This Week in Sand Springs (2/11 - 2/17/18)

/

Monday

  • 4:00 p.m. Sandite Baseball Scrimmage vs. Booker T. Washington (H)
    • Sandite Sports Complex
      408 West 55th Street
  • 7:00 p.m. Sandite Dance showcase
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road

Tuesday 

  • 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Sand Springs City Council Ward 6 Election
    • CrossPoint Church
      4600 South 129th West Avenue
    • Fisher Baptist Church
      4008 South 137th West Avenue
  • 5:00 p.m. Sandite Baseball Scrimmage vs. Hilldale (A)
    • Hilldale High School
      300 East Smith Ferry Road
      Muskogee, OK 74403
  • 5:30 p.m. Tulsa Boys' Home Hope Tour
    • Tulsa Boys' Home
      2727 South 137th West Avenue
    • Contact Shannon Curry at 918.245.0231 ext. 5055 or scurry@tbhinc.org to RSVP
  • 6:00 p.m. Lady Sandite Soccer Scrimmage v. Pryor (A)
    • Pryor High School
      1100 Southeast 9th Street
      Pryor, OK 74361
  • 6:30 p.m. No. 13 Lady Sandite Basketball v. Jenks (H)
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road
  • 8:00 p.m. No. 10 Sandite Basketball v. Jenks (H)
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road

Wednesday

  • Valentine's Day

Thursday

  • 6:00 p.m. Sand Springs Small Business Coalition Meeting
    • Pratt Library
      3219 South 113th West Avenue

Friday

  • OSSAA 6A East Regional Wrestling Tournament (A)
    • Broken Arrow High School
      1901 East Albany Street
      Broken Arrow, OK 74012
  • 4:30 p.m. Sandite Baseball Scrimmage v. Metro (H)
    • Sandite Sports Complex
      408 West 55th Street
  • 6:30 p.m. No. 13 Lady Sandite Basketball v. Bishop Kelley (A)
    • Bishop Kelley High School
      3905 South Hudson Avenue
      Tulsa, OK 74135
  • 8:00 p.m. No. 10 Sandite Basketball v. Bishop Kelley (A)
    • Bishop Kelley High School
      3905 South Hudson Avenue
      Tulsa, OK 74135

Saturday

  • OSSAA 6A East Regional Wrestling Tournament (A)
    • Broken Arrow High School
      1901 East Albany Street
      Broken Arrow, OK 74012
  • 1:00 p.m. Sandite Baseball Scrimmage v. Union (A)
    • Union Intermediate High School
      7616 South Garnett Road
      Broken Arrow, OK 74012

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

  • Free for nonprofit/free/charitable events.
  • Free for Sandite Pride Partners.
  • $5 fee for for-profit events.

Church of the Month: Word of Life exists to reach people

/

Lead Pastor Chad Stewart preaches at a Sunday Service at Word of Life. (Courtesy).

*Note: Word of Life changed their name to Reach Church in August of 2018.
"Go to Sand Springs, raise up a New Testament church, and from there you will touch the world."

Like most nondenominational churches, Word of Life started as a handful of friends with a vision and a prayer. A dozen evangelicals meeting in a downtown Sand Springs storefront for prayer and bible study. They held their first official service on January 4th, 1981 in a twenty-year-old QuikTrip building near the intersection of 10th Street and Adams Road. 

David, Sharon, and Amanda Emigh. 

Pastor David Emigh founded the church at the age of 28 after a one-year stent in Rosebud, Missouri. During his tenure out of state, Emigh felt called by God to return to Sand Springs, raise up a new testament church, and from there he would touch the world. Together with wife Sharon, and their infant daughter Amanda, the Emigh family packed up and returned to their roots.

For thirty years, Emigh led the church. He published three books and aired an AM radio broadcast that reached tens of thousands. His team founded over a hundred churches on multiple continents, established a bible school, and ran an international ministerial organization.

By their 25th anniversary in 2006, the church had grown to over 800 members. They never got to celebrate their 30th anniversary. On June 15, 2011 Emigh died following a motorcycle accident. 

Word of Life founding pastors David and Sharon Emigh pray over current pastors Chad and Sarah Stewart.

“Without the Thirty, there wouldn’t be the Seven.” – Linda Scott

On September 11, 2011 the church took its first step forward. Word of Life members voted more than 90% in favor of confirming Chad Stewart as the new Senior Pastor.

Stewart arrived at Word of Life as the College and Careers (Young Adult) Pastor. He worked his way throughout the church, briefly running the bookstore, custodial duties, and serving a year as interim youth pastor. He was promoted to Associate Pastor a few months before Emigh’s death.  

Moving a church forward after the death of its founding pastor was far from an easy task. Stewart had to honor the legacy of the church’s founder, maintain the church’s existing identity, while simultaneously following his own passions and calling.

