Why doesn't Sandite Pride cover more high school programs?

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Why doesn’t Sandite Pride cover Debate, Academic Competition, Theater, Band, etc. like we do with sports? Don’t we care about all Sandites? Don’t all our hardworking kids deserve recognition?

I would hope it goes without saying that of course we do care, but from the outside looking in I can see why it might not seem that way. Unfortunately we only have one full time writer and there’s just not enough hours in the day at this time. Sports are a lot easier to cover for a number of reasons. 

The baseball and softball teams, for example, use an app for scoring the games that automatically uploads all of the stats online where I can access them. Cross Country and Track results are also posted online. While I try to attend as many games as possible, it’s a great convenience to be able to cover those sports remotely. 

With wrestling, most tournaments are also scored online. And the duals are easy to get information on when I can’t attend because 100% of wrestling stats are scoring stats that go in the book. I have a good relationship with the wrestling coaches and can easily get information when I’m unable to attend events.

Football is only ten to thirteen games a year, so that’s easy to cover. I have also been appreciative of the volleyball coaches and basketball booster club for helping to provide results for those sports. 

Fine Arts and some sports have been neglected simply due to accessibility and time constraints. For example, while the school provides an app/website with sports schedules, rosters, etc., the debate and academic comp schedules aren’t even available on the school website. Some coaches, current and past, have been difficult to communicate with.

If the coaches of the underrepresented programs were to reach out or email us info, they would most certainly get coverage. But with my 80-100 hour work weeks, I just don’t have the extra time to be attending more events or emailing/calling people to track down info and expand our coverage.

In the almost three years since Sandite Pride incorporated, it has become self sufficient, but not yet profitable enough to be able to hire a second full time writer. Our team recently decreased from four to three. One accountant, one writer, and one part time writer, whose day job has increasingly conflicted with his ability to assist in local coverage. Notice what our team is lacking: a sales person, and an assistant.

As the only full time employee, I do 95% of the writing. I attend sporting events every Tuesday and Thursday, and most weekends. I’m at Board of Education meetings, City Council meetings, public forums, community events, ribbon cuttings, etc. I have business meetings to attend, I’m constantly driving hours away to road games, and in all of that mess I also have to find enough advertising to keep the bills paid.

In light of all of that, I hope you can understand why we don’t cover everything I would like to. In a perfect world, I would have multiple full time writers working together to make sure nothing goes without coverage.

Take a look at our Wrestling homepage, and the tremendous amount of time and energy that went into compiling that information. That level of care and dedication is what I want to bring to everything in Sand Springs.

I would love to have easily accessible databases on hand for every sport, as well as debate, academic competition, theater, band, national merit scholars, and more. If I had it my way, you could type in the name of anyone who ever lived in Sand Springs and find every single life accomplishment.

But I’m only one man. I’m 24, this is my first business, and I ran it like most people run businesses, we wouldn’t be providing half the coverage that we are. The fact is, it’s a passion project, not a get-rich scheme, and I can guarantee nobody else would put half as much time and effort into it.

Any time someone from the community can send us information, photos, etc. it is greatly appreciated. Sandite Pride is very much a grassroots response to a community need, and we need the community’s help to reach our goals.

Unlike other organizations, we aren’t backed by out of state billionaires with infinite resources at our disposal. We don’t have a downtown skyscraper with dozens of writers and photographers shooting on $2000 cameras. I’m just a kid with a personal laptop and a cheap camera trying to make a difference. 

So if you think there’s something we could be doing better, please help us. If you’re attending events that we’re not at, take down some notes, snap a picture, and send it all our way! Try your hand at writing if that’s something you’re interested in.

And most importantly, if you own a business or know someone who does, encourage them to advertise with us so we can expand our team and bring even more recognition to the great people who make this town what it is. 

Expedia names Sand Springs as Oklahoma's best getaway location

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Sand Springs Lake Park in summer.

Expedia.com, one of the nation’s leading travel websites, has named Sand Springs as the “Best Place To Escape To” in the State of Oklahoma in a recent travel blog.

California-based traveler Lily Rogers recently published the article, titled “Best Place To Escape To In Every State.”

“From quaint small towns to quiet nature preserves, this country is full of places to escape to,” says Rogers. Sand Springs has both, with a homey downtown shopping district and the largest municipally-owned nature preserve in the state.

Rogers references the Keystone Lake, Keystone Ancient Forest, and Shell Lake as reasons for her selection of Sand Springs as the best getaway in Oklahoma.

Keystone Ancient Forest is Sand Springs’s best-kept secret. The 1,360 acre park features 300-year-old post oaks and 500-year-old cedars with wildlife, beautiful scenery, and 4.4 miles of hiking trails. Famed Sleepy Hollow author and explorer Irving Washington even crossed through the area in 1832 and wrote extensively of its beauty and rugged terrain in his journals.

