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• FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2020 • JENKSTRIBUNE.COM •
SEE INSIDE
Bond items approved by council By KYLE SALOMON
ksalomon@jenkstribune.com
Long-awaited road improvements could be coming to Jenks soon. Tuesday, the Jenks City Council unanimously approved several road-improvement items that would appear on a potential general obligation bond issue, which voters would decide on in April. “This group of projects improves the overall transportation and infrastructure
for our city,” Jenks Mayor Robert Lee said. “People in Jenks have been asking for these improvements for quite some time. The improvements on south Elm will shorten commutes, allow people to spend more time with their families and less time stuck in traffic. The same goes with the Elwood projects. The improvements to the downtown area and south Jenks will help with the access to the outlet mall and improve the overall quality of life for our citizens.”
The total amount of the bond is $20 million, which is the number Jenks city officials were hoping to hit going into this process. The list of items on the potential bond: -South Elm Street widening to five lanes from 111th Street to 131st Street ($16 million) -Main Street improvements from Date Street to east of railroad tracks ($1 million) -Design of Elwood Avenue from Main Street to 91st Street ($1 million)
-Design of Elwood Avenue from 111th Street to 121st Street ($1 million) -Design for rights of ways and utility relocation ($1 million) Now that the potential bond items have been approved by City Council, a G.O. bond resolution will be formed and voted on by the council Feb. 4 at the next Jenks City Council Meeting. If the council votes yes on the bond resolution, the G.O. Continued to BOND, Page 9
PETS OF THE WEEK The Pets of the Week this week are Abby and Romeo. See them on Page 2.
Dr. Butterfield delivers ‘State of Education’ By KYLE SALOMON
ksalomon@jenkstribune.com
JENKS BEATS UNION The Jenks boys basketball team took down Union Friday at home. Read the story on Page 5.
CHAMBER BANQUET The 2020 Jenks Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet took place Jan. 16. See photos on Page 12.
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID JENKS, OK PERMIT NO. 7
Jenks Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stacey Butterfield delivered the “State of Education” speech Jan. 15 at the January Jenks Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. Photo Illiustration/Jinger Wiesman
Jenks Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Stacey Butterfield, delivered the “State of Education” speech Jan. 15 at the January Jenks Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. Butterfield said Jenks Public Schools would not be where it is at today without the entire Jenks community behind it. Continued to SPEECH, Page 9
Jenks Schools recognizes School Board January is National School Board Month across the country. Jenks Public Schools recognized the Jenks Public Schools School Board at the Jan. 13 School Board Meeting. The Jenks Public Schools School Board Members from left: Chuck Forbes, Tracy Kennedy, Ron Barber, Melissa Abdo and Terry Keeling. Photo/Courtesy
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Friday, January 24, 2020
PETS OF THE WEEK
Abby Meet Animal Control Officer Fred Reid and Abby! A smallish two-year-old lab mix, Abby is a bit shy at first, but quickly warms up (especially if you have food). She seems to be good with other dogs, but her preferred spot is cuddled up next to her favorite human. If you’d like to meet Abby or any of her adoptable friends, call Jenks Animal Control at 918-299-6311 option 8 or email animalcontrol@jenksok.org.
Romeo Meet Officer Josh Semke and Romeo! Probably a year or less in age, Romeo is always ready for playtime! He’s not quite sure about car rides yet, but is doing pretty well for his age on a leash. If you’d like to meet Romeo or any of his adoptable friends, call Jenks Animal Control at 918-299-6311 Option 8 or email animalcontrol@jenksok.org. Photos/Courtesy
Friday, January 24, 2020
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How to make sure your best employees stick around By DAVID MOORE
Archon Resources dmoore@archonresources.com
HOLD ON TO THE BEST The demand for quality employees is higher than ever. Companies are finding it increasingly difficult to retain valued employees. Even if your workers are not actively seeking employment elsewhere, they may be the subjects of your competitor’s intensive recruiting efforts. Your competitors know who your employees are, so now is the time to focus on keeping your best. HOW DOW I KEEP MY EMPLOYEES FROM HAVING A WANDERING EYE? I check in on them often. I sit in the same
kind of cubicle, in the same bullpen that they sit in. We are a team. The saying is true, people don’t leave companies, they leave bosses. When is the last time you spent some quality time with each of your direct reports or anyone in the company without an agenda? Do you ask them what their motivating factors are? What do you know about their family? Knowing your employees is a great way to stay connected to each person helping them know that they are an important part of your company. Training is also very important in this rapidly changing world of technology. It doesn’t matter what field you
competition.
