Sheilah Bright and Scott Palk to be inducted into Sand Springs Education Foundation Hall of Fame

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The Sand Springs Education Foundation recently announced its 2019 Hall of Fame inductees. Sheilah Bright (Class of 1979) and Scott Palk (1985) will be honored at the annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Thursday, April 25th at 6:00 p.m. in the Ed Dubie Field House.

The SSEF provides district teachers with grants for special equipment, supplies, and student projects. The Hall of Fame Banquet is one of their biggest annual fundraisers. Table sponsorships are available at $400 for eight seats, and individual tickets are $50. The dinner will be preceded by a silent auction at 5:30 p.m.

To purchase tickets or request further information, contact Tirita Montross at 918-798-1517.

Bright is a forty-year veteran journalist, publishing her first article at 15 years of age. She has contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers and was part of an Emmy Award-winning script-writing team for Narrative Television Network. She was a driving force behind Operation Gold Pride, which raised more than $600,000 for Sand Springs Public Schools. She also recently opened the Bright Morning Farm event center.

Palk graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science from Oklahoma State University in 1989 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 1992. He served as an Assistant District Attorney for Cleveland County from 1992 to 2002 and was an Assistant United States Attorney from 2002 to 2011. He has worked as Deputy Criminal Chief and Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council Coordinator. From 2011 to 2017 he was Assistant Dean of Students and Assistant General Counsel at the University of Oklahoma College of Law before being commissioned as a U.S. District Judge. Palk won Prosecutor of the Year awards in 1993 and 2004. In 2011 he was awarded the Director’s Certificate of Appreciation for Assistance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Hall of Fame inductees are required to have attended Sand Springs Public Schools for at least three years after the Sixth Grade, or to have spent at least eight total years in SSPS, or to have spent the last two years of high school in SSPS and to have graduated from the district.

They must have attained a position of “unusual respect, impact, or influence in the community,” or have attained regional prominence in their field, or to have attained an exception level of accomplishment in their field.

Previous inductees include:

Michael Dale Case
Cleta Evans
Mary Helen Burke (1932)
Tot M. Brown (1934)
Bessie Crawford Zackery (1934)
Opal Clark (1934)
Al Dodson, Sr. (1936)
Marshall Vaughn Perry (1937)
L.W. Welch Jr. (1939)
James A. Sanders (1941)
Johnnie Mae Young (1941)
Marques Haynes (1942)
Robert D. Simms (1943)
Clyde Boyd Jr. (1943)
Erwin D. Phillips (1946)
William R. Pogue (1947)
Charles Gray (1947)
George Everett (1947)
Montie R. Box (1947)
Thomas S. Crewson (1950)
Richard Courter (1951)
William Means (1951)
Charles Marvin Hughes (1952)
Jack B. Johnson (1952)
Jerrold Lawless (1952)
John H. Rudy (1953)
Ken Neal (1953)
Charles Jestice (1953)
Jerry Adair (1955)
M. David Riggs (1955)
Barbara Guynn Smith (1956)
Bennie Osborn (1956)
J. Dean Speer (1956)
John Beck (1956)

James E. Palmer (1956)
Jerry L. Halcomb (1957)
Jan Hagara (1957)
George Paden (1957)
Charles E. Buchner, III (1957)
Billy Allen Hall (1957)
Jerry A. Hanner (1958)
Carolyn Morrow Cheney (1958)
Clarence “Scratch” Purser (1959)
Randal Wayne White (1959)
Harlan S. Pinkerton, Jr. (1960)
Gerrie Holliday (1961)
Ward Sherrill (1963)
Danny Lee McDonald (1964)
William R. White (1965)
Lotsee Spradling (1966)
John Wolf (1967)
Larry Glen Hurst (1967)
Richard Neal (1967)
I.J. Ganem (1969)
Mike Burdge (1969)
Forrest C. Crawford (1970)
Dianne Dinkel (1970)
Chris Thurmond (1971)
Deborah Browers Barnes (1972)
Linda L. Robertson (1973)
Cathy Lynn Burdge (1973)
Janet Rutland Eicher (1975)
John Fitzgerald Blake (1979)
Sam Harris (1979)
Eric Bloom (1982)
Stacey Ford Butterfield (1985)
Timothy Wright (1988)

Bill Knight Auto partners with Sand Springs Education Foundation in Driven to Give Day

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Bill Knight Lincoln donated $8,000 to the Sand Springs Education Foundation last year.

For the sixth time, the Sand Springs Education Foundation (SSEF) will partner with Bill Knight Auto for "Driven to Give Day." 

The event will be held on Saturday, October 20th, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Charles Page High School parking lot at 500 North Adams Road. This is a FREE event.

Participants, 18 years or older, can come and test drive a new Lincoln. For each test drive, the SSEF will receive $20. Participants are asked to fill out some basic information before the drive and immediately after the drive to complete the process and help secure the donation. NO obligation, NO sales, NO return contact unless the participant agrees.

What an easy way to come help the SSEF raise $8,000! All Sand Springs teachers are also encouraged to stop by and do a test drive and put their name in the drawing for $500 to use in their classroom. This year the SSEF will give away $500 to two district teachers. 

