Oak Ridge Today

Secret City Festival looking for volunteers

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Note: This story was updated at 12:30 p.m. June 5.

The Secret City Festival is looking for volunteers.

The 2018 Secret City Festival, celebrating the City of Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary, is June 8 and 9.

“It takes a great community to run the Secret City Festival, and volunteers are needed to help make sure all the festivities run smoothly,” organizers said. “Check out the Secret City Festival website for a list of activities. There will be a giant knock-out game to set a world record, a 75th Anniversary Parade, and the usual craft vendors, food vendors, and music!

“Please join us in the fun and volunteer for a few hours while you are there.” [Read more…]

Robertsville Middle chosen for Comcast Cares Day, volunteers encouraged to attend

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Pictured above is Carleigh Brown, a fifth-grade student at Robertsville Middle School who helped on the Baker Creek Preserve project last year in Knoxville. This year's Comcast Cares Day is at Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge on Saturday, April 21, 2018. (Submitted photo)

Pictured above is Carleigh Brown, a fifth-grade student at Robertsville Middle School who helped on the Baker Creek Preserve project last year in Knoxville. This year’s Comcast Cares Day is at Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge on Saturday, April 21, 2018. (Submitted photo)

 

More than 1,500 local Comcast NBCUniversal employees and their families, friends, and community partners will “make change happen” as they volunteer at different projects across East Tennessee on Saturday. It’s part of the 17th annual Comcast Cares Day, the nation’s largest single-day corporate volunteer event, a press release said.

Oak Ridge’s Robertsville Middle School has been chosen as a project site for this annual event. Robertsville students have designed planters that will be constructed and filled during the activity, the press release said. Volunteers will help with general landscaping and clean up around the school grounds.

Robertsville students and parents, community groups, and additional volunteers are needed and encouraged to attend a project, the press release said. For more information on how to get involved and to register, visit the Robertsville Middles School Clean Up Day link here. [Read more…]

Volunteers needed for Secret City Festival

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Secret City Festival Logo Web

Come join the fun at the Secret City Festival. Volunteers are needed to help make the Secret City Festival a success.

“Please consider volunteering for a few hours while enjoying the festival,” a press release said.

Volunteers can sign up on the Secret City Festival website at http://www.celebrateoakridge.org/volunteer. [Read more…]

Duhamel one of three male athletes of year for Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame

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Tennessee School for Deaf Duhamel Run at State Track Meet May 27 2016 Moore

Gashaw Duhamel, who ran cross country for Oak Ridge High School in the fall and track for Tennessee School for the Deaf this spring, has been named one of three male athletes of the year by the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame. Duhamel, left, an Oak Ridge resident and senior at Tennessee School for the Deaf, finished second in the Class A-AA 3,200-meter run in the state track and field meet in Murfreesboro on Friday, May 27, 2016. (File photo by Kindell Moore)

 

Gashaw Duhamel, who ran cross country for Oak Ridge High School in the fall and track for Tennessee School for the Deaf this spring, has been named one of three male athletes of the year by the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.

Duhamel, a high school senior and Oak Ridge resident, was selected based on his track accomplishments, said Jimmy Hyams, sports director at WNML Radio Knoxville.

Also selected were Sevier County pitcher Zach Linginfelter and Fulton High School football/basketball player Kentell Williams, who made All-State twice in two sports, Hyams said.

Duhamel finished second on May 27 in the boys’ state championship 3,200-meter run in Class A-AA in the state track and field championship meet in Murfreesboro. Before that, he finished second in the Class A-AA East Section Finals on May 19 at Christian Academy of Knoxville. [Read more…]

Duhamel, who ran cross country for Oak Ridge, signs with UT, finishes 2nd in state in Class A-AA race

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Tennessee School for Deaf Duhamel Run at State Track Meet May 27 2016 Moore

Gashaw Duhamel, a senior at Tennessee School for the Deaf who ran cross country for Oak Ridge in the fall, finished second in the Class A-AA 3,200-meter run in the boys state track and field meet in Murfreesboro on Friday, May 27, 2016. (Photo by Kindell Moore)

 

Gashaw Duhamel, an Oak Ridge resident who ran cross country for the Wildcats in the fall, has been signed by the University of Tennessee in Knoxville to run for the Volunteers, and he finished second on Friday in the boys’ state championship 3,200-meter run.

Duhamel attends Tennessee School for the Deaf in Knoxville. He’s reported to be the first athlete from Tennessee School for the Deaf to earn a Division I scholarship.

He finished second on Friday in the boys 3,200-meter run in the Class A-AA state track and field championship meet in Murfreesboro. Duhamel also finished second in the Class A-AA East Section Finals on May 19 at Christian Academy of Knoxville. The top runner in the 3,200-meter race at both meets was Johnathan Chavez, a Knoxville Catholic senior. [Read more…]

Wildcats freshman scores three TDs in 55-15 win over Lenoir City

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Wildcats Jordan Graham Touchdown and Panther

With UT Coach Butch Jones watching from the sidelines, Oak Ridge freshman running back Jordan Graham (30) runs for his third touchdown, a 60-yard sprint, in a 55-15 win over Lenoir City on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field. Blocking at right are senior Darel Middleton (9) and junior Tee Higgins (5). Middleton and Higgins both had TD catches on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:15 p.m. Sept. 19.

Wildcats freshman running back Jordan Graham scored three touchdowns, including one on the opening kickoff return and another in front of University of Tennessee Coach Butch Jones, during a 55-15 win over Lenoir City on Homecoming Night at Blankenship Field on Friday.

