Oak Ridge Today

Free community school focuses on waste disposal management

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Natalie Landry

Natalie Landry

Three Community School evening seminars on the topic of waste disposal management will be held at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church beginning Tuesday, September 15.

The second and third seminars are scheduled for the following Tuesdays, September 22 and September 29. All seminars will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and free child care will be provided. The church is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning have partnered to offer these seminars, a press release said. The Community School is made possible by a $20,000 Community Involvement Fund grant awarded to the Oak Ridge League by the New Mexico Community Foundation, and funded through the U.S. Department of Energy. A portion of the grant helped to fund an environmental program focusing on children at the ORUUC Rainbow Camp in June. [Read more…]

Opposing views on gay marriage: ‘Equality’ and ‘biblical values’

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Melanie Heiberg

Oak Ridge resident Melanie Heiberg organized a celebration at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Friday, June 26, after a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision made gay marriage legal in all 50 states. “This is about equality,” Heiberg said.

 

Note: This story was updated at 11 a.m.

There was a range of reactions in Oak Ridge and across the state this week after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision on Friday, June 26, that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. That decision made gay marriage legal in all 50 states.

Some said the decision made them proud to be Americans, while others worried about whether the country is straying from biblical values.

Melanie Heiberg and others celebrated the decision at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church last Friday. Heiberg said she was raised by two dads—her father and his partner—when she was in high school.

“This is about equality,” Helberg said. “Everyone is as important as the next person.” [Read more…]

No same-sex marriage licenses issued in Anderson County yet

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Jeff Cole

Jeff Cole

Note: This story was updated at 4:51 p.m.

The Anderson County Clerk received a few inquiries after the U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage on Friday, but the office hasn’t issued any licenses yet, an official said Saturday.

Tennessee officials had prepared county clerks for the landmark 5-4 decision. An email from the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office advised county clerks that Friday’s ruling made it legal for same-sex couples to marry. County clerks in the state’s 95 counties were advised to comply promptly, and implementing the federal court’s decision began immediately.

Anderson County Clerk Jeff Cole said residents could get same-sex marriage licenses starting at about 1 p.m. Friday (June 26), after county clerks received guidance on the issue.

“We had a few phone calls, but we didn’t issue any licenses yesterday,” Cole said Saturday. [Read more…]

ORUUC has free community meal on Friday, June 26 

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The Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church is inviting everyone to a free community meal on Friday, June 26.

The Stone Soup Ministry team will serve a summer menu that will include three bean salad, pimiento cheese sandwiches, ginger snaps, and fruit. Dine-in or take-out will be available in the ORUUC Social Hall from 5 to 6 p.m. The church is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

Some nonperishable family friendly groceries will be available for free to anyone in need, a press release said. [Read more…]

Local church makes plans for same-sex weddings after expected Supreme Court decision

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Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church

The U.S. Supreme Court will soon rule on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, and Tennessee residents and state government officials are waiting to see how the Court’s decision will affect the state’s policy. In the midst of the wait, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church has begun making plans, a press release said.

“In keeping with our beliefs and to offer a sense of love and support to same-sex couples, ORUUC will offer free wedding services and a reception for same-sex couples as soon as the County Clerks’ offices are able to issue licenses,” ORUUC minister Reverend Jake Morrill said in the release. “Those who plan to marry should call the church office to request a time to speak with one of our ministers prior to the wedding day.”

“In the Book of Ruth, when Ruth tells Naomi, ‘Where you go, I will go; your people will be my people,’ people don’t get caught up with the gender,” said ORUUC Minister of Faith Formation Reverend Tandy Scheffler. “What they hear is love. What counts in this life is love. And at ORUUC, we are ready to bless public commitments of love between couples who’ve waited too long for the rights and honor denied to their families.” [Read more…]

ORUUC free community meal is Friday

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The Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church is inviting everyone to a free community meal on Friday, May 29.

The Stone Soup Ministry team will be serving a homemade meal of meatball and spaghetti soup, garlic bread, lemon bars, and fruit. Dine-in or take-out will be available in the ORUUC Social Hall from 5 to 6 p.m. The church is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

Some nonperishable family friendly groceries will be available for free to anyone in need, a press release said. [Read more…]

Singer, songwriter Peter Mayer to play in Oak Ridge on Friday

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Peter Mayer

Peter Mayer

Guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Peter Mayer will play in Oak Ridge on Friday.