Sand Springs Education Foundation Hall of Fame inductees announced for 2018

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Jerry L. Halcomb, Cathy Lynn Burdge, and Charles Marvin Hughes were recently announced as the Class of 2018 inductees into the Sand Springs Education Foundation Hall of Fame. The induction will be held at the organization's annual banquet on Thursday, April 26.

Hughes graduated Sand Springs High School in 1952 and was immediately drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for the Cardinals' organization for two years before being drafted into the U.S. Army and serving in Germany.

After his Army discharge, Hughes attained his Master Instructor's license in cosmetology and helped write the first test requirements for the Oklahoma State Cosmetology Board. He opened Adam and the First Lady salon in Sand Springs, and later founded the Scissors franchise which grew to nearly a dozen locations throughout the Tulsa Metropolitan Area.

Hughes coached youth baseball and was a weekly fan in attendance at Sandite football games until his passing in 2013 at the age of 79. 

Halcomb graduated Sand Springs High School in 1957, then graduated with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Architecture from Oklahoma State University and received a diploma from Ecole des Beaux-Arts at Fountainbleau, France.  He founded HH Architects in 1971 and specialized in church design before retiring in 2013. He was inducted into the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in 2012, an honor available to only the top 3% of AIA members. After retiring from HH Architects, he founded Studio H Architects.

Also a musician, Halcomb previously performed with the Shadow Lake 8 Orchestra, which was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 2013. His band, Texas RoundUp, has been performing for more than forty years. Halcomb is a deacon at First Baptist Dallas, which he has attended since 1965. 

Burdge graduated Charles Page High School in 1973 and has spent her life in service to Sand Springs. Burdge has been an active volunteer with numerous service organizations over the years, including the Civitan Club, Sand Springs Community Services, and the Sand Springs Youth Football Association, the latter of which she serves on as Board Secretary and Cheer Coordinator. She has helped organize the Mayor's Cup softball tournament and the Downhill Derby soapbox car race. She also works as the Attendance Clerk at CPHS. 

The Hall of Fame Banquet includes dinner and a silent auction, and is held at the Ed Dubie Field House at 500 North Adams Road. The SSEF is a 501c3 organization and all donations are tax deductible. All donations from SSEF events go to fund the "Grants to Teachers" program for Sand Springs Public Schools. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or further information, please contact Foundation Director Tirita Montross at 918.245.6779.

Tulsa Air and Space Museum to host 2-week exhibit on Sand Springs graduate Bill Pogue

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TULSA, Okla. – From Jan. 22 through Feb. 3, the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium will present a special exhibit featuring Oklahoma-born, NASA Astronaut William ‘Bill’ Pogue.  The special exhibit will coincide with what would have been Pogue’s 88th birthday. Items from his distinguished, record-setting career will be on display.

Pogue was born in Okemah on Jan. 23, 1930. He grew up attending small rural schools, but graduated from Sand Springs High School in 1947. He earned degrees from Oklahoma Baptist University and Oklahoma State University. In 1990 he was inducted into the Sand Springs Education Foundation's inaugural Hall of Fame class.

Pogue served in the Air Force becoming a combat fighter pilot in Korea and an aerobatic pilot with the Air Force’s Thunderbirds. In 1966, he was selected by NASA for the space program but he finally got his chance at space when he blasted off on November 16, 1973 as the pilot for Skylab 4.

“This exhibit is an opportunity for Oklahomans to celebrate a fellow Oklahoman who achieved great things that were literally out of this world,” said Tonya Blansett, executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium.

Among several of his notable awards and titles, Pogue was also an honorary board member of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium. He donated several items to the Museum including 3 NASA flight suits, signed prints from his collection of space photographs, honorary medallions and various letters and telegrams from notable people like President Richard Nixon and Oklahoma Governor Henry Bellmon.

“There are several artifacts in our archives we would like to have on permanent display,” said Blansett, “having a special exhibit like this, is one way we can share these stories. When we complete our expansion, we hope to find a permanent exhibit space for Pogue’s collection and other Oklahomans who have impacted the aviation industry and space exploration.”

Museum admission ranges from $15 for adults to $10 for students and free for children 4 and under. Admission includes access to the exhibit hall, the special exhibit, the MD-80 discovery center and one planetarium show. The museum also offers memberships as an affordable alternative for families, with several options and benefits including admission for a year and discount at the gift shop.

Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium is the region’s hub of science based learning through discovery. Each year, more than 50,000 visitors pass through the museum to explore Tulsa’s rich aviation heritage and explore the correlation of science and technology with flight.

A look back at Sand Springs's biggest stories in 2017

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Sandites enjoy a free concert from The Rogues Five at Riverfest.

From high school athletics to a growing economy and quality of living improvements, the history books will look on 2017 as a pivotal year in Sand Springs. Here's a look back at some of the biggest stories around town. 

Jan. 19 – USDA rolls out new Rural Development loan opportunities for Sand Springs area. – Read More.

Jan. 19 - CPHS Wrestling team pins entire U.S. Grant team in fourteen minutes and two seconds, setting national record for fastest dual won entirely by pin. - Read More. 