“That was a rough transition,” says Church Administrator Linda Scott. “The message never stopped being preached. The missionaries that we supported eight years ago, are still being supported today. They have never missed a payment since David died. We cut staff, we cut salaries, we did all kinds of stuff right here, but they never had a loss. That value of what was important to David has been important to Chad.”

Wednesday night service was dropped, and instead an emphasis was put on creating small groups, both ministerial, and shared interest groups. For four years the church hosted a carnival that offered rides, food, snow cones, backpacks, and haircuts all for free. In 2017 the church decided to forgo the one-day-a-year festivities and invest even more into the community throughout the year.

REV. TERRY SCOTT WITH HIS 2012 SUMMER INTERNS ON A MISSION TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS. (PHOTO SCOTT EMIGH)

Scott has been a member of the church since 1986 when she and her late husband Terry were invited by then-youth pastor Tom McCaslin. When McCaslin left Word of Life to start a church in Midwest City, the Scotts took over as Youth Pastors and served there for more than a decade. Under the Scotts, the Youth transitioned from the main church campus back to the old QuikTrip building where it all began. They continued meeting there until 2016 before rejoining the main campus.

Terry Scott stepped down as Youth Pastor to focus on FutureVision Ministries, but the two stayed plugged in at the church and Terry took on a part-time Missions Pastor position. Linda took on the Administrator position in 2011 and Terry took over as Associate Pastor soon after. Terry continued to travel the world, supporting Word of Life satellite churches, ministering, and leading missions until his death in 2016. He died doing what he loved, on a mission trip in Guatemala.

Volunteers from Word of Life church put in a work day at Limestone Elementary, painting and gardening. (Photo: Micah Felts).

“We exist to reach people.” –WOL Vision.

“We exist to reach people. We want to reach people with the love of Jesus Christ,” says Scott. “Sometimes to reach people, if we can reach a physical need in their life, that can help to bring them to the knowledge that God is a loving god and God is a caring god. We exist to reach people wherever they’re at in whatever condition they’re in.

“It’s not about the lights and all that. You have those things because you’re drawing people in, and we live in an age that people like that kind of stuff. But it’s more about getting to the heart of people. How can we impact them? How can we help them to get from Step A to Step B in their spiritual life? And sometimes it’s how do we get them from A to B when they’re going through a massive change in their life. It’s a divorce, it’s a death, it’s a crazy teenager, a crying baby. How do we help them in those hard times of life to stay on their feet and know that there’s a community behind them that cares about them and the whole time just reminding them what the Word of God says about those things, that He’s there to help them.

“We want people to understand that it’s not just the people at the pulpit that are called to reach people, but it’s all of us. Whether it’s inviting people to church, or handing someone a ‘bless you’ card because you bought their McDonald’s, or whatever. Just showing that love to people.”

Word of Life
1402 N 81st West Ave
Sand Springs, Oklahoma 74063
(918) 245-0262
Service: Sunday 10:00 a.m.
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
http://www.mywordoflife.com
Facebook: @Wordoflifess
Instagram: @Wordoflifess

Sand Springs Museum hopes to host world-famous Blue Dog art exhibit

/

The Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum could soon host an internationally-acclaimed series of paintings by George Rodrigue. 

The Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum could soon house a world-famous series of paintings by George Rodrigue. Northwoods Fine Arts Academy teacher Jennifer Barretto recently secured permission to display the art, but first she has to find a way to get it here.

Though the George Rodrigue Foundation has agreed to donate the art for a three-month exhibit next winter, it has to be transported, insured, and protected along its journey. Rodrigue's world-famous Blue Dog paintings are valued at no less than $60,000 apiece, meaning the small Sand Springs museum will have to provide both alarm hooks and security guards for the duration of the visit.

Inspired by the Cajun legend of the loup-garou, Rodrigue's Blue Dog series catapulted him to international acclaim when it was used in an advertising campaign by Absolut Vodka in the early 1990s. Rodrigue passed in 2013 after a battle with lung cancer. His funeral services were open to the public and held at the historic St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.

The loup-garou was a Cajun adaptation of the french rougarou, or werewolf. The creature, who typically has a human body and and canine head, is said to prowl the swamps around New Orleans. In some legends he hunts down Catholics who disobey the rules of Lent. In other tales he punishes misbehaving Cajun children. 

The Blue Dog is more "man's best friend" than occult phenomenon, sharing the stance and shape of Rodrigue's deceased pet, Tiffany. Barretto's class has spent much of the year learning about Rodrigue's work and imitating it with their own Blue Dog-inspired art. 

Barretto believes that the display could draw thousands of visitors to Sand Springs from across the region. In addition to the cultural impact it would have on the community, she believes it will also be a financial stimulus for local shops and restaurants.