The City of Sand Springs recently passed a general obligation bond measure that will help to fund a visitor’s center and a watch tower that will elevate visitors above the forest canopy in the near future.

The park is only open to visitors on select Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in order to keep the area pristine. Hike With Your Dog days are also scheduled throughout the year, and the forest’s Fourth Annual Ancient Trail Trek is set for February 9th, featuring a 5K, 10K, and fun run.

The Ancient Forest isn’t the only unique natural site in Sand Springs. Visitors can also fish and boat on the Keystone Lake, Shell Lake, and the Arkansas River. Bald Eagles are known to nest at the White Water Off-Road Vehicle Park beneath the Keystone Dam, as well as in Case Community Park and other areas along the Arkansas River.

Two of the most historic sites in Sand Springs are the Sand Springs Lake and Centennial Park on Katy Trail. Centennial Park is the home of the sandy springs from which the town draws its name, and the lake park was once a weekend swimming destination for Tulsa-area families from the 1920s through 1950s. Now it is a quaint fishing hole with ADA-friendly walking trails.

Visitors have numerous lodging options in Sand Springs, including modern downtown hotels near the historic Triangle District, riverside RV parks, cabins at the Osage Forest of Peace, and the PostOak Lodge with its zip lines, disc golf, fishing, hiking, and more.

Art connoisseurs will enjoy the Shiny Happy Blue Dog exhibit by George Rodrigue, currently making its Oklahoma debut at the Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum, and numerous vibrant murals around the town. The Rodrigue exhibit will be on display through February, and numerous other events are on the horizon, guaranteed to give visitors a great time.

Sand Springs Event Calendar:

February 3rd - Fourth Annual Ancient Trail Trek
April 13th - Thirtieth Annual Herbal Affair & Festival
May 4th-5th - 100 Mile Yard Sale
May 10th - Third Annual Unity Praise concert
May 30th - June 1st - Eighth Annual Chillin & Grillin Festival
June - 29th Annual Kids’ Free Fishing Derby
June - Eighth Annual Big Blast Fireworks Show & Kids Fun Fest
June - Tenth Annual EuroMotor Extravaganza
July 3rd - Third Annual Riverfest and Sertoma Fireworks Show
September 2nd - 24th Annual Great Raft Race
October - Ninth Annual Boo on Broadway
November through December - Snapped In Sand Springs
November - Tenth Annual 2 Angels Toy Run
November - Third Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
December 6th-8th - Second Annual Hometown Holiday Christmas Celebration

To view the complete list of Best Places to Escape To, visit Expedia.com.

Editorial: It's high time to beautify Sand Springs

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This Centennial Clock is one of dozens across the State, commemorating Oklahoma's hundredth anniversary. 

Sand Springs is a wonderful community. I love it here. I was born and raised in Sand Springs and I've lived here for the majority of my life, with stents in Nowata, Bartlesville, Owasso, and Norman. I'm fairly well traveled for an Oklahoman of my age. The average American has visited only twelve states and at my 23 years of age I have been fortunate enough to spend time in seventeen, not counting layovers. 

I am not a turnpike traveler. I like to go with the land, not through it. I take the two-lane highways through the small towns that the interstate forgot. I read about them as I go, I stop in the downtown districts and see the sites. I use the pokestop information on the Pokemon Go! app to find unique parks, murals, statues, and other landmarks that I might otherwise drive right by. 

One thing I'm always struck by is how little art we have in Sand Springs. We have two existing murals and one that's still being painted. We have one statue and a handful of historical markers. That's it. If you visit nearby communities right here in Oklahoma, you're inundated with art. Not just the big cities like Tulsa or Oklahoma City, which have hundreds of murals across town. Sapulpa is the size of Sand Springs and has artwork on every corner. Drumright has a mere 3,000 people and yet their town is inundated with murals. 

Sapulpa Public Art

Drumright Public Art

Cushing Public Art

Sand Springs is in a pivotal time right now. With the demolition of the old steel plant, increased commercial development in RiverWest, and new businesses investing in downtown, the town has the opportunity to build momentum and really push Sand Springs into a new era of success. With the commercial development, we should also focus on developing the aesthetic so that the town doesn't lose its identity and end up like another Owasso or Broken Arrow, indistinguishable from Tulsa. 

The following are just a few areas that I think are ripe with potential for branding Sand Springs as a beautiful destination for a weekend getaway or a unique and perfect town in which to build a family and a future.

This grassy hillside is one of many empty areas that could use a little glam in Sand Springs. This spot is located on the southern side of US64 at the intersection with Main Street. The City already has beautification projects planned for many such areas, pending the passage of General Obligation Bond Proposal No. 4 this November, though this specific site hasn't been mentioned yet. A small flower garden here would go a long way, and it doesn't need to be some big expensive government project. This is the kind of simple project that a local youth group could knock out in a single afternoon. A mix of decorative rock and perennial plants would provide a low-maintenance and quality improvement to the town's beauty.

