November 02, 2017

Sand Springs elementary students study aeronautical engineering at Angus Valley

November 02, 2017/ Scott Emigh

A student in Stephanie Forister's STEM Club test flies a glider.

Second and third grade students at Angus Valley Elementary are hard at work studying aeronautical engineering and designing their own gliders as part of Project Lead The Way's STEM Club.

Sand Springs Public Schools has a heavy focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and students begin working on their own designs and projects at an early age.

Stephanie Forister's STEM Club designs gliders.

The students in Stephanie Forister's STEM Club are learning about drag, lift, thrust, and fixed-wing aircraft. They utilize Computer-Aided Design, or CAD, with their own personal iPads to plan their projects then put together gliders to test their understanding. Each student can customize their wing shape, angle, and number of wings so each plane is unique.

After each test flight the students would brainstorm ways to make their plane go farther faster and with a more subtle landing at the end. They then altered their wings and stabilizers and tried again till mastering their design.

Two students in Janet Johnson's science class show off a scale-model wardrobe with functioning doors and drawers.

Angus STEM students have constantly been ahead of the curve in recent years, experimenting with robotics, MinecraftEdu, 3D printing, even balloon-powered cars. They just completed a lesson series on civil engineering.

Mrs. Forister recently received the Fall 2017 Flight Night Science of Flight Classroom Grant from the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance for ten Elf Owl Drone kits. They are also trying to raise money for supplies to build their own Mini Vibrating Robots. At press time they are $293 away from their $792 goal. Click here to donate or read more about the project.

You can follow along with the students' progress on Facebook at this link.

An important part of SSPS's goal is seamless transition from one grade level to the next, and the district is working to build additional STEM programs at all of their school sites.

Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalist Janet Johnson's class at Clyde Boyd Middle School doesn't even have traditional desks. Each student has a computer and work station where they can engineer projects such as heat shields and even a functioning prosthetic hand.

One of the neatest tools in Johnson's class is a pair of virtual reality goggles that allow students to explore inside the human body and interact with it in 3D.

November 02, 2017

Boo on Broadway is a hit in downtown Sand Springs

November 02, 2017/ Scott Emigh

The Seventh Annual Boo on Broadway Halloween festival went off without a hitch Sunday in downtown Sand Springs.

For the first time since its inception, the festivities were hosted by the Sand Springs Ministerial Alliance. This year did away with the Coffin Race tradition, but had record-high participation from both volunteers and attendees.

Olivet Baptist Church, State Farm Agent Steve Lane, the Sand Springs Police Department, Hillspring Church, Word of Life church, and Church That Matters were just a few of the many organizations involved.

About thirty tents, booths, and car trunks were set up around the Sand Springs Triangle Park along with inflatables, games, and even a dunk tank. The Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum was open for the first half of the festival, and City Councilor Patty Dixon said more than a thousand people came through the building before they ran out of candy.

Click here to view our photo gallery.

November 01, 2017

Superintendent Hofmeister announces winner of ‘License to Educate’ contest

November 01, 2017/ Staff Reports

2018 License to Educate License Plate Contest Winner, designed by Latta High School's Sarah Skaggs. Proceeds of the specialty plate will benefit teacher recruitment.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 1, 2017) – In an online vote, Oklahomans selected a Latta High School student’s watercolor painting of a vintage schoolhouse at sunrise as the design of a new specialty license plate to support education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister announced Wednesday.

Sarah Skaggs, a high school junior, based her artwork on the Jones Chapel Schoolhouse in Wintersmith Park in Ada. The historic one-room structure was built in 1907 – the same year Oklahoma became a state.

“The early schoolhouse is a strong visual reminder of Oklahoma’s time-honored commitment to free public schools for all children, which is enshrined in our state constitution,” Hofmeister said. “The results of the online vote demonstrate the enduring power of this image of a rural institution on the prairie. Sarah tapped into an inspiring subject and executed it beautifully.”

The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) received nearly 800 entries from students across the state for its License to Educate art contest, then narrowed the entries to six finalists. A total of 16,549 votes were cast online in the two-week contest period.

Sarah, who plans to pursue a career in forensic art, created several versions of her painting before she submitted it to the contest.

“This was not my first draft, trust me. It takes time to be better, and I learned it won’t always be right the first time,” she said.

Beginning today, the specialty tag (plate code LE) is available for pre-order at tag agencies across the state or by visiting here.

