Oak Ridge Today

Iwanski announces re-election campaign for County Commission

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Myron Iwanski

Myron Iwanski

Myron Iwanski is seeking re-election to Anderson County Commission in District 8, which includes the Woodland, Emory Valley, and Hendrix Creek precincts in Oak Ridge.

Iwanski was appointed in 2011 to serve as mayor by County Commission early in his current term on County Commission. This was a 19-month appointment until a mayor could be elected for the remaining two years of former Mayor Rex Lynch’s term.

“It was an honor to be selected by my peers on County Commission to serve as chairman of County Commission for three terms and then as mayor during a difficult time for our county government,” Iwanski said in a press release.

“We had to work together to make some tough decisions,” Iwanski said. “We put several initiatives in place that will expand our retail and industrial tax base, promote tourism, and create jobs. This included setting funds aside for industrial land and infrastructure and creating a public/private partnership to hire a retail recruiter. We also put initiatives in place that are slowing the growth in the county jail population while helping reduce the crime rate. [Read more…]

Biloski seeks re-election to County Commission

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Robin Biloski

Robin Biloski

Anderson County Commissioner Robin Biloski is seeking re-election to Anderson County Commission in the Aug. 7 election. Biloski represents District 8 in Oak Ridge, which includes the voting precincts of Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, and Woodland.

During her tenure, Biloski has helped secure and complete energy initiatives for the county that are sustainable and save taxpayer money, a press release said. It said she secured donated funding to repave the county’s offices in Oak Ridge by working with the County Clerk and Trustee to open a drive-through operation and actively supported the expanded and updated Dental Clinic in Oak Ridge, which are all within District 8.

“I feel very positive about my contributions to Anderson County these past eight years, and seeing the expansion at Roane State and the beginnings of the new facility for Emory Valley Center shows the continued growth within District 8,” Biloski said. “Acting as a resource for city/county inquiries is what I most love doing as an elected official. I have always considered myself a professional, independent, and educated voice in my service to all county residents. I humbly and respectfully ask those in District 8 for their vote in the upcoming election.”

Paul Spray is again Biloski’s treasurer for her campaign, the press release said. [Read more…]

Guest column: Emory Valley Center ‘Dances the Night Away’ at Prom

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2014 EVC Couples Dancing

Emory Valley Center couples dancing at the May 31 prom at the Elks Lodge. (Submitted photos)

The Elks Lodge in Oak Ridge hosted a prom for more than 100 Emory Valley Center clients and their staff on Saturday evening, May 31. The theme for the prom was “Dance the Night Away,” with the Elks Lodge transformed into a disco decorated in silver, black, and white for the evening.

The Oak Ridge Boat Club donated to secure Viki Ward as the DJ for the evening. Ward and her dancers kept the music going and added to the fun of the evening. Those attending also had a wide variety of food and drinks available donated by volunteers with the Elks, Food City, Food Lion, Kroger, and Walmart in Oak Ridge. The Arc of Anderson County also made a donation in support of the prom.

The ladies attending each received a wrist corsage and the men a special lapel pin, and everyone had a bag of “goodies” to take home with them. Photos were taken of attendees and put into special prom frames for everyone to have a memento of their special evening. One of the highlights of the evening was when the Prom Prince and Princess and Prom King and Queen were crowned. After they were crowned, they were spotlighted in a special dance and then invited the rest of the crowd to join them. [Read more…]

Pancake breakfast fundraiser June 14 for Emory Valley Center

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Emory Valley Center Early Learning Center

The Emory Valley Center on Emory Valley Road is pictured above. (File photo)

Submitted

On your way to the Secret City Festival on Saturday, June 14, stop and enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast at Applebee’s in Oak Ridge and also support Emory Valley Center. Proceeds will benefit the ongoing capital campaign for a new building to better serve children and adults with disabilities.

