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Tickets on sale for Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival

Posted at 10:17 am December 22, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The 5th Annual Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival in Oak Ridge will feature three world-class storytellers from June 2-4, 2022: Sheila Arnold, Bil Lepp, and Kim Weitkamp. (Submitted photo)

The Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival in Oak Ridge in June will feature three renowned storytellers: Sheila Arnold, Bil Lepp, and Kim Weitkamp. The festival is scheduled from June 2-4, and “early bird” tickets are now on sale. This fifth annual event will be in person with four shows at the Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge, and it will include the story of the Oak Ridge 85.

Early bird tickets can be purchased online at Eventbrite or the Ferrell Shop (cash or check only) in Oak Ridge. “This is a great Christmas gift for all ages,” a press release said.

The two-day storytelling event on Friday and Saturday will feature Arnold, Lepp and Weitkamp, “who are known to audiences nationwide for their wit, wisdom, and abilities to make audiences laugh, cry, and reminisce,” the press release said.

On Thursday, June 2, Lepp will lead a workshop.

Arnold will highlight the Friday night performance by telling the story of the Oak Ridge 85, the 85 brave young people who were the first to desegregate a school district in the South, the press release said.

“Few people know of this 1955 milestone event that took place in Oak Ridge,” the press release said. “Sheila will honor the Oak Ridge 85 by telling some of their stories.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Entertainment, Festivals, Front Page News, Storytelling, Top Stories Tagged With: Bil Lepp, Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival, Grove Theater, Kim Weitkamp, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge 85, Oak Ridge Rotary Club, Sheila Arnold

Arts & Antiques in Jackson Square on Saturday features cars, chalk art, movie, book exchange

Posted at 11:18 am August 23, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Arts in the Square Summer 2017 500x773

Arts and Antiques in Jackson Square on Saturday will feature vintage and antique cars, chalk art and crafts, arts and antiques, food and the Oak Ridge Farmers Market, storytellers and authors, and a book exchange and the movie “The Pagemaster.”

There are two separate rounds of activities. Both will be in Jackson Square in central Oak Ridge.

The first round of activities, Arts and Antiques in the Square, is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. It will feature the Fast ‘N Classy Car Club, which is bringing vintage, antique, and new cars that are “fast and classy.”

Also as part of the activities, Jackson Square merchants have partnered with the Oak Ridge Rotary Club to promote the upcoming Street Chalk Festival. Sponsors and artists can come and register for that festival in advance on Saturday, said Linda Johnston, owner of Through the Looking Glass in Jackson Square. Artists will be doing chalk art in the square on Saturday, Johnston said.

Arts and Antiques will also include arts and crafts vendors, the Oak Ridge Farmers Market in the parking lot on the north side of Broadway Avenue, the Jackson Square shops, and food, including funnel cake, Johnston said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Arts and Antiques in Jackson Square, Arts and Antiques in the Square, Fast N' Classy Car Club, Jackson Square, Linda Johnston, Movies in the Square, Oak Ridge Farmers Market, Oak Ridge Rotary Club, Street Chalk Festival, The Pagemaster, Through the Looking Glass

Business leaders support new life for Friendship Bell

Posted at 12:20 pm June 2, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Pictured above are Alan Tatum, left, and Ken Rueter. (Photo by UCOR)

Pictured above are Alan Tatum, left, and Ken Rueter. (Photo by UCOR)

 

Submitted

When Ken Rueter and Alan Tatum met beside the iconic Friendship Bell in Bissell Park recently, they took a moment to reflect on the importance of preserving what the Bell symbolizes to the Oak Ridge community.

Tatum, an accelerator systems and stable isotopes group leader at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is co-chair of the International Friendship Bell Advisory Committee along with Pat Postma. Rueter is President and Project Manager of URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, or UCOR, cleanup contractor for the East Tennessee Technology Park and other sites on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Reservation. Both men serve on the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Advisory Board.