Feb. 01 – Ray Brown Park receives $37,000 renovation. – Read More.

Feb. 11 - CPHS Wrestling team wins first-ever Dual State Championship 40-26 over Broken Arrow.  - Read More.

Feb. 25 - Riley Weir, Daton Fix, Jack Karstetter, Beau Bratcher, and Payton Scott win individual State Titles and lead Sand Springs to their first State Wrestling Championship since 1971. - Read More.

Feb. 27 - ALDI grocery store and St. Francis Warren Clinic & Urgent Care announce plans to open new locations in River West Development. ALDI is new to community, Warren Clinic is relocating from Charles Page Boulevard. - Read More.

Mar. 02 - CPHS Womens' Basketball wins Area Championship to advance to State Tournament for first time since 2011. - Read More.

Mar. 06 – Rusty Gunn elected as Board of Education President, Mike Mullins sworn into new term on Board. – Read More.

Mar. 22 – Chinowth and Cohen opens new Prattville location.

Mar. 27 - Sand Springs City Council authorizes new murals and $1.5 million Prattville Fire Station. - Read More.

Apr. 04 – Payless ShoeSource announces shuttering of Sand Springs and Sapulpa locations. – Read More.

Apr. 05 – CPHS Winter Percussion wins State Championship. – Read More.

Apr. 19 – El Maguey Mexican Restaurant relocates to new building in River West. – Read More.

Apr. 20 – Tim Wright, Larry Hurst, and Dr. Stacey Butterfield are inducted into Sand Springs Education Association Hall of Fame. – Read More.

Apr. 22 – Herbal Affair co-founder Sandi Byerly receives Hometown Hero Award. – Read More.

May 02 - Individual Career Academic Plan bill authored by Jadine Nollan is signed into law. - Read More.

May 08 - Mike Burdge elected to 12th term as Mayor, Beau Wilson elected as Vice-Mayor. - Read More.

May 12 - Morgan Ganem releases new album, Paradise. - Read More.

May 13 - Aden Baughman wins 800-meter Track State Championship, Cheyenne Walden wins eighth and ninth State Championships. - Read More.

May 13 – Sand Springs graduates 392 in Class of 2017 – Read More.

May 16 - Hannah Rose releases More Than Conquerors EP. - Read More.

May 21 - CPHS Fishing Club wins Oklahoma Bass Nation State Championship. - Read More.

May 26 – Dog and Duck Antiques opens at 21 East 2nd Street, expanding from booth space in Vintage Stables on Main. – Read More.

Jun. 01 – The Ground Floor Salon opens at Village Square.

Jun. 06 – State Senator Dan Newberry resigns seat seven months after reelection. – Read More.

Jun. 08 – OSU Medicine opens in Shops at Adams Road.

Jun. 24 – EuroMotor Extravaganza returns to Sand Springs after five-year hiatus. – Read More.

Jun. 24 – Historic Twin Cities Elementary is demolished after nearly a century. – Read More.

Jun. 26 – Sand Springs City Council evicts Round Up Club from River City Park. – Read More.

Jul. 09 - Janeway Castle Stone Estate & Venue opens in Sand Springs. - Read More.

Jul. 10 - Sand Springs's Janet Johnson named Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalist. - Read More.

Jul. 11 - James Garrison hired as new CPHS Head Baseball Coach.- Read More.

Jul. 21 – Carter Young wins Cadet Greco-Roman National Championship. – Read More.

Jul. 29 – Aden Baughman wins National Championship in 800-meter run. – Read More.

Aug. 01 – Daton Fix wins Junior Freestyle World Championship. – Read More.

Sep. 09 – Case Community Park unveiled with all-day Riverfest celebration after $6.2 million renovation. – Read More.

Sep. 13 – Edward Jones agent Casey Loper relocates Sand Springs office to new building. – Read More.

Sep. 30 – YellowHouse Market & Boutique relocates to historic downtown Chastain’s building, buying out DejaVu Décor.

Oct. – Prattville Braums and QuikTrip are demolished, work begins on larger, newer facilities. – Read More.

Oct 11. – Colton’s Steak House and Grill breaks ground in River West development. – Read More.

Oct. 21 – CPHS Boys’ Cross Country team qualifies for State for first time in school history. – Read More.

Oct. 27 – Payton Scott sets school rushing record with 507 yards against Bartlesville. – Read More.

Nov. 02 – Stage department store relocates to former May’s Drug Warehouse building. – Read More.

Nov. 04 – It’s Just a Girl Thing Boutique opens in Prattville.

Nov. 08 - OkieSpice & Trade Co. celebrates grand opening in Sand Springs. – Read More.

Nov. 14 – Voters approve $18 million in General Obligation Bond packages. – Read More.

Nov. 14 – Democrat Allison Ikley-Freeman wins Senate District 37 seat vacated by Republican Dan Newberry. – Read More.

Nov. 28 – Downtown Sand Springs hosts inaugural Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. – Read More.

Nov. 28 – WSB Homes opens in downtown Sand Springs. – Read More.

Dec. – Philip D. Smith publishes new book, From Praha to Prague. - Read More.

