Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Senior Center to hold drop-in Veterans Day Recognition

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The Oak Ridge Senior Center will be honoring the men and women who have served the United States both present and past with a Drop-in Recognition on Friday, November 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

All veterans who pre-register by Monday, November 6, will receive a special goodie bag. You are urged to call the Senior Center to register if you plan to attend so staff can have an accurate head count of veterans attending.

Music will be provided by the Golden Eagles along with light refreshments and door prizes, a press release said.

Come out and enjoy this program and many others offered at the Oak Ridge Senior Center. Like them on Facebook, check out their website at oakridgeseniorcenter.com, or give them a call at (865) 425-3999 for more information about this or other programs offered at the Oak Ridge Senior Center and by the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department.

DOE Oak Ridge has Veterans Day program on Thursday

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James L. Campbell

James L. Campbell

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office will host a Veterans Day program on Thursday in honor of the courageous men and women who serve and have served in our nation’s armed forces, a press release said.

The program is scheduled between 10-11 a.m. Thursday, November 8, in the American Museum of Science and Energy Auditorium at 115 Main Street East in Oak Ridge. The new museum is near JCPenney.

The program will include keynote speaker Lieutenant General James L. Campbell, who is retired from the U.S. Army. He will share his thoughts on “Sacrifices of Service,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Area veterans invited to free Community Band concert for recognition on Sunday

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The Oak Ridge Community Band is pictured above in a concert directed by Dale Pendley at Oak Ridge High School. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Community Band is pictured above in a concert directed by Dale Pendley at Oak Ridge High School. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States, and to celebrate this event, the Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble will present “Musical Salute to Veterans” concert on Sunday afternoon, November 12, in the sanctuary at Central Baptist Church.

Central Baptist Church is at 130 Providence Road, just across the street from Oak Ridge High School. The performance will begin at 3:30 p.m., and all area veterans plus family and friends are especially invited to attend this concert, which will include recognition of veterans and their service to our country, a press release said.

There will be no admission fee for this concert, but donations will be gratefully appreciated, the press release said.

It said band director Dale Pendley has planned a program of patriotic music and tunes, along with a reading of names of veterans attending the concert. Men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces can sign their name, rank, and branch of service at the ticket table, and these names will be read during the concert program. Program announcer will be Maggie Bayer, retired USAF reserve lieutenant colonel and a member of the Community Band’s percussion section. [Read more…]

Celebrate Veterans Day with Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble on Sunday

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Pictured above is the Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble in a previous concert at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center. (Submitted photo)

Pictured above is the Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble in a previous concert at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center. (Submitted photo)

 

Area residents and in particular area veterans are invited to attend the Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble “Music for Our Military” concert on Sunday afternoon in Oak Ridge. The concert is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, November 6, in Combs Hall of Central Baptist Church, which is at 130 Providence Road.

The program will be a tribute to all veterans for their service to the country with music and a recognition of veterans in attendance at Sunday’s concert, a press release said. The program announcer will be Chuck Languth.

Veterans will be asked at the ticket table for their name, branch of service, and when they served, whether in peacetime or in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf conflict, Afghanistan, or in Iraq. During the concert program, there will be a recognition of these veterans and a heart-felt thank you for their service, the press release said. [Read more…]

Willow Brook students will perform patriotic music in Veterans Day program

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Students at Willow Brook Elementary School will perform a patriotic music program to celebrate America, our right to vote, and our veterans in a program next week.

The program by second-grade and fourth-grade students is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, November 7, at Willow Brook Elementary School.

“We would love for community veterans to come and be our special guests,” a press release said. “Please arrive early so you can check in as a Willow Brook guest through our front office prior to show time.”

This press release was submitted by Holly Cross.

Oak Ridge Schools employees wear jeans to work, donate $5 each to help veterans

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Submitted by Oak Ridge Schools

On November 13, Oak Ridge Schools employees took part in the 2015 “Jeans For Troops” fundraising drive benefiting the GI Go Fund, a nonprofit organization that helps veterans returning home find employment, go to college, access their health care and financial benefits, and link to housing.

During the drive, in which schools and companies from all across the country participate, Oak Ridge Schools gave their employees the opportunity to wear jeans to work in exchange for a $5 donation to the GI Go Fund.

“I am so very proud of our staff who honored military veterans and their families through this fun event,” Superintendent Bruce Borchers said.