The Sand Springs Museum has until August 1st to secure the funding for the exhibit, which would arrive in November. According to Barretto, it would mark the first time that Rodrigue's work has ever been displayed in the State of Oklahoma. Rodrigue's widow, Wendy, and son Jacques will also be on hand to share stories of George.

Sand Springs native actor and musician Sam Harris has gotten involved in the project and has released two promotional videos encouraging people to donate to the cause. Harris has starred on television, film, and even Broadway. 

"Art is more than just something pretty or interesting," says Harris. "It is a personal experience...only bound by the imagination of the artist and the viewer. For kids it's really important...it's a foundation for creativity and for critical thinking, things that will stay with them for the rest of their lives."

A GoFundMe account has been set up by Barretto that has already begun receiving donations. To view the page and make a donation, click here.

This Week in Sand Springs (2/4 - 2/10/18)

/

Monday

  • 12:00 p.m. Sand Springs City Council Ward 6 Candidate Forum
    • Tulsa Tech - Sand Springs Campus
      924 East Charles Page Boulevard
  • 5:30 p.m. Sand Springs Public Schools District Dialogue Meeting
    • CPHS Performing Arts Building
      600 North Adams Road
  • 6:00 p.m. Sand Springs Parks Advisory Board
  • 7:00 p.m. Sand Springs Public Schools Board of Education Meeting

Tuesday 

  • 6:00 p.m. Guys Night Out
  • 6:30 p.m. No. 11 Lady Sandite Basketball v. Union (A)
    • Union Multipurpose Activity Center
      6836 South Mingo Road
      Tulsa, OK 74133
  • 7:00 p.m. No. 5 Sandite Wrestling vs. Bixby (H)
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road
  • 8:00 p.m. No. 10 Sandite Basketball v. No. 6 Union (A)
    • Union Multipurpose Activity Center
      6836 South Mingo Road
      Tulsa, OK 74133

Wednesday

  • 12:00 p.m. U.S. Cellular Ribbon Cutting
    • 430 West Wekiwa Road
    • Same store, new management. 

Thursday

  • 6:00 p.m. Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce Annual Reception and Silent Auction
    • PostOak Lodge
      5323 West 31st Street North
      Tulsa, Oklahoma 74127

Friday

  • 9:00 a.m. Oklahoma Youth Wrestling League State Championship
    • Lloyd Noble Center
      2900 Jenkins Avenue
      Norman, OK 73019
  • 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. CrossFit 1055 & YellowHouse Sip & Shop
  • 7:00 p.m. No. 10 Sandite Basketball v. No. 8 Owasso (A)
    • Owasso High School
      12901 East 86th Street North
      Owasso, OK 74055
  • 6:00 p.m. No. 5 Sandite Wrestling (A)
    • Dual State Championship Quarterfinals
    • Firelake Arena
      18145 Old Rangeline Road
      Shawnee, OK 74801

Saturday

  • 8:00 a.m. Oklahoma Youth Wrestling League State Championship
    • Lloyd Noble Center
      2900 Jenkins Avenue
      Norman, OK 73019
  • 1:00 p.m. Meet the Sandites - Baseball
    • Sandite Baseball Complex
      412 West 55th Street
  • 2:00 p.m. No. 5 Sandite Wrestling (A)
    • Dual State Championship Semi-Finals
    • Firelake Arena
      18145 Old Rangeline Road
      Shawnee, OK 74801
  • 6:30 p.m. No. 5 Sandite Wrestling (A)
    • Dual State Championship Finals
    • Firelake Arena
      18145 Old Rangeline Road
      Shawnee, OK 74801
  • 6:30 p.m. No. 11 Lady Sandite Basketball vs. No. 4 Owasso (A)
    • BOK Center
      200 South Denver Avenue
      Tulsa, OK 74103

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

  • Free for nonprofit/free/charitable events.
  • Free for Sandite Pride Partners.
  • $5 fee for for-profit events.

Sand Springs Progress Report: What's new and what's changing

/

ALDI grocery store is holding its grand opening this Thursday at 8:00 a.m. The store is located at 101 West Alexander Boulevard in River West.

SEE RELATED: ALDI grocery store to hold grand opening Thursday in Sand Springs

The QuikTrip convenience store at 2 East 41st Street is nearing completion. The existing building was demolished in November of last year to make way for the larger, newer facility. 

Braum's Ice Cream Shop & Burger Restaurant at 3950 South Highway 97 was demolished in October of 2017 to make room for a larger, newer facility with a full fresh produce selection.

Construction nears completion on the new Warren Clinic facility in the River West development near downtown. The building will house the relocated offices currently at 796 Charles Page Boulevard. It will also add a new urgent care clinic.