Dec. 01 – Rod’s Books and Relics hosts inaugural Christmas Parade of Books. – Read More.

Dec. 12 – Sand Springs breaks ground on new Prattville Fire Station. – Read More.

Dec. 17 – The House of Hair and Boutique opens on Livi Lee’s Corner. 

Dec. 27 – YellowHouse Market & Boutique, Sarah and Kyle Baumann win inaugural Sandite Pride Christmas Light Contest. – Read More.

Dec. 29 – El Patron Cocina Mexicana opens in Shops at Adams Road. – Read More.

Bill Knight Lincoln donates $8,000 to Sand Springs Education Foundation

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Bill Knight Lincoln presented the Sand Springs Education Foundation with a check for $8,000 Tuesday morning at Angus Valley Elementary as part of the "Driven To Give" campaign begun in October.

For the fifth year, Bill Knight brought out several brand new Lincolns to Charles Page High School for an afternoon of test drives. For everyone who turned out to drive a Lincoln, the dealership donated $20 to the SSEF. The day generated more than $8,000 worth of test drives. 

School officials used the presentation as a teaching moment for a group of kindergarten students to see if students could read the date and amount. They also talked to them about the Foundation and how donations like this affect them directly. 

The Education Foundation recently delivered $70,000 in grants to Sand Springs schools and teachers shortly before Thanksgiving. 

 

Bill Knight Auto partners with Sand Springs Education Foundation in Driven to Give Day

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For the fifth time, the Sand Springs Education Foundation (SSEF) will partner with Bill Knight Auto for "Driven to Give Day." 

The event will be held on Saturday, October 7th, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Charles Page High School parking lot at 500 North Adams Road. This is a FREE event.

Participants, 18 years or older, can come and test drive a new Lincoln. For each test drive, the SSEF will receive $20. Participants are asked to fill out some basic information before the drive and immediately after the drive to complete the process and help secure the donation. NO obligation, NO sales, NO return contact unless the participant agrees.

What an easy way to come help the SSEF raise $8,000! All Sand Springs teachers are also encouraged to stop by and do a test drive and put their name in the drawing for $500 to use in their classroom. This year the SSEF will give away $500 to two district teachers. 

Sand Springs Education Foundation Golf Classic raises $40,000 for Grants to Teachers

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The Sand Springs Education Foundation held their 21st Annual Golf Classic on Monday, September 18th at Tulsa Country Club. 92 golfers competed during the day as participants in “Teed Off for Education,” raising upwards of $40,000; funds of which will go towards the SSEF Grants to Teachers Program. 

The 4-Man Scramble format allows the golfers to participate in 2 Flights.

Winners of Flight A were:

  • 1st Place-Gene Case Team with golfers Gene Case, Harold Neal, Brandon Biles and Regan Streck.
  • 2nd Place-Keystone Insurance with golfers Guy Griggs, Jason Ward, Doug Haddock and Mike Ward.
  • 3rd Place-Direct Energy Team #2 with golfers Allen Rachel, Leslie Brackett, Chance Ross and Chris Miller.

Winners in Flight B were:

  • 1st Place-Mohawk Materials with golfers Lance Elliott, Megan Elliott, Matt Waller and Bob Bivens.
  • 2nd Place-Air Solutions Sand Springs with golfers Keith Hilligoss, Josh Copeland, Eli Tallent and Mike Bartlett.
  • 3rd Place-Sand Springs Home Team with golfers Ron Weese, Jason Charles, Mike Hixon and Erik Stuckey.

Honorable Mention was Sand Springs Public Schools with golfers Sherry Durkee, Rob Miller, Kristin Arnold and Laura Hamilton. Contest Hole winners were, Closest to the Pin on #6—Eric Davis and Closest to the Pin on #14—Tyler Sullivan. Raffle Prize was won by Brent Mackey.

A major Thank you goes out to this year’s Flagship Sponsor Sand Springs Meter Company, Adam Dudley. 22 area businesses and individuals participated as Hole Sponsors and Bill Knight Auto sponsored the Hole-in One Challenge on #9. Financial Advisors Paul Bizjack and Rocky Walters were the Logo Golf Ball Sponsor, Arvest Bank was the Lunch Sponsor and Direct Energy & Mr. & Mrs. Mark Boyd were the Dinner Sponsor. The SSEF also wishes to thank Bubble Town Car Wash, American Heritage Bank, Sand Springs CVS, TTCU, Tulsa Tech and Sherry Durkee for providing items for the Golfer Goodie Bags.

Funds raised at the Golf Classic go toward the Grants to Teachers Program, awarding of grants submitted by Sand Springs Schools teachers and principals.

21st Annual Sand Springs Education Foundation Golf Classic set for Sept. 18

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The Sand Springs Education Foundation is looking for team sponsors, hole sponsors, and participants for the upcoming 21st Annual SSEF Golf Classic. The fundraiser will be held on September 18th at the Tulsa Country Club.

The SSEF is a non-profit 501c3 organization formed in 1989 with the goal of collecting and distributing contributions from the private sector for the benefit of the Sand Springs Public School district. 

For more information, contact the SSEF at 918-245-6779 or email ssef@att.net. 