The occasion of their May meeting was UCOR’s donation of $15,000 toward an effort to construct a new peace pavilion for the 8,300-pound bronze bell. Cast in Japan in 1993, the bell was dedicated at its current location in 1996 as a 50th anniversary landmark for the creation of the City of Oak Ridge, home to nuclear production facilities that helped end World War II. The bell symbolizes the bonds of peace and friendship that have been forged by Oak Ridge and Japan in the decades since the war ended. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Alan Tatum, Bissell Park, City of Oak Ridge, International Friendship Bell, International Friendship Bell Advisory Committee, Ken Rueter, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, Oak Ridge Rotary Club, Oak Ridge Rotary Community Foundation, UCOR

Oak Ridge Rotary Clubs donate $10,000 to Friendship Bell project

Posted at 7:19 pm November 20, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

oak-ridge-rotary-clubs-donate-to-oak-ridge-friendship-bell-nov-17-2016

Oak Ridge Rotary Clubs announced on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, a $10,000 donation to the project to rebuild the pavilion for the International Friendship Bell and relocate it at Alvin K. Bissell Park. From left are Devrin Kuipers, president of Oak Ridge Sunset Rotary Club; Jennifer Campbell, president of Oak Ridge Rotary Club; Emily Jernigan, president of Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club; and Pat Postma and Alan Tatum, co-chairs of the International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

 

Oak Ridge Rotary Clubs announced Thursday that they are donating $10,000 to the project to build a new Peace Pavilion to house the International Friendship Bell at a new location in Oak Ridge’s Alvin K. Bissell Park.

The donation was announced by Devrin Kuipers, president of Oak Ridge Sunset Rotary Club; Jennifer Campbell, president of Oak Ridge Rotary Club; and Emily Jernigan, president of Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. It was accepted by Pat Postma and Alan Tatum, co-chairs of the International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee.

The check presentation was the start of a public campaign to raise $750,000 for the project. A total of $416,000, or more than half the money, has either already been raised or pledged.

Also Thursday, UT-Battelle announced a $150,000 donation to the project. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Front Page News, Nonprofits Tagged With: A.K. Bissell Park, Alan Tatum, Alvin K. Bissell Park, atomic bomb, D. Ray Smith, Devrin Kuipers, donation, East Tennessee Technology Park, Emily Jernigan, International Friendship Bell, International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee, Jennifer Campbell, Jon Hetrick, K-25 site, Kay Brookshire, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Rotary Club, Oak Ridge Rotary Clubs, Oak Ridge Sunset Rotary Club, Pat Postma, Peace Pavilion, Ram and Shigeko Uppuluri, Tom Beehan, UT-Battelle, Y-12 National Security Complex

Sponsored: Tennessee Credit Union Hall of Fame inducts two retired CEOs from local credit unions

Posted at 10:53 am June 10, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Tom Hilton and Wayne Hope

Tom Hilton, left, retired CEO of Y-12 FCU, and Wayne Hope, retired CEO of Enrichment Federal Credit Union, were inducted into the TN Credit Union Hall of Fame. (Submitted photo)

 

Created jointly by Volunteer Corporate Credit Union and the Tennessee Credit Union League, the Tennessee Credit Union Hall of Fame recognizes the valuable leadership and contributions of credit union people in the state of Tennessee. Beginning in 2010, the Tennessee Credit Union Hall of Fame has recognized the commitment, leadership, and service deserving individuals have made to the credit union movement.

The judges considered the following criteria when making their selection:

  • Years of service to the credit union system;
  • Positions of leadership on the state, local, or national level;
  • Demonstrated commitment to the credit union philosophy and services; and
  • Credit union system educational accomplishments and support.

The two 2016 inductees into the Tennessee Credit Union Hall of Fame both reside in the East Tennessee region. This year’s awards were given to Tom Hilton, retired chief executive officer of Y-12 Federal Credit Union, and M. Wayne Hope, retired CEO of Enrichment Federal Credit Union. Both recipients have lived their lives and modeled to others the credit union difference of “People Helping People.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Easy Street ATM Network, Enrichment FCU, Enrichment Federal Credit Union, K-25 FCU, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Oak Ridge Rotary Club, Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, Tennessee Credit Union Hall of Fame, Tennessee Credit Union League, Tom Hilton, United Way of Anderson County, Volunteer Corporate Credit Union, Wayne Hope, Y-12 FCU, Y-12 Federal Credit Union

Alexander to visit Oak Ridge, Knoxville, Johnson City this week

Posted at 2:23 pm August 31, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander will visit Oak Ridge, Knoxville, and Johnson City this week. The senator’s stops on Thursday include the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on Cherahala Boulevard in Knoxville and the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge.

