Explore Oak Ridge Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Explore Oak Ridge appoints Kendall as interim president

Posted at 1:12 pm October 2, 2018
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Lisa Kendall

Explore Oak Ridge, the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, announced Friday that it will appoint Lisa Kendall to the position of interim president.

Marc DeRose, the former president of Explore Oak Ridge, announced in late August that he planned to resign from the position in September to pursue other career goals after four years, but he would remain in the position until September 30 (this past Sunday) to assist in the search and transition to a new president.

Kendall currently serves as vice president of Explore Oak Ridge, and she oversees visitor event development and support, a press release said. Since joining Explore Oak Ridge in 2015, Kendall has led many initiatives to enhance the economic impact of visitors on Oak Ridge, the press release said. [Read more…]

K-25 overlook to re-open in October

Posted at 2:29 pm September 7, 2018
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The Visitor's Overlook, part of the Happy Valley property purchased in November, is pictured above across from East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Visitor’s Overlook, part of the Happy Valley property purchased in November 2016, is pictured above across from East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

K-25 Overlook will be ‘bigger and better,’ provide Manhattan Project and recreational information

The K-25 Overlook next to State Route 58 in west Oak Ridge will soon be re-opening as a much larger and nicer visitor center that will also have a new purpose, a press release said.

Owner John McCormick, vice president of Bionomics, purchased the 160-acre property known as Happy Valley through an auction at the end of 2016. The overlook on SR 58 across from the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, was part of the purchase.

But the overlook needed building repairs and updates to the historical information inside, the press release said. In 2017, McCormick partnered with Pam May, vice president of the Roane Alliance, who reached out to local historians, the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, and Explore Oak Ridge to discuss the future of the overlook.

“The idea to expand the overlook into a visitor center and recreational hub came from the National Park Service in one of the early meetings,” May said. “That aligned perfectly with what John had envisioned—to create trails and open spaces that people could enjoy while also learning Happy Valley’s history through its landmarks still evident on the property.” [Read more…]

State grant will help with national park signs, waterfront improvements

Posted at 7:08 pm August 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Pictured above during a state grant announcement at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building for national park signs and waterfront improvements on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, are, from left, Dave Jones, East Tennessee division manager of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development; Amy New, assistant commissioner of community and rural development for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development; Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch; Jody Sliger, community development director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development; and Marc DeRose, president of Explore Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A state grant of more than $50,000 that was announced Tuesday will help create interpretive signs for historic sites in Oak Ridge that are related to the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and improve the waterfront for events such as rowing, cycling, and festivals, officials said.

The $56,250 Tourism Enhancement Grant, part of the third round of grants, was announced Tuesday at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building. A few Oak Ridge officials attended, and so did representatives of the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

“Through this grant, the City of Oak Ridge, in partnership with Explore Oak Ridge, will receive funds to support projects that improve some of the city’s key tourist attractions,” a press release said.

Marc DeRose, president of Explore Oak Ridge, said there are two parts to the grant. One is to enhance the city’s component of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The grant funding could be used to create interpretive signs at historic places like the Guest House and Chapel on the Hill. The interpretive signs will be accessible and include pictures and content, DeRose said. [Read more…]

USA Cycling selects Oak Ridge for individual time trial championships

Posted at 8:57 am June 7, 2018
By John Huotari 2 Comments

USA Cycling has selected Oak Ridge for one of three national championships in East Tennessee this month.

The USA Cycling Professional Road, Individual Time Trial (ITT), and Criterium National Championships will be in Knoxville and Oak Ridge from June 21-24.

The ITT National Championships will be on Melton Lake Drive on June 21, kicking off the championships, a press release said.

The City of Oak Ridge is hosting the ITT National Championships in partnership with Visit Knoxville, the press release said. [Read more…]

USA Cycling has Time Trial championship race in Oak Ridge in June

Posted at 2:50 pm April 24, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Image by USA Cycling

The USA Cycling Pro Road, Time Trial, and Criterium National Championships will be in Oak Ridge and Knoxville in June, and the first of those races, the Time Trial races, will be in Oak Ridge on Thursday, June 21.

The Oak Ridge races will kick off the championships, according to Explore Oak Ridge and Adventure Anderson County.

The Time Trial championships will be hosted by Visit Knoxville and the City of Oak Ridge, the two tourism organizations said.

They said the Time Trial course is a seven-mile section of roadway that will include part of Melton Lake Drive, which is along the Oak Ridge waterfront, and Union Valley Road. The professional and elite women will complete two laps for a total distance of 14.1 miles. The professional and elite men will complete three laps for a total distance of 21.25 miles.

The course allows spectators to see athletes pass multiple times from one viewing location, Explore Oak Ridge and Adventure Anderson County said. [Read more…]

‘HerStory:’ A special women’s history reception & celebration on March 22

Posted at 9:34 am March 14, 2018
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Kattie Lue Strickland

As part of Women’s History Month and the 75th Anniversary of Oak Ridge, there will be a special Manhattan Project event on Thursday, March 22. The program will start at 5:30 pm at the New Hope Visitor Center at the Y-12 National Security Complex on Scarboro Road in Oak Ridge.

