Registration opens for 2019 Great Raft Race

/

Registration is officially open for the 2019 Great Tulsa Raft Race, which will take place on Labor Day, September 2nd. Early bird prices start at $45 per participant and will increase to $55 in July and $70 in August. Registration will close August 30th.

Participants can enter kayaks, canoes, inflatable rafts, or homemade rafts. The race launches on the Arkansas River from Case Community Park in Sand Springs and terminates in Tulsa’s River West Festival Park.

The historic race ran annually from 1973 to 1991 before being resurrected in 2015. It is hosted by the Tulsa Young Professional Foundation.

There are two categories for homemade rafts. Small rafts can be no larger than 8 x 10 feet, while large rafts can be no larger than 12 x 16 ft. The organization will have one-man kayaks and six-person inflatable rubber rafts for rental.

Both Corporate Challengers and recreational Pokey Okies will receive prizes for Best of Show, Best Engineered, and Most Creative. The Corporate division will also be timed with a Fastest Down the River award.

Free registration will be provided for 15 local schools to participate in the STEM School Challenge. Students age 12 and over will use their skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to compete in the same four categories as the corporate challengers.

A Cardboard Regatta race will be held in the lagoon at the Finish Line Festival for students under the age of 12. They can build their cardboard raft ahead of time or with free provided materials the day-of.

River West park will host the Finish Line Festival with music, food trucks, inflatable activities, lawn games, retail vendors, and more. Admission is free to spectators, though pets will not be permitted.

In the event that water levels are too low to float, or too high to float safely, full refunds will be issued for all participants. Severe weather conditions could also cancel or delay the event.

Click here to visit the registration site.

Click here to apply for the STEM Challenge.

For more information click here to visit the official Raft Race site.

Power of Partial Improvements to host cleanup day Tuesday at Case Community Park

/

Volunteers work in Case Community Park at a Saturday volunteer event.

Tulsa-based nonprofit “Power of Partial Improvements” will be hosting a volunteer day Tuesday in Sand Springs to help with the flood damage in Case Community Park.

The 120-acre park was under 4-8 feet of water for more than a week and it will remain closed to the public for the foreseeable future. The City of Sand Springs held a community cleanup day Saturday that attracted about 400 people, but the work is far from finished.

Power of Partial Improvements is focused on aiding in the conservation and maintenance of Oklahoma’s 55,646 miles of shoreline. In the past they have worked to clean up areas in the old Estill Park area along Wekiwa Road that have been used as illegal dumping grounds.

They won’t be doing too much around the Arkansas River shoreline this week due to the large number of displaced snakes. Instead they’ll be working to clean up the area around the Rotary Super Splash Pad and the youth sports facilities.

The group has a large number of volunteers visiting from Texas, and is also encouraging the local community to come out and find somewhere to get plugged in. PPI will be working from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a lunch break from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Equipment and lunch will be provided, but volunteers are instructed to wear close-toed shoes.

Volunteers will meet at Case Community Center at 1050 West Wekiwa Road.

Flood damage cleanup day scheduled for Case Community Park

/

Sand Springs, OK - The Sand Springs Local Church Network and the City of Sand Springs is teaming up to create a special Case Community Park Cleanup event this Saturday, June 8, 2019.

The volunteer cleanup event is open to everyone and will be assisted by City of Sand Springs Parks staff. Volunteers should arrive before 8:00 a.m. Parking will be located at the south end of the Case Community Center parking lot (1050 W. Wekiwa Road, Sand Springs, OK). All volunteers will be asked to sign in, in order to help the community receive additional FEMA credit for their efforts.

Volunteers will split into several teams, covering much of the 120-acre park site, which was heavily damaged from the historical flood event this month. Workers are advised to wear work clothes, gloves, proper footwear, hat and sunscreen. The event is weather dependent.

All parties interested in helping out should monitor the City of Sand Springs Facebook page, which includes a “special event” posting on this gathering with real time updates including weather information.