Nothing better to follow the hillside garden than a "Welcome to Downtown Sand Springs" mural. The US64/Main Street intersection is the gateway between old and new Sand Springs. On the south side you have the RiverWest development and the upcoming Sheffield Crossing development. An eye-catching garden and mural will help usher visitors from the modern growth to the heart of the city and hopefully encourage name-brand shoppers to spend a little time among the Mom and Pop shops that make our community unique. Efforts would need to be made to seal all of the cracks in the concrete where the weeds penetrate. Overpass murals have been done excellently in other communities, such as the I-244 intersection with North Greenwood Avenue in Tulsa.

Of all the sites in Sand Springs in need of a face-lift, this needs it the most. I mean no disrespect to the property owners, but most of downtown is red brick so this sticks out like a sore thumb. This is the side of the Yesterday to Now building and the parking for Hammond Family Dentistry. The white paint has clearly been touched up in various spots over the years so none of it is one consistent shade. This is also highly visible and unobstructed, making it a wonderful spot for a mural. The length of the building would bode well for a timelapse mural of Sand Springs throughout the years. 

There are many sites in Sand Springs that don't necessarily need a facelift, but would be fine candidates to receive murals if the community was in favor of more community artwork.
Left to right, top to bottom:

  • 21 East Broadway, owned by Montie Box Rental, currently leased by Bodley Insurance. 
  • 26 East Broadway, owned by Bekim Rexhepi LLC, leased by Napoli's Italian Eatery. This former site of the Sand Springs Trolley Depot aught to bear some reminder of its storied past.
  • 11 East 2nd Street, owned by Thomas & Sharecia Nowak Family Trust, leased by Boost Mobile.
  • 15 East 2nd Street, owned by Sand Springs Welfare Association, leased by Security Finance.
  • 100 North Main Street, owned by Tallent Electric, leased by Edward Jones and Chamber of Commerce.
  • 107 North Main Street, owned by Frank and Catherine Suraci, unoccupied. This is the first wall you see after entering downtown via Main Street.
  • 100 North Main Street, different side of aforementioned building.
  • 118 North Main Street, owned by Vazgen Minassian, leased by Doug's Rebuilders. 
  • 217 North Garfield Avenue, owned by Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. This building is probable the most visible location in downtown for a mural. 
  • 209 North Main Street, owned by IOWA LLC, occupied by Law Offices of Cynthia Phillips and Technology Consulting Services. 

This mural by Josh Butts is halfway done. The eastern side has yet to be primed due to the close proximity to power lines. 

The City of Sand Springs recently commissioned a pair of murals by Tulsa artist Josh Butts. One of these murals is about halfway finished on the abandoned Monarch Cement Co. silo just west of the Avery Drive-Highway 51 intersection. Neither the location nor the design of the second mural has been announced as of yet. City Council authorized $49,500 for the pair of them, funded by the Economic Development Capital Improvement Fund. That money is generated by a hotel tax.

SEE RELATED: City of Sand Springs commissions mural for abandoned Monarch Cement silo.

$49,500 is a lot of money to most people. It may not be a lot of money for a pair of high-quality murals, but it's a lot of money to the average Sand Springs citizen. 

I'm not advocating that the City authorize another $300,000 for murals. I'm a conservative. I believe that the government exists to provide essential services and nothing else. I love the mural being painted by Josh Butts, and I would love to see more of his work around Sand Springs, but I don't personally believe that the taxpayers should be forced to pay for it. 

Sand Springs is blessed with countless service groups and organizations. There are dozens of churches and youth groups. We have great organizations like Beautiful Living in Sand Springs, the Sand Springs Rotary Club, the Power of Partial Improvements, and hundreds of involved citizens who are constantly open to improving the community. 

The Rotary Club donated $70,000 in 2015 to help open a free public splash pad in Case Community Park. Case Community Park received a $2 million donation from Mike and Pat Case. The Rotary Club also sponsors Centennial Park where the sandy springs from which the town draws its name are located. Word of Life Church recently held a work day at Limestone Elementary where they painted several rooms throughout the facility to help the school district rebrand all their schools with black and gold. Church That Matters recently held a city-wide service day where they worked in parks, painted a bridge, worked at a shelter for victims of domestic violence, and even gave out free quarters at local car washes and laundromats.

The town has a long history of those with excess giving back to those with little. The town was born out of the charity of Charles Page, who used his wealth to open an orphanage and widows' colony. He also opened an amusement park and gave away major incentives to attract businesses to the town to provide jobs for his "children." Page had a sense of community that is still very much alive in the hearts of thousands of Sandites to this day. 