Breakfast will be served from 8–10 a.m. and will include hot-off-the-griddle pancakes and sausage as well as a variety of beverages. Tickets are only $5 each (children under three eat free), and they are currently on sale at Emory Valley Center at 715 Emory Valley Road. Those who attend may also pay at the door the morning of the fundraiser.

Local Emory Valley Center “Celebrity Supporters” planning to help staff greet and serve pancakes include Tennessee Sen. Randy McNally, Rep. John Ragan, Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, Dottie Thompson, and Gene Caldwell (Emory Valley Center capital campaign co-chairs), Bear Stephenson of Stephenson Real Estate and Auction, Anderson County Chamber Board President Terry Payne, and David Erb of Allstate in Clinton. [Read more…]

Emory Valley Center ‘Celebrates Spring’ with Capital Campaign fundraiser on Friday

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Emory Valley Center Logo

Emory Valley Center Logo

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Make plans now to join Emory Valley Center on Friday, May 2, for a “Celebrate Spring” fundraising event. Proceeds will benefit the ongoing Capital Campaign for a new building to better serve children and adults with disabilities.

The Knights of Columbus of St. Mary’s Church are partnering with Emory Valley Center for the event, which will be held in the St. Mary’s Church Gym from 6–8:30 p.m. and feature a full-course meal they will prepare. Tickets are currently on sale and only $25 each. Attendees will be served their buffet-style meal by youth of St. Mary’s Church, enjoy musical entertainment by the band Early Bird Special, and have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction. Some of the silent auction items donated by local supporters and friends include jewelry, a variety of art items, golf rounds, restaurant certificates, area attraction tickets, “themed” baskets, and more. The event is casual, so plan to come after work and bring your family, friends, and colleagues. [Read more…]

Emory Valley Center hires new development director

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Janet Wood

Janet Wood

Emory Valley Center, a nonprofit agency serving children and adults with disabilities since 1955, has hired Janet Wood as its new development director.

Experienced within the fields of marketing, community relations, and nonprofit fundraising, Wood most recently served as the public relations and special projects coordinator with Alzheimer’s Tennessee in Knoxville. While there, she was lead coordinator for the Five County Walk held in Oak Ridge and the Foothills Walk held at Maryville College. She also coordinated volunteers in their fundraising efforts for both of these walks and provided support in additional fundraising and public relations endeavors for the organization. Wood also has years of experience in print, broadcast, and media relations, having previously been employed by The Oak Ridger newspaper for 10 years, a press release said.

“We are so excited to have Janet on our team and look forward to all the great work she will do on behalf of the Center,” said Jennifer Enderson, Emory Valley Center president. [Read more…]

‘Oak Ridge Has Talent’ fundraiser at Grove Theater on Friday

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Ridge City Ramblers

Members of the Ridge City Ramblers, who will play at Oak Ridge Has Talent on Friday, are, from left, Gary Coleman, Mary Tuskan, Scott Linn, Abbie Hoerner, Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan and Steve Reddick. (Submitted photos)

The Grove Theater will host a fundraising talent show on Friday that will feature 10 groups from Oak Ridge and East Tennessee.

The show, called “Oak Ridge Has Talent,” starts at 7 p.m. Friday. It will mark the kickoff of Friends of the Grove Theater, a new nonprofit organization dedicated to maintain the Historic Grove Theater as a performing arts center for the Oak Ridge area.

Representatives from Sound Company Children’s Youth Choir will perform along with ensembles from Oak Ridge Community Band, Oak Ridge Symphony, and dancers from the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet. Bands will include the Ridge City Ramblers, an Oak Ridge Bluegrass band; the MOOD, a classic rock band; and an Irish music session representing the Traditional Irish Arts of Knoxville. Miss East Tennessee Scholarship Talent winners will also perform, and a distinctive surprise from the Emory Valley Center is planned. Comedian and humorist Tyler Gouch will serve as the master of ceremonies. [Read more…]

Students to raise money for Emory Valley Center at musical coffeehouse Friday

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Emory Valley Center Early Learning Center

A coffeehouse at First Presbyterian Church on Friday will benefit the Emory Valley Center, which has been raising money for a new building on Emory Valley Road.