Volunteers do not need to bring anything, however those who are able and willing to bring and operate small chain saws and gasoline powered backpack blowers are needed. Sweep brooms are also needed. Other tasks will include relocating metal bleachers washed away; picking up tree debris, operating pressure washers, sweeping and blowing off concrete walks, splash pads and more.

Residents Urged to Use Caution When Reentering Flooded Homes

/

As many residents prepare to return to their homes and property damaged by floodwaters, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) encourages the public to use caution when reentering their home.

Scott Sproat, director of the OSDH Emergency Preparedness and Response Service, said there are a number of factors for residents to consider.

“In the upcoming weeks, there will be many Oklahomans returning to damaged homes,” said Sproat. “We want to ensure the public’s health and safety as we continue to recover from the recent disaster.”

If a flooded home has been closed up for several days, residents should assume there is mold and take proper precautions. Occupants should enter the home briefly to open doors and windows to let the house air out for at least 30 minutes before staying for any length of time. After standing water has been removed, use fans and dehumidifiers to help remove excess moisture. Fans should be placed at a window or door to blow the air outwards rather than inwards, so not to spread the mold.

It is recommended to have the home’s heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system checked and cleaned by a maintenance or service professional who is experienced in mold cleanup before being turned on. If the HVAC system was flooded with water, turning on the mold-contaminated HVAC will spread mold throughout the house. Professional cleaning will kill the mold and prevent later mold growth. When the service determines that the system is clean and if it is safe to do so, turn it on and use it to help remove excess moisture from your home.

The following additional safety tips are recommended:

  • Ensure the utilities to a flooded building are shut off. Homeowners who are not familiar with electricity or their home’s electrical system should contact a professional to help make the property safe from electrical hazards.

  • Use flashlights. Avoid using lanterns, torches or matches to examine dark buildings. Flammable gases may be present and open flames can cause a fire or explosion.

  • Generators or other gasoline-powered machinery should only be used outdoors away from doors and windows as carbon monoxide exhaust can be fatal.

  • Contact your doctor if you’re concerned about medications having spoiled.

  • Throw away food that may have come in contact with flood or storm water as well as perishable foods which have not been refrigerated properly due to power outages. When in doubt, throw it out.

  • Be on the lookout for snakes or rodents which may be looking for shelter on higher ground.

For more information about safety after a disaster, visit www.cdc.gov or www.ready.gov.

Keystone Dam outflow reduced, community meeting scheduled and other resources for flood victims

/

For the first time in weeks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun significantly scaling back release rates at the Keystone Dam. By 2:00 p.m. Thursday outflow had been reduced from 275,000 cubic feet per second to 230,000. Inflow is down to 204,251 cf/s, its lowest rate since May 20th. The flood pool is at 104.9% with pool elevation at 755.5 feet. With no additional rains, the Corps is projecting 100,000 cf/s by June 3rd.

By Monday evening the Sand Springs Police had shut down Highway 51 all the way from Riverview RV Park to 145th West Avenue due to flooding from Anderson Creek. The Arkansas River tributary was one of the first places to flood in Sand Springs, taking out the Meadow Valley subdivision, the Webco Star Center, Sand Springs Sand and Gravel Company, and Double H Sales.

National Guard checkpoints have been established at the Highway 51 intersections with 145th West Avenue, Town and Country Drive, and 165th West Avenue. Residents in those neighborhoods are still allowed to return, but the Meadow Valley subdivision was temporarily off limits.

At peak outflow, 145th flooded at the entrance to the neighborhood, cutting off access to anyone without a substantially lifted vehicle. However waters began to recede Wednesday evening. Some residents reported 2-3 feet reduction in water levels around their property.

Charles Page Boulevard closed Tuesday from 65th West Avenue to 74th West Avenue, then expanded to 81st on Wednesday. The National Guard is concerned about soil liquification under the roadway and potential sinkholes.

The Starbucks in River West shut down Monday and will remain closed until the Arkansas River flooding situation is resolved and the levee system is no longer at risk.

Case Community Park has been closed for the past week due to substantial flooding and will likely remain closed for some time.