“For generations, America’s teachers have been responsible for educating America’s children,” said GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous. “They have always been individuals that mothers and fathers could rely on to set a positive example for their children. This Veterans Day, teachers around the country have set the example to our nation’s children that this is a day to remember the men and women who have fought and died to preserve our liberties, our freedoms, and the American way of life.” [Read more…]

Photo: OS band at ORNL for Veterans Day

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Oliver Springs High School Band at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Nov. 11, 2015

The Oliver Springs High School band marches down Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Central Avenue on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015. (Photo by Rachel Brooks/ORNL)

 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory observed Veterans Day on Wednesday with a parade and concert by the Oliver Springs High School Bobcat Band, among other activities.

Other activities includes a presentation of the colors by the Carson Newman University Color Guard and a keynote speech by Lieutenant General George Fisher, U.S. Army (retired).

ORAU to honor veterans with event, open to community

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Oak Ridge Associated Universities will honor veterans in a Veterans Day event that is open to the community on Tuesday morning.

Lieutenant Colonel Martin Hartley, 151st Air Refueling Squadron commander, Tennessee Air National Guard, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker.

Entertainment will be provided by The Southern Brass along with a presentation of colors by the Anderson County High School ROTC.

The ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 10, at Pollard Technology Conference Center at 100 ORAU Way in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Former POW featured at Veterans Day program on Tuesday

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William A. Robinson

William A. Robinson

A Veterans Day program on Tuesday will feature a former prisoner of war who is a retired U.S. Air Force captain.

William A. Robinson will be the featured speaker at the 10 a.m. program on Tuesday, November 10, at the American Museum of Science and Energy. It’s hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office.

The program is titled “To Those Who Watch for Us.” It’s in “honor of the courageous men and women who serve and have served in our nation’s armed forces,” a press release said.

The program, scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, is open to employees and the public. [Read more…]

Veterans/Armistice Day observed on Wednesday at Civic Center

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Submitted

A Veterans/Armistice Day observance will be held on Wednesday, November 11, at 11 a.m. in Meeting Rooms A/B in the Oak Ridge Civic Center. Veterans and members of the public are invited to attend the program, which will feature music, reflections, and poetry to celebrate peace and to honor those who have served our country in the military.

If you were born after 1960, there is a good chance you don’t know that November 11 is Armistice Day, as well as Veterans Day. Armistice Day celebrates the coming of peace at the end of World War I, once optimistically referred to as “The War To End All Wars.” It became an official U.S. holiday in 1926 and is still celebrated in Europe at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to commemorate the signing of the armistice at that moment in 1918.

Veterans Day was established as a U.S. holiday by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954 to honor all those who had served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Ever since, Armistice Day has been overshadowed in the U.S. [Read more…]

Council could consider changes to Secret City Festival tonight, including move to fall

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Secret City Festival World War II Re-enactment 2015

A Flak 88 firing during a Battle of Normandy re-enactment at the 2015 Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council could consider changes to the Secret City Festival tonight, including an expansion and a possible move to the fall.

The annual festival could be expanded into a celebration that could start in October and run through Veterans Day (November 11), last at least a week, and include the Secret City Festival. The expanded festival—which now includes music, children’s activities, a World War II re-enactment, and vendors and exhibitors—could be called the Secret City Celebration.

The changes have been recommended by the Special Events Advisory Task Force, which was set up by City Council in February and chaired by Council member Trina Baughn. The task force was expected to meet for six months and then provide a report to Council.

“The idea is not to limit the celebration to a single event, but to incorporate other activities over an expanded period of time that allow for greater participation by both patrons and various organizations within the community,” Baughn said in an August 5 memo to City Council. [Read more…]

Council could consider Secret City Festival changes, including move to fall

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Secret City Festival Concert 2015

A concert crowd at the 2015 Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge. Concerts by the Marshall Tucker Band and Three Dog Night attracted the highest number of spectators in festival history. (Photo by Robert Welton)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday could consider changes to the Secret City Festival, including a possible move to the fall. The annual festival could be expanded into a celebration that could start in October and run through Veterans Day (November 11), last at least a week, and include the Secret City Festival.

It’s one of five changes recommended by the Special Events Advisory Task Force set up by City Council in February. Each Council member appointed a member of the task force, which was chaired by Council member Trina Baughn. The task force was expected to meet for six months and provide a recommendation to City Council by this month.

The City Council will need to consider an amendment to the Monday night agenda to formally include the recommended changes.

“The idea is not to limit the celebration to a single event, but to incorporate other activities over an expanded period of time that allow for greater participation by both patrons and various organizations within the community,” Baughn said in an August 5 memo to City Council. [Read more…]