ONE Gas gifts $5,000 grant to Sand Springs Education Foundation

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Left to right: Dick Ford, Kristin Arnold, Christopher Phillips, Sylvia Fooshee, Lou Pinkerton, Sherry Durkee.

The Sand Springs Education Foundation received a $5,000 grant from ONE Gas, Inc. Monday afternoon that will be used to fund new technology for a Sand Springs elementary school.

The money will be used to purchase a Nureva Span system for use at the newly remodeled Garfield STEAM Academy in north Sand Springs. 

The cloud-based program utilizes a solid-state illumination projector to create a panoramic canvas up to ten feet wide with ten simultaneous touch points so multiple individuals can work at the same time. Students will also be able to work on personal devices and add their work to the shared canvas in real-time. Students are also able to hold video chats with other classrooms across the world with Nureva systems. 

The Sand Springs School District is one of the first in the nation to utilize this ground-breaking technology, and already has two units at Charles Page High School.

Pictured, ONE Gas Community Relations Manager Christopher Phillips presents Foundation Director Sylvia Fooshee with a $5,000 grant. Left of Phillips is Foundation Trustee Dick Ford and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Kristin Arnold. Right of Fooshee is Foundation Trustee Lou Pinkerton and Superintendent Sherry Durkee.

CPHS graduate and NASA engineer Tim Wright speaks to Sand Springs elementary students

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CPHS Class of 1988 graduate and soon-to-be Hall of Fame inductee Tim Wright speaks to Pratt Elementary students. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

"It seems like yesterday that I was right next door at Clyde Boyd (Middle School)," said Tim Wright to a packed gym full of Pratt Elementary students.

In fact, it was nearly thirty years ago that the Charles Page High School alumni attended Sand Springs Public Schools. 

Since graduating in 1988, Wright has moved on to bigger and better things than many people dare to dream of. 

From graduating the Florida Institute of Technology, to seeing his handiwork travel across the solar system, Wright has quite literally reached for the stars throughout his career. He is one of three Sand Springs alumni who will be recognized for their accomplishments Thursday evening at the 28th Annual Sand Springs Education Foundation Hall of Fame banquet at the CPHS Ed Dubie Field House.

SEE RELATED: CPHS Class of 1985 graduate Dr. Stacey Butterfield to be inducted into Sandite Hall of Fame

SEE RELATED: CPHS Class of 1967 graduate Larry Hurst to be inducted into Sandite Hall of Fame

Wright, who currently resides in Florida, returned to his hometown a few days before the banquet in order to speak to Sand Springs students about his journey and the future of engineering and space travel.

"I was an okay student," said Wright. "But if you said when I was your age that I was gonna be a rocket scientist, my friends would have said 'no way!' One day in high school I was working a construction job and I saw a jet fighter fly over. I was like, 'how does that go so fast?' So I got interested in that and talked to my CPHS councilors, who told me I should look into engineering."

Wright piqued the students' interest with talk of hover-boards, YETI tumblers, and LEGOs. After asking who liked to build their own creations with LEGOs without any instructions, nearly every hand in the building went up. "You just qualified to be engineers," he said. "You think outside of the box."

"I graduated Charles Page, and I was a proud Sandite. I was in my first day in engineering school and the teacher said to look at the person on my left and look at the person on my right. 'By the end of the year, one, if not both, will not be here. It will be hard,' said the instructor. I was from Oklahoma, and I was not gonna let that happen."

After graduating FIT with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Wright got his first job at Cape Canaveral building launch pads for unmanned rockets. 

Wright has spend most of his career at the Kennedy Space Center, working with the Space Shuttle program. His job primarily involves reentry operations and returning astronauts safely to Earth. His contributions to that effort earned him the NASA Silver Snoopy Award in 2015 for his work on developing heat shields. 

In 2006 Wright worked as the Thermal Protection System Facility Engineering Manager with United Space Alliance and helped to develop the BRI-18 tile. The Boeing Replacement Insulation tile is now utilized around main landing gear doors, external tank doors, and nose landing gear doors. It was first installed on the Discovery shuttle, which was retired in 2011.

"I'm a thermal protection engineer. I deal with heat and cold and trying to protect things. We launched 135 shuttles during that program and lost two. One of those I was there for, and that was the Columbia accident. That was probably the worst day of my career."

"At NASA, often things don't go as you planned. You can choose to give up, or you can choose to say 'I'm gonna fight back and I'm gonna make things better.' We spend the next two years making new parts that were stronger, new cameras that could go around the shuttle after launch and look for damage. After that day we made space flight safer and better than it's ever been."

In December of 2014, Wright's team celebrated a successful mission by the unmanned Orion capsule they had developed. Orion slingshotted around the Earth to become the farthest-traveling space capsule since the Apollo era, then safely returned to the planet. The Orion is scheduled to make another unmanned flight on September 30, 2018, then will hold its first crew by 2021.

"Every day I go to work and I get to look at that NASA emblem and that American flag, and I get reminded of what my job is," said Wright. "Rockets are very dangerous and it's up to engineers to limit that danger."

