Oak Ridge Today

Reminder: Einstein Simplified comedy troupe at After Dark tonight

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Final two ‘After Dark’ entertainment events feature comedy, superhero film

The final two installments of this year’s Oak Ridge After Dark Series will feature comedy and a superhero film. The two entertainment events are scheduled for August 8 and 15 in A.K. Bissell Park.

On Friday, August 8, local comedy improv troupe Einstein Simplified will take the Performing Arts Pavilion stage for a free family-friendly show beginning at 7 p.m., a press release said. Einstein Simplified has been entertaining in the Knoxville area for more than 18 years. The act relies heavily on audience participation and gives everyone the chance to become part of the show.

No glass containers or alcohol will be allowed on site. Concessions will be available for sale. [Read more…]

Final two ‘After Dark’ entertainment events feature comedy, superhero film

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Oak Ridge After Dark

The final two installments of this year’s Oak Ridge After Dark Series will feature comedy and a superhero film. The two entertainment events are scheduled for August 8 and 15 in A.K. Bissell Park.

Oak Ridge After Dark is presented by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

On August 8, local comedy improv troupe Einstein Simplified will take the Performing Arts Pavilion stage for a free family-friendly show beginning at 7 p.m., a press release said. Einstein Simplified has been entertaining in the Knoxville area for more than 18 years. The act relies heavily on audience participation and gives everyone the chance to become part of the show.

Comedy night is sponsored by Classic Hits 93.1. No glass containers or alcohol will be allowed on site. Concessions will be available for sale. [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from Aug. 2-6

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge from Saturday, August 2, and continuing through August 6.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

ORCVB has special meeting Monday to discuss director search

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Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau

The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Welcome Center at the Midtown Community Center on Robertsville Road is pictured above.

The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau’s board of directors will have a special meeting on Monday, July 28, to discuss their plan to fill the vacant director’s position at the ORCVB.

The meeting will be held at the Doubletree Hotel starting at noon Monday.

The former director, Katy Brown, has accepted a new marketing and promotions job in East Tennessee, and her last day as president of the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau was July 11.

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from July 18-23

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge from Friday, July 18, and continuing through July 23.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

After Dark movie ‘The Goonies’ moved to Civic Center due to rain, storms

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The Goonies

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The location and time of the Oak Ridge After Dark event tonight has been changed due to rain and storms expected to remain in the region this evening. The event will now take place in the gymnasium of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, and the movie will start promptly at 7 p.m. No chairs can be brought into the facility, but blankets are allowed and the bleachers will also be available for seating.

“Although the weather poses a threat, we plan to keep the momentum of Oak Ridge After Dark going,” said Sam Jones, Oak Ridge After Dark coordinator. “The plan to host the event inside the Civic Center gym will ensure safety and comfort for all attendees. We hope a large crowd will come out to support the second installment of the series.”

The theme of tonight’s After Dark event is Pirate Night. Children are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters in conjunction with each theme. Themed characters will be on hand for photo opportunities. Visit the Historic Oak Ridge Facebook page or http://oakridgevisitor.com/2014/07/01/oak-ridge-after-dark/ for a complete list of scheduled films.

The After Dark series also includes a Comedy Night on Friday, August 8, followed by Hero Night on Friday, August 15. [Read more…]

New After Dark series continues with Pirate Night, ‘The Goonies’ on Friday

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Oak Ridge After Dark

Note: This story was updated at 3:15 p.m. July 18.

Almost 1,000 people attended the first-ever After Dark event in Oak Ridge last week, and the summertime entertainment series continues again this week, with Pirate Night scheduled for Friday, July 18.

The movie, “The Goonies,” will be be shown indoors in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Gymnasium because of the rain. It’s expected to start around 7 to 7:30 p.m. The Civic Center is at– 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Call the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau at (865) 482-7821 or visit the Historic Oak Ridge Facebook page for details or questions.

Children are encouraged to dress as their favorite character in conjunction with the movie, a press release said. Characters from the movie will be on hand for photo opportunities.

“So, bring your blankets to sit on the gymnasium floor or you can sit on the gymnasium bleachers,” the press release said. “Get out of the rain and enjoy a movie with your fellow Oak Ridgers!” [Read more…]

Brown leaving ORCVB for marketing, promotions job in East Tennessee

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Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau

The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Welcome Center at the Midtown Community Center on Robertsville Road is pictured above.

Katy Brown has accepted a new marketing and promotions job in East Tennessee, and her last day as president of the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau will be Friday.

Brown started as a sales manager at the ORCVB in 2001, and she has been president since 2006, or about eight years.

Brown will now be a marketing and promotions specialist covering Knoxville and Chattanooga. She declined to identify her new employer, but she said it is an established company.

