Oak Ridge Today

‘Atomic Integration,’ photo exhibit on African-American life during Manhattan Project, opens Feb. 23

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African American Post Office 1940s (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

African American Post Office 1940s (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

 

In honor of Black History Month, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will host “Atomic Integration,” a photography exhibition focusing on African-American life during the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, a press release said. The month-long exhibit will open on Thursday, February 23, with a reception starting at 4:30 p.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.

The images displayed in the photo exhibit illustrate the experiences and contributions of African-Americans during the Manhattan Project period during the 1940s in Oak Ridge, the press release said. [Read more…]

New Windrock Bike Park has first pro event, Pro Gravity Tour, in March

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Photo courtesy Adventure Anderson County/Explore Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy Adventure Anderson County/Explore Oak Ridge

 

The new mountain bike park at Windrock Park has recruited its first professional event, tourism officials said Tuesday.

The Pro Gravity Tour will take place at the the mountain bike park on March 11 and 12.

Windrock Park is north of Oliver Springs. The mountain bike park was designed and built by professional mountain bikers Neko Mulally and Sean Leader, according to Adventure Anderson County and Explore Oak Ridge. It’s laid out on 550 acres of Windrock Park and includes nine trails ranging from one to 1.5 miles long. Shuttles are available on the weekends, and riders can self-shuttle through the week.

Visit windrockbikepark.com for more information.

Spring training on Oak Ridge rowing course starts Feb. 9

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Spring training on the Oak Ridge rowing course runs from February 9 to March 5, 2017. Pictured above is a West Virginia University team competing in the Cardinal Invitational Regatta in Oak Ridge on Saturday, March 12, 2016. (File photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Spring training on the Oak Ridge rowing course runs from February 9 to March 5.

Oak Ridge and Anderson County tourism officials said there will be 31 different teams coming to town this year, with 40 to 50 rowers on each team. Each team generally stays in town for a week at a time.

Rowing has a $2 million impact on the community, according to Adventure Anderson County and Explore Oak Ridge.

Photos: Work on eighth rowing lane

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Eighth Rowing Lane Jan 18 2017

The view from the water of the new wall installed for the eighth lane of the Oak Ridge rowing course. Calhoun’s restaurant is in the background at center right. (Photo by Laurel Patrick)

 

Laurel Patrick of First Place Finish Inc. in Oak Ridge has been posting pictures on Twitter showing the progress on work on the eighth lane of the Oak Ridge rowing course.

Here are pictures by Patrick starting November 16, used here with her permission. We have posted them below in chronological order.

First Place Finish Inc. received a $548,350 contract to add the eighth lane during a special Oak Ridge City Council meeting in September. The work includes a precast concrete block retaining wall and associated dredging and site work.

Oak Ridge officials announced in late October that the speed limit on a section of Melton Lake Drive would be temporarily reduced for at least three months starting Monday, October 31, while the eighth rowing lane is built, and part of the Melton Lake Greenway will be closed as necessary. [Read more…]

New wine festival to focus on quality, wine trails, Nine Lakes region

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Nine Lakes Wine Festival Logo

The first-ever Nine Lakes Wine Festival will be held May 19-20 in Oak Ridge.

The festival will focus on the wine trails of the eastern half of Tennessee and their award-winning wines, a press release said. The festival is just 30 minutes from downtown Knoxville, and it bears the name “Nine Lakes” from the nine lakes made by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the Knoxville area.

“The beauty of our waterfront Melton Lake Park is perfect for a wine festival,” said Marc DeRose, president of Explore Oak Ridge, the city’s convention and visitor’s bureau, which is one of the sponsoring partners for the event.

Nine Lakes Wine Festival will feature 20 wineries that participate in five different wine trails. They will be grouped by trail, for a seamless tasting experience, the press release said. [Read more…]

Photos: Removing dirt for eighth rowing lane

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Workers remove dirt for the eighth rowing lane on the Oak Ridge Rowing Course on the Clinch River along Melton Lake Drive on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Workers have been removing dirt this month for the eighth rowing lane on the Oak Ridge Rowing Course on the Clinch River on the east end of town.

More than 250 truckloads of dirt had been removed as of November 16, according to Laurel Patrick of First Place Finish Inc., which received a $548,350 contract to add the eighth lane during a special meeting in September. The work will include a precast concrete block retaining wall and associated dredging and site work.

Oak Ridge officials announced in late October that the speed limit on a section of Melton Lake Drive would be temporarily reduced for at least three months starting Monday, October 31, while the eighth rowing lane is built, and part of the Melton Lake Greenway will be closed as necessary.

The speed limit has been reduced from 45 miles per hour to 25 mph along Melton Lake Drive between Amanda Drive and Palisades Parkway. The change will remain in place for a minimum of three months  starting October 31. Signs were to be installed to warn drivers of the reduced speed limit. [Read more…]

Speed limit to be reduced, part of greenway closed as construction starts on eighth rowing lane

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Officials and referees used Oak Ridge Rowing Association boats to monitor the races on the seven-lane course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The speed limit on a section of Melton Lake Drive will be temporarily reduced for at least three months starting Monday while the eighth rowing lane is built, and part of the Melton Lake Greenway will be closed as necessary, city officials said.

