The Oak Ridger
The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club and Oak Ridge-based Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning are sponsoring a hike in the New River Valley, along the New River then tributary Lick Creek, this Saturday, July 24.
The outing, guided by Tim Bigelow, will include a climb to the top of the ridge and hike out to the Lick Creek overlook for views of the New River valley and surrounding mountains, according to a TCWP news release. The eight-mile hike is rated as moderate.
Hikers can join a caravan or carpool from Oak Ridge to the Norma Road trailhead of the Cumberland Trail in the New River valley. Meet to carpool or caravan at 8 a.m. at Golds Gym/Books-a-Million parking lot along Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge, on the end near Salsarita’s restaurant.
Oak Ridge Today
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Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning and partners Clinch Valley Trails Alliance and Oak Ridge Greenways are sponsoring the second annual trash cleanup and hike on the East Fork Poplar Creek Greenway on Saturday, June 12, 2021. (Image by TCWP)
Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning and partners Clinch Valley Trails Alliance and Oak Ridge Greenways are sponsoring the second annual trash cleanup and hike on the East Fork Poplar Creek Greenway.
“This wonderful new trail, developed by CVTA and Greenways Oak Ridge, was recently completed along the banks of East Fork Poplar Creek in west Oak Ridge,” TCWP said. “The trail meanders through a nice riparian woodland along the creek. This trail is subject to occasional flooding, and help is needed to remove litter left behind by the water. There are also a lot of old tires and other debris that have washed from places upstream.”
Birding for people with disabilities set for May 27
Oakridger
Birding is an activity that can bring so much joy and empowerment to everybody, but not every body is able to go birding easily.
Join this UT Arboretum Society and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning virtual program on Thursday, May 27 to learn how those with disabilities can enjoy birding. Birdability Coordinator and Occupational Therapist, Freya McGregor (OTR/L, CIG) will explain how her organization focuses on removing barriers to access for birders with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, intellectual or developmental disabilities (including autism), mental illness, being deaf or hard of hearing and other health concerns.
Reactions to announcement; the future of the Horizon Center land?
Oakridger
Oak Ridgers are reacting to the news that developer H.E. “Rusty” Bittle now plans to put a proposed motorsports park in a different East Tennessee community than Oak Ridge.
Reactions from city, opponents, proponents
Explaining his reasoning for opting out of placing a motorsports park at the Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge, Bittle stated in his announcement that the U.S. Department of Energy sent a letter to the city Industrial Development Board last week stating that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and mitigation would be needed if Bittle decided to use the area for a motorsports park, which he had wanted to do. The additional testing, Bittle stated, could cost more than $7 million and take three to four years to complete, with no guarantees that final approval would be received for the project. The IDB or the motorsports park would have had to pay the cost, the news release stated. Althou