community briefs

community briefs
- Thu, Jul, 30, 2009

• “Through the Lens of Ed Westcott: A Photographic History of World War II’s Secret City,” an exhibition of 80 framed images of Oak Ridge from 1942-1946, opens Aug. 1 at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. Westcott, the official U.S. Army Manhattan Project photographer, documented the beginning of Oak Ridge’s secret wartime project. For more information, visit www.amse.org

• Girl Scout Troop 432 invites all Brownies and Juniors to join them for two evenings of outdoor survivor fun at The Cove at Concord Park, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. Survivor Camp will begin at 5:30 p.m. each evening and end at 8:30 p.m. Entertaining and educational survivor-themed activities and meals will be included. Cost is $25 per camper if registered before July 31, and $30 per camper after that date. Space is limited. For more information, contact Kim Kazmier at kazmiertn@tds.net or at 865-966-9938.

• Ten Oaks Farm, 14350 Northshore Drive, will be holding a fundraiser for Snickers, a horse requiring tendon surgery. Procedure will cost $2,000. Money raised in excess of $2,000 will be contributed to Horse Haven of Tennessee. For more information, visit www.tenoaksstables.blogspot.com or call 865-696-4070.

• Knoxville Zoo’s African grey parrot Einstein will appear at the sixth annual Pellissippi State Hot Air Balloon Festival. Scheduled for Sept. 25 and 26, the festival brings balloonists from across the country to an event that is ranked by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the Top 20 in the Southeast for September 2009. Making a special appearance at this year’s festival is the Energizer Bunny Hot Hare Balloon, the tallest hot air balloon in the world. Also featured are live music and entertainment, children’s activities, food, arts and crafts vendors and tethered balloon rides (weather permitting). The “balloon glow,” always the most popular activity, lights up the night sky beginning at dusk each evening. Admission to the 2009 Pellissippi State Hot Air Balloon Festival is $10 for a vehicle pass, per day. All proceeds support student enrichment opportunities through the Pellissippi State Foundation. Hours for the event, located at 10915 Hardin Valley Road, are 4 to 9:30 p.m., Friday and noon to 9:30 p.m., Saturday.

• YWCA, in partnership with the Knox County Public Library, announced it has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to host The Big Read in East Tennessee for the third consecutive year. The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss and celebrate one of 30 selections from U.S. and world literature. The Big Read in the Greater Knoxville area will focus on “Bless Me, Ultima,” by Rudolfo Anaya. Activities will take place to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 through Oct.15.

• Standard Knitting Mills will hold its annual reunion from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1, at O’Connor Senior Citizens Center. All previous employees are welcome. Donations are welcome. For more information, call Cheryl at 865-254-3905.

• Friends of the Smokies announce its donors have now given or pledged more than $1 million to support “Trails Forever.”

• Town of Farragut is asking citizens to participate in a brief, online questionnaire to assist in identifying economic development opportunities at www.townoffarragut.org by clicking “Citizen Feedback” tab on the home page. For more information, contact Interim Town Administrator Gary Palmer at gary.palmer@townoffarragut.org or 865-966-7057.

• The University of Tennessee Gardens announces there still are opportunities to enjoy its “Books and Blooms” events through July 30. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. each Thursday in July, the area’s finest storytellers, surrounded by the beauty of the garden, will tell stories and perform book readings designed to entertain and educate. Free event is held rain or shine. Afterward kids can participate in craft time or enjoy sprinkler time during warmer weather. If weather permits, the book readings will be held in the Outdoor Classroom area of the Gardens. Parents are welcome to take a self-guided tour, bring a picnic lunch or soak up sun in the garden afterward. For more info, e-mail Beth Willis: ewillis2@utk.edu or 865-974-2712.

• Remote Area Volunteer Corps, the National Kidney Foundation Serving East Tennessee and The University of Tennessee Transplant Office will partner to offer a free dental clinic for dialysis and transplant patients Sept. 9 at YMCA Knoxville. Volunteer dentists, dental assistants and hygienists for this all day event. For more info, call 865-688-5481.