SEE RELATED: ALDI and St. Francis Urgent Care to open new locations in RiverWest Development

Colton's Steak House broke ground in River West in October of last year and is expected to open this spring.

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

Sandlot Sno-Balls will be opening a new Prattville location at 3 West 41st Street this summer.

This mural by Josh Butts Creative Services is currently unfinished and will eventually wrap partly around the eastern side of the silo. Located just west of the intersection of Highway 51 and Avery Drive.

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

Another mural by Josh Butts will be going in on the side of Yesterday to Now at 224 North Main Street. The project will begin this spring and will take about a week to complete. 

SEE RELATED: Plans unveiled for new mural in downtown Sand Springs

ZegART Studios is renovating the building at 700 East Charles Page Boulevard in the Atwoods Shopping Center. Formerly a Radio Shack, the storefront will now house a studio for local artists.

Construction has yet to begin on this City Council-approved "hardened room" storm shelter at the Case Community Center. Other improvements coming to the Case Park area include G.O. Bond-funded paved parking at the Jerry Adair Baseball Complex and a road will be constructed over the levee for easier access to the park. 

Demolition continues at the old Gerdau Steel Mill and future Sheffield Crossing development. The City of Sand Springs recently purchased eighteen acres from OmniTRAX with the long-term goal of providing a good location for a hardware store such as Lowe's or Home Depot. The City hopes to develop the land to incentivize one of these businesses as well as provide the infrastructure for other shopping/dining options nearby. 

The Billie A. Hall Public Safety Center will break ground this spring along Morrow Road inside the Sheffield Crossing development. The facility will house the Sand Springs Police Department and Municipal Courts as well as replace the existing Fire Station No. 1.

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

Progress continues on the new Fire Station No. 2 at 4101 South 113th West Avenue. Construction is expected to be complete in August.

SEE RELATED: Sand Springs Fire Station #2 to receive $1.5 million new facility

Atwoods is currently undergoing a major expansion into the building space previously occupied by Stage department store and CrossFit 1055. Both of those businesses relocated to bigger and better facilities.

The old Spotless Car Wash at 3300 South Highway 97 was demolished this week to make way for new development.

Several upgrades were recently approved for the Keystone Ancient Forest. With passage of General Obligation Bond Proposition No. 3 in November, voters provided the funding for a new observation platform and visitors center.

Top: The Teal Ridge development at 8600 West 41st Street offers 115 lots with homes priced from $270,000 to over $400,000.
Middle: The Rivercrest Development at 3123 South 113th Avenue West offers twelve lots with homes priced from $200,000 to $300,000. 
Bottom: This Capital Homes development near the intersection of 51st Street and 129th West Avenue will hold 87 houses. 

Church That Matters recently purchased the Prattville Market at 3 West 41st Street. They also opened the Lee's Charburgers food truck at the same location. Both serve as fundraisers for the church's ministries. 

It's a Girl Thing Boutique opened recently at 4106 South 113th West Avenue.

El Patron Cocina Mexicana recently opened in The Shops at Adams Road at 536 Plaza Court.

The House of Hair and Boutique recently opened at 407 East Broadway.

Survey finds low teacher pay main reason for leaving Oklahoma classrooms

/

OKLAHOMA CITY – Teacher pay and education funding are among the chief reasons former Oklahoma educators have left the classroom, according to a comprehensive survey released by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE). State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister discussed the findings Mondayat a news conference at OSDE.

Hofmeister noted that 31 percent of the respondents indicated they would likely return to the classroom if teacher pay were increased – a net gain of thousands of additional educators in the classroom if the data were extrapolated.

“As our state continues suffering the effects of an unprecedented teacher shortage, Oklahoma cannot afford to ignore the results of this survey,” Hofmeister said. “Pay is no cure-all to staving off this shortage, but without regionally competitive compensation, we are trying to win a home run contest with one arm held behind our back.”

The survey was one of 40 recommendations made by the Teacher Shortage Task Force, a still-active panel that Hofmeister convened in September 2015. The Oklahoma Public School Resource Center (OPSRC), a member of that task force, funded the survey, which Oklahoma City-based polling firm Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates conducted this past fall.

“It was important to partner with OSDE on this project, which has important implications for all education stakeholders,” said Brent Bushey, executive director of OPSRC. “Funding a survey of this scope would have been a challenge for OSDE, and we wanted to step up to make it happen.”

The survey was sent to a list of nearly 30,000 deliverable emails. Of that number, there were 7,546 completions. Survey results focused on the 5,487 respondents under the age of 65 with active teaching certificates who are not currently teaching in Oklahoma public schools. The large sample size yielded a margin of error of less than 1 percent.

The vast majority of respondents, 90 percent, said they believe other teachers were leaving the classroom because of low pay, with 55 percent strongly agreeing with that statement. In addition, a significant number indicated that being unable to make decisions related to instruction and impediments to practicing the art of teaching were important factors in leaving the classroom.