Resources

Broadway Baptist Church will be hosting an informative event Thursday at 1000 North Adams Road for locals affected by the flood. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. with remarks to begin at 6:30 p.m. Senator James Lankford, Congressman Kevin Hern, Governor Kevin Stitt, Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready, Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado, and Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith will be in attendance.

Senator Jim Inhofe will be on hand at 5:30 p.m. to speak with constituents, but will not be available during the 6:30 meeting due to a previously scheduled conference call. The event is only open to residents of Town & Country, Candlestick Beach, and other affected flood victims in unincorporated Tulsa County areas of Sand Springs. QuikTrip is providing free drinks and pastries for the event.

Angus Church at 4401 South 129th West Avenue is serving three meals a day for locals affected by the floods and tornadoes. Breakfast is at 8:00 a.m., lunch is at 12:00 p.m., and dinner is at 6:00 p.m. However, the Thursday dinner will be moved up to 5:00 p.m. so as to not conflict with the meeting at Broadway Baptist.

Broadway will be providing free dinner to flood victims, first responders, and military Sunday June 2nd from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The church is partnering with Rolling River Relief and Sand Springs Community Services to bring multiple food trucks. Broadway is also offering free clothing and some financial support. They can be reached at 918-245-7513.

The Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Inc. has opened a Disaster Relief Distribution Center at the Sand Springs Church of Christ Activity Building at 4301 South 113th West Avenue. Beginning Thursday, May 30th, they are open from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily with boxed foods, baby care items, personal care items, cleaning supplies, and more. Flood victims should bring a valid driver’s license or ID card with your current address. This is a distribution site only and will not be able to receive donations.

Uhaul of Tulsa is offering free 30 day storage rental to anyone impacted by recent flooding. This is only at Uhaul Centers, not neighborhood dealers. Participating locations are 6105 South Peoria Avenue, 5140 South 103rd East Avenue, 3500 South Sheridan Road, 1006 South Memorial Drive, and 504 East Archer Street.

Samaritan’s Purse arrived Thursday to help with the physical labor that flood victims will have to deal with. The nondenominational evangelical Christian organization helps with gutting damaged homes to prep them for restoration. They are stationed in the Prattville Center at 3 West 41st Street to receive volunteers and flood victims in need of assistance. You can reach Samartian’s Purse at 918-257-1381. Samaritan’s Purse will provide training Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and on Sundays at 12:30 p.m.

Solace Church at 7314 West 41st Street will also be doing physical labor similar to Samaritan’s Purse. They can be reached at 217-853-1124.

Free meals are available for children up to age 18 from the Sand Springs Public Schools Child Nutrition Department. For information on locations and times, call 918-246-1430.

Sand Springs Community Services has food, clothing, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, toys, and other household items at 114 West 4th Street. They can be reached at 918-245-5183.

Sand Springs Care Closet at 3417 South 113th West Avenue has clothing and toys. They can be reached at 918-269-8434.

Harvest Church is receiving donations of cleaning supplies and canned goods at 1601 West 4th Street and can be reached at 918-245-0193. They have free cleaning supplies and bottled water at both their Sand Springs location and their 349 South 49th West Avenue location.

First Presbyterian Church at 222 North Adams Road has a food bank and can be reached at 918-245-1748.

Olivet Baptist Church at 155 North 65th West Avenue has a food bank and can be reached at 918-260-5369.

CrossPoint Church at 4600 South 129th West Avenue has a food bank and can be reached at 918-245-2534. They are accepting donations of bleach, gloves, cleaning supplies, bottled water, rags, and personal hygiene items.

HillSpring Church has clothing and licensed counselors available at 8801 West 41st Street and can be reached at 918-955-2031. They are accepting donations of trash bags, cleaning supplies ,bottled water, gloves, toilet paper, and paper towels.

Church That Matters has licensed counselors available at 3 West 41st Street and can be reached at 918-512-1486. They are accepting donations of bottled water, pre-packaged snacks, cleaning supplies, paper towels, gloves, and trash bags.