"No one ever thought these things would be done, and they're happening every day out there. Right now the goal at NASA is to go to Mars in the year 2030. If you're ten years old now, you'll likely be finishing college when we reach Mars. If you do good in math, if you do good in science, and you go to college and get a degree in engineering or some kind of science, then you can be the ones to go to Mars."

Wright is the second Sandite to be named to the Hall of Fame for working with NASA. Colonel William R. Pogue was inducted in the inaugural Class of 1990 after participating in the Apollo 7, 11, and 14 missions in 1966.

The Hall of Fame banquet will be catered by Rib Crib and will feature a silent auction and music by the CPHS Jazz Band. Sand Springs Teacher of the Year Janet Johnson will also be recognized at the event.

CPHS Class of 1985 graduate Dr. Stacey Butterfield to be inducted into Sandite Hall of Fame

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Superintendent of Jenks Public Schools, Dr. Stacey Butterfield is one of three CPHS alumni being inducted into the Sand Springs Education Foundation Hall of Fame this Thursday.

The Sand Springs Education Foundation will be holding its 28th Annual Hall of Fame banquet this Thursday evening at the Charles Page High School Ed Dubie Field House.

CPHS Class of 1985 graduate Dr. Stacey Ford Butterfield is one of three Sandites who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

SEE RELATED: CPHS Class of 1967 graduate Larry Hurst to be inducted into Sandite Hall of Fame

After graduating from Sand Springs, Butterfield studied at Oklahoma State University where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She then attained her Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Oklahoma. 

While working on her own education, Butterfield spent her summers as a teacher aid at the now defunct Hissom Memorial Center which closed in 1994. She also worked as a substitute teacher for the Sand Springs Public School District.

Upon graduating college, Butterfield began her career with the Jenks Public School District, where she has remained ever since. 

Butterfield was initially hired as a first-grade teacher at Jenks East Elementary in 1989, and later served as a Building Principal, Communications Director, Human Resources Supervisor, Assistant Superintendent, and Deputy Superintendent before being named the Superintendent of the school district in 2013. 

As Superintendent, Butterfield oversees all operations of the district, which includes nearly 12,000 students and 1,500 staff members. She also serves on Governor Mary Fallin's Education Advisory Committee and State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister's Advisory Council.

Butterfield was named one of the 21 Women of Distinction for 2013 by the Tulsa Business Journal, and was featured in The Journal Record as one of "50 Making a Difference" in 2014.

The Hall of Fame banquet will be catered by Rib Crib and will feature a silent auction and music by the CPHS Jazz Band. Sand Springs Teacher of the Year Janet Johnson will also be recognized at the event.

CPHS Class of 1967 graduate Larry Hurst to be inducted into Sandite Hall of Fame

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Education Foundation will be holding its 28th Annual Hall of Fame banquet this Thursday evening at the Charles Page High School Ed Dubie Field House.

CPHS Class of 1967 graduate Larry Hurst is one of three Sandites who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

SEE RELATED: CPHS Class of 1967 - 50 Year Reunion

Hurst was a fullback on the 1966 2A State Champion football team, which holds the only State Championship in Sand Springs football history. The '66 Sandites finished the season undefeated at 12-0 in the second-largest class of competition. Hurst scored the winning touchdown on a 10-yard run to help his team defeat El Reno 14-7 at Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City. He continued his athletic career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College where he competed on the Golden Norseman football and track teams and helped the football team to a NJCAA National Championship in 1967.

Hurst graduated the University of Central Oklahoma with a Master's degree in Education, then attained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He returned to football as a coach. He worked as an assistant at Del City, then took the head coaching position in Blackwell from 1978 through 1981 and held an 11-28 career coaching record.

After a brief stint as Deputy Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma, Hurst returned to education as the Assistant Principal at Edmond Memorial High School.

In 1998 Hurst was hired as the Principal of Sheridan Junior High in Wyoming. He then transitioned to the High School as an Assistant Principal until his retirement in 2013. During his time with Sheridan he also worked as an assistant varsity football coach, freshman coach, and junior varsity coach. 

Hurst passed away on May 31, 2014 at the age of 65 after being struck by an intoxicated driver while bicycling with his wife, Sara. Hannah Terry was convicted of aggravated homicide with a vehicle and sentenced to eight to twenty years in a State penitentiary. Larry and Sara were one year shy of their thirtieth anniversary. Sara maintains a legal practice in Sheridan.

The Hall of Fame banquet will be catered by Rib Crib and will feature a silent auction and music by the CPHS Jazz Band. Sand Springs Teacher of the Year Janet Johnson will also be recognized at the event. 