When asked for their individual reasons for leaving, one-third identified pay or a better opportunity as the chief reason. However, a number of other factors cited by respondents – including inadequate education funding, hiring difficulties, relocating out of state and personal reasons – can also be related to matters of teacher compensation. 

The majority of respondents felt that from their first year in the classroom to their last, the quality of the work environment had deteriorated rather than improved. Nearly half (48 percent) believed it had deteriorated a great deal. When asked to identify why, more pointed to funding issues (17 percent) than low pay (15 percent) though again, the two may overlap.

In terms of certification type, the largest percentage of those who said pay was a primary reason for leaving were special education and secondary teachers.

Hofmeister said that finding is especially troubling.

“We have raised academic standards and expectations to give our students a competitive edge. We have a strong eight-year plan in place for education, but all of it depends on having well-supported teachers for our kids,” she said. “It is also alarming that our special education teachers are particularly pay sensitive, which does not bode well for serving our students with the greatest needs.”

Of particular interest among the survey results is the strong age line regarding pay sensitivity. Those under the age of 45 were more concerned about pay than older teachers. Forty-eight percent of respondents 18-24, 37 percent of those 24-34, and 36 percent of those 35-44 said that pay alone would be sufficient for them to return to the classroom.

Only in the age 18-24 category did more respondents indicate that pay alone, as opposed to more than pay, would bring them back to the classroom. Nonetheless, 31 percent of all those surveyed indicated that a pay increase would be sufficient to convince them to return. 

“While the survey reveals that a number of factors attribute to the teacher shortage,” said Hofmeister, “it also confirms that increasing teacher pay is the single most effective first step to reducing the crisis and perhaps even convincing teachers who have left the field to return.”

To see the report, click here.

Tulsa Historical Society Transportation Exhibit highlights Sand Springs

/

The Sand Springs trolley system will soon be featured in a new downtown mural.

On the Move: A History of Transportation in Tulsa
Through March 3, 2018
Lawson Exhibit Hall, Tulsa Historical Society & Museum – 2445 S. Peoria –
www.tulsahistory.org

EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION:

On the Move: A History of Transportation in Tulsa examines the many ways Tulsans have moved around through the decades since Tulsa first became a dot on the map. The first people in the area arrived here on foot, by horseback, or wagon. In the late nineteenth century, Tulsa became a stop on the railroad and the small settlement turned into a city. Before long there were bustling streets filled with cars and trolleys and Tulsa was well on its way to becoming the Oil Capital of the World.

Highlights include a 1955 Thunderbird, Skelly Gas Pumps, slight attendant uniforms, railroad tools, lanterns, timetables, and tickets, antique and locally made toys, Route 66 items, an original trolley bell conductor’s cap, and tokens from the Tulsa Street Railway Company, the World’s First Yield Sign, 1900-era baby carriage, “Countri Bike” – a celebrity bicycle that traveled the country in 2015, and hundreds of historical images of Tulsa and surrounding communities.

The exhibit also highlights Sand Springs history such as the old trolley system and the Sand Springs Railway, which has operated since 1911. 

A FEW ARTIFACTS OF NOTE:

  • 1955 Thunderbird
  • Skelly Gas Pumps
  • Flight attendant uniforms, 1960s – 2000s
  • Railroad tools, lanterns, timetables, tickets
  • Pratt & Whitney R-985 Airplane Engine
  • Airplane Seats from MD-80 Airplane
  • Terra Cotta from Tulsa Municipal Airport
  • Spittoon & Teapot used in Katy Railroad President’s Car
  • Spartan Coveralls
  • Skelly Coveralls
  • Antique & Locally made transportation toys
  • Route 66 Items
  • Hundreds of historical images of Tulsa and surrounding communities
  • Original Trolley Bell, Conductor’s Cap, and tokens from Tulsa Street Railway Company
  • “Countri Bike” – celebrity bicycle that traveled the country in 2015
  • 1900-era Baby Carriage
  • World’s First Yield Sign
  • Original Tulsa Street Pavers

ABOUT THE MUSEUM:
The Tulsa Historical Society & Museum (THSM) chronicles the city’s vibrant past through eight rotating exhibit galleries, special events, and activities for adults and youth. In addition, the Museum houses the Tribune Foundation Research Library and the beautiful Vintage Garden with its collection of architectural artifacts and bronze sculptures depicting Oklahoma’s five internationally famous Native American ballerinas.

Established in 1963, THSM holds an extensive collection of resources on our city’s rich past and is the only museum in Tulsa focused on building, preserving, and presenting a broad-based general collection of Tulsa’s history. The collection contains nearly 200,000 still photographs, books, maps, documents, textiles, architectural elements, building furnishings, and personal artifacts.

