Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge wins two tourism awards

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Pictured above are, from left, Rebecca Williams and Barbara Ferrell of the Lavender Festival; Katy Watt, president of Explore Oak Ridge; and Mark Ezell, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourism at a recent awards ceremony. (Photo courtesy Explore Oak Ridge/City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge has won two awards for promoting tourism in middle East Tennessee, an area that includes the Knoxville metropolitan area.

The Oak Ridge Lavender Festival was awarded the 2022 Best Annual Festival or Event Award, a press release said.

Explore Oak Ridge was awarded the Excellence in Tourism Award for Best Advertising or Marketing Campaign for the “Katie the Calutron Girl” marketing promotion.

The 2022 awards were presented by the Middle East Tennessee Tourism Council in a December 1 ceremony. The METTC promotes tourism activities and represents a 16-county region including Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cooke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union counties.

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Lavender Festival postponed to next year

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2017 Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)

The Lavender Festival, one of Oak Ridge’s most popular festivals, has been postponed to 2021 as the city, state, and country try to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“After consulting with Oak Ridge city officials, and in light of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to announce that Lavender Festival 2020 will be postponed until June 19, 2021,” said Barbara Ferrell, a Jackson Square business owner and Lavender Festival Committee member. “We agree with city officials that Lavender Festival’s crowd and limited area make it an unsafe event as the COVID-19 virus continues to circulate in our community.

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‘Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge’ activity book for sale with proceeds benefitting ADFAC

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Left to right, ADFAC Committee member Ray Smith is joined by Barbara Ferrell, The Ferrell Shop; Denise Parten, Southern Bliss; Annie Cacheiro, ADFAC executive director; Becky Hook, ADFAC school supply coordinator and activity book chair; and Jim Dodson, ADFAC board of directors and committee member. (Photo courtesy ADFAC)

Looking for a great summer activity for your family or perhaps visiting relatives? ADFAC (Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties) has the answer, a press release said.

“The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” is an activity book designed to present the history of Oak Ridge through pictures and activities for children ages 5-13, the press release said. Art work, poems, puzzles, and short stories created by students from Oak Ridge schools were submitted for publication. Area adult artists and photographers also donated their services to benefit ADFAC.

Developed in conjunction with ADFAC’s 30th anniversary and Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary, “The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” gives a pictorial history of the city and includes organizations of interest to children. Graphic designer Ariana Rector created the cover, which highlights Oak Ridge’s historically significant accomplishments in a timeline from black and white to color, the press release said. She is also credited with illustrating many of the coloring pages and compiling the submitted works. [Read more…]

Holiday gift: ADFAC activity book about Oak Ridge history for children

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Left to right, ADFAC Committee member Ray Smith is joined by Barbara Ferrell, The Ferrell Shop; Denise Parten, Southern Bliss; Annie Cacheiro, ADFAC Executive Director; Becky Hook, ADFAC School Supply Coordinator and Activity Book Chairman; and Jim Dodson, ADFAC Board of Directors and Committee member. (Submitted photo)

Left to right, ADFAC Committee member Ray Smith is joined by Barbara Ferrell, The Ferrell Shop; Denise Parten, Southern Bliss; Annie Cacheiro, ADFAC Executive Director; Becky Hook, ADFAC School Supply Coordinator and Activity Book Chairman; and Jim Dodson, ADFAC Board of Directors and Committee member. (Submitted photo)

 

“The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” activity book for sale with proceeds benefitting ADFAC.

Looking for a unique gift for a child? ADFAC (Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties) has the answer.

“The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” is an activity book designed to present the history of Oak Ridge through pictures and activities for children ages 5-13. Art work, poems, puzzles, and short stories created by students from Oak Ridge schools were submitted for publication, a press release said. Area adult artists and photographers also donated their services to benefit ADFAC.

Developed in conjunction with ADFAC’s 30th anniversary and Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary, “The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” gives a pictorial history of the city and includes organizations of interest to children. Ariana Rector, graphic designer, created the cover which highlights Oak Ridge’s historically significant accomplishments in a timeline from black and white to color. She is also credited with illustrating many of the coloring pages and compiling the submitted works, the press release said. [Read more…]

Munger, retiring DOE reporter for the News Sentinel, receives Muddy Boot Award

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Frank Munger and Jim Campbell Muddy Boot Award

Frank Munger, right, the U.S. Department of Energy reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel, received a Muddy Boot Award from the East Tennessee Economic Council on Wednesday, June 29, 2016. Munger, who is considered by many to be the best in the field, is retiring Thursday, June 30, after covering DOE for 35 years for the News Sentinel. Also pictured above is ETEC President Jim Campbell. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

 

Frank Munger, U.S. Department of Energy reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel, received a Muddy Boot Award from the East Tennessee Economic Council during a retirement celebration on Wednesday.