For resource updates, visit https://www.churchthatmatters.com/floodrelief

The City of Sand Springs canceled their “Chipper Days” event schedule for June 1st. The next date is July 13th. Citizens with a City water bill for proof of residence will be able to bring tree branches for free disposal.

Beginning Monday, free tetanus shots will be available at Gilstrap Chiropractic Clinic at 3900 South 113th West Avenue.

Evacuations continue in Sand Springs as flood waters rise, Keystone output surpasses 205,000 cfs

/

Sand Springs, OK - The City of Sand Springs is advising Meadow Valley residents and others living in low lying areas along the Arkansas River to expect REAL flooding to occur and to take immediate action. The City is advising residents to take immediate actions to remove or protect property from those areas, and to consider a voluntary evacuation by 6:00 p.m. today. There is no mandatory evacuation in place.

With new information this morning from the USACE of dam releases increasing to 215,000 cfs later today and holding there, the City expects portions of the Meadow Valley neighborhood, and potentially others, to flood. This flood event is expected to last for several days. Highway 51 near 137th West Avenue will likely flood, making vehicular traffic there impossible.

Last night the City of Sand Springs declared an emergency disaster proclamation, with actions to take place designed to protect public health, reduce damage and render emergency services to citizens. Officials from Webco Industries have made changes to their operations at the former “STAR” center until this flood event has passed and are closed. Case Community Park remains closed with warnings for citizens not to enter. City Police and Fire crews are working the various scenes around the clock to monitor.

If an American Red Cross emergency shelter is needed later, plans are in place now for that to happen. The City reminds area residents to monitor the City of Sand Springs Face Book page for real time updates.

City of Sand Springs Advising Citizens for Flood Potential

/

Sand Springs, OK - The City of Sand Springs is advising area residents, especially those in the Meadow Valley housing neighborhood to brace for the potential of additional flooding. Although the rain event has stopped for now, the lag time for waters upstream of Keystone Dam to reach Sand Springs can delay flooding activities downstream for several hours.

Last night, City of Sand Springs Police and Fire teams reached out (via phone messages and neighborhood visits) to residents in the Meadow Valley neighborhood, along HWY 51 in Sand Springs to alert residents of the potential for flooding. This area, and others in Tulsa County which may not be in City limits but are near the Arkansas River, may be affected by the planned increases in outflows from Keystone Dam later tonight.

In Sand Springs City limits, Case Community Park has now closed until further notice. All sports and trail related activities are cancelled at this site. The Case Community Center (1050 W. Wekiwa Road) however remains open.

The City urges residents to pay attention to street closures and the accompanying traffic barricades that are placed to protect public safety.

This afternoon, the USACE confirms that 100,000 cubic feet/ second (cfs) of water is being currently, with 20,000 cfs increases planned at 2 p.m.; 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., leaving the discharge at that time to be around 160,000 cfs. The USACE will revise dam operations as needed after that.

Great Raft Race adds Sand Sculpture Contest, rental crafts, and School Challenge

/

The Great Tulsa Raft Race hosted a press conference Friday morning to announce four new additions to this year's event.

The Sand Sculpture contest that ran for more than a decade through the 1980s and 1990s will return. The contest reportedly drew a thousand competitors at its peak and was featured on Good Morning America in 1991. World Champion sand sculptor John Gowdy is expected to present a Tulsa-themed piece at the race's finish line and will judge the competition.

Kayaks and inflatable rafts will also be available for rent for the first time through the Raft Race website. Registration for the event ends August 15th for both contestants and renters. In addition to renting a craft for the full race, participants will also be able to rent kayaks at the finish line.

Three weeks prior to the event there will be a pre-party presented by the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation at Fuel 66. Full details on that event are yet to be announced.

American Airlines Government Affairs liaison Chase Beasley announced a new STEM Challenge for area schools. The Regional STEM alliance will create a curriculum around raft building, while American Airlines Engineers will partner with KKT Architects to assist ten schools in the construction of their vessel. American Airlines will provide the entry fee for the student teams, but raft materials will not be provided. 