You don't have to be a millionaire oil baron to make a difference in your community. Maybe you can't commission a painting, but you can probably give five bucks towards a community enhancement fundraiser, or pick up a shovel and help plant a garden, or help pick up trash and tree debris after a thunderstorm. A few thousand people working together can get a lot done. Let's stop waiting on the City to pass bond issues and raise taxes to get things done. Let's just be involved citizens, get things done ourselves, and make this town the most unique community in the country. 

OPINION | Does protesting the protesters make you a crybaby too?

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The following is the opinion of an individual. It does not reflect the opinions of the company, the Editorial board, or the company owners. Opinion pieces from differing viewpoints are welcome, so long as they are written respectfully.

"I don't personally believe that black people are persecuted in America. I don't believe that there is still systemic racism in America. I have seen no evidence of it. I could be wrong. But the fact that there's a large amount of my fellow countrymen who feel persecuted, denigrated, and unfairly treated is concerning to me. It should be concerning to you. If you call yourself an American, you should care about all Americans. You should care about unity, understanding, and constructive discourse.

Rioting, looting, vandalism; these are all still present in our society. So when someone chooses to make a silent, peaceful protest that doesn't harm anyone in any way, we should applaud that.

I attend sporting events every week. Usually 2-3 a week. I see young people and adults, athletes and fans, casually standing during the anthem, not paying attention, looking at their phones, whispering to their neighbors, etc. I was raised to stand at attention, hand over heart, eyes on the flag. When the music starts you drop everything, get your hands out of your pockets, and take off your hat. I'm more annoyed by someone pretending to be patriotic but not actually paying attention than by someone kneeling, being quiet, and respecting those around them.

Many of the NFL athletes who kneel during the anthem have made statements that their actions are in no way intended to be disrespectful to the men and women who fought for our country. They simply want to bring attention to something that concerns them, and something that should concern all of us.

Our country has a problem that needs to be fixed. Maybe we have a problem with systemic racism. I don't know. But I'm 100% confident that we have a major problem with communication. People are too hostile. Both sides of the fence. Conservative, Liberal, Moderate, Christian, Atheist, Black, White: I have friends and family of all labels. The one thing that I consistently see in all of them is an inability to separate emotions from logic and listen to opposing viewpoints.

I've had friends who portrayed the stereotypical snowflake liberal, who think 50% of the country and everyone who voted for Trump is a disgusting racist. I've had friends who portray the stereotype of a hypocritical christian bigot. I've seen church employees talk about cleansing the world of Muslims who are unwilling to convert.

I also know a lot of loving and accepting people, both Christian and otherwise, who try to be compassionate to everyone.

There was a time when the radicals were a slim minority fringe group. The silent majority was middle of the road. Maybe it's the prevalence of social media. Maybe it's manipulation by the mainstream media. Maybe it's politicians, Hollywood, the NFL, whatever. Or maybe it's all of us. No politician, actor, or news reporter can force me to hate. They cannot force me to discriminate, stereotype, or make inflammatory statements. 

It's time for the American people to take responsibility for the condition of our country. Our economy is changing, our culture is diversifying, our values differ wildly. We can't keep pretending that our way is the only way, my way or the highway. We can't keep expecting people to settle for the status quo when they're not the ones benefiting from it.

The fact is, both sides are patriots. One side believes themselves to be defending their country from disrespect. One side wants to improve their country and see it move forward and succeed. There's no reason to be so bitter towards each other. The fact is, you can love your country and still see its flaws. America has done horrible things. Japanese internment camps, native American genocide, slavery, Red Scare trials, Salem witch hunts. America has also done incredible things. We defeated a world power to gain our independence and stand up to tyranny. We defeated the Nazis, we fought a war to end slavery, we fought a culture war to end segregation. 

There are people who actually hate America and want to see it fall. People who are actively plotting against us. Instead of condemning people who want to make America better, why not condemn people who actually want to see America fall?

Abortion, Confederate heritage, economics, nationalism, religion, sexuality. The number of controversial topics grows every year. People need to understand that it's human nature to feel threatened by the unknown. To be opposed to change and difference of opinion. But what separates humans from animals is our ability to use reason, to empathize with our neighbors, and to work together to make this country better for everyone, not just a few. 

The next time you see something that offends you, breathe. Relax. Don't waste your time being offended. It doesn't change anything. Take the opportunity to learn about someone else's viewpoints. You don't have to agree with them. You're not going to catch a disease. Stop freaking out on people, calling them racist, bigot, idiot, libtard. We used to spank our kids for calling people names. Nowadays it's grown adults treating each other like children, lashing out at people in anger with no goal of understanding them. Choose to be an adult today."

Editorial: River City Park doesn't need a renovation

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It's about fifteen till noon with a heat index of 89 degrees and a steady breeze to combat the humidity. I'm on my weekly trek through River City Park, taking photos of the construction progress, and I'm reminded that although all the hype is around the new projects in the park, the existing features are already worth the trip.

I parked by the Jerry Adair Baseball Complex, named for one of Sand Springs's greatest athletes, and rebuilt just a few years ago thanks to countless community donations and volunteer hours after a devastating tornado.