“It was a great experience,” Graham said. He gave credit to his teammates and their blocking for setting up his first three Wildcats touchdowns.

Graham, who ended with more than 100 yards rushing, started the scoring on a 91-yard kickoff return on the first play of the game. He initially fumbled the ball, but he recovered his own fumble and raced to the Panther end zone, first making defenders miss and then outrunning them.

Graham, a small, fast 14-year-old, scored again at 5:51 in the second quarter, sweeping around the right side of the offensive line after a toss from senior quarterback Jordan Dunbar, weaving through defenders in the center of the field, and running 59 yards to score inside the left pylon, making it 21-8. [Read more…]

CONTACT Care Line needs volunteers

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CONTACT Care Line is in need of volunteers to answer its Crisis Line and to make daily Reassurance Calls to its elderly, disabled, and home bound clients. CONTACT is a United Way Agency and all of its services are free of charge. They serve all nine counties in the 865 area code area.

CONTACT Care Line is offering The Art of Active Listening Training on Tuesday evenings from 7-9 p.m. for eight weeks from August 25-October 13 in the Austin Peay Building at 1404 Circle Drive in Knoxville.

A press release said this training teaches empathetic listening skills that you can use with co-workers, family. and friends. [Read more…]

Habitat for Humanity celebrates volunteers of the month

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By Charlotte Bowers

Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County has been blessed with incredible volunteers. Last year, we decided that we would like to recognize individual volunteers each month. Our community retailers and restaurants have been very generous in donating gift certificates and other items to reward our special monthly volunteers. Oak Ridge Floral, located in Grove Center, donated bouquets of flowers. Terry Stansberry, owner of Terry Tags, made a beautiful plaque. Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, The Soup Kitchen, Red Lobster, Krystal, and IHOP all donated gift certificates for these special volunteers.

Mary McKeethan

Mary McKeethan 

 

The Volunteer of the Month for April was Mary McKeethan. Mary has been volunteering her time in the ReStore since 2010. Her warm smile and friendly attitude make her a favorite of our customers. After Mary retired from the Jackson Square Pharmacy, she decided she wanted to do something for the community. Liz Vane, former family services coordinator at Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, told her about Habitat. She decided that working at the ReStore would be a fun way to serve because she likes people. Working in retail made her realize she loved interacting with the public. She also loves working with children. After substitute teaching for many years and teaching Sunday School at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oak Ridge, she now volunteers with the after-school program at Willow Brook Elementary School.

Jim Bailey

Part of the Wednesday crew with Jim Bailey at center. (Submitted photo)

 

 

The Volunteer of the Month for May was Jim Bailey. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Egg Hunt on March 28

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2015 Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 28, at 11 a.m. Hundreds of children are expected to participate in this annual spring event, a press release said. More than 15,000 candy- and prize-filled eggs will be hidden in Alvin K. Bissell Park with a first-, second-, and third-place prize egg in each age group.

This event will be held rain or shine so participants should dress for the weather. If severe weather prevents hiding the eggs outdoors, they will be given away in the gym and a drawing will be held for the prizes. [Read more…]

NAACP’s Oak Ridge/Anderson County unit meets Tuesday

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The monthly meeting of the NAACP Oak Ridge/Anderson County unit will be held Tuesday, March 24, at 6 p.m. in the Scarboro Community Center at 148 Carver Avenue.

Past events and upcoming projects will be discussed, a press release said.

The local unit continues to solicit members to serve on its standing committees so the organization can effectively address community-wide concerns. A sign-up sheet will be placed in the back of the meeting room, defining committees with the designated chairperson. Volunteers are needed to meet several concerns throughout the Anderson County area, the release said.

In addition to upcoming projects, David Mosby will provide his reflections on his trip to Selma, and Ella Dubose will provide an overview on her doctoral thesis, “Genisizing of Our Black Communities.”

Guest column: Investments—who do you trust?

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Lydia Birk

Lydia Birk

By Lydia Birk

The air waves are filled with commercials regarding which investment firm you should rely on; after all, you want to eventually retire and live comfortably and healthy and maintain your lifestyle. Yet, how much do you personally know about investing: the timing, the company’s track records, transparency, can they be trusted? There is an overload of information spinning around, and for many of us, it is confusing and time-consuming, so we trust our investments to the professionals.

Those of you who donate to the United Way of Anderson County and check the box to have Fund Distribution Volunteers make investment decisions are doing the same thing. Trusting educated, informed, committed people to invest your dollars where they will do the most good. In Anderson County, we have a multitude of programs that serve the needs of youth through food programs, backpack programs, after-school programs, preschool programs, utility assistance so they don’t shiver at night, programs to inspire, to encourage, to challenge. And programs that address the mental and physical health of our youth. Which of these programs are most effective, which ones address the most pressing issues, which ones are transparent in managing your gifts, do you chose to put a roof over their heads or food in their bellies? [Read more…]

Family Day at the Civic Center on Valentines Day

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the Third Annual Family Day at the Civic Center on February 14 from noon to 4 p.m.

All activities except public swim and concessions will be free, a press release said. Concession items will include hot dogs, nachos, chips, juice, and soft drinks. A free cookie decorating activity will be offered.

Discounted public swim times, in 30-minute increments, will be offered for $1. Children 2 and under are free. The public swim is open to everyone and is scheduled at the indoor swimming pool from 12:30-1 p.m., 1:15-1:45 p.m., 2-2:30 p.m., and 2:45-3:15 p.m. [Read more…]