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Street Painting Festival at Jackson Square will include Ed Westcott Challenge

Posted at 8:26 pm September 26, 2018
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

The annual Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, is fun for artists of all ages. This year’s festival, which raises funds for Roane State Community College scholarships, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 13, at historic Jackson Square. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

The annual Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, is fun for artists of all ages. This year’s festival, which raises funds for Roane State Community College scholarships, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 13, at historic Jackson Square. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

 

In celebration of Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary, the 19th annual Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival will have two “firsts.”

The October 13 event will be held in historic Jackson Square, and it will offer the first-ever Ed Westcott Challenge for artists interested in chalking a creative interpretation of a famous photograph by Manhattan Project photographer Ed Westcott.

The festival will, as always, offer prizes for artists in each category. But this year, artists in any category can win an all-ages, all-categories bonus prize as part of the Ed Westcott Challenge, a press release said.

Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge and a fundraiser for Roane State Community College scholarships, the annual art extravaganza will be held on Saturday, October 13, at historic Jackson Square. Chalking will begin at 8 a.m. Categories are available for all ages, teams, and families. Artist participation is free, the press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, College, Community, Education, Entertainment, Front Page News, Nonprofits, Top Stories Tagged With: 75th anniversary, Ed Westcott, Ed Westcott Challenge, fundraiser, Jackson Square, Leslie England, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival, Roane State Community College, Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, scholarships, street painting festival, War Ends

Westcott’s 95th birthday will be celebrated Jan. 21

Posted at 1:09 pm January 11, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Ed Westcott

Ed Westcott is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

The family of Ed Westcott, the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during World War II, is inviting the community to celebrate his 95th birthday on Saturday, January 21.

The birthday celebration is at 2 p.m. January 21 in the Wildcat Den at Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Westcott was the only authorized photographer in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal project to build the world’s first atomic bombs—before Germany could. Oak Ridge was a production site for the Manhattan Project, and the city, which was then known as Clinton Engineer Works, enriched uranium for the first atomic bomb used in wartime. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: 95th birthday, East Tennessee Economic Council, Ed Westcott, government photographer, Manhattan Project, Midtown Community Center, Muddy Boot Award, Oak Ridge, The Calutron Girls, War Ends, World War II

Oak Ridge celebrates new national park

Posted at 6:32 pm November 12, 2015
By John Huotari 6 Comments

National Park Celebration at Jackson Square on Nov. 12, 2015

The iconic “War Ends” photo is recreated in part on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, with a “Park Opens” photo that celebrates the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 8:20 a.m. Nov. 13.

Federal officials established the new national park that includes Oak Ridge on Tuesday. Oak Ridge residents celebrated on Thursday.

The new park, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, commemorates the Manhattan Project. That was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II, before Germany could.

Oak Ridge was the main production site for the Manhattan Project, and uranium enriched at the Y-12 National Security Complex fueled the first atomic bomb used in wartime. It was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, shortly before the war ended. [Read more…]

Filed Under: East Tennessee Technology Park, Federal, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Alexander Guest House, Alexander Inn, atomic bombs, atomic weapons, Barclay Trimble, Beta 3, Building 9204-3, Building 9731, Colin Colverson, D. Ray Smith, Department of Interior, DOE, Ed Westcott, Graphite Reactor, Hanford, Jackson Square, Japan, K-25 Building, Los Alamos, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, National Park Service, NPS, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Park Opens, Tracy Atkins, U.S. Department of Energy, War Ends, Warren Gooch, World War II, Y-12 National Security Complex

Ed Westcott: Chief photographer in Oak Ridge during WWII, Muddy Boot winner today

Posted at 1:47 pm December 31, 2013
By John Huotari 3 Comments

Ray Smith Presents Muddy Boot Award to Ed Westcott

Ray Smith, left, Y-12 National Security Complex historian, presents a Muddy Boot Award to Ed Westcott, chief photographer in the “Secret City” during the Manhattan Project in World War II. (Photo by East Tennessee Economic Council)

He was one of the first workers hired in Oak Ridge as part of the top-secret race to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II.

At only 20 years old, he became the chief photographer for what was then the Manhattan Engineer District, Clinton Engineer Works. He was the only person authorized to take pictures in the “Secret City” during the Manhattan Project, and he captured some classic moments, including the jubilation of Oak Ridge residents the day they learned World War II had ended.

Now 91, Ed Westcott was honored for his historic photography in a surprise ceremony this month. He was given the Muddy Boot Award by the East Tennessee Economic Council. The awards, which have been given out since 1973, pay tribute to people who have made East Tennessee a stronger region through their work and community activities.

“Ed’s photographs are so broadly used that they literally express our history and visually tell the unique story of Oak Ridge and its impact on East Tennessee, the Southeast, the nation, and even the world,” said Ray Smith, Y-12 National Security Complex historian. “So, he definitely qualifies for Muddy Boot consideration. Without Ed’s thousands of wonderful images, we would not be nearly as able to present our history.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: AEC, atomic bombs, Atomic Energy Commission, Calutron Girls, Clinton Engineer Works, Denise Kiernan, DOE, East Tennessee Economic Council, Ed Westcott, Energy Research and Development Administration, Hiroshima, K-25, Manhattan Engineer District, Manhattan Project, Muddy Boot, Muddy Boot Award, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Journal, photography, photos, Ray Smith, Secret City, U.S. Department of Energy, War Ends, Westcott Center, World War II, X-10, Y-12, Y-12 National Security Complex

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Classifieds

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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