• The University of Tennessee announces a new research project will provide the first-ever record of seismic activity in the Tennessee Valley, providing new information not only on past quakes but insight into future activity, as well. Research team will explore sites from just north of Knoxville through Chattanooga area to just north of Rome, Ga. The area, known as East Tennessee Seismic Zone is the second most active area for earthquake activity in the eastern U.S.

• ç• The American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge will host the following events this summer: through Sept. 11 — “Department of Energy Facilities Public Bus Tour.” Sign-ups begin at 9 a.m., Monday through Friday, at AMSE Admission Desk. Must be U.S. citizen 10 years old and up. Photo ID required. Bus departs AMSE at noon and returns at 3 pm. Seating is limited. Through Aug. 9 — “Nikon’s Small World.” Features 20 award winning photomicrographs, taken through a light microscope, that provides a glimpse into the world unseen by the naked eye. Through Sept. 9 — “Robotics.” Traveling exhibition from Carnegie Science Center offers visitors a unique look at what robots are, how they work and how they could change the future. Through June 30 — AMSE will continue taking registration for summer camps. Through July 30 — “Opening of the Gates to Oak Ridge. A pictorial exhibition of the Elza Gate Opening, the speeches at Blankenship Field, the three-mile parade and events of March 19, 1949, when movie stars, radio personalities and national and regional dignitaries were present and participated in the festivities. Through July 10 — “Opening of AMSE.” A photographic timeline showcasing 60 years from the March 19, 1949 opening of the American Museum of Atomic Energy 1949-1978, which evolved into today’s American Museum of Science and Energy 1978 – Present. Through July 10 — “Greetings from Oak Ridge.” 1940’s Oak Ridge postcards donated by Riley Willis and a scrapbook of sketches, newspapers, and memorabilia from the World War II era Oak Ridge donated by George Hudson Family.

• Farragut Lions Club announces it has begun its 2009 membership drive and is looking for new members. Club meets twice each month (one lunch meeting and one dinner meeting) and holds several fundraisers each year. Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with 1.3 million members in approximately 45,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas. Lions are men and women who volunteer their time to humanitarian causes. For more information on Farragut Lions Club or to become a member, call Dr. Craig Hennie at Homberg Chiropractic at 865-679-2225 or Ray Lipps at 865-414-1007.

• Knox County Health Department will offer a series of quarterly cooking demonstrations titled “Change Your Diet, Change Your Life.” Focus will be on creating dishes to fit a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing taste. Anyone interested in preparing and eating fresh, affordable, nutritious food that tastes good is welcome to attend. For more information, call 865-215-5170.

•Theatre Knoxville Downtown will be performing Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo Aug. 1 through Aug. 23. The play centers on George and Charlotte Hay, two fading stars from the 1950s who have one last shot at making it big when Frank Capra comes to see their plays. The trouble begins when neither of them is sure which play they are performing! Thursday, Friday and Saturday showings are at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 Fridays and Saturdays, and $10 Thursdays and Sundays. To reserve tickets, go to www.theatreknoxville.com.

•The Girl Scouts of the Tanasi Council will be kicking off their second annual “Feeding Our Neighbors” food drive to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee on Saturday, Aug. 1. Donations can be brought to the Cokesbury United Methodist Church •Family Life Center at 9915 Kingston Pike from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. According to Second Harvest, food requests were up 28% last month compared to June 2008. The most needed items include peanut butter, cereal, macaroni and cheese, soup, tuna, and canned vegetables and fruit.

•Veterinary Services will be holding a “Puppy Fair” on Saturday, Aug. 8 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 263 South Peters Road to benefit the Young Williams Animal Shelter. Services range from onsite adoptions and examinations, to grooming and microchipping. Activities will include face painting, dog tag engraving, and Visual Imaging will be doing animal portraits. Several vendors offering other types of food and fun will also be onsite.

•The Tennessee Valley Machine Knitters Club will be holding its next monthly meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Oak Ridge. The focus on the program will be on the long stitch. For more information, call Marie Hickson at 865-457-0960.

•Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church will be holding AARP Driver Safety Classes from Aug. 3-4, from 9-1 p.m. For more information, call Gail Jackson at 865-694-0853.