Raft Race officials will aim to select a diverse group of schools, including Tulsa Public Schools, Sand Springs, and other neighboring districts. Student teams must include five to ten participants including one adult. All students must be 12 years or older. 

The Tulsa tradition ran from 1973 to 1991 before being resurrected in 2015. The Labor Day race will launch in Case Community Park in Sand Springs and will end at the River West Festival Park in Tulsa.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum spoke at the event and announced his intentions to participate in the race. "We're doing so much right now to make this revitalized as the defining natural asset that we have here in Tulsa...For generations people were able to utilize the Arkansas River as a point of recreation, and last year the citizens overwhelmingly said 'we want that again.'"

"This is one day out of 365 that we get to use the river for recreation. Think about what it's going to be like here in a few years when you can use it any day of the year," said Bynum.

The official T-shirt for the event was also announced. The mermaid design will be the official shirt received in the registration package, but the runner-up design will also be available for purchase.

Participants can register for the race and find more information at www.tulsaraftrace.com.

The Power of Partial Improvements: dozens of volunteers clean up Sand Springs park

/

More than fifty individuals came together this past weekend in Sand Springs to help with a massive cleanup effort in a now-defunct Tulsa County Park. (SUBMITTED).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Power of Partial Improvements began simply, as a group of friends with a passion for nature and the Oklahoma waterways. The river rats have spent ample time cleaning up the shores of local lakes and rivers over the years, making a point to leave the area cleaner than they found it on every outing. 

In November of last year Brian Hunter, Joseph Alchami, and Ashley Sorrell decided they needed to do more. The trio officially incorporated their new nonprofit and began a mission to change the culture in Oklahoma.

"We want to start a movement," said Hunter, the Executive Director. "Our number one goal is to inspire community involvement. Little by little, partial improvements can make a difference."

Left to right: Joseph Alchami, Ashley Sorrell, Brian Hunter--founding members and Power of Partial Improvements staff. (SUBMITTED).

They took the first big step toward inspiring community involvement last Saturday when more than fifty volunteers gathered together to clean up the Arkansas River shoreline in Sand Springs. The average worker spent nearly four hours trying to clean up the largest illegal dumping ground in the Sand Springs area.

Estill Park, once located along Wekiwa Road, west of Sand Springs, has been a dumping ground for decades since the closure of the park in the 1980s. But despite not being an official park anymore, it still gets its fair share of use. ATVs can often be heard through the trees of the overgrown property, and fishermen utilize the access point at Euchee Creek year-round.

SEE RELATED: The Land That Time Forgot: Estill Park and Wekiwa Road

More than thirty syringes were recovered from the Arkansas shoreline. (Submitted).

American Waste Control donated four roll-off dumpsters to the effort, each of which was completely filled by the end of the day. The volunteers didn't stop there. They also loaded up as many trucks and trailers as possible and got to dump it all for free thanks to the American Environmental Landfill. 

All sorts of strange items were found. Two abandoned cars were stuck in the sand along the river. Multiple abandoned boats were in the area. A few deer carcasses had been dumped by poachers. Most importantly, they were able to remove 30 syringes from the area.

More than 200 tires were piled high in the entrance to the property and the organization is working together with Danny Smith at Same Day Tire and Auto Repair in Sand Springs to get them removed and recycled. Hunter also cites the Tulsa County Conservation District and Bruce Hardy with Tanglewood Nurseries as critical to the success of the project. "Bruce made it happen," said Hunter. Hardy spent the full day on the project, running the loader for the dumpsters. "That was incredible. We wouldn't have gotten half as far as we did without him."

"We're really trying to reach out to the younger community and get them to care," said Hunter. "The community needs to come together to say, 'It's not okay to dump here.' We really want to help lift the burden on government entities."

Volunteers filled four dumpsters with trash Saturday along the Arkansas River. (SUBMITTED).

Despite the massive improvements made Saturday, Hunter says they're not done yet. The nonprofit plans on putting together future large-scale clean-up days every two months in the near future, and expects to return to the former Estill Park area again soon. 

"I would never have expected it to be so big. They answered the call...we know something great will happen from this." 

