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Zoo’s adorable ‘kids’

Baby goats and other animals get some attention


Mitch Hurley, goat specialist at the Little Ponderosa Zoo and Wildlife Rescue near Clinton, holds month-old baby goat Iva, a Nigerian Dwarf, as zoo guests behind him visit with other babies on Sunday, March 10. - G. Chambers Williams III
Dozens of visitors to the Little Ponderosa Zoo and Wildlife Rescue took the opportunity last weekend to have play time with some of the spring crop of baby animals, including goats, alpacas, lambs and calves.

The zoo offers exclusive access to the babies this year for $50 for groups of up to five people, or $100 for more than five.

Visitors participating in this feature are allowed to sit inside fenced enclosures and experience the babies up close.

Mitch Hurley, who is in charge of the zoo’s current crop of about 130-140 baby goats – kids – said they are the most popular of the animals people get to play with.

“We try to pick out about 10 of the baby goats that are the most playful and have the best personalities, and let people sit in the pens and visit with them,” he said Sunday as the bright, sunny weather brought lots of visitors to the zoo.

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Rocky Top celebrates ‘Arbor Day’ 2024: Community embraces Tree City designation


Mykaela Tackett reads a Dr. Seuss book, “The Lorax,” to students from Lake City Elementary school during the recent Arbor Day program at the Rocky Top Public Library, celebrating Rocky Top as a “Tree City USA.”.
In 2018, Rocky Top joined the ranks of Tennessee communities being recognized as a “Tree City USA.”

The city recently celebrated Arbor Day 2024 with a program at the Rocky Top Public Library that included students from Lake City Elementary School.

Mayor Kerry Templin’s proclaimed March 1 as the official Arbor Day 2024 at the February City Council meeting, and council members were told by Councilman Zack Green, who is also chairman of the city’s Recreation Committee, about the Arbor Day event.

Diane Warwick, retired Tennessee state forester, was guest speaker for the event.

Mykaela Tackett read the book “The Lorax,” by Dr. Seuss, to those attending the event.

Annalie Rogers, a student at the school, read the Arbor Day proclamation, and trees were handed out for the attendees to plant.

It was the sixth-consecutive year the city had hosted an Arbor Day event, which is a part of recognition as a Tree City USA.

Coal Creek Coffee made 40 cups of hot chocolate to be served as part of the refreshments provided at the event.

To earn a Tree City USA designation, a city must have a tree commission and meet other criteria concerning planting and preservation of trees.

Norris, which will hold its Arbor Day event March 29, was the first Tennessee city to earn the Tree City honor, 45 years ago.

Richard Chesbro: U.S. Navy


RICHARD CHESBRO
“Every day was a challenge” is how 91-year-old Richard Chesbro described his 21 years in the Navy.

Chesbro, who served from 1951 to 1972, saw action in Korea and Vietnam. He always liked the water because his father and grandfather were commercial fishermen.

However, Chesbro originally wanted to join the Air Force. As he was waiting to see the Air Force recruiter, a Navy recruiter came by and asked Chesbro to wait in his office. The he persuaded Chesbro to join the Navy.

Chesbro served on six ships and had two tours of duty as a recruiter.

It was on recruiting duty in Jackson, Mississippi, that he met his wife of 62 years. He retired as a warrant officer.

A highlight of his career was when he was serving on the USS Guam (LPH-9) in 1966 when the ship recovered Gemini astronauts Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon from the Atlantic Ocean 710 miles east of Cape Kennedy.

CORRECTION: In the Feb. 28 issue of The Courier News, the featured veteran was misidentified. The February featured veteran was David Hopper, U.S. Navy.

Egg hunt to be held on March 23


The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will hold its annual Easter egg hunt on March 23 at A. K. Bissell Park.
The city of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host its annual community Easter egg hunt on Saturday, March 23, at 11 a.m.

The free event will be a traditional egg hunt held at A.K. Bissell Park.

Parking will be available at both the east and west Civic Center parking lots. In the event of severe weather, eggs and prizes will be handed out via drive-through at the Oak Ridge Recreation Center.

The event is limited to children age 4 through fourth grade. Families are asked to pre-register at orrecparks.recdesk.com. Pre-registration helps staff plan for the correct number of eggs and other supplies.

The Recreation and Parks Department staff will make a reasonable effort to provide appropriate accommodations for children who require an accessible area to hunt. Parents are encouraged to call the department at 865-425-3450 to make arrangements.

Adult volunteers (age 16 and up) are needed to hide eggs, supervise the hunt areas, and assist participants. All volunteers should be prepared to work from 9 a.m. to noon on the day of the event, and should dress according to the weather.

The first 50 volunteers to sign up will receive an event T-shirt.

A pizza lunch will be served to all volunteers immediately following the event

For more information, call the Recreation Center front desk at 865-425-3450 or visit the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks website at orrecparks.oakridgetn.gov.