After teasing Facebook followers with updated profile and cover photos last week, the Great Raft Race officially announced its return at a press conference Monday afternoon at the Gathering Place.
Read MoreCity of Sand Springs Marketing and Special Projects Manager Kasey St. John poses with her OKAPA award.
By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
Meet Kasey St. John, one of the most integral cogs in the Sand Springs machine. She will probably roll her eyes that I said that, but it's true--she's involved in everything.
The Marketing and Special Projects Manager for the City of Sand Springs has only been a Sandite for a little over two years now, and she has more than made a name for herself in that short amount of time. Most recently she was awarded the Oklahoma Planning Association's Outstanding Student Project Award for her work on the See Sand Springs website.
See Sand Springs is St. John's Master's thesis project, and is now an officially sanctioned effort to attract small businesses, developers, employers, and visitors to the Sand Springs area. The beautifully designed website answers questions about incentives, marketing, and cohesion with City planning. It was recently added to the City Council's Economic Development Resolution.
"It's cool to be honored for a student project," said St. John. "My goal was to make this project benefit the community." It seems like everything she does benefits the community, and not just in the scope of her job. Because See Sand Springs was a school project, she wasn't allowed to work on it during work hours. So after spending long hours in the City municipal building serving the City, she would then go home and continue serving the City on her own time.
She is no stranger to hard work. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2008 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications, she went to work as the Public Relations Coordinator for The Metropolitan Environmental Trust. In 2009 she began working in the Transportation Planning Department at the Indian Nations Council of Governments, where she worked until she came to Sand Springs. While at INCOG she designed the Tulsa Transportation Resource Center website.
She has been a member of the Tulsa Young Professionals for the past eight years and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the foundation. Though she modestly denies it, she has been referred to as being "instrumental in getting the Great Raft Race launch site located in Sand Springs" by a City official. St. John is good friends with the Executive Director of the Raft Race and lobbied on behalf of Sand Springs, but says her pushing likely wouldn't have made a difference if Sand Springs hadn't already been a piece of Raft Race history.
St. John has spent the last two years working on her Master's in Architectural Urban Studies at the University of Oklahoma--Tulsa College of Architecture. She will graduate with that degree in December.
Her duties with the City include managing projects such as the famous Sand Springs Herbal Affair, the City website and social media accounts, as well as development of the City's strategic marketing plans.
St. John and her husband of five years, Steven, have two dogs named Gilbert and Francisco. When she finds spare time she enjoys traveling and reading and also owns a marketing and wedding planning business.
In 2015 she was named as one of Oklahoma Magazine's "40 under 40."
Her most recent project is the #SandSpringsLocal campaign, which seeks to bring attention to the fact that Oklahoma is the only State where cities are almost entirely dependent on sales tax for general operations such as emergency respondents, parks and recreation, roads and infrastructure, and economic development. The campaign encourages Sand Springs citizens to use the aforementioned hashtag on social media and to "check-in" and tag businesses whenever citizens are out shopping and eating. Using the hashtag between October 15th and December 15th will enter citizens into a drawing for various prize packs from local businesses.
She can be reached through her Wordpress website.
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.
Sandite Pride News, LLC is a locally owned and operated Sand Springs, Oklahoma news source, serving the community since 2014.
What is Sandite Pride News?
Sandite Pride is the only locally owned and operated news source for Sand Springs, Oklahoma. Sandite Pride News was founded in 2014 by Scott Emigh. The site is primarily focused on Sandite sports, Sand Springs city development, events, and community news.