From 1985 until 1998, THSM had its headquarters in the Thomas Gilcrease house on the grounds of Gilcrease Museum. In December of 1997, with funds made available through the Tulsa Tribune Foundation, THSM purchased the historic Sam Travis Mansion off Peoria Avenue, just south of the Tulsa Garden Center. The mansion has been expanded and renovated to serve as the museum’s home.

Tulsa Historical Society & Museum is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.

This Week in Sand Springs (1/21 - 1/27/18)

/

Monday

  • 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Sand Springs Budget Fair
    • Sand Springs Municipal Building
      100 East Broadway
  • 7:00 p.m. Sand Springs City Council Meeting

Tuesday 

  • 6:00 p.m. No. 9 Lady Sandite Basketball v. No. 2 Bartlesville (A)
    • Bartlesville High School
      1700 Hillcrest Drive
      Bartlesville, OK 74003
  • 8:00 p.m. No. 9 Sandite Basketball v. Bartlesville (A)
    • Bartlesville High School
      1700 Hillcrest Drive
      Bartlesville, OK 74003

Thursday

  • 8:00 a.m. ALDI Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening
    • 101 West Alexander Boulevard
  • 7:00 p.m. Sand Springs BMX Association Annual Membership Meeting
    • Case Community Center
      1050 West Wekiwa Road
  • 7:00 p.m. No. 5 Sandite Wrestling v. No. 9 Jenks (A)
    • Jenks High School
      205 East B Street
      Jenks, OK 74037

Friday

  • 6:00 p.m. No. 9 Lady Sandite Basketball v. Muskogee (A)
    • Muskogee High School
      3200 East Shawnee Road
      Muskogee, OK 74403
  • 8:00 p.m. No. 9 Sandite Basketball v. Muskogee (A)
    • Muskogee High School
      3200 East Shawnee Road
      Muskogee, OK 74403

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

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

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

/

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.

This Week in Sand Springs (1/14 - 1/20/18)

/

Monday

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Tuesday 

  • 1:30 p.m. Sand Springs/Sapulpa Joint Board Meeting
  • 6:00 p.m. Sand Springs Cultural & Historical Museum Trust Authority Meeting
  • 6:00 p.m. No. 9 Lady Sandite Basketball v. Broken Arrow (H)
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road
  • 7:00 p.m. No. 6 Sandite Wrestling v. No. 2 Broken Arrow (H)
    • Clyde Boyd Middle School
      305 West 35th Street
  • 8:00 p.m. No. 9 Sandite Basketball v. No. 1 Broken Arrow (H)
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road

Wednesday 

  • 4:00 p.m. Sand Springs Development Authority Meeting

Thursday

  • 7:00 p.m. No. 6 Sandite Wrestling v. Muskogee/Bartlesville/Enid (H)
    • District Quadrangle
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road

Friday

  • 8:00 a.m. Ram Duals Wrestling Tournament
    • Owasso High School
      12901 East 86th Street
      Owasso, OK 74055

Saturday

  • 8:00 a.m. Ram Duals Wrestling Tournament
    • Owasso High School
      12901 East 86th Street
      Owasso, OK 74055
  • 5:30 p.m. 12th Annual Sandite Baseball Karaoke Competition & Chili Cookoff
    • Charles Page High School Auditorium
      500 North Adams Road

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

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

This Week in Sand Springs (1/7 - 1/13/18)

/

Monday

  • 4:00 p.m. Sand Springs Planning Commission Regular Meeting
  • 6:00 p.m. Sand Springs Parks Advisory Board Special Meeting

Tuesday 

  • 6:00 p.m. Lady Sandite Basketball v. Jenks (A)
    • Frank Herald Field House
      323 East B Street
      Jenks, OK 74037
  • 7:00 p.m. Sandite Wrestling v. Sapulpa (H)
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road
  • 8:00 p.m. Sandite Basketball v. Jenks (A)
    • Frank Herald Field House
      323 East B Street
      Jenks, OK 74037

Wednesday 

  • 11:30 a.m. Sand Springs City Council Special Meeting

Thursday

  • 6:00 p.m. Sand Springs Small Business Coalition Meeting
    • Pratt Library
      3219 South 113th West Avenue
  • 7:00 p.m. Sandite Wrestling v. Union (A)
    • Union High School
      6636 South Mingo Road
      Tulsa, Oklahoma 74133

Friday

  • 9:00 a.m. Bobby Lyons Invitational Wrestling Tournament (H)
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road
  • 6:00 p.m. Lady Sandite Basketball vs. Ponca City (A)
    • Ponca City High School
      927 North 5th Street
      Ponca City, OK 74061
  • 8:00 p.m. Sandite Basketball vs. Ponca City (A)
    • Ponca City High School
      927 North 5th Street
      Ponca City, OK 74061

Saturday

  • 6:00 a.m. 3rd Annual Ancient 5K
  • 9:00 a.m. Bobby Lyons Invitational Wrestling Tournament (H)
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      00 North Adams Road

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

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

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

/

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.