The speed limit will be reduced from 45 miles per hour to 25 mph along Melton Lake Drive between Amanda Drive and Palisades Parkway, a City of Oak Ridge press release said. The change will remain in place for a minimum of three months beginning Monday, October 31. Signs will be installed to warn drivers of the reduced speed limit.

The project will also require about 500 feet of greenway to be removed and replaced at the end of construction, the press release said. As a result, a section of Melton Lake Greenway between Amanda Drive and Palisades Parkway will be temporarily closed.

Due to site preparation work, the greenway will close Friday, October 28, but will reopen for the weekend. The closure will be put back in place for the duration of the project on Monday, October 31, the press release said. [Read more…]

Tourism in Oak Ridge, Anderson County shows increased economic impact

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The economic impact of tourism in Anderson County and Oak Ridge has increased for a second year in a row.

In September, the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development released its 2015 annual report showing that visitors to Anderson County, which includes Oak Ridge, were responsible for spending more than $119 million in the county, an increase of 2.9 percent over the previous year, a press release said. Visitor spending in Anderson County yielded nearly $3 million in local sales tax.

“Marketing efforts continue to pay off as part of an organized effort to increase tourism in Oak Ridge and Anderson County,” Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said in the press release. “Tourism is not only a way to increase our tax revenues, but the people who visit us positively add to the fabric and culture of our community—making tourism investment an all-around win.”

In its annual report, Explore Oak Ridge released data that showed Oak Ridge hotel revenue was up by 11 percent compared to the previous year (hotel revenue is a typical measure tourism’s economic effect on a city). Local tax generated from Oak Ridge hotels exceeded $585,000 in the 2015-16 fiscal year. [Read more…]

Temporary greenway closure due to work on eighth rowing lane

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A section of Melton Lake Greenway will be temporarily closed during construction of the eighth lane on the Oak Ridge Rowing Course.

The project will require approximately 500 feet of greenway to be removed and replaced at the end of construction, a press release said. The affected area is located along Melton Lake Drive between Amanda Drive and Palisades Parkway.

Due to the restricted project work zone, a temporary bypass is not expected to be feasible, the press release said. The specific start date for the closure has yet to be determined, but signs will give notice to those in the area once the closure begins. Trail users are asked to be cautious and observe all trail closure barricades and signage. [Read more…]

USRowing Masters Nationals returns to Oak Ridge in 2017

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The 2017 USRowing Masters National Championships will be held in Oak Ridge in August. The championships are scheduled for August 17-20 on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy USRowing)

 

The 2017 USRowing Masters National Championships will be held in Oak Ridge in August.

The championships are scheduled for August 17-20 on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge. USRowing announced the dates and location on Friday.

There were more than 2,000 entries from 165 clubs for the 2016 event on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts, in August. It was the largest USRowing event ever, according to USRowing. (Oak Ridge rower Michael Schay won several gold medals there.)

The bar has been set even higher for 2017, USRowing said, citing Oak Ridge Rowing Association Regatta Director Sarah McAuliffe.

“Oak Ridge Rowing Association is extremely excited to provide an excellent athlete experience for rowers at Masters Nationals 2017,” said McAuliffe. “With our race course recognized as one of the best in the country, and an organization that has decades of experience hosting high-caliber events, rowers will have the ability to connect with other athletes socially and competitively…With our race course that is recognized as one of the best in the country, and an organization that has decades of experience hosting high-caliber events, rowers will have the ability to connect with other athletes socially and competitively.” [Read more…]

Eighth lane could be added to Oak Ridge rowing course by March

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Officials and referees used Oak Ridge Rowing Association boats to monitor the races on the seven-lane course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. The city plans to add an eighth lane by March 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

An eighth lane could be added to the Oak Ridge rowing course by March, officials said Tuesday.

The work is made possible with help from a $40,000 state Tourism Enhancement Grant announced Tuesday by Randy Boyd, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Officials celebrated with a brief ceremony at Calhoun’s Event Center on Melton Lake Peninsula.

The eighth rowing lane has been on the city’s wish list for at least a decade, possibly longer.

Oak Ridge has received a $250,000 state grant for the proposed eighth lane. The city has planned to contribute $150,000, and Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson has solicited more money from other agencies that would benefit from the rowing course improvements, including in Anderson and Knox counties. That meant there was enough money available to fund a project of about $560,000, which is close to a targeted estimate that Watson gave Oak Ridge City Council members in March. [Read more…]

Leadership Oak Ridge remodeling Boys & Girls Club teen room

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Leadership Oak Ridge Class of 2016 (Submitted photo)

Leadership Oak Ridge Class of 2016 (Submitted photo)

 

For 30 years, Leadership Oak Ridge has been informing, training, and empowering leaders in Oak Ridge and the region. With more than 1,000 graduates, Leadership Oak Ridge is one of the longest continuously running leadership programs in the United States.

Each year, a Leadership Oak Ridge class takes on a project aimed at benefiting the Oak Ridge community. This year’s class will lead and implement a plan to renovate a vital part of the Boys & Girls Club in Oak Ridge.

The Boys & Girls Club provides an opportunity for youth to engage in programs and activities to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

“The Boys & Girls Club is a well-known and vital part of the Oak Ridge community, and like all programs of this type, it relies heavily on volunteer support and donations to maintain the quality and relevance of the services it delivers,” said Dennis Yates, of Centrus Energy and Leadership Oak Ridge Class of 2016. [Read more…]