During the event, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park will be presented with a biscuit pan secretly used by Kattie Strickland during the Manhattan Project. The biscuit pan is an important cultural artifact for the park that can help provide context of the story of a woman who worked on the Manhattan Project, a press release said.

Each person had a unique story of why they found themselves working in the Secret City, the press release said. [Read more…]

Secret City Half Marathon & 5K helps raise awareness of kidney, organ donation

Posted at 9:19 am November 18, 2017
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Kidney transplant recipient and Harry Connick Jr. show guest Steve Winfree and his wife Heather of Knoxville are walking in the Secret City Half Marathon & 5K in Oak Ridge on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, to support organ donation. (Submitted photo)

The Secret City Half Marathon & 5K in Oak Ridge today (Saturday, November 18) is helping to raise awareness of kidney donation and organ donation in general, a press release said.

Now in its ninth year, the marathon has grown into one of the largest athletic events in the region, the press release said. An estimated 1,000 participants will run and/or walk their way to the finish line.

Great things are happening at this year’s event, the press release said.

“We are excited to have been mentioned on the Harry Connick Jr. show as Knoxville residents Steve and Heather Winfree’s chosen event to help raise awareness for kidney donation and organ donations in general,” said Lisa Kendall, race director for the half marathon and 5K races and vice president of Explore Oak Ridge. “Steve’s wife, Heather, was a kidney match for Steve and the touching video of her sharing the news with him went viral with media attention worldwide.” [Read more…]

Lunch with the League features Marc DeRose of Explore Oak Ridge on Tuesday

Posted at 5:16 pm October 15, 2017
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Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose of Explore Oak Ridge will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, October 17. His presentation will center on Explore Oak Ridge’s responsibility for maximizing the economic impact of visitors to Oak Ridge, a press release said.

Explore Oak Ridge was formerly known as the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Lunch with the League meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

DeRose, a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, has a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental science from Trent University, Peterborough, Canada, and a master’s degree in biology and quantitative genetics from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, the press release said. He spent more than 15 years as a professional rowing coach at the junior, NCAA, national, and international levels. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary: Fire prevention celebration includes parade Saturday

Posted at 11:10 am October 6, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Map courtesy City of Oak Ridge

A fire prevention celebration on Saturday will include a parade as part of Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary celebration.

The celebration will kick off with a “Then and Now”-themed parade that will start at Oak Ridge Fire Department Fire Station Number 3 on Tuskegee Drive and end at Alvin K. Bissell Park. Lineup for participants begins at 9 a.m., with the parade getting underway at 10 a.m.

The city that is now Oak Ridge was built as part of the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II. Among other things, uranium enriched at Y-12 fueled the first atomic bomb used in wartime. Code-named “Little Boy,” it was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, shortly before the end of the war. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge to begin 75th Anniversary Celebration in September

Posted at 10:58 am August 24, 2017
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Warren Gooch

Oak Ridge will begin its 75th Anniversary Celebration in September, a press release said.

Oak Ridge Mayor Warren L. Gooch announced Thursday that the city will form a committee to help coordinate and circulate information about the 75th anniversary, the press release said.

The 75th anniversary festivities will begin in September and continue through the end of 2018, the release said.

Among the planned events are a lecture presented by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association on September 15, 2017, titled “The Legacy of Place” by guest speaker Denise Kiernan, author of “The Girls of Atomic City” and “The Last Castle.”

The Oak Ridge Fire Department plans to host “Then and Now,” a 1940s-era Fire Prevention Parade along Oak Ridge Turnpike on October 7, 2017.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex will celebrate the anniversaries of their respective beginnings as well, the press release said. [Read more…]

Road detour for USRowing Masters National Championships this weekend

Posted at 3:53 pm August 15, 2017
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The USRowing Masters National Championships will be at Melton Lake Park this weekend, August 17-20.

There will be a detour for non-local traffic at Melton Lake Drive and Emory Valley Road to reduce congestion and increase pedestrian safety, a press release said. The Melton Lake Greenway will be open as usual, but users should be cautious as there will be considerably more activity on the section that parallels the rowing course, the press release said. The parking lot and boat ramp at Melton Lake Park will be closed to the public from Thursday through Sunday.

Oak Ridge Rowing Association is the local host of the regatta. Questions or concerns should be directed to the regatta director, Sarah McAuliffe, at (508) 488-0868.

Explore Oak Ridge will be on site supporting the event and providing visitors with information about Oak Ridge, the press release said.

‘Race to Space’ photos focus on Manhattan Project scientists who later joined U.S. space program

Posted at 2:38 pm August 9, 2017
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Edward Teller

A photo exhibition that opens next week at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will focus on Manhattan Project scientists who went on to join the United States space program.

The “Race to Space” photo exhibition is hosted by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and Explore Oak Ridge. The month-long exhibit will open Tuesday, August 15, with a reception from 8 to 9 a.m. The photo exhibit is sponsored by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and Explore Oak Ridge.

It is part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park’s activities that highlight this month’s once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is located at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike. It is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. [Read more…]