The license plate sells for $35 (plus an additional $3 mailing fee), with most of the proceeds helping to recruit and retain teachers in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Tax Commission must receive 100 pre-orders by May 1, 2018, to put it into production. The plate is the result of a recent state law authored by Sen. Stephanie Bice and Rep. Ryan Martinez aimed at curbing the state’s teacher shortage.

Jenny Salter, who has taught art at Latta for seven years, urged Sarah to enter the contest because she thought her 11th-grade student had the talent and determination to create a work of art that would resonate among voters.

“Sarah takes her art extremely seriously; she works on every piece with time and care, often undertaking project ideas that require meticulous effort,” Salter said. “I cannot wait to see how she uses her talents in the future. She truly has a gift.”

In addition to working with watercolors and graphite, Sarah is the graphic design editor of the school’s online newspaper.

Hofmeister applauded the efforts of participants.

“It was such a delight to see hundreds of pieces of original student artwork flood into the Oklahoma State Department of Education,” Hofmeister said. “Thank you to all of the students who shared their creations and every teacher who provided encouragement and guidance.”

For more information on the License to Educate contest, visit http://sde.ok.gov/sde/licensetoeducate

October 31, 2017

Local Churches Deliver Fun Halloween Festivities

October 31, 2017/ Scott Emigh

Looking for the most bang for your buck this Halloween? Skip the door-to-door and visit these trunk-or-treat festivities at local churches.

Sand Springs United Methodist Church
401 North Main Street
More than a dozen cars in a safe parking lot next to the Central Ninth Grade Center.
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Sand Springs Church of Christ
4301 South 113th West Avenue
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Dozens of trunks, inflatables, a photo booth, and more.

First Christian Church of Sand Springs
501 North Main Street
Get out of the cold and rain with some indoor festivities at First Christian Church.
5:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Not pictured:
Sand Springs Church of God
401 North Grant Avenue
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

October 27, 2017

Sweetie Pie's Bakery owner, employee recognized by Sand Springs City Council

October 27, 2017/ Scott Emigh

Mayor Mike Burdge presents Robin Porter with a Mayoral Proclamation. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

The Sand Springs City Council had a busy regular meeting Monday evening. Mayor Mike Burdge presented two Mayoral Proclamations, two new police officers were sworn in, and a presentation was given on the new City Public Safety Complex.

Robin Porter was recognized for her work in creating Sweetie Pie's Bakery as a place of employment for an individual with disabilities. Porter employs Steve Scott at her popular downtown eatery and was recently awarded the 2017 Governor's Disability Employment Award of Excellence. Scott was awarded the 2017 Governor's Disability Employee Award of Excellence. He not only works at Sweetie Pie's but is also a frequent volunteer at the Sand Springs Senior Citizens Center. Both Porter and Scott were commended by Governor Mary Fallin in a ceremony at the Governor's Mansion. They also received Mayoral Proclamations from Mike Burdge.

Mayor Mike Burdge presents Steve Scott with a Mayoral Proclamation. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

Council approved a resolution for Notice of Election for electing City Councilors from Ward 5, Ward 6, and At-Large. The filing period will be from December 4th through 6th. Candidates must filed their declaration of candidacy with the City Clerk at the Sand Springs Municipal Building. A primary election will be held on February 13, followed by a general election on April 3.

Council approved a dilapidated public nuisance notice for an uninhabited and fire-damaged home at 1000 N. Birch Avenue. Following a 30-day challenge period, the building will be eligible for demolition on December 6th.

Council approved an ordinance closing a 15-foot Sanitary Sewer Easement on the property of Braum's Hamburgers. The restaurant was recently demolished and will soon be rebuilt as a larger facility with more services.

Council approved a $38,328 expenditure to Ruhrpumpen for the manufacture of a submersible wastewater pump and motor.

Council awarded a $62,477.56 contract to J.E. Dirt Wurx for a sidewalk improvement project in the RiverWest Development.

Kenny Tate, Don Chatfield, Ryan Walker, and Mary Eubanks were each appointed to the Sand Springs Economic Development Authority (SSEDA).

Council authorized Pogue Airport to pursue various State grants and approved up to $432,750 to match any awarded grants.

October 27, 2017

New Sand Springs Public Safety Facility to be named in honor of war hero Billie A. Hall

October 27, 2017/ Scott Emigh

Designs for Billie A. Hall Public Safety Facility. (SUBMITTED).

A new Public Safety facility is in the works in Sand Springs and the Sand Springs City Council unanimously approved the naming of the facility as the Billie A. Hall Public Safety Facility in a regular meeting Monday evening.