It is the West Side Alliance 3V3 tournament weekend so the soccer fields are packed. This is normal for Sand Springs. The WSA is one of the largest and most active soccer programs in the state.

The shaved ice banners are flying and the splash pad is open. A massive contribution from the Rotary Club and the nonprofit concession stand ran by WSA volunteers offer one of the best places in Sand Springs for kids to cool down and hang out.

Once you pass the hubbub of the Inez Kirk Soccer Complex, the park begins to quiet down.

The River City Trail winds along the river and with a little TLC along the shoreline, the park could easily be the premier viewing destination of the Great Raft Race 

I'm passing The Great Lawn and the new playground facilities now. For now the great lawn is a great mess, but soon enough it'll be a beautiful site to host concerts, festivals, and other community gatherings.

I stop at the playground to snap some pics and do a little playing of my own. It has been a year since Pokémon Go debuted, but it has managed to maintain its appeal for those of us who spent our childhood playing the games, collecting the cards, and watching the show. I battle the Gym located in the playground, then continue walking and hatching Pokémon eggs.

The restrooms are being updated and modern art is littered along the perimeter of the lawn. A minuteman stands to watch over the grounds, the mascot of Sand Springs. The amphitheater is exciting. I look forward to many great concerts here.

Once you pass the great lawn there's a boat ramp to the rive. The dam is open and the river is running. Not as uncommon as it used to be, but still a treat compared to the sandbars we're so used to. 

Volleyball courts have been here for ages, the Horseshoe pits have been relocated, and a Thunder Cares Basketball Court is being built.

I'm getting into the back of the park now. The Will Ramsey Softball Complex, the rodeo arena, the BMX track, and the disc golf course. Round Up Club volunteers are currently painting the facility in hopes of reversing a City Council decision to demolish it at the end of the season. The new disc golf course is nice. I've played it a couple of times now. 

I have reached the end of the park where it terminates beneath the Arkansas River bridge. The trail goes up the levee and meets Katy Trail allowing you to go into Prattville or back to Tulsa. The trail system will take you all the way to the new Gathering Place and beyond, though I don't see why anyone in Sand Springs would need to go that far when we have such a beautiful park right here.

Though the new additions are welcome, and the park has always had its flaws, the bones of the park will be the same in September as they were a year ago. Packed soccer, baseball, and softball fields. Tulsa's only BMX track, a uniquely wooded disc golf course, nearly a mile of river shore, playgrounds, a splash pad, and a well-paved and shaded trail. 

The $6 million renovation will bring improvements and additions to Sand Springs's flagship park, but a simple Saturday morning stroll more than shows that River City Park doesn't need a renovation to be one of Sand Springs's greatest assets.

How to de-clutter your Facebook news feed and never miss an important post

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Are you social media savvy?

You may think so, and you may be wrong.

The internet is an ever-changing landscape. A nightmare for those who are not technologically inclined, a headache for those who feel obligated to keep plugged in with friends and family, and a rewarding frontier for a new generation of entrepreneurs and activists.

Never in the history of the world has it been so easy to stay informed. But just like you can't browse a library properly without knowing the Dewey Decimal System, you can't browse the web properly without learning its language. 

Did you know that even if you “like” a page on Facebook, you might never see it in your News Feed?

There was a time when everyone you added as a friend, and every page you liked, showed up in your news feed. The stories were arranged with the most recent posts at the top of your feed, and the further you scrolled, the older they got.

That was a simpler time.

Nowadays it’s a lot harder to see what you want to see, and avoid what you don’t want to see. 

The internet no longer simply conveys information, it also collects information.

Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, YouTube, and all the other sites that you participate in are all collecting information on you. Everything you click on, everything you type, everything you read or listen to, is all going into storage. They analyze it, figure out what your hobbies, interests, and favorite foods are, and they market their information accordingly. They know your age, your location, your gender, and more.

So when Harper’s Hut decides to “promote” a post about their car show, Facebook will target people who are most likely to attend a car show. If you like pages that relate to cars, if you’ve ever made a status update about cars, then it’s very likely that the Hut's post will appear on your news feed multiple times before the event.

But Facebook doesn't just target the car lovers. Remember when you tweeted “anything fun and free going on in Sand Springs this weekend?” Facebook remembers, and they’ve got the answer for you.

On one hand, this can be a great way to keep up with what really matters to you.

Sure you liked your uncle’s page about homemade bracelets, but do you really care to see them every day? No, you don’t like bracelets. They’re bulky and get in your way while you’re working at the computer all day. But you love necklaces, and thanks to Facebook’s Orwellian tactics, you now know all about the upcoming sale on Summer Ellis jewelry at Ashton’s Boutique. 

But there’s a flip side.