•The Knox County Public Library’s summer reading program is over on July 31, which rewards readers of all ages with prizes. Preschoolers who can’t yet read must listen to 20 books and are then eligible to win a reward book full of free activities, snacks, and other treats. Readers up to 12 have to read for 12 hours. Teens have to read five books, and can win books full of passes to area attractions and restaurants and register to win a Wii. Adults who read four books can receive a canvas tote. For more information, go to www.knoxlib.org.

•East Tennessee’s Children’s Hospital’s Healthy Kids program is offering classes for parents and care givers. “Safe Sitter” will be offered Aug. 15 and 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Children’s Hospital Koppel Plaza. The cost is $25, and it will teach teens safe babysitting techniques and rescue skills. Participants must be ages 11-14. A CPR training course will be offered for $25 on Aug. 31 from 6-10 p.m. at the Children’s Hospital Koppel Plaza. To register for these classes, call 865-541-8262.

•The Blount Mansion Association has announced its 2009 Blount Mansion Historic Landmark Photo Contest. The winning photograph will be sent to the National Park Service’s National Historic Landmarks Photo Contest to compete against photos of other National Historic Landmarks in the southeast. If a photo of the Blount Mansion is selected, it will be featured in the National Park Service’s 2010 calendar. Entries must be received by August 30 and please limit one photo per entry. The winner will be notified on Sept. 1. For more information and contest rules, go to www.blountmansion.org or call 865-525-2375.

•The United Way of Greater Knoxville is kicking off its 2009 campaign on Sept. 11 with a Day of Service to recognize the eighth anniversary of those tragic events. On Monday, Sept. 21, local television and radio outlets will help out with a one day fundraising telethon. Knoxville’s Hallerin Hilton Hill and the host of Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Guy Fieri, will host an hour of entertainment. Music will be provided by the country rock band, KingBilly. An online auction will coincide with the telethon. Products and services from local businesses will be auctioned off online until Oct. 16. The campaign climaxes with the “4 Weeks 4 Change” spare change drive starting on October 12. Citizens of all ages will be recruited to donate change to illustrate the impact we can have when we “unite” together. For information about the auction and other activities, visit www.unitedwayknox.org.

•The Tennessee Valley Fair’s Fairest of the Fair pageants have been announced. The 51st Annual Fairest of the Fair Pageant will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 8p.m. The event is open to ladies ages 16-20. The winner will act as official hostess and representative of the Tennessee Valley Fair throughout the year, receive a prize package including a college scholarship and will represent the Tennessee Valley Fair in the state competition in Nashville in January. The Junior Fairest of the Fair Pageant will be held Saturday, Sept. 12 at 4:30 p.m. Its open to young ladies ages 13-15. The winner will assist the Fairest of the Fair winner as official hostess and Fair representative. The brand new Princess Pageant will be held on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. Its open to young ladies, ages 10-12. The winner will receive a crown and a prize package. For more information or to request an entry form, visit www.tnvalleyfair.org or call 865-215-1476.

•The Optimist Club of West Knoxville will be meeting Thursday, July 30, to hear President-elect Mike Dyer report on his experiences at the Optimist International Convention in Orlando, Fla. The Optimist Club meets every Thursday at Mama Blues from 12-1 p.m. For more information visit www.optimistwk.org.

•Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR) is looking for volunteers to help children and adults with disabilities for the their Fall Session of therapeutic horseback riding. Lesson Volunteer Training is Monday, Aug. 10 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Volunteers must be at least 13 years old, and experience with horses is not necessary. Junior Volunteer Training for 10-12 year olds is Tuesday, Aug. 11 for 5-7 p.m. For more information, call Melissa at 865-988-4711, or visit their website at www.rideatstar.org.

•The Alzheimer’s Association is holding a fashion show fundraiser at The Silk Purse Thursday, July 30, from 3-4:30 p.m. Channel 10 News’ Judy Gardner will be presenting the hottest styles from her summer fashion collection. Attendees can purchase tickets to win a prize, with all proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Association, and complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. For more information, call Dawn McBride at 865-690-4070.