For now, the group maintains a Facebook group with more than 1,400 members where fellow activists can network and make plans for smaller cleanup days.

Visit their website at www.powerofpartial.org

The Land That Time Forgot: Estill Park and Wekiwa Road

/

Sunset over the Arkansas River, as seen from the mouth of Euchee Creek. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Case Community Park, previously known as River City Park, is the flagship of the Sand Springs Parks Department. While the City is partnering with philanthropist Mike Case and using Vision 2025 funding to give the 100-acre park a $6.2 million dollar face-lift, another once-great park sits just a mile down the road--seemingly forgotten by many in its community.

SEE RELATED: Mike and Pat Case donate $2 million for massive park renovation; Sand Springs breaks ground

Estill Park was once a beloved recreation destination, sitting just a hair outside of Sand Springs city-limits. Now it's a dumping ground with little risk of repercussions. The mile-and-a-half-long Tulsa County park stretched from Euchee Creek in the East to Shell Creek in the West and featured a parking lot, a playground, park benches, and pavilions. At its eastern boundary there was a boat ramp, now destroyed, where fishermen and recreational boaters could launch into the Arkansas River. 

The mouth of Euchee Creek in August of 2012. (Google Earth).

"It was a garden of Eden," says former park-goer Ralph Emigh. "It was absolutely an awesome place. For a kid growing up in the seventies it was a romantic place with the fire pits and the river going by."

Today, former park-goers wouldn't recognize it. The area is still used for fishing, four-wheeling and shooting guns. At present time, two abandoned vehicles sit in the sand, riddled with bullet holes and vandalism. Charred boat hulls sit in ruin. One of the vehicles has been reported stolen, according to a Sand Springs Police officer. However, the property is under the jurisdiction of the Tulsa County Sheriff's Department, who says the vehicle would be too difficult to remove due to how far out in the riverbed it is.

The park isn't the only thing that has been neglected. A daily drive down Wekiwa will send your car to the shop for an alignment and new shocks in no time. The guard rails are broken down and overgrown with weeds. Fallen trees and limbs still lay beside the road from a tornadic system that devastated the area in March of 2015.

"If you don't have roads, people don't travel and use the resources," says Dr. Josh Turley, who has already declared his candidacy for the Tulsa County Commissioner election in 2020. "I hate that we have land there that should be accessible, but people can't use it. We're not focusing where we need to be focusing."

Turley compares the loss of Estill Park to that of the lower section of Chandler Park. Tennis courts, pavilions, picnic tables, and more have all been closed to the public for a decade since an ice storm riddled the area with debris in 2007. The County decided it was easier to abandon the area than to clean it up and reopen it.

The west side of Tulsa County has definitely endured some neglect in past years. But things may finally be on the upswing.

In April of 2016 Tulsa County voters approved a 0.05% sales tax renewal, $3,000,000 of which is slated to go toward reconstruction of a two-mile stretch of Wekiwa from 129th West Avenue to Shell Creek. The Vision Tulsa funding will provide for reconstruction of the roadway with a new base, new asphalt surfacing, and wider shoulder and guard rail placement. Welcome news--but long overdue. According to a Vision Tulsa report, the road is considered to be in "Very Bad Condition," with average daily traffic between one and two thousand. 

County Engineer Tom Rains says the Wekiwa Road project is still in the earliest stages, and plans have to be drawn. He expects it will be two years at the earliest before the project is complete.

Chandler Park will also receive $4,350,000 in Vision Tulsa funding for a new swimming pool and upgrades to the youth baseball fields. $1,000,000 of that will go to re-developing the lower-level park. The Master Plan for the park renovation was released in May of last year and calls for nearly $19 million in total costs, with more than $2.5 million for the lower level. The County approved the plan, but hasn't come up with a way to fund it yet.

Creek drainage improvements were made in 2013 to prevent the creek from flooding. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

Euchee Creek, Estill Park's eastern boundary, received a big improvement in 2013. Sand Springs first began a study of the Euchee Creek watershed in 2003 due to flooding concerns, and reconstructed the mouth of the creek in 2013. During that process the City cleared a section of trees and radically improved accessibility from Wekiwa. 

