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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…]

Help identify photos in Oak Ridge Library’s Ruth Carey collection

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From the Oak Ridge Public Library Ruth Carey photo collection (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

From the Oak Ridge Public Library Ruth Carey photo collection (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Public Library needs your help. The library is privileged to house the photography collection of Ruth Carey, an original Oak Ridge resident and longtime photographer for The Oak Ridger from the 1960s to the mid-1990s. Her photo collection is vast and varied, including pictures of key political and cultural figures, community events, and weddings. Figures such as Alex Haley and Guilford Glazer, for instance, appear in several photos. Unfortunately, many of the photographs do not include notes about who is in the photo or when or where it was taken.

With the help of volunteers, Oak Ridge Public Library staff members Teresa Fortney and Jordan Reed have begun digitizing the collection. Some of the photographs that have been digitized are available for public viewing online at www.orpl.org. However, Carey’s collection was so comprehensive, only a portion of the total number of photographs have been digitized. As the library continues its digitization efforts, it is important that the people and places are identified so as not to lose this important part of our history. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival to expand into week-long celebration in June

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Secret City Festival World War II Re-enactment 2015

A Flak 88 firing during a Battle of Normandy re-enactment at the 2015 Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

The Secret City Festival will expand into a week-long celebration in June, and it will be called the Secret City Celebration.

The change has been announced by Celebrate Oak Ridge, a nonprofit organization created by the Oak Ridge City Council to take over the production of the festival from the city.

The Secret City Celebration will include a full week of events celebrating the arts, culture, and history of Oak Ridge, organizers said. It will kick off with an opening ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday, June 2, 2017. It will include events presented by Celebrate Oak Ridge and other partner organizations.

“A crowd favorite, World War II Living History, will serve as the kickoff event on June 2 and 3, with re-enactments scheduled on Saturday,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge history before the 1930s, Emery Trace to be discussed Monday

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David Hackett

David Hackett

Some of Oak Ridge’s history before the 1930s will be discussed at the AAUW Oak Ridge Branch’s general meeting on Monday, April 25, when David Hackett, ethno-historian, will talk about the Emery Trace, which ran through Oak Ridge in the 18th century and made connection with the more well-known Natchez Trace. He will talk about the road’s origins and role in shaping the nation as well as its potential for heritage tourism, a press release said.

A lunch catered by The Soup Kitchen will be provided at the meeting at 11:30 a.m. at a cost of $8. Soup and sandwiches and cookies will be available. Reservations may be made by calling Marjorie Congdon at (865) 483-3120 or Mary Uziel at (865) 483-1043.

Anyone attending is asked to make a reservation to ensure enough seating at the meeting. It is not necessary to purchase lunch to attend, and people are welcome to bring sack lunches. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Library art exhibit in July features Ray Smith photos

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Ray Smith Wall of Photos

Ray Smith Wall of Photos (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

The art exhibit at Oak Ridge Public Library for the month of July is a collection of 40 photographs by D. Ray Smith. Titled “Some of My Favorites,” this exhibit is a wonderful selection of images from Ray Smith’s archive of nature photographs. His images depict wildflowers, trees, rivers, and streams from various East Tennessee locations including the University of Tennessee Arboretum and Frozen Head State Park.

Smith is well-known to most Oak Ridgers. He is the historian at the Y-12 National Security Complex and a journalist for The Oak Ridger newspaper, and he serves on a number of boards of directors for local nonprofit organizations. A resident of Oak Ridge for 44 years, he and his wife Fanny have two sons and five grandchildren. He is often found at community events taking photographs that he generously shares with the public. [Read more…]

Guest column: ‘More than true’…Christmas matters

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I had a talk not too long ago with a very intelligent person about Christian Christmas stories. He asked, “Surely you don’t actually believe that the Christmas story you preach really happened?” It was a question that I settled long ago, although it reminded me that many people still struggle with their faith around the holidays.

Even though there are probably some good reasons to ponder the “reality” of the Nativity story over the holidays, I honestly don’t even think about it anymore. I once read a quote that went something like, “The question is not always whether it is real, but whether it matters…the things that matter most become reality.”

Atheist Sam Harris has written about “tiny lies” and the cost they have on our culture. He even discusses Santa Claus, taking on a popular non-religious Christmas tradition as a form of deception. I see Harris, much like my friend, in a very “stuck” place. When we bring the wrong question to the table, we often feel the need to “force feed” answers. No one likes being force-fed.

When it comes to Santa, the question for families is not so much whether or not he and his reindeer troop are real; rather the question is whether or not he matters. Because if he matters, every family finds a way to make him real during the season. [Read more…]

Community considers future of AMSE as Congress debates Manhattan Project park

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David Moore and Mark Watson

During Thursday’s community meeting at AMSE, David Moore, left, said a few words about his background after being introduced by Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, right. (Photos by Sara Wise)

 

The American Museum of Science and Energy Foundation teamed up with the City of Oak Ridge on Thursday to host the first of four community meetings meant to allow the community to have some input into the future of the museum, and how it might fit into the proposed Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

The first meeting was at the museum on Thursday night. It began with presentations that focused on providing information to help audience members make informed suggestions about the museum.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Communication Director David Keim was among those who made presentations. He said that the museum attracted 71,500 visitors in 2013 and received $1.6 million in federal funding.