This Week in Sand Springs

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Monday

  • 4:00 p.m. Sand Springs Planning Commission - regular monthly meeting
  • 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Oklahoma Blood Institute blood drive
    • Sand Springs Church of Christ. 4301 S. 113th W. Ave, Sand Springs OK 74063
  • 6:00 p.m. Sand Springs Board of Adjustment - regular monthly meeting was CANCELED
  • 6:00 p.m. CPHS Baseball - road game
    • Bartlesville High School. 500 S Madison Blvd, Bartlesville, OK 74006

Tuesday

  • State and Federal Taxes are due
  • 8:00 a.m. CPHS Girls' Golf - Union Tournament
    • Lafortune Park. 5501 S. Yale Ave. Tulsa OK 74135
  • 5:00 p.m. CPHS Slow Pitch Softball - road game
    • Union Intermediate High School. 7616 S. Garnett Rd. Tulsa OK 74012
  • 6:00 p.m. CPHS Baseball - home game
    • Sandite Baseball Complex. 405 W. 55th St. Sand Springs OK 74063
  • 6:00 p.m. Sand Springs Cultural & Historical Museum Trust Authority - regular monthly meeting
  • 6:00 p.m. CPHS Girls' Soccer - home game
    • Memorial Stadium. 500 N. Adams Rd. Sand Springs OK 74063
  • 7:00 p.m. CPHS Band Booster Club - meeting and elections
    • Charles Page High School. 500 N. Adams Rd. Sand Springs OK 74063
    • Positions up for election: President, Vice President, Secretary, Co-Treasurer, CPHS Representative. Appointed coordinator positions also open.
  • 8:00 p.m. CPHS Boys' Soccer - home game
    • Memorial Stadium. 500 N. Adams Rd. Sand Springs OK 74063

Wednesday

  • Sand Springs Development Authority - regular monthly meeting

Thursday

  • 8:00 a.m. CPHS Boys' Golf - 6A State Preview
    • Karsten Creek Golf Club. 1800 S. Memorial Dr. Stillwater OK 74074
  • 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. Guns n' Hoses Community Challenge Blood Drive
  • 4:30 p.m. CPHS Baseball - road game
    • Cascia Hall. 2520 S. Yorktown Ave. Tulsa OK 74114
  • 5:00 p.m. CPHS Slow Pitch Softball - double header road games
    • Jenks High School. 1561 N. Birch St. Jenks OK 74037
  • 5:30 p.m. Sand Springs Education Foundation Hall of Fame dinner
    • Ed Dubie Field House. 500 N. Adams Rd. Sand Springs OK 74063

Friday

  • 3:00 p.m. CPHS Choir Trip - Branson "Music in the Park" Choir Contest
  • 3:00 p.m. CPHS Track and Field - Muskogee Track Meet
    • 3200 E. Shawnee Rd. Muskogee OK 74403
  • 6:00 p.m. CPHS Girls' Soccer - home game
    • CPHS Memorial Stadium. 500 N. Adams Rd. Sand Springs OK 74063
  • 8:00 p.m. CPHS Boys' Soccer - home game
    • CPHS Memorial Stadium. 500 N. Adams Rd. Sand Springs OK 74063

Saturday

  • 9:00 a.m. 28th Annual Herbal Affair & Festival
  • 10:00 a.m. Sand Springs OKUSA Freestyle/Greco-Roman Wrestling Tournament
    • Clyde Boyd Middle School. 305 W. 35th St. Sand Springs OK 74063

Tyler Morrison receives Student Spirit Award for constructing new gardens at Garfield

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Gardens constructed by Tyler Morrison at the new Garfield STEAM Academy

By: Virgil Noah, Staff Writer

The regular monthly meeting of the Sand Springs Board of Education was held Tuesday in the Charles Page High School Performing Arts Building. The meeting began with the recognition and presentation of awards to several people.

Garfield STEAM Academy lost its garden after undergoing an extensive remodel, but that problem was fixed when student Tyler Morrison volunteered to be the eagle scout for the school, put together a plan and build the gardens. "It was really busy but it was a lot of fun. I had a lot of help and I definitely couldn't have done it without help." Tyler was presented with a Student Spirit Award and a gift card to Rib Crib.

Sand Springs Education Foundation Director Sylvia Fooshee was presented with a Sandite Spirit Award for her contributions and dedication over the years to Sand Springs Schools.

Board of Education President Mike Mullins was recently recognized with the Oklahoma State School Board Association Distinguished Service Award. Mullins, who recently gave up his gavel as President of the OSSBA, received the award at the annual OSSBA/Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA) conference in Oklahoma City. The award is given to only one individual a year. Mullins was also presented with the Sandite Think Right Award for his 19 years of service on the Sand Springs Board of Education. 

The Sand Springs School district set a goal of $65,000 in fundraising for the STEM initiative this year. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Electronics, and Mathematics. Several local businesses and organizations have made donations to the program. The Sand Springs Home was recognized for their $10,000 donation and LD Kerns Contractors was recognized for its work on the Garfield Renovation Project and a $500 donation to the STEM Initiative.

The Board approved out of state travel for several Sandite extra curricular events. The varsity Cross Country teams will be traveling to Fayetteville, Arkansas in October for the Chile Pepper XC Festival. The Dance team will be attending Dance Nationals in Orlando, Florida in February. The CPHS band will be headed to the Alamo Showcase of Music in San Antonio in April. Sandite Baseball will play in a Spring Break Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona in March. 

Sharon James, Matt Watkins, and Heather Miller are attending a Literacy Conference in San Diego, California later this month. Kristen Tanner received a $1,240 Scholarship from Engineering in Elementary to attend their workshop, Linking the E & M in STEM, in Boston, Massachusetts in November.