El Patron Mexican Restaurant opens for business in Sand Springs

/

El Patron Cocina Mexicana held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning in Sand Springs to commemorate its opening. The new Mexican Restaurant opened its doors for business Thursday, December 28th after an extensive renovation in The Shops at Adams Road. 

Located at 536 Plaza Court, the new restaurant is in the former location of El Maguey Mexican Restaurant, which relocated to the River West shopping center earlier this year.

After El Maguey vacated the building in July, owner Ricardo Munoz spent six months upgrading the facility with new modern decor and a more open-concept layout. The restaurant is managed by Munoz's brother, Ramon. 

El Patron carries an extensive menu of appetizers, fajitas, steak, seafood, and build-your-own nachos, quesadillas, and burritos, They offer create-your-own combos, a la carte, and a kids' menu.

Hours
Sunday - Thursday: 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

El Patron Cocina Mexicana
536 Plaza Court
918-246-7474
www.elpatroncocinamexicana.com
 

Inaugural Sandite Pride Christmas Light Contest Winners Announced!

/

The 2017 Holiday Season is coming to a close and the first Sandite Pride Christmas Light contest drew dozens of entries! The winners of the residential contest, sponsored by SmartStyle Sand Springs's Morgan Miller, is Sarah and Kyle Baumann in Springtree Estates. 

The Baumann household is well strung in beautiful multicolored lights with a purple ambiance. In addition to dozens of lighted candy canes, their yard features an illuminated Santa and sleigh with presents and all eight traditional reindeer, plus Rudolph leading the way. The wooden cutouts are a home-made family heirloom in their third generation, the patterns of which were made in the 1940s. 

The best-dressed Sand Springs business was YellowHouse Market and Boutique at 122 North Main Street. The family-owned and operated business opened in 2016 and relocated to its current location earlier this year. The historic Chastain's building, constructed in 1931, received a major renovation from owners Lisa and Mike Miller. 

Take advantage of post-Christmas clearance sales and load up on Christmas lights for next year! Sandite Pride will continue our light contest in 2018 with more categories and more prizes!

Below are some of our favorite lights around town!

Plans unveiled for new mural in downtown Sand Springs

/

Artist rendering of a mural on the side of the Yesterday To Now Antique & Art Mall. (Courtesy photo). 

Artist renderings have been released for the second of two murals commissioned by the City of Sand Springs. Josh Butts Creative Services is expected to complete the downtown mural by the end of Spring 2018. 

The Sand Springs City Council authorized $49,500 in March for the painting of two murals. The money was taken from the Economic Development Capital Improvement Fund, which is drawn from a hotel tax, with the goal of beautifying Sand Springs to attract shoppers and investors. 

In September Butts began work on a mural on the side of the old Monarch Cement Co. silo on the grounds of the Riverview RV Park. That piece is currently on hold while the City develops a plan to work around power-lines that obstruct part of the silo. 

The new downtown mural will be located at 224 North Main Street on the side of the Yesterday to Now Antique & Art Mall owned by Susan Whitley. It will feature a historic trolley like the ones that used to run through Sand Springs. 

According to City Manager Elizabeth Gray, the City does not have any plans to fund future murals. Some local businesses and organizations hope to begin their own public art projects in the future. However, they will have to get city approval for any art that could be considered advertising. 

Sand Springs currently only has three murals, including the unfinished silo project. An Herbal Affair-themed painting was completed in 2013 by Laura Thompson at 216 North Lincoln Avenue. The Charles Page High School Senior Class of 2006 painted a mural on the alley-side of the Page Center at 200 North Main Street. 

Sand Springs professor publishes new book on history of Prague, Oklahoma

/

Around the turn of the twentieth century, thousands of Czechs left their homelands in Bohemia and Moravia and came to the United States. While many settled in major American cities, others headed to rural areas out west where they could claim their own land for farming. In From Praha to Prague, Philip D. Smith examines how the Czechs who founded and settled in Prague, Oklahoma, embraced the economic and cultural activities of their American hometown while maintaining their ethnic identity.

Philip D. Smith is an Assistant Professor of History at Tulsa Community College and lives in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. He will be signing copies of his work at Barnes and Noble Southroads this Sunday, December 17th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The book store is located at 5231 East 41st Street, Tulsa.

Click here to read the full story at Sapulpa Times.

Word of Life Church blesses Walmart shoppers

/

Shoppers at the Walmart Supercenter in Sand Springs got a pleasant surprise Sunday morning as hundreds of Word of Life church members poured into the store to bless people with free money. 