The Euchee Creek area in particular is a historic landmark. The Oklahoma Euchee (also spelled Yuchi) tribe today are enrolled as citizens in the Muscogee Creek Nation. According to a May 2005 Report on Cultural Resources prepared by the Guernsey Consulting firm, the mouth of the Euchee once held a Creek Nation community center before Sand Springs was even incorporated. The tribe later relocated to present-day Sapulpa, where their national headquarters is to this day.

Much of the property was donated to Tulsa County by the Estill family in the 1970s, and upon the closure of the park, it was given to the State Highway Department. The Sand Springs Home Trust owns a piece of the land west of the Euchee, and the City of Sand Springs purchased the eastern side in 2013 with plans to build new Police and Fire Stations on the property. The expected site for those facilities has since been relocated to the Sheffield Crossing development on Morrow Road. The City is limited by an agreement with the Home Trust on what it can do with the land. 

The mouth of the Euchee was the base of a massive cleanup effort this past weekend. Newly-founded Tulsa-based nonprofit organization The Power of Partial Improvements spearheaded an all-day event in the former Estill Park area that drew more than fifty volunteers over the course of the day. 

SEE RELATED: The Power of Partial Improvements: dozens of volunteers clean up Sand Springs park

Mike and Pat Case donate $2 million for massive park renovation; Sand Springs breaks ground

/

Mike Case gives an address at the Case Community Park groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo: Scott Emigh)

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

City of Sand Springs officials and Parks Department employees gathered together Tuesday morning at the Case Community Center to celebrate a new development in River City Park. The 100-acre park will receive a $6.2 million renovation thanks to Vision 2025 funding and a $2 million donation by Mike and Pat Case of Case & Associates. 

Artist rendering of the new Case Community Park entrance. (Courtesy)

What is currently known as River City Park is already the biggest park in Sand Springs and will soon become one of the nicest in Tulsa County thanks to Vision 2025 surplus funding and the Case family's benevolence. 

Tulsa County approved millions in surplus Vision 2025 sales tax funding for Sand Springs in February of last year and Case & Associates CEO Mike Case pledged an additional $2 million to fully fund the ambitious Sand Springs parks vision. 

Left to Right: Councilman Phil Nolan, Councilman Brian Jackson, Mayor Mike Burdge, Mike Case, Pat Case, Councilwoman Patty Dixon, Vice-Mayor John Fothergill, Councilman Beau Wilson. (Photo: Scott Emigh)

"This is only possible because of generous donors like Mike and Pat Case," said Sand Springs City Councilwoman Patty Dixon. "Even though Mike and Pat now reside in Tulsa, they have always considered Sand Springs home."

"I've always thought Sand Springs was a great place to live. I still do and I think it's getting better and better," said Mike Case. 

Artist rendering of the "Great Lawn" and amphitheater. (Courtesy)

Mayor Mike Burdge discussed the similarities in population and quality of living between Sand Springs and Broken Arrow when he was growing up. "What changed was the attitude of the leadership in the City," said Burdge. "If we can get this park to be a location spot, get stuff going on here every month...the possibilities are unlimited."

The park is already the home of the Sand Springs Soccer Club recreational league, the West Side Alliance competitive soccer league, Sand Springs Little League baseball and softball, the Round Up Club rodeo arena, and the Sand Springs BMX Association. The recent addition of the Rotary Club Super Splash Pad has rounded out what was already a destination park for many in the Sand Springs area. 

Planned layout for Case Community Park. (Courtesy)

The new funding will provide for the demolition of old structures and the construction of a new amphitheater. New sidewalks, signage, landscaping, and a large-scale entrance will add to the looks of the park.

Existing BMX track located in River City Parks. (Photo: Scott Emigh)

New sports facilities include two new youth baseball fields, a new tournament-sized soccer field, and a new half-court basketball court. An existing volleyball court will be renovated along with several horseshoe pits. The soccer fields, which currently have no special entrance, will receive a grand entry, as will the Jerry Adair Baseball Park, which is currently accessible only in a round-about way that requires leaving the park itself and driving down an industrial business road. An existing 18-hole disc golf course will be relocated deeper within the park in the area of the BMX track and Rodeo Arena. 