Staff Sergeant Billie Allen Hall was born on September 21, 1939 and killed in action on March 9, 1966 in Vietnam when Camp A Shau was assaulted with mortars and small arms fire by two North Vietnamese regiments. Hall was a medic in a company of 143 men sent to relieve the battered camp. Hall ran through the center of the firefight multiple times to assist in dragging the wounded to safety and treating them.

Staff Sergeant Billie Allen Hall. (SUBMITTED).

Hall lost both legs to a mortar strike but refused medical attention and morphine, instead focusing on helping others. He did not allow himself to be moved until he had finished treating other casualties and continued coordinating medical efforts until blood loss caused him to collapse into a coma and eventually die.

Hall is honored on Panel 5E, Line 132 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and is buried in Section 51, Site 946 in Arlington National Cemetery. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1967 and inducted into the Sand Springs Education Foundation Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2007 the American Legion Post 17 in Sand Springs unanimously voted to rename the Post in his honor. Legion volunteers are continually working to have Hall awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Design for Billie A. Hall Public Safety Facility. (SUBMITTED).

The new facility will be constructed in the 400 block of West Morrow Road in the Sheffield Crossing development. It will be approximately 40,000 square feet and will house Police, Fire, Municipal Court, Jail, Emergency Operations Center and 911 Communications operations.

October 25, 2017

OkieSpice & Trade Co. to open in north Sand Springs this winter

October 25, 2017/ Scott Emigh

Steve and Kim Zieg are the owners of the soon-to-open OkieSpice & Trade Co. in Sand Springs. (Photo: Sam Shook).

The north side of Sand Springs will soon be the recipient of a brand new business, possibly the most unique business in Sand Springs. OkieSpice and Trade Co. just had its first health inspection and is in the final stretch of preparations before opening this winter. Homegrown Sandites Kim and Steve Zieg, both graduates of Charles Page High School, are the owners.

Located at 501 West 2nd Street in the old Roary D’s Hair Emporium, the cooking and novelty store will fill a niche that had previously been unoccupied in Sand Springs. The store will carry cooking supplies, novelties, and Made-in-Oklahoma products that are often hard to find.

“When we got married we were able to take some really nice vacations and long road trips and found some really spectacular stores that had a lot of these kinds of products in them,” said Kim. “We love cooking and spices and seasonings. The spicier the better. Initially it was just going to be spices and then we’ve kind of branched out to ‘Made in Oklahoma.’ We just want to have things in here that are unusual products. We’ve found a lot of neat things in our travels and we’ve tried to incorporate some of that and bring it back here for people in Sand Springs.”

A display of OkieSpice products. (Photo: Sam Shook).

The store will be growing their own peppers and creating a few spices on their own, but most of the inventory will be bought through suppliers. They will also carry salsas, summer sausage, chips, drinks, smoked cheeses, and grilling items, as well as nostalgic candies and soda pops that are often hard to find in regular convenience stores. “We’re trying to really focus on the Oklahoma vendors,” says Steve. “We want to help them have a place to sell product.” They will even carry pork rinds that you can microwave a portion at a time so they don’t go stale.

“We do have a big garden,” said Kim. “Every year we grow peppers, that’s just our wheelhouse. We grow great peppers, the hotter the better. We’ve done that for years. We’ll dehydrate and grind and make our own powders. We’ve got a whole cabinet full right now of jalapenos, ghost peppers, Carolina reaper, poblano. We were hoping that we would be open in time that we would have those out for purchase as well. You can’t find those kind of peppers around here. Maybe next year.”

While Kim manages the OkieSpice operations, Steve will be maintaining his employment with the Oklahoma Natural Gas Company where he has worked for the past 35 years. “This is kind of a prelude to retirement,” says Steve. The couple will be celebrating their sixth-year anniversary this October. Together the two have seven adult children.

The two decided to invest their business in Sand Springs to support the community, says Steve. “We think we have something here that’s unique and different and could be a draw for people from the greater Tulsa area. Having grown up in this town and raised our children here, we wanted to do something here in Sand Springs.”

“We’ve utilized a couple of his high school friends that have had talents that have been able to help us,” says Kim. “We’ve tried to stay local. The sign was made by Andy Anderson Metal Works.” The carpenter that did the work in the building graduated with Steve and local artist Jonny Rice is painting a mural on the east side of the building.

“I love Sand Springs,” added Kim. “Sand Springs is seven minutes away (from Tulsa). It’s time that Sand Springs changes its course.

“Opening has taken us longer than we planned or had thought it would,” says Steve. “This is the first time we’ve done a business, so there’s been a lot of learning for us to get to this point. We know we still have more learning to come.”

