Oak Ridge Today

Youth Showcase, Auction features rising stars in benefit for Child Advocacy Center

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Sydney Buckner

Sydney Buckner will perform at the Third Annual Youth Showcase and Auction on Friday, April 22, 2016, at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

The Third Annual Youth Showcase and Auction on April 22 will feature rising stars—extremely talented performers in their late teens and early 20s—in a benefit for the Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County, a press release said.

The Youth Showcase and Auction is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 22, at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 per child/youth.

“Arrive at 6 p.m. to enjoy delicious treats, socialize, and browse the silent auction items,” the press release said. The performance begins at 6:45 p.m.

Matt Shafer Powell

Matt Shafer Powell

Matt Shafer Powell of WUOT-FM will be the master of ceremonies.

“Zach Farrar returns as auctioneer, and will get (the) audience bidding on exciting items such as Disney Park Hopper tickets, a Volunteer Princess Sunset Dinner cruise for two, beautiful quilt, etc., during the performance,” the release said. There will also be a raffle.

All proceeds will be used to provide services for children who have been victims or witnesses of child abuse, neglect, or other crimes. The services are provided by the Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. [Read more…]

Food, music at Taste of Oak Ridge to benefit Free Medical Clinic

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Taste of Oak Ridge

 

The format will be the same, but this year’s Taste of Oak Ridge will be held at the new Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Oak Ridge Turnpike—instead of in Jackson Square. It was moved because organizers weren’t sure when construction work might start on a revitalization project at Jackson Square.

Taste of Oak Ridge features food from Oak Ridge restaurants and performances by local musicians.

The sixth annual festival, scheduled from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, will raise money to benefit the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. The Free Medical Clinic provides free medical care to residents of Anderson, Roane, and Morgan counties who don’t have insurance and can’t afford to pay for care.

Area restaurants will showcase some of their finest food in small portions. The price range for the “tastes” from each vendor will be $1 to $4 per item. Tickets will be available for purchase at entrances to the event. Attendees can buy as many tickets as they want for $1 each. In addition, beer and wine will be available to buy.

This year’s Taste of Oak Ridge will be held in the parking lot of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at its new address at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike, north of the Joe L. Evins Federal Building. [Read more…]

Coffeehouse features local talent, new guitar class to benefit Free Medical Clinic

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Nicolas Cagle

Nicolas Cagle

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Guitars are being restrung, duos are reuniting, and vocal chords are being stretched yet again for the first coffeehouse of the summer.

Coffeehouse veteran Nicolas Cagle is especially excited to be performing for this fundraising series, now in its third summer. A recent graduate from Clinton High School, Nic wins over audiences with his big personality and vocal style. His vocal sound is unique in that he has a crooning quality that some say is reminiscent of ’50s great Buddy Holly.

Nic will be attending the University of Tennessee Knoxville in the fall, and plans on devoting much of his summer to not only performing at the coffeehouses, but teaching a new generation of performers as well at First Presbyterian Church.

An accomplished songwriter and guitarist, Nic will be leading a free guitar class for the next three weeks from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for young performers. Just as the swing dancing initiative last summer was created to give high school and college students another creative outlet and place to gather, the guitar workshop hopes to do the same. [Read more…]

Ukelele-strumming duo at Friday fundraising coffeehouse

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Claire Berger and Catherine Payzant

Claire Berger and Catherine Payzant strum their ukeles as they sing. (Submitted photo)

“Clear-toned,” “folksy,” and “spine-tingling” are apt descriptions of the performance Claire Berger and Catherine Payzant will give at Friday evening’s coffeehouse at First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge.

Strumming ukeleles and singing with a unique take on both old and new songs, they plan to bring something new to each song they perform.

“When this duo plays, the room is instantly hushed,” said organizer Sumner Byrne. “They cast a spell whether playing Patsy Cline or a recent cover.” [Read more…]

Local FIRST robotics teams dominate regionals, advance to national competition

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First Robotics Competition

From left, Oak Ridge High School’s Andreas Franco feeds discs into the team’s robot as Tag Groff, Oak Ridge National Laboratory mentor Mark Buckner, and Amelia DiAngelo manage the controls. (Photo by Jason Richards/ORNL)

Frisbee-flinging robots took over the Knoxville Convention Center last weekend, as thousands of high school students, mentors, and volunteers gathered for the third annual FIRST robotics Smoky Mountains regional competition.

Local teams Hardin Valley Academy, Oak Ridge High School, and Halls High School netted the championship title in a nail-biting finale at the regional event, qualifying them to compete in the national finals held April 24-27 in St. Louis. A team from Roane County High School, which won the Rookie All Star award, is also bound for nationals. The four high schools are among 14 teams sponsored by UT-Battelle, the managing contractor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The FIRST robotics competition gives high school teams six weeks to design, build, and program a complex robot that can meet the intense demands of the year’s game. Throwing discs and climbing pyramids were among the challenges of the 2013 game, called Ultimate Ascent. [Read more…]