Now-themed parade at ORFD Fire Station Number 3 on Tuskegee Drive and end at Alvin K. Bissell Park. Lineup for participants will begin at 9 a.m., with the parade getting underway at 10 a.m., the press release said.

Following the parade, everyone is invited to gather in A.K. Bissell Park at 11 a.m. for opening ceremonies that will include static displays of emergency services equipment, bounce houses, safety information booths, and emergency services demonstrations. [Read more…]

Many community organizations support the Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell

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The three Oak Ridge Rotary Clubs present a check for $10,000 for the Peace Pavilion that will house the International Friendship Bell, at the kickoff for the fundraising campaign last year. From left, they are last year’s Rotary Club presidents, Devrin Kuipers, Oak Ridge Sunset Rotary Club; Jennifer Campbell, Rotary Club of Oak Ridge; and Emily Jernigan, Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. Accepting the check are Pat Postma and Alan Tatum, co-chairs of the International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

The three Oak Ridge Rotary Clubs present a check for $10,000 for the Peace Pavilion that will house the International Friendship Bell, at the kickoff for the fundraising campaign last year. From left, they are last year’s Rotary Club presidents, Devrin Kuipers, Oak Ridge Sunset Rotary Club; Jennifer Campbell, Rotary Club of Oak Ridge; and Emily Jernigan, Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. Accepting the check are Pat Postma and Alan Tatum, co-chairs of the International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

 

When local organizations step up to support local initiatives, communities experience success.

“Communities that organize and work with a goal in mind benefit and prosper far more than those that don’t,” said Pat Postma, co-chair of a group leading a fund drive for a new Peace Pavilion for the Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell.

Postma is pleased that many local organizations have contributed to the Friendship Bell drive, seeing it as a sign of strong community support when organizations that raise funds for their own causes contribute to other community initiatives, as well. They join contractors, businesses, local governments, and individuals that are supporting the effort, a press release said.

Among the first organization to contribute to the drive was the Girl Scouts Oak Ridge Service Unit, which observes the United Nations International Day of Peace annually at the Friendship Bell and has established friendships with Girl Scouts from Oak Ridge’s sister city in Japan, the press release said.

“The Girl Scouts of Oak Ridge made a donation of $1,000 when we had a visit from our sister Girl Scout Troop 37 in Naka, Japan, in 2014,” said Jerry Luckmann, community service coordinator for the Oak Ridge Service Unit, which covers about 30 troops in the Oak Ridge area. [Read more…]

Groundbreaking for Friendship Bell Peace Pavilion is Thursday

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The new Peace Pavilion for the International Friendship Bell at Alvin K. Bissell Park will feature a cantilever design. (Submitted image)

The new Peace Pavilion for the International Friendship Bell at Alvin K. Bissell Park will feature a cantilever design. (Submitted image)

 

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new International Friendship Bell Peace Pavilion will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday, September 21, at the bell’s new location in Alvin K. Bissell Park, just west of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch will be master of ceremonies for the groundbreaking. The Oak Valley Baptist Church Choir will present a music program relating to the friendship and peace theme of the event. Pat Postma and Alan Tatum, co-chairs of the International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee, will take part in the ceremonies.

Major donors—including UT Battelle/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and CNS-Y-12—will participate in breaking ground for the new pavilion, a press release said.

The bell, created for Oak Ridge’s 50th birthday, is expected to bring its message of peace and friendship to the thousands of visitors expected at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, the press release said.. The new pavilion for the bell came about after city officials discovered that structural beams in the original bell house had severely deteriorated. [Read more…]

Council to consider construction contract for Peace Bell Pavilion

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Design of the Peace Pavilion for the Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell by Demian\Wilbur\Architects, Washington, D.C.

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider a construction contract for the Oak Ridge Peace Bell Pavilion. The contract, which would include associated site work, could be worth up to $440,000. It could be awarded to First Place Finish Inc. of Oak Ridge, the low bidder.

The new Peace Pell Pavilion would support the International Friendship Bell, which will continue to be at Alvin K. Bissell Park in central Oak Ridge but will move to a slightly different location within the park.

The contract award will be made after negotiations with First Place Finish to reduce the project scope to meet available funding, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick said in a September 5 memo to City Manager Mark Watson. The bids for the project exceeded the project budget, Hetrick said.

The bid from First Place Finish had a price of $698,900. The other bid, from Holston Construction Services LLC of Knoxville, had a price of $840,000. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Community Band has Labor Day concert on Monday

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Dale Pendley directs the Oak Ridge Community Band on July 4, 2017. (Submitted photo)

Dale Pendley conducts the Oak Ridge Community Band on July 4, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Community Band has its last outdoor concert of the summer at 7 p.m. Monday, Labor Day, in Alvin K. Bissell Park. There is no admission fee, and everyone is encouraged to bring chairs or blankets for outdoor seating, a press release said. To make things even “sweeter,” Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab will be in the park to provide cool refreshments, the press release said.

Along with the concert programs handed out at the tables around the performing pavilion, audience members can also pick up brochures outlining the Community Band’s 2017-2018 indoor concert season with performances scheduled from October through April. And as an extra bonus, tickets for free admission to the October 8 concert will be also be available.

Among the highlights of the Community Band’s Labor Day program will be the clarinet section’s performance of Wim Laseroms’s fast-paced “Claribelle,” the tubas and flutes in Henry Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk,” and the trombone section in Henry Fillmore’s “Ham Trombone.” [Read more…]

Emergency sewer line repair work on Turnpike starts Monday

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The Oak Ridge Public Works Department will start emergency repair work on a sewer line that runs underneath Oak Ridge Turnpike on Monday.

Hurst Excavating LLC, a contractor for the City of Oak Ridge, will repair the sewer line at Robertsville Road and the northwest corner of Alvin K. Bissell Park. The work is expected to continue through Thursday, August 24.

“The Oak Ridge Turnpike will not be closed during the repairs,” a city press release said. “However, there may be work vehicles along the side of the roadway. Please use extreme care and caution and allow extra time when driving in this area.

Questions can be directed to the Oak Ridge Public Works information line at (865) 425-1875 or by email at [email protected].

Reminder: Oak Ridge has fireworks tonight in A.K. Bissell Park

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

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

The Oak Ridge Community Band, now in its 73rd year, will perform prior to the fireworks. 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.

Anyone planning to attend is advised to bring a lawn chair or blanket for outdoor seating. A safety zone will be established by the Oak Ridge Fire Department. Please sit only in the designated areas.

What: Independence Day Concert and Fireworks Display [Read more…]