The visits start at the Johnson City on Wednesday, where Alexander will deliver remarks at the Upper East Tennessee Chamber Luncheon and will be presented with the Spirit of Enterprise Award, which recognizes members of Congress who consistently cast votes that help businesses create jobs, a press release said.

Also Wednesday, the senator will visit Rocky Fork to commemorate the completion of efforts to protect the largest unprotected tract of land in the Southern Appalachians, the press release said. The Conservation Fund, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will host the event to celebrate the final transfer of land for inclusion into the Cherokee National Forest. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clubs, Community, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Health, Meetings and Events, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cherokee National Forest, David Reagan, Johnson City, Knox County Health Department, Lamar Alexander, Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Martha Buchanan, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Rotary Club, Randal Dabbs, Rocky Fork, Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, Tennessee Department of Health, Tom Frieden, Upper East Tennessee Chamber Luncheon

Spotlight: Rotary leads fight against polio

Posted at 11:25 pm October 29, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

‘We are this close to ending polio’

Rotary International, which includes some 1.3 million members in 33,000 clubs in more than 200 countries around the world, celebrated October 24 as World Polio Day.

Since 1985, Rotary has led the battle against polio, as worldwide cases plummeted from 350,000 per year to several hundred—a 99 percent reduction.

“This is a source of pride to Rotarians everywhere,” says District Governor Jerry Wear of Rotary District 6780, which includes East Tennessee. “In our relentless fundraising efforts and our participation in inoculation days around the world, Rotarians are committed to carrying this important mission to completion.”

Today, polio is endemic in only three countries—Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. When India came off that list in 2012, it was an important step toward eradicating a human disease from the earth for only the second time in history. (The first disease so eradicated was smallpox.) [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Honors and Spotlight, Nonprofits Tagged With: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Sergeant, East Tennessee, Gates Foundation, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, James Lacey, Jerry Wear, John Germ, Oak Ridge Rotary Club, polio, Rotary, Rotary Club of Chattanooga, Rotary District 6780, Rotary International, World Polio Day

Dragon Boat racers prepare for inaugural festival in May

Posted at 12:43 am April 1, 2014
By Sara Wise Leave a Comment

Penny Behling Emerald Youth Dragon Boat Racing

Penny Behling teaches youth and mentors of Emerald Youth’s Just Lead program the fundamentals of dragon boat racing on Monday at Melton Lake Park. (Photos by Sara Wise)

On Monday, Dynamic Dragon Boats came to Oak Ridge to prepare locals for the city’s Inaugural Dragon Boat Race scheduled for May 31.

Monday’s event served as a beginner’s guide to the city’s first event, but also hosted young adults in Emerald Youth Foundation’s JustLead group.

Penny Behling and her husband, Chris, own the Dragon Boat company, a Knoxville firm that participates in dragon boat events around the country. The pair said the sport is really gaining interest in the Knoxville area, with inaugural events in Oak Ridge and Blount County scheduled this spring and summer, as well as Knoxville’s Dragon Boat race June 21.

Dragon boats are long canoe-like boats adorned with the faces of Chinese dragons. They hold teams of 20 with participants arranged by size.

Behling said dragon boat festivals are gaining steam in the area simply because dragon boating is easy to do. This year, she has five scheduled events in Tennessee, and more nationwide.

“It’s very popular,” she said. “People realize they can do it and that it doesn’t take a super fit human being. This is something anybody can do.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clubs, Community, Recreation, Sports, Top Stories Tagged With: Chris Behling, Dragon Boat Race, dragon boats, Dynamic Dragon Boats, Emerald Youth Foundation, JustLead, Keith Kahl, Mark Watson, New China Palace, Oak Ridge Rotary Association, Oak Ridge Rotary Club, ORRA, Penny Behling

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Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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