“The City has been pretty easy to deal with,” said Steve. “The building inspectors have been pretty good to work with. We haven’t had a lot of interaction with the City outside of that. We had to do sign permits and those went by pretty quick. They’ve gotten back with us really quick when we’ve had a need.”

The business plans on holding a soft opening for the first couple of weeks, followed by a grand opening weekend at a later undetermined date.

October 25, 2017

Walden, Smith, Sandite Wrestling to be Grand Marshalls of Christmas Parade

October 25, 2017/ Scott Emigh

The 35th Annual Festival of Lights Christmas Parade will be full of Sandite pride this year. Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce President Kristen Valentin announced Wednesday that Charles Page High School Head Wrestling Coach Kelly Smith, his 2017 State Championship wrestling team, and nine-time OSSAA State Championship runner Cheyenne Walden will be sharing Grand Marshall duties during this year's parade.

Kelly Smith (center) with his 2016-2017 Coaching Staff.

Smith is in his sixteenth year leading the high school wrestling program and in 2017 he led his team to their first State Championship since 1971. The Sandites went undefeated to sweep the Dual State Championship and State Tournament, crowning five individual Champions. They finished the year ranked fifteenth in the nation by FloWrestling.

Walden graduated in May as the most decorated athlete in Sandite history with four Cross Country State Championships and five Track and Field State Championships. She recently placed 48th at the Penn State Open, fourth among her fellow Oklahoma State University Cowgirls, and 34th at the Cowboy Jamboree in September.

The theme for this year's parade is Winter Nights and Magical Lights, and it will be held in downtown Sand Springs on Friday, December 1st at 7:00 p.m.

Entry in the parade is $20.00 and must be submitted to the Chamber of Commerce by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 17th. A $100 cash prize will be given to the best Overall Entry. Other awards will be presented for Best Church Entry, Best Use of Theme, Best Use of Lighting, Best Showmanship, and Best Marching Unit.

October 18, 2017

CPHS Gold Pride Marching Band earns Fourth Place at prestigious Branson tournament

October 18, 2017/ Staff Reports

This past weekend, the Charles Page High School Marching Band competed at the 3rd Annual Southwest Missouri Regional in Branson, MO and brought home several awards. On October 14th, the Gold Pride band was one of 14 bands performing at the SWMO Regional. During the preliminary round of judging, CPHS band was awarded 1st place in Class and Best Music, Best Percussion & Best Overall Effect! For the finals, the Gold Pride was awarded 4th place overall and Best in Class!

October 11, 2017

Colton's Steak House & Grill holds ground-breaking ceremony in Sand Springs

October 11, 2017/ Scott Emigh

City of Sand Springs officials held a formal ground-breaking ceremony Wednesday morning at the site of the future Colton's Steak House and Grill. Also on hand was franchisee Mark Dean and representatives from the Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce. The restaurant will be located on the Southeast corner of the intersection of Alexander Boulevard and Booker T. Washington Avenue, across the street from El Maguey Mexican Restaurant.

"This is a big day for Sand Springs," said Mayor Mike Burdge. "We were given charge several years ago by the population of Sand Springs. They told us what they wanted and it wasn't an easy task. Most of the kudos goes to staff. They were the ones who really went to work on this and worked with the developer and put this thing all together."

"We're real excited about coming here," said Dean. "We looked at several towns here in Oklahoma and thought that this was the best fit for sure...We're going to come here and do you a good job."

Dean said that they would be breaking ground next week with the expectation of opening in mid-March.

The upcoming Sand Springs location will be the second in Oklahoma and 37th location overall for the eight-state franchise. It is the fifth eatery to join the River West development, following McDonalds, IHOP, Starbucks, and El Maguey. Other businesses in the development include Holiday Inn Express, O'Reilly's Auto Parts, CVS pharmacy, and Centennial Baptist Church.

Colton's Steak House was founded in 1996 in Conway, Arkansas and is named for Texas Ranger J.T. Colton, a character created for the Colton's brand. The steak house traces its fictitious roots to the late 1800s when Colton won the Tin Star Saloon from Sheriff Matthew Dillon in Dodge City, Kansas during a game of poker.

Two other businesses are currently under development in River West. Warren Clinic's existing Sand Springs offices will join a brand new minor emergency clinic when construction is finished in River West. Groundwork on a new ALDI grocery store also began recently.

The Sand Springs Retail Market Area encompasses more than 104,000 people, 40,000 households, and a Median Disposable Income of $38,583, according to a report generated by the Indian Nations Council on Government (INCOG). The Sand Springs population was 18,906 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, and INCOG reports more than 5,000 commuters to Sand Springs from outside communities.