Following their 10:00 a.m. service, Word of Life distributed $5.00 bills to every church-goer in attendance to take to Walmart and give to anyone they wanted. The church members could give someone $5.00, or could pool their money with others to take care of a patron's entire cart. This is the second time this year that Word of Life has held such an event.

Word of Life meets Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. at 1402 North 81st West Avenue and is pastored by Chad and Sarah Stewart. The nondenominational church has met in Sand Springs since 1981. 

 

 

This Week in Sand Springs (12/11 - 12/17/17)

/

Tuesday 

  • 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce Holiday Reception
    • 1 West 1st Street
  • 6:00 p.m. Beau Powers and the Distant Thunder - free concert
    • Sand Springs Triangle
      4 East Broadway
  • 6:00 p.m. Lady Sandite Basketball v. Union (H)
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road
  • 8:00 p.m. Sandite Basketball v. Union (H)
    • Ed Dubie Field House
      500 North Adams Road

Wednesday 

  • 7:30 p.m. Operation Jessica
    • Joni's on the Triangle Hair Salon
      211 North Main Street, Suite #2

Thursday

  • 7:00 p.m. Sandite Basketball vs. Wichita Defenders
    • Memorial High School
      5840 South Hudson Avenue
      Tulsa, OK 74135

Friday

  • 9:00 a.m. Sandite Wrestling at Kansas City Invitational
    • Hale Arena
      1701 American Royal Court
      Kansas City, MO 64102
  • 5:30 p.m. Sandite Basketball vs Northwest Arkansas Hornets
    • Memorial High School
      5840 South Hudson Avenue
      Tulsa, OK 74135

Saturday

  • 9:00 a.m. Sandite Wrestling at Kansas City Invitational
    • Hale Arena
      1701 American Royal Court
      Kansas City, MO 64102
  • Sand Springs / Team Big Youth Wrestling Tournament
    • Charles Page High School
      500 North Adams Road
  • 2:00 p.m. Sandite Basketball vs Redemption Life Academy
    • Memorial High School
      5840 South Hudson Avenue
      Tulsa, OK 74135

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

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

Sandite Pride News announces Inaugural Christmas Light Contest

/

This Holiday Season, Sandite Pride News is holding our first-ever Christmas Light Contest.

From now till Friday December 22nd we will be accepting nominations for three categories: Large Business, Storefront, and Household. Our finalists will be announced Christmas morning, Monday the 25th, and the winners will be posted on Friday the 29th. 

Nominations will be accepted via email at SanditePrideNews@gmail.com or via social media. To enter your house or business, simply send us a message on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Include your name, your business name (if applicable), your address, phone number, and a photograph. Your home address and phone number will NOT be made public. We need the address to visit and take our own photos of the finalists, but it will be kept completely confidential. Winners will be contacted by phone. 

The Best Household winner will win a gift card to SmartStyle Hair Salon in Sand Springs. Best Storefront and Best Large Business will both win free advertising credit with Sandite Pride. Next year we hope to have even bigger and better prizes with more participation categories.

Household entrees may include any size home, mobile home, RV, etc. You will not judged against larger homes and properties based simply on who has the most lights. Considerations will be given to themes, creativity, use of landscape features such as trees, bushes, and fencing, and whether or not you lived up to your property's potential. Small and large households will be on an equal playing field. 

Large Businesses are any businesses, churches, or other organizations who occupy a whole standalone building. The Storefront Business category will include any business, churches, or other organizations who are limited to a small section of a larger building. 

Considerations in all three categories will be given for non-light decorations such as inflatables, window frosting, signs, etc. 

By entering your home or business in this contest, you consent to having your property photographed and posted on www.sanditepride.com as well as all affiliated social media accounts. Photographs may be retained by Sandite Pride News, LLC and used for future promotion. Winners will be selected by the Sandite Pride staff with the Editor-in-Chief breaking any tie votes. Anyone inside the Sand Springs fence-line may participate. Click here to view a map of Sand Springs.

Korbyn Cowan presented with Sandite Spirit Award by Board of Education

/

Left to right: CBMS Assistant Principal J.J. Smith, Board of Ed President Rusty Gunn, student Korbyn Cowan. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

Korbyn Cowan was presented with the Sandite Spirit Award at Monday night's Sand Springs Board of Education meeting. The Eagle Scout recently helped supply the Clyde Boyd Middle School teachers with emergency first-aid kits. 

"Every teacher in the Sixth Grade Center and the seventh and eighth grade building all have these kits thanks to Korbyn," said CBMS Assistant Principal J.J. Smith. "We're glad to have him and we appreciate him a lot."

"If we're in it together we win it together," said Board President Rusty Gunn. "It's students, it's organizations, and the faith community, and teachers and everybody coming together to make it happen."