Too much of the same information creates an echo chamber. You shared a cat video, so Facebook knows you like cats, so they show you more cats, and the cycle continues. Because they only ever show you cat videos, they’re completely unaware that your favorite animal is the capybara, and you’re wondering why capybara videos never show up on your feed.

So how do you control your news feed?

The first and easiest step to controlling what you see, is to make sure you have “liked” and “followed” the pages you want to view.

Morgan Miller, a partner at Sandite Pride News, surprised the rest of our staff when she liked our Facebook page two years after she was already an administrator. She assumed that because it showed up on her feed all the time that she had already liked the page. The reason it showed up on her feed all the time was because of how many of her Facebook friends were liking and sharing our posts.

While Facebook can be very helpful, its primary purpose is to be profitable.

In order to push businesses to spend money promoting their posts, Facebook limits the likelihood of stories naturally occurring in your news feed. However, you can work around this.

Firstly, don’t be like Morgan. If you don’t want to miss a post from a certain page, make sure you actually have liked it.

Secondly, check your “following” settings. You can like your mom’s home daycare page so she stops nagging you, but you can also “Unfollow” it so you don’t have to see her daily updates on what snacks the kids are getting before nap time.

There are two “following” settings, and the “Default” setting is what I previously described to you. You may see some posts, you may see no posts. It depends on what your interests are, and on whether or not that page is willing to spend money with Facebook. But you can also change your setting to “See First,” so that all of that page’s posts end up in your feed.

Thirdly, you can subscribe to notifications from the pages you are interested in. There are numerous settings for what you want to get notified of. You can receive notifications for All Posts, Events, Offers, and Live Videos.

So make sure you never miss another post from Sandite Pride News! See our posts first or subscribe to updates to make sure you always know whats going on in our town.

Here's ten recent stories you may have missed if you didn't have your notifications turned on!

  1. Sandite Pride releases 2017 Sand Springs Wrestling magazine
  2. State Senator Dan Newberry resigns seat to pursue professional promotion
  3. City of Sand Springs announces firework permit sales from June 12 to July 4
  4. Most-Anticipated Summer Blockbusters of 2017
  5. Sand Springs musician Hannah Rose releases More Than Conquerors EP and music video
  6. Longtime Sandite Coach/Athletic Director Cecil Hankins to be inducted into OBCA Hall of Fame
  7. CPHS Basketball: Holly Kersgieter receives offer from Oklahoma State University
  8. Three Sand Springs fishing teams qualify for National Championship
  9. Sandite of the Week: Daton Fix qualifies for World Championship in Finland
  10. Sand Springs wrestlers compete at Dual Nationals, place 4th with Team Oklahoma

From the Editor: Sunday July 31, 2016

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From the Editor’s Desk:

This past weekend was the annual Highway 97 Rivalry alumni game, and our practice run for the upcoming school year. With the first high school kickoff only four weeks away, our gears are whirring away at full speed to get our processes as close to perfect as possible.

The last two seasons have been an incredible experience and it’s hard to believe that we’re approaching our third year of covering Sand Springs sports. When we first began we were simply live-scoring football, basketball, and wrestling events. Last year we first began the transition to a news outlet with full coverage of almost every sport. Over the summer we’ve began to add in more traditional news coverage.

With the first of the fall sports slated to start in just nine short days, we’re excited to continue to expand and improve on our services. This year we’ll be working hard to bring coverage of all sports in Sand Springs, including golf, tennis, and more. We will continue to develop our reporting of all newsworthy events in the Sand Springs area and we welcome your constructive criticisms and feedback.

We hope you’ll be patient with us and understand that every new business has to deal with mistakes. The important thing is, we’re learning from them. This magazine isn’t about trying to make money, it’s about trying to provide Sand Springs with a quality periodical in which we can forever preserve the stories of our wonderful community.

Please feel free to contact us to give us feedback, tips, or just to say hi! We love to meet and get to know our neighbors. Send in stories, letters, photos, and other announcements and don’t hesitate to let us answer any questions you may have.

Also, our next digital magazine won’t be released until TUESDAY August 9th! From now on expect our weekly magazine to go up on Tuesdays, and eventually you’ll see us on newsstands on Tuesdays as well!

Ever Upward!

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
918.899.0823
www.SanditePride.com

From The Editor: Sunday June 19, 2016

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From the Editor’s Desk:

Greetings Sandites!

Thank you for reading the fourth edition of our new Sandite Pride News Weekly digital edition. We hope to be bringing this to you in a print format very soon!

If you’re new to our platform, I’d like to share our mission statement with you.

“Our mission is to improve our city by establishing relationships and building a family that works and stands together and celebrates each others' accomplishments.
We seek to be professional and factual, while maintaining compassion and honesty. We will report relevant stories in a timely manner from a positive perspective.
We will perform community outreach and look for opportunities to improve the quality of our environment. We will partner with local businesses, churches, youth groups, and other organizations, and support their visions for this community.”