Keim explained why AMSE’s contract with Enterprise Advisory Services Inc. was allowed to run out June 30. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project website launches

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Atomic Heritage Foundation Manhattan Project Website

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—With prospects for a Manhattan Project National Historical Park this year looking good, the Atomic Heritage Foundation is launching a timely new website for prospective visitors to the Manhattan Project communities at www.atomicheritage.org. The new park is expected to generate 500,000 or more tourists to Oak Ridge; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington, during the next decade. As a preview of coming attractions, visitors can take a virtual tour now and immerse themselves in the Manhattan Project online.

With colorful photographs, an interactive timeline, extensive articles on Manhattan Project history, and oral histories of hundreds of Manhattan Project veterans, the new website will be an excellent resource. One feature is the powerful new interpretive tool called “Ranger in Your Pocket.” Based on a BYOD or “Bring Your Own Device” strategy, this technology-based tool represents a fundamental shift in engaging visitors by empowering them to use their personal smartphones or tablets to create their own tour experience. The first “Ranger in Your Pocket” tour is to the historic B Reactor at Hanford. Additional tours under construction will feature Los Alamos and Oak Ridge and draw from AHF’s extensive oral history collection as well as documentary footage and photographs. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival features something for everyone

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Secret City Festival Crowd June 2012

A large crowd waits to hear music during the June 2012 festival.

 

Make plans to attend the 12th Annual Secret City Festival on Friday, June 13, and Saturday, June 14, in historic Oak Ridge. Join more than 20,000 visitors and residents to celebrate the end of World War II and the heritage of Oak Ridge from 1945 to the present.

Here’s an overview of some of the many activities and events taking place at this year’s festival: [Read more…]

Top 12 ways to have fun at the 12th Annual Secret City Festival

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Secret City Festival Logo

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  1. Start planning now for two days of activities to celebrate more than 70 years of Oak Ridge’s history. From 11:30 a.m. on Friday, June 13, until the concerts are over, there is something for everyone.
  2. Remember there is no parking onsite at the festival! Plan to park at the City Center and take a free shuttle over to the festival. For a map of available parking near the Secret City Festival, visit http://www.secretcityfestival.com/festival-411/parking/.
  3. Be sure to visit the Secret City Festival website (www.secretcityfestival.com) to plan your weekend. You will find all event information, tour schedules, and concert information here.
  4. Concerts are festival seating—don’t forget your lawn chairs for the best views and most comfortable seating. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. each evening to claim your seat. [Read more…]

Wilcox never gave up on plan to preserve K-25 history, former DOE manager says

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K-25 Building Aerial View

Now mostly demolished, the former mile-long, U-shaped K-25 Building is pictured above. Bill Wilcox, a former technical director at K-25 and the Y-12 National Security Complex, led the fight to preserve K-25’s history. Wilcox died Monday, Sept. 2, and his funeral was Saturday. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy)

The fight to preserve the history of the K-25 site in west Oak Ridge was long and arduous. Among the challenges were federal funding battles and deteriorated building conditions.

Other people might have considered the dilapidated K-25 Building, once the world’s largest building under one roof, a “useless hulk,” one friend and colleague said. But historic preservationist Bill Wilcox, who died Monday evening, never gave up on his dream of honoring the site’s history.

Now mostly demolished, the mile-long, U-shaped K-25 Building was erected as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. That was a federal program to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II. But the four-story building has been shut down since 1964 and fallen into disrepair, and the U.S. Department of Energy is converting the site into a massive industrial park and demolishing many of the original buildings. [Read more…]

Bill Wilcox, passionate advocate for preserving Oak Ridge’s history, dies at 90

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Bill Wilcox and Clifton Truman Daniel

Wearing his trademark bow tie, Bill Wilcox, left, is pictured at the New Hope Center earlier this year with Clifton Truman Daniel, oldest grandson of former U.S. President Harry S. Truman. (Photos by D. Ray Smith)

Bill Wilcox, a passionate advocate for preserving Oak Ridge’s history who was known for his bow ties and captivating storytelling, died Monday evening. He was 90.

Wilcox died at NHC, longtime friend Gordon Fee said. He had been moved there from Methodist Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized for almost three weeks with heart issues and shortness of breath, Fee said.

“We’ve lost a person who had more knowledge of our history than anyone else I’ve ever known,” said friend D. Ray Smith, Y-12 National Security Complex historian and newspaper columnist.

Wilcox was a chemist who started working at Y-12 during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal project to build the world’s first atomic bombs.

[Read more…]

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