The concert by Mayer will start at 8 p.m. Friday, May 22, at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The concert was postponed in February due to winter weather. Tickets purchased at that time can be used for the new May 22 date. If unable to attend this rescheduled performance, please return tickets to ORUUC for a full refund, a press release said.

“Whimsical, humorous, and profound, (Mayer’s) music breaks the boundaries of ‘folk,’ and transcends to a realm beyond the everyday love song, to a place of wonder at the very fact of life itself,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Lunch with the League: Amending the U.S. Constitution

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Theodore Brown Jr.

Theodore Brown Jr.

A senior lecturer at the University of Tennessee will discuss the process of amending the U.S. Constitution during a lunchtime meeting in Oak Ridge on Tuesday.

Theodore Brown Jr., a senior lecturer in UT’s Department of Political Science, will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, May 19. The program starts at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The Constitution of the United States was ratified on June 21, 1788. In the 227 years since then, there have been thousands of proposals to amend the Constitution, but only 33 obtained the necessary two-thirds vote in Congress and only 27 (including the Bill of Rights) have been ratified, a press release said. Amendments can also be proposed by constitutional conventions called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures.

Brown will discuss and clarify issues surrounding the state-initiated process of amending the Constitution, the release said. His presentation will set the stage for a nationwide study of the amendment process by the League of Women Voters. [Read more…]

Free film on Friday looks at racial injustice, unconscious bias, prejudice

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Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church

A PBS film that looks at recognizing racial injustice and unconscious bias, bigotry, and prejudice will be shown at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Friday.

The community is invited to join the ORUUC group Allies for Racial Equity for the free viewing of the PBS film “American Denial,” a press release said.

The showing will start at 7 p.m. Friday, May 15, in the Social Hall of the church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

Following the film there will be time for a guided conversation. The event will last until 9 p.m. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge church goes green

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ORUUC Solar Panels

Rows of solar panels on the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church roof as seen from Oak Ridge Turnpike. (Submitted photo)

 

By Angie Palau

Just in time for Earth Day, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church is now an active Tennessee Valley Authority Green Power Provider.

The 20-kilowatt installation on the ORUUC sanctuary roof was completed in mid-April by Green Earth Solar, and the solar array has begun to generate clean power for the electrical grid. ORUUC is the first church in Oak Ridge to have solar panels, and indeed is one of the first non-residential buildings in town to have made this investment.

The project was fully funded by private donations from church members and friends and a grant from the ORUUC Endowment Fund. The configuration of the panels allows for expansion of its generating capacity in the future, something that ORUUC anticipates doing. [Read more…]

Anderson County Democrats to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Tuesday

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Former State Representative John Litz of Morristown will be the guest speaker when the Anderson County Democratic Party meets at 5:30  p.m. Tuesday, May 5, at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The Cinco de Mayo gathering will feature Mexican food, and those attending are invited to bring contributions to a taco bar or a side dish to share. The evening will also feature an auction of baked goods and Democratic-themed items.

Litz, a farmer who represented Hamblen County in the state legislature, will speak at 6 p.m. He served for eight years as a representative. Former State Representative Jim Hackworth of Clinton will introduce Litz.

For more information, contact Anderson County Democratic Chair Catherine Denenberg at (865) 483-4662.

Chocolate Evening will benefit Agape House on May 9

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Chocolate Desserts

Truffles, fudge, brownies, cake, and plenty of chocolate tastes to satisfy a sweet tooth will be offered at “An Evening of Everything Chocolate” on Saturday, May 9, in support of Agape House of Oak Ridge.

The evening, from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church will feature 10 tasting stations with a variety of chocolate culinary temptations, along with coffee and tea to wash them down.

Bakers and candy makers are invited to bring their best creations to the evening’s baking contest. For an entry fee of $10, bakers may enter any dessert containing chocolate, with celebrity judges tasting the entries and awarding a gold medal to the winning dessert. The dessert should contain eight servings. Contest judges will be caterer Judy Dodd, Oak Ridge City Council member Rick Chinn, and Oak Ridge School Board Chairman Keys Fillauer. [Read more…]