What does all that mean? It means we’re here for you!

We want to help see your dreams through to fruition. We’re all Sandites, we’re all in this together, and it’ll take all of us working together to achieve the dream that Charles Page had for this great community! We strive to “think right” at Sandite Pride News, and that means helping the city any way we can.

Whether you’re a church, nonprofit organization, or even a for-profit business trying to do something special for the community, let us help you. Any free community event, such as church youth group events, vacation bible school programs, free movie nights, etc. are completely free to advertise with Sandite Pride!

We don’t look to profit off people trying to make a difference. Fundraisers where the host organization stands to profit are eligible for discounted rates on advertising as well. If 50% of the proceeds of your event go to charity, then your advertising is 50% off! And as always, we love our regular sponsors and advertisers who want to help support our vision. We offer full page, half page, banner ads, and more! Help us bring a light to this community and celebrate those who are achieving their dreams and putting this great city on the map.

We are always grateful for tips and information on any potential stories. Feel free to reach out today and make sure we know about your special events coming up! 

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
918.899.0823
www.SanditePride.com

This article was originally published in the Sandite Pride News Weekly Sunday edition.

From The Editor: Sunday June 12, 2016

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From the Editor’s Desk:

Greetings Sandites!

Thank you for reading the third edition of our new Sandite Pride News Weekly digital edition. We hope to be bringing this to you in a print format very soon!

This week’s edition is dedicated to a man very near to my heart, my late uncle, David Wayne Emigh.

David was the founding pastor of Word of Life Church in Sand Springs, and led our congregation for thirty years. In that time he touched countless lives, not just in our little community, but across the world.

From being a published author of three books and hundreds of magazines, to traveling the world in missions and founding hundreds of churches, David’s words have reached the hearts of many.

David means a lot to me, despite never getting to know him that well in life. I was only fifteen years old when he passed, and I wish that I had been closer to him. Overseeing a church of some seven-hundred people required a lot of David, but he still found time to check in on me when he could, taking me bowling, laser-tagging, and having me over for movies. We weren’t nearly as close as some uncles and nephews are, but I looked up to him then, and even more so now.

My parents split up in 2009, and despite his best efforts, my father wasn’t around as much as a son needs. I’m sure many of my readers can relate. When you’re a kid, you need role models, and you look for them wherever you can. Often times we turn to celebrities or athletes for inspiration. I was fortunate enough to have a great man to look up to, who left behind a smorgasbord of writings, videos, and recordings to learn from.

The five year anniversary of David’s untimely death is this Wednesday, June 15th. Our community lost an incredible human being, and many of us are still feeling the pain of loss.

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
www.SanditePride.com

This story was originally published in the Sandite Pride News Weekly Sunday edition.

From The Editor: Sunday June 5, 2016

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From the Editor’s Desk:

Greetings Sandites!

Thank you for reading the second edition of our new Sandite Pride News Weekly digital edition. We hope to be bringing this to you in a print format very soon!

In last week’s edition I talked about the history of Sandite Pride and how it all came together. To summarize it, we are not associated with the Sand Springs Leader, or the high school newspaper, The Sandtonian. We are a locally owned and operated company founded out of a love of Sand Springs and her people.

As a staff we believe there is no better community in the nation, and it is our goal to bring recognition to this great city and the incredible people who work day-in and day-out to make it that way. We believe that each and every citizen has a story, and we want to help them tell it.

Sandite Pride News, LLC consists of myself, Morgan Miller, Teri Emigh, and Virgil Noah. Morgan is our Executive Director. She helps oversee the flow of operations and makes sure that nothing is overlooked in the day-to-day operations. Teri is our Chief Financial Officer and handles our financial and legal obligations. Virgil is our Marketing Director. He works to establish the relationships with local businesses and organizations that are the lifeblood of our organization. As the Editor-in-Chief I am the voice of the company, and I decide the overall tone of our magazine as well as plan our long-term goals and purpose.

The fifth and most vital member of our team is you; the people we work for and represent, and care so much about. The whole reason this magazine/website exists is to bring the community together, to educate its people on current affairs affecting the city, to celebrate our successes and improve the overall sense of Sandite pride.

We hope you will work with us in this venture and we welcome your contribution. We are always looking for friends and partners in this journey and want to work together to make this town the best it can be.

Feel free to contact us any time for any reason. I can be reached at 918.899.0823. Morgan’s number is 918.508.9564 and Virgil’s number is 918.282.1243. Don’t hesitate to call us for any reason, or send us an email at SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. We are constantly looking for advertising partners, stories, news tips, and more. If you are hosting an event that you would like to be included in our magazine, let us know!

Sandite Pride News can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube. We also have an account with SmugMug where you can purchase prints or downloads of all our photography, including sporting events, graduation, and most recently the Word of Life Free Community Carnival.

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
www.SanditePride.com 

This story was originally published in the Sandite Pride News Weekly Sunday edition.