A coffeehouse at First Presbyterian Church on Friday will raise money for the Emory Valley Center.

The coffeehouse “promises to be fun-filled and very musical,” and it will feature 11 acts and 19 performers, a press release said. The performances will include folksy guitar plucking, women’s a capella, and modern dance.

The night will help the Emory Valley Center launch its final year of fundraising for a new building on Emory Valley Road, the release said.

The coffeehouses are operated by college students, and they are designed to provide an enjoyable musical venue while also raising funds for worthy causes in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

B&W Y-12 donates $75,000 for new Emory Valley Center building

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Emory Valley Center Early Learning Center

B&W Y-12 donated $75,000 to Emory Valley Center on Wednesday as part of a capital campaign to help build a new facility to replace the former Daniel Arthur Rehabilitation Center on Emory Valley Road by 2015.

Fundraisers at 75 percent of goal

B&W Y-12 donated $75,000 on Wednesday to help the Emory Valley Center build a new facility by early 2015, when a county-owned building that houses some of its programs is expected to be torn down.

B&W Y-12 has now donated $175,000 of a $250,000 pledge, and EVC volunteers have raised $2.5 million of their $3.3 million goal, said former state representative and pediatrician Gene Caldwell, who is co-chair of the EVC capital campaign. That’s 75 percent of the fundraising goal.

Emory Valley Center now has two facilities across the street from each other on Emory Valley Road. The new 30,000-square-foot building west of the current administrative and workshop areas on the south side side of Emory Valley Road would consolidate the nonprofit’s operations, which include an Early Learning Center, gym, offices, kitchen, and work training center.

“This is a huge, huge help,” EVC President Jennifer Enderson of the B&W Y-12 donation. “The clock is ticking on when we must vacate an existing facility, and we can’t start construction of the new one until we have raised enough money.” [Read more…]

Feed the People Thanksgiving Dinner at High Places on Thursday

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High Places Community Church

The Second Annual Feed the People Thanksgiving Dinner is from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday.

Note: This story was updated at 10 a.m.

Volunteers have organized a free, hot meal this afternoon for the homeless, lonely, and those who have no family.

It’s the Second Annual Feed the People Thanksgiving Dinner, and it’s from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday at High Places Community Church in Oak Ridge.

“We simply do not want anyone to be alone on Thanksgiving,” organizers said.

The volunteers could serve several hundred meals, and they will deliver food to shut-in residents later today, organizer Kandace Tucker said. They will bring food to Callaghan Towers, Emory Valley Center, 82 E. Tennessee Ave., and Honeysuckle Lane this evening. [Read more…]

Letter: Thanks to those who plan, work, sponsor Anderson County Fair

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To the Editor:

What a great event the Anderson County Fair is! The dedication of countless hours of time and efforts of those who plan and prepare for week of activities for our residents reinforces my appreciation for these good people who love our county. People from far and wide our state visit us for this “Best 6 Days of summer.”

I was a part of the Anderson County Fair this year as an employee of Emory Valley Center where we had our information/awareness booth. Thank you to all who plan and work at our fair! [Read more…]

USEC donates to Emory Valley Center campaign

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USEC Donates to Emory Valley Center

Pictured above from left to right are Robin Biloski, Emory Valley Center development director; Dottie Thompson and Gene Caldwell, co-chairs of the EVC Capital Campaign; and Bob Eby of USEC Inc. (Submitted photo)

Emory Valley Center recently received a donation from USEC for its capital campaign to build a new facility on Emory Valley Road, a press release said.

“Emory Valley Center has always been such a vital part of our community in helping so many adults and children in our region,” said Bob Eby, director of Centrifuge Technology and Process Engineering of USEC in Oak Ridge. “All of us at USEC are so happy to play a part in providing a new center for the many who receive their services.” [Read more…]