Franchisee Mark Dean speaks at the Colton's Steak House groundbreaking ceremony.

October 09, 2017

This Week in Sand Springs (10/9 - 10/15/17)

October 09, 2017/ Staff Reports

Monday

Columbus Day
Indigenous Peoples Day

Tuesday

6:00 p.m. Sandite Volleyball vs. Ponca City (Regionals).
- Winners advance to Championship match at 7:00 p.m.
- Stillwater High School
  1224 North Husband Street
  Stillwater, OK 74075

Thursday

11:00 a.m. Sandite Softball vs. Choctaw (State Quarterfinals).
- ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
  2801 NE 50th St
  Oklahoma City, OK 73111
5:30 p.m. Pogue Airport Advisory Board Meeting.
- Airport Terminal Building
  3200 Airport Road Conference Room
6:00 p.m. Sand Springs Homecoming Parade.
- Downtown Sand Springs.

Friday

11:00 a.m. OSSAA Softball State Semifinals.
- Sandites play pending results of Thursday game.
- ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
  2801 NE 50th St.
  Oklahoma City, OK 73111
5:00 p.m. Sandite Letterman Gathering.
- Ed Dubie Field House
  500 North Adams Road
- Gathering for all former Sand Springs lettermen.
7:00 p.m. Free screening of Wonder Woman (2017).
- Case Community Center
  1050 W. Wekiwa Rd
  Sand Springs, OK 74063
7:00 p.m. Sandite Football vs Muskogee (H).
- Memorial Stadium
  500 North Adams Road

Saturday

9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 7th Annual Pleasant Valley Farms Winter Squash
- Pleasant Valley Farms
  22350 West 71st Street
1:15 p.m. CPHS Gold Pride Marching Band Competition
- 3rd Annual Southwest Missouri Regional
- More competitions to follow, times pending first competition results.
- Branson High School
  935 Buchanan
  Branson, MO 65616
5:00 p.m. OSSAA Softball State Championship.
- Sandites play pending results of Thursday/Friday games.
- ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
  2801 NE 50th St.
  Oklahoma City, OK 73111

Sunday

9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 7th Annual Pleasant Valley Farms Winter Squash
- Pleasant Valley Farms
  22350 West 71st Street

Add your event to our weekly newsletter. Email SanditePrideNews@gmail.com

Free for nonprofit/free/charitable events.
$5 fee for for-profit events.

October 05, 2017

Editorial: It's high time to beautify Sand Springs

October 05, 2017/ Scott Emigh

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

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

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

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

Sapulpa Public Art

Drumright Public Art

Cushing Public Art

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

October 04, 2017

Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce launches new Ambassador Program

October 04, 2017/ Scott Emigh

The Sand Springs Area Chamber of Commerce is looking for community service-minded individuals to help launch a new Chamber Ambassador program. The Chamber hosted a free luncheon at Crescent Cafe Tuesday afternoon to discuss the program and distribute information, while the host restaurant graciously footed the bill.

The Ambassador Program will work to help inform the community of Chamber membership benefits, events, and opportunities to give back to Sand Springs. The Chamber has been working since 1946 to strengthen the community and local economy.

The Chamber hosts many events throughout the year, including: The Chillin & Grillin Festival, the Taste of Sand Springs event, and the Festival of Lights Christmas Parade. They also help other organizations with their events, such as the upcoming Ministerial Alliance-sponsored Boo On Broadway Halloween event in downtown.

Ambassadors will assist Chamber President Kristen Valentine with recruiting volunteers for events, recruiting new Chamber members, and networking with new and existing Chamber members.

"We don't want people to have to work every single event," said Committee Chairwoman Jamie Halford. "We want to try to share the workload and plan ahead for events, rather than just throw things together at the last minute."

Ambassadors will earn participation points for attending or working events, for recruiting volunteers and new chamber members, and for helping with routine office work such as followup calls with existing Chamber members. Points will be turned in at quarterly meetings where an Ambassador of the Quarter will be recognized, as well as an Ambassador of the Year award at the Annual Chamber Reception.

Chamber benefits include ribbon cutting ceremonies for new businesses, changes of ownership, and new locations. Members are able to submit information for the Chamber newsletter, are included in the online Chamber directory, and can include information in New Member Welcome Bags.

Anyone interested in joining the Chamber or the Ambassador Program can contact Valentine at 918-245-3221 or Kristen@sandspringschamber.com. The Chamber offices are located at 1 West 1st Street in downtown.

October 02, 2017