Frank Cooper receives 2016 Oklahoma Medal of Excellence

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COURTESY. Frank Cooper shows off a proclamation from the Tulsa County Board of Commissioners declaring March 22nd, 2016 to be Frank Cooper Day.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School's Frank V. Cooper was awarded the 2016 Oklahoma Medal of Excellence in Secondary Teaching by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Sunday.

Cooper is only the third Sandite to receive the Medal of Excellence, and the first to win it for Secondary Education. Susan Edwards received the inaugural Medal of Excellence in Elementary Teaching in 1987. Superintendent Lloyd Snow received the Medal of Excellence for Administration in 2015, and the Sand Springs Education Foundation was recognized with the now defunct Medal of Excellence for Local Education Foundations in 2004. 

Cooper sacrificed a promising legal career in 1993 to pursue a more fulfilling existence challenging the minds and inspiring the hears of Sand Springs's young people.

Frank Cooper dresses as Austin Powers during the 2012 Spirit Week.

The social studies and leadership teacher is a man of many coats, sometimes donning the tights, helmet, and golden cape of Captain Sandite at pep assembles and football games. Every January 8th he can be found in full Elvis Presley attire, celebrating the King's birthday. He's even been known to impersonate the International Man of Mystery from time to time.

The beloved community leader has previously received the University of Tulsa Secondary School Teacher Award for Inspiration, has twice been named the CPHS Teacher of the Year, and was a 2014 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalist. In 2014 he was featured on NBC's Today Show in a segment called "American Story."

Earlier this year, the Board of County Commissioners of Tulsa County declared March 22, 2016 to be Frank Cooper Day across the County. Though the proclamation was only for the year 2016, it wouldn't be surprising if the students of Charles Page adopt it as an annual holiday.

It wouldn't be the first time that Cooper has received such an honor.

In February of 2014 the high school dedicated the 100 hallway, in which Cooper's classroom is located, to the teacher and mounted a "Cooper Hall" plaque over the entrance to the hall.

Cooper never lets an opportunity pass to remind his students that they're important, he loves them, and

"the joy of life is in the journey!"
This story was originally published in the Sandite Pride News Weekly Sunday edition.

Montie Box honored at Salvation Army banquet

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Montie Box is honored by the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club with an award.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Sand Springs honored longtime Sand Springs entrepreneur and philanthropist Montie Box with a banquet at Hillspring Church Tuesday night. The event also served as a fundraiser for new playground equipment for the Salvation Army facility. 

Stan Clark, founder and owner of Eskimo Joe's, was the keynote speaker, and several other community leaders also spoke at the Army of Stars Banquet. 

Eskimo Joe's founder Stan Clark was the keynote speaker at the Army of Stars Banquet.

Advisory Council Chairman Bob Anderson introduced the man of honor and read off his seemingly never-ending list of accomplishments. Box was then presented proclamations from the City of Sand Springs and the State of Oklahoma from Mayor Mike Burdge and Councilman Phil Nollan, respectively. Nollan presented the State proclamation on behalf of his wife, District 66 Representative Jadine Nollan, who was away at the Capitol. Senator Dan Newberry also gave an address honoring Box. 

Attendance at the event was $40 a chair and had more than 100 in attendance. The event concluded with a silent auction that generated more than $4,000 in addition to donations taken earlier in the night. 

Morgan's Relax Packs are handcrafted customizable heat/cold packs designed for maximum relief at affordable pricing.

Montie Box is a long-time Sand Springs resident with more than half a century of real estate experience. He founded Montie Box Co. in 1958 after graduating from Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State University. He served in the army during the Korean Conflict with the rank of First Lieutenant. 

In 1973 he was named Oklahoma Realtor of the Year. In 1988 he was awarded the Sand Springs Education Association Friend of Education recognition. He was a founding member of the Sand Springs Education Foundation in 1990. In 1992 he was given the honor of life membership on the Tulsa Boys' Home Board of Directors as well as the SS Education Foundation. That same year he was inducted into the Sand Springs Education Hall of Fame. In 1995 he was named Sand Springs Hometown Hero. In 1998 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Realtors, which is considered to be the highest honor a realtor can receive and he is a member of the NAR Hall of Fame.

Senator Dan Newberry addresses the crowd and honors Montie Box. Newberry is currently running for reelection against outgoing Superintendent Lloyd Snow.

He served as a regent for Tulsa Community College from 1995-2006 and was the Chairman from 1996-1997. In 2009 he received the Vision in Education Award from TCC. 

His involvement with the Salvation Army goes back 61 years. He was instrumental in getting the new facility built in 1978 at its current location in Sand Springs. He is a life member of the Sand Springs Advisory Council, which is a prestigious appointment only available to members with a minimum of 15 years of outstanding service. He is a former coach and manager of Tulsa and Sand Springs Pee Wee Wrestling and he has served as Ringmaster at the Tulsa State Fair Livestock Auction. 

Lieutenant David Brittle also announced that Box had been confirmed as the 2016 recipient of the prestigious William Booth Award, which is one of the highest honors given by the Salvation Army. He will receive that award in the near future.