Oak Ridge Today

Kern United: Pancake breakfast, plant and rummage sale, silent auction April 12

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Kern Church Men's Group Pancake Breakfast

Morris Osborne, a member of the Kern Church Men’s Group, serves pancakes to a guest at last year’s pancake breakfast. This year’s breakfast is Saturday, April 12. (Submitted photo)

The Kern United Methodist men’s group will host a pancake breakfast on Saturday, April 12, in the church’s Family Life Center. Pancakes with sausage, juice, and coffee will be served from 8 a.m. until noon for the cost of $5 for adults, $3 for children 3-12 years, and free for children under 3. Proceeds from the pancake breakfast will benefit the Men’s Club to help finance their valuable work around the church.

In conjunction with the breakfast, a plant and rummage sale will be held. Church members are contributing plants from their home gardens, and plants from Kern’s flower garden will be divided and sold. Lori McAlister, the owner of Tennessee Naturescapes, is also donating some native and prairie woodland wildflower plants. The rummage sale will feature all kinds of large and small miscellaneous items such as toys, kitchen and household items, flower pots, bird houses, books, gardening tools, sporting equipment, and games, among other things, a press release said. [Read more…]

Ulster Project serves up a ‘Taste of Ireland’

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Peace Sculpture Northern Ireland

Peace sculpture on the ancient city wall of Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland. (Photo by T. Burns)

The Ulster Project of East Tennessee will host “Taste of Ireland”—a “sense-sational” celebration—on Saturday, April 5, from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Family Life Center at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oak Ridge. Co-sponsored by the Knoxville and Oak Ridge chapters, the event will feature traditional Irish food and drink, live music, dance, and a silent auction.

Special musical guests, the local Irish/folk band, Shamrock Road, will entertain. Enjoy a buffet of traditional Irish favorite dishes and dessert between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Visit any of the four traditional Irish watering holes for something to accompany your meal or to quench your thirst from dancing a jig.

A “Taste of Ireland” is the perfect way to welcome spring and support the efforts to grow and sustain the peace process in Northern Ireland. The evening of food and entertainment costs $25 for adults and $20 for students (under 21) and seniors (65+). Tickets are available in Oak Ridge at Realty Center, 201 S. Tulane Ave.; at The Ferrell Shop in Historic Jackson Square; or through e-mail at [email protected]. Tickets will also be available at the door. [Read more…]

St. Mary’s Fall Festival in Oak Ridge in October

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Information from WYSH Radio

The 63rd Annual St. Mary’s Fall Festival has been scheduled for Oct. 4-5. The festival is not only a tradition for St. Mary’s Parish, but one the entire community looks forward to yearly, a press release said.

The kick-off for this year’s festival will be the 2nd Annual Road Rally. This is a competition of driving accuracy and will test the team’s skills of time, speed, and distance. Teams will be made up a driver and a navigator, and prizes will be awarded to the top three teams. A gathering of all participants will follow. The date for the Road Rally is yet to be announced. [Read more…]

Register by Thursday for UT Arboretum Society annual dinner

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Andy Pulte

Andy Pulte

Reservations are due by Thursday for an annual dinner and auction with the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society.

The Nov. 13 dinner will feature keynote speaker Andy Pulte, radio host on WNOX and University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences gardening expert, a press release said.

The dinner and silent auction start at 6 p.m. Nov. 13 at The Elks Club, 684 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge. The public is invited, and the cost is $25 per person, the press release said.

The release said Pulte is one of the hosts of “The Garden Guy” with Sue Hamilton on WNOX’s “Garden Talk,” a weekly radio show on from 8 a.m. to 9 .m. Saturdays.

His topic for the UT Arboretum Society dinner and auction is “Backgrounds and Borders Design Theory and New Plants for Everyone.”

“Paying attention to the specific emotions plant colors evoke is important,” Pulte said in the release. “Colors can be beautiful in peaceful, happy, relaxing, invigorating and even sad ways. The colors you ultimately choose for a garden should reflect the mood you want to express.”

He will also discuss using a set of newer or unusual plants you should consider adding to your landscape this year.

The press release said Pulte grew up in the nursery industry in Grand Island, Neb. He received his bachelor’s degree in horticulture from the University of Nebraska and a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee in the area of public horticulture.

He has worked at the National Arbor Day Foundation in the education department and the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb. He contributes to several gardening publications, speaks regularly to diverse groups, and travels extensively to feed his passion for people and plants, the press release said.

The Nov. 13 dinner and auction will begin at 6 p.m. with a social hour (cash bar) and silent auction followed by a buffet dinner at 7 p.m., then a brief business meeting and Pulte’s presentation. Silent actions items include fine crafts, gifts certificates, art, wine and accessories, hard tools, and more, the release said.

For more information on the Annual Dinner and Silent Auction, call (865) 482-9096 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Cash or checks only will be accepted at the door.

To learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org.