Munger is retiring today (June 30) after 35 years covering DOE for the News Sentinel. Many consider him to be the best DOE reporter in the DOE complex. It’s not clear if he will be replaced. Some have said he is irreplaceable.

Among those who praised Munger’s work and “shoe-leather” journalism on Wednesday, even if DOE wasn’t always pleased with his stories, were current and former DOE and contractor officials Gerald Boyd, Sue Cange, Dave Keim, Thom Mason, Billy Stair, and Jim Alexander. They recalled humorous moments; his pocket-sized voice recorder, which he was carrying Wednesday; the occasional arguments; and his ability to translate stories about complex subjects such as the Spallation Neutron Source into language that people without scientific training could understand. They also presented Munger with mementos, including a framed collection of photos from Oak Ridge National Laboratory showing Munger at work over the years, reporting at the lab.

“I can say without reservation that you were always accurate and fair in your reporting—mostly,” said Boyd, a former DOE Oak Ridge Office manager who was unable to attend but delivered his message through a sometimes-humorous letter to Munger. “You always tried to tell all sides of each story, and we all appreciated that even when the story was hard to accept. Your studied approach to reporting on things DOE Oak Ridge always kept the important issues visible and in the forefront, forcing us to have to deal with them. I believe that made us a better operation. In particular, your in-depth articles on various Oak Ridge programs, projects, and activities were excellent tutorials for the general public and helped us explain the value of the Oak Ridge missions. We will miss that.” [Read more…]

Barbara Ferrell receives Muddy Boot Award

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David McCoy Barbara Ferrell and David Bradshaw June 17 2016

Barbara Ferrell, center, received a Muddy Boot Award in a surprise ceremony on Friday, June 17, 2016, in conjunction with the Lavender Festival in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. Also pictured are Dave McCoy, left, and David Bradshaw. (Submitted photo)

 

Barbara Ferrell, who owns The Ferrell Shop in Jackson Square, received the Muddy Boot Award on Friday.

The award is given by the East Tennessee Economic Council. It is a tribute to people who, through their work and community activities, make East Tennessee a stronger region.

The mid-year Muddy Boot Award was given to Ferrell in a surprise ceremony on Friday in conjunction with the annual Lavender Festival in Jackson Square.

Ferrell has been a leading independent retailer in Oak Ridge for more than 25 years, a press release said. She has been the driving force behind the successful Lavender Festival, which celebrates its 18th year this year. [Read more…]

Local food, music served at ‘Taste of Oak Ridge’ on Sept. 28

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Red Shoes and Rosin

Female string trio Red Shoes and Rosin is one of the music groups scheduled to appear at the Taste of Oak Ridge on Sept. 28. (Submitted photo)

Submitted

The flavors from some of Oak Ridge’s best restaurants and the sounds of local musicians will fill Jackson Square for the fifth annual “Taste of Oak Ridge” on Saturday, Sept. 28. The highly anticipated event will start at 4:30 p.m. and continue to 10 p.m.

While area restaurants will be able to showcase some of their finest food in small portions or ” tastes,” the community-focused event will raise money to benefit the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. The “tastes” from each vendor will cost $1 or $2 per item. Tickets will be available for purchase. Attendees can buy as many tickets as they want for $1 each. In addition, beer and wine will be available for purchase. [Read more…]

Letter: Thanks Barbara Ferrell and team for another great Lavender Festival

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To the Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Barbara Ferrell for all the hard work she put into pulling together another successful Lavender Festival this year. Judging from the crowd and the number of venders I witnessed on Saturday, I would venture to guess that the 15th annual event was the best yet. Barbara and her great team of volunteers are to be commended for their hard work and dedication to this community!

As a corporate sponsor for the Lavender Festival for several years, Cowperwood Company is proud to be associated with an event that celebrates good food; arts and crafts; great local entertainment; and locally grown herbs and produce. But more importantly, we are proud to be involved in an event that celebrates our great community by bringing people together for a common purpose. It seems we sometimes get caught up in the mess of making sure the city continues to prosper, and, as in most communities, we tend to “stake our sides and dig our heels in” on very important issues. So the Lavender Festival is a great opportunity for us to be involved in celebrating all that is good about Oak Ridge! [Read more…]