Brown might be most well-known for her work on the annual Secret City Festival, including her promotion of the two-day celebration. But she has also been involved in a range of other efforts to help promote and market the city, ranging from hosting travel writers from across the country to working a booth at the Oak Ridge Marina during rowing races. [Read more…]

New Oak Ridge After Dark series offers movies, comedy

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Oak Ridge After Dark

A new summer entertainment series on Friday nights in July and August will feature movies and comedy.

The Oak Ridge After Dark series is presented by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. It starts July 11 and ends August 15, and it will feature three movies and a family-friendly comedy troupe performance at A.K. Bissell Park.

The series provides free, family-friendly entertainment in a safe environment for all ages, a press release said. Each night will have a specific theme to accompany the film. Here’s the schedule:

  •  July 11—Beat the Heat Night
  • July 18—Pirate Night
  • August 8—Einstein Simplified, comedy improv troupe
  • August 15—Hero Night [Read more…]

Fireworks, Independence Day celebration at A.K. Bissell Park on July 4

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July 4, 2012 Fireworks

The annual Independence Day celebration in Oak Ridge is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. July 4 and end at 10 p.m. with fireworks at A.K. Bissell Park. (File photo by Charles Samuels)

 

The annual Independence Day celebration and fireworks display will take place in A.K. Bissell Park on Friday, July 4, with festivities starting at 7:30 p.m. and ending with the fireworks display at 10 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Community Band will kick off the evening at 7:30 p.m. with a free concert on the Performing Arts Pavilion stage. The Community Band’s performance traditionally draws a large crowd, so the public is encouraged to come early with lawn chairs or blankets to secure a good seat, a press release said. This year’s Independence Day concert marks the 70th anniversary of the Community Band’s first concert that was held on July 4, 1944.

The firework display will begin at 10 p.m. and will once again be accompanied by music played live onsite by 96.7 Merle FM, the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau said in the press release. Radio host Jack Ryan will be broadcasting from the park beginning at 6 p.m. and will conclude with a patriotic medley customized for the city’s fireworks. The countdown to fireworks will begin at 9:30 p.m., giving listeners plenty of time to settle down, tune in, and enjoy the show, the release said. [Read more…]

Tours of Manhattan Project sites a highlight of Secret City Festival

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Secret City Festival Logo

One of the highlights of the annual Secret City Festival, taking place Friday and Saturday at A.K. Bissell Park, is the series of tours that run all day both days.

Each of the four tours will depart from the American Museum of Science and Energy at scheduled times. In addition, the Secret City Scenic Excursion Train will be chugging along during the festival.

Visitors will have a unique opportunity to tour three historic Manhattan Project World War II sites. On Friday, June 13, Y-12 will host tours from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The one-hour tour will include the Y-12 History Center, Building 9731, the Chestnut Ridge Overlook, and Bear Creek Road.

Also on Friday, visitors can take the U.S. Department of Energy Facilities Bus Tour, which is included with a $1 admission to AMSE. This tour includes stops at the Y-12 New Hope Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Graphite Reactor, and a tour around the East Tennessee Technology Park. A separate tour that focuses on the X-10 Graphite Reactor is available at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday.

On Saturday, there will be four opportunities to tour the ORNL Graphite Reactor. All tours will begin at the American Museum of Science and Energy. The Secret City Scenic Excursion Train will be running three tours as well. Departure times for both tours are listed below: [Read more…]

In first vote this month, Council rejects schools request for tax increase

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Oak Ridge City Council Budget Meeting

The Oak Ridge City Council rejected the school system’s request for a 37-cent tax rate increase on Monday, instead voting in the first of two votes this month to keep the tax rate steady for the seventh year in a row.

Note: This story was last updated at 9:55 a.m. June 10.

In the first of two votes this month, the Oak Ridge City Council on Monday rejected a request from school officials for a 37-cent tax rate increase that would, among other things, help fund a technology initiative meant to eventually provide an electronic learning device or tablet to all students.

Council member Charlie Hensley said the tax increase would be the largest in the city’s history, and it came in late in the budget process.

The property tax rate is now $2.39 per $100 of assessed value. The increase would push it to $2.76, and it could cost the owner of a $200,000 home another $15 per month.

“I was looking to support a tax increase, but the one that we got asked for is really, really high,” Hensley said.

There was a two-part vote on the budget on Monday. The first reduced the amount transferred to the schools to roughly $14.6 million, which was about $3.3 million less than the school board had requested, and it kept the tax rate steady for the seventh year in a row. The vote on that amendment was 5-2, with Hensley and Council member Chuck Hope voting no. [Read more…]