Editorial: To the Oklahoma State Legislature

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Senator Dan Newberry,

I hope this contact finds you in good spirits. I am writing as a citizen of your district, a resident of the 74063, to request your vote AGAINST SB609's creation of a scholarship savings program that would in any way shape or form direct monies towards private schools that could and should otherwise be used for the improvement of our public education programs. 

Private schools should remain in the private sector. Parents already have the option to remove their child from public schooling, they should not however be allowed to remove funding from our public schools and redirect it to an entity that does not exist for the public. I do not get a refund for roads I don't drive on for the use of improving my private driveway. Neither should private schools be funded by public money that should be used for the good of the whole community. 

As a passionate supporter of our public education system, I will be unable to vote for any senator or representative who would seek to remove even a penny from our already dismal public education funding. With Oklahoma already near the bottom of the nation in per-pupil funding, it is absurd to consider removing money from a starving school system. 

I hope you will do what is right by our young people and continue to invest in their education. Oklahoma should be making every effort to improve our public schools, not throwing in the towel and giving up on them. 

I hope to see your name not just in opposition of this bill, but in favor of bills that will increase our public education funding, especially in terms of teacher pay. It's time to end the exodus of teachers to Texas and other neighboring states. It's time we establish competitive pay for our educators so that we may attract the best and brightest. It's time to acknowledge that our single greatest asset is our children and that our responsibility is to build for them a better future and give them the tools necessary to build one for themselves. ESA is not the answer and it does not represent the values of Oklahomans. 

Thank you for your service to our community and thank your for your time in reading this email. I trust we can count on you to make the right decisions for our children. Our community looks to you for leadership, please don't let us down. 

Respectfully,

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
www.SanditePride.com

Editorial: To the Dreamers

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

People often give up on their dreams because they don't see success right off the bat. Today marks 1 year since I launched Sanditepride.com and I've invested over $2000 thus far. I didn't get sponsorship on day 1, or month 1, or even quarter 1.

But what I did do is reach more than 30,000 people this past year. That's just individual devices. Last month alone I had more than 20,000 views. When I started I barely broke 400 in the first three months.

I'm still a long way from where I want to be, but I've met a lot of incredible people who have been so supportive to me along the way. That's why I do this, for the people. I love people, I love to hear and tell their stories and see them succeed and celebrate their success.

My team and I have seen five straight months of growth and it hasn't been easy. It's been the furthest thing from easy. I put in more than 60 hours a week on a slow week. I got 4 hours of sleep Friday night in a Super 8 motel in Oklahoma City where there were people fighting in the street, drinking in the parking lot, and I had to call the cops after midnight due to gunshots.

I'm extremely shy and yet I have to force myself weekly to talk to people I'm intimidated by. I have diagnosed anticipatory social anxiety and depression. Every time I go into public I'm scared I'm going to offend somebody. That people won't like me. And it's not a baseless fear. I've had complete strangers message me to tell me that nobody takes me seriously as a writer. That I'm a disgrace. People can be cruel. Are they just mean-natured? Or acting out of some insecurities of their own? That's not for me to decide. But that kind of stuff tears at you. You wonder if you'll ever amount to anything. You wonder if your friends and family are just humoring you, and if you're really just a big joke. You think about quitting. It's not a passing thought. It haunts you.

But I can't quit writing. It's not in me. It is me. I am a writer. I've been doing it since I was a small child. It's the only thing in me that's ever persisted. Everyone goes through phases. At points I wanted to be a veterinarian, a director, an airborne ranger--live a life filled with danger. But all of that passed, and writing always persisted.

And so I've chosen to persist, come what may. Because to leave my dreams within my pillow would be something I could never live with. Because the lows I hit when people tear me down are nothing compared to the low I would live in were I to resign myself to a regular 8-5 job building someone else's vision instead of my own. And the lows are nothing compared to the highs.

The highs of hearing a parent tell you how excited their kid was when they saw an article you wrote about them. The highs of having complete strangers talk to you at the super market like you're old friends because they read your articles every week. The highs of seeing people succeed, from athletes at State Championships to singers on American Idol. Their joy is my joy, their heartbreak is my heartbreak. In the ministry I considered every teen who walked through the doors to be "one of my kids." That attitude has carried over into this new venture. Every young person I have covered means more to me than they'll ever know. Even the one's I've only known from afar, and never met.

I dream with them, and hope that I may use my dream to further theirs. 

So I say to you, don't give up on your dreams. There will be better athletes. There will be better photographers, better singers, better actors. But the talents and passions that God has put on your heart are there for a reason. Don't ever let anyone tell you you're not good enough. Don't let someone else's insecurities contribute to your own. People who have failed to fight for their dreams like to stand in the way of other dreamers. Fight for your dreams, don't become another cynical bystander who lets life happen to them instead of making this life their own. 

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” --Howard Thurman