Accessibility will be a major feature of the new renovations, with drop-off locations throughout the park, new parking and lighting, and new park shelters and restrooms. Park beautification is also a major goal with plans for improved view of the Arkansas River, nearly a dozen custom art pieces laser cut in Corten Steel and illuminated at night, as well as a grassy area being dubbed the "Great Lawn." 

The Great Lawn will host a large outdoor pavilion and special event stage with remodeled restrooms and will be the premier viewing location for the annual Sertoma Fireworks Show, as well as will be the anchor location of the Chillin' and Grillin' Festival. 

Construction is already under way in Case Community Park. (Photo: Scott Emigh)

There will be a new playground constructed near the Rotary Super Splash Pad, which is already home to a large concessions building ran by Sand Springs Soccer Club President Jeremy Herrington. The concessions serves hot food and Harper's Hut Shaved Ice throughout the summer as a fundraiser for youth baseball and soccer. 

Public events like the Chilin' and Grillin' Festival, as well the newly revived Great Raft Race will be made even better due to new restroom housing, electrical power connections, water line service, and parking.

Parks Director Grant Gerondale expects the renovation to take about a year to complete.

Pokemon Go! Machop nest confirmed in Sand Springs River City Parks

/

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

I have been hearing rumors for weeks of a Machop nest at River City Park in Sand Springs and finally got to confirm Sunday morning.

The flagship of the Sand Springs Parks Department, River City is the "Gathering Place" of Sand Springs and can frequently be found packed with families and sports teams any day of the week.  

The park features a nine-basket disc golf course with alternate tees for eighteen holes. There's a (mildly overgrown) horseshoe pit, a skate park, a splash pad, boat ramp access to the Arkansas River, numerous great fishing holes, and a large stretch of scenic paved walking/biking trails.

The park's Inez Kirk Soccer Complex is home to the Sand Springs Soccer Club recreational league and the West Side Alliance competitive soccer league. The Jerry Adair Baseball Park is the home of the Sand Springs Little League and boasts some of the nicest facilities in the region. The Will Ramsey Softball Park, Case Community Center, Sand Springs Round Up Club rodeo arena, and Sand Springs BMX Association are also found in the massive park.

The soccer complex, ballparks, community center, and park entrance are all Pokéstops and the playground is a gym. However, due to the sheer size of the park, it's not a good place to go without a solid stock of pokéballs. The stops are spread out with zero overlap and unlikely to be lured on a normal day. 

Case Community Center

The Pokémon selection is solid, however. It's not as dense of a hunting ground as downtown Tulsa by any means, but it beats your average neighborhood park by a long shot. The best spot for diversity is the Case parking lot. As soon I pulled in, I was confronted by Diglet, Nidorina, Pidgey, and Ekans. After circling around the building I added a Tauros and Eevee. From there I went to the baseball park and found Exeggcute, Zubat, and multiple Krabby. Magikarp and other water type are throughout the area.  For the Machop nest, you have to travel all the way into the park to the BMX track. Some will spawn as far out as the disc golf course, but the deepest concentration is within the BMX fence. No worries though; the track has free admission for spectators! Head over to www.sandspringsbmx.com for their schedule and enjoy some racing while you hunt! 

A great opportunity to do some hunting will be on Labor Day when the park is swarmed with participants and spectators of the Great Raft Race. River City is the launching point for the race and there will likely be hundreds of spectators playing and I would be surprised if there's not at least one or two lures running. ​

Did I mention the outstanding concessions stand that's open all week long raising money for the soccer leagues? It's located right next to the splash pad and serves an above average array of food and drink including the famous Harper's Hut gourmet Shaved Ice!

So whether you're just working towards the elusive Machoke or Machamp, or you want a fun area to enjoy some fresh air with friends or family, River City is a five star destination for any Pokémon trainer!