David Moore work in: technology, banking, restaurant, HVAC; whatever the industry, it is important to keep your employees’ skills present and relevant. Training is imperative to keeping them marketable as well as keeping your business thriving and in front of your
RECOGNIZE AND REWARD A JOB WELL DONE Often-times, well-deserved praise, given on a consistent basis, can be as valuable as a raise or bonus. People want to know that they are doing good work. Being very specific when offering recognition is so important. It’s not good enough to just say “Great job!” or “You’re killing it!” It is so much better to say something like “I heard you earlier talking to our client about their upcoming remodeling project, you handled that so well! I really like how you mentioned some of our past client projects and how they could be similar.” When employees don’t feel
value, they start looking for a company or new boss who will recognize their good work and value their input. PERKS … You can make working at your company even more desirable by offering employee perks- extras that aren’t included as part of the standard comp package. Perks don’t have to be expensive; here is a list of benefits that cost little or nothing: -Mentoring opportunities -Public recognition -Small gifts for special occasions like birthdays, weddings, birth of a child, etc. -Gift cards for exceeding expectations or working late on a project -Tickets to sporting
events and movies -Working from home -Flexible work schedules -And always accompany each of these perks with a personal note for their achievements PREVENTATIVE MEASURES … Turnover happens, but businesses that succeed know how to keep their most valuable employees. By improving your staff ’s quality of life at work, you not only retain your top employees, but you’ll make the office a better place to work which will also serve you well when it comes time to hiring more people. This article is a paid advertisement.
Teachers, students enjoy tennis A group of teachers and students at Jenks High School came together to enjoy some recreational time recently on the high school tennis courts. Photos/Drew Bethell
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Jenks Tribune Founded, owned, operated and published by Hyperlocal LLC 329 S. Elm Street Suite #201 Jenks, Oklahoma 74037 Phone: 918-528-7272 Fax: 918-528-5605 www.jenkstribune.com
Jenks Tribune Mission Statement “We are the Jenks community’s hometown source for hyperlocal news, sports and information that the people of our community need to know.” Jenks Tribune is mailed weekly through the Jenks Postal Office and United States Postal Service to U.S. Postal customers in the 74037 zip code
Jenks Tribune Staff Kyle Salomon
Owner: Hyperlocal LLC Publisher: Jenks Tribune Office Phone: 918-528-7272 Mobile Phone: 918-231-0787 Email: ksalomon@ jenkstribune.com
Hayden Tucker Director of Media/ Sports Editor: Jenks Tribune
Office Phone: 918-528-7272 Mobile Phone: 405-651-8451 Email: htucker@ jenkstribune.com
Jinger Wiesman
Creative Director/ Advertising Executive: Jenks Tribune Office Phone: 918-528-7272 Mobile Phone: 918-813-0654 Email: jwiesman@ jenkstribune.com
Cami Rogers Advertising Executive: Jenks Tribune Office Phone: 918-528-7272 Mobile Phone: 918-688-2264 Email: camirogers9@ cox.net
Jenks Tribune Owner/Publisher Kyle Salomon with Jenks Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stacey Butterfield, who was his teacher in second-grade at Jenks East Elementary, after Butterfield won the Ed Gerchman Leadership Award Jan. 16 at the Jenks Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet. Photo/Hayden Tucker
HEARING FROM THE OWNER’S BOX Hello Jenks, America! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week here in our great community! The weather has been on the chillier side, but you have to expect at least some of that this time of year. There have been a lot of exciting things happening in the Jenks area in the past week. The Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual awards banquet Jan. 16 at the Oklahoma Aquarium. The evening provided a fun-filled event where business owners and community leaders could gather and not worry about work for a little while. Dr. Stacey Butterfield, Jenks Public Schools Superintendent, was selected as the Ed Gerchman Award for Leadership recipient at the end of the event and what a deserving candidate Dr. Butterfield is. Dr. Butterfield has been in public education for three decades and one of those years was spent as my second-grade teacher at
Jenks East Elementary School. Throughout my years receiving my education, I had several teachers/professors that I would say made a difference in my life, but none more than Dr. Butterfield. You might ask how can a teacher influence you that much at that age? It is a fair question, but Dr. Butterfield had a way of connecting with her students and creating a platform for them to reach their full potential. One thing that will always stand out to me, is she made learning fun. It was the first time in my life that learning became fun for me. School was not easy for
me. Throughout my kindergarten and first grade years, I was not enjoying the school days. I wanted to be at home with my mom like I always had been in my early childhood. In second grade, that all changed and that was because of Dr. Butterfield, who was then Miss Ford. I looked forward to coming to school and because my attitude began to change toward school, I started to create friendships that would last for years. Yes, she taught us many things, but the biggest impact she had on me and the rest of my classmates was the environment she created to allow us to be successful. I walked out of her classroom for the final time in May following my second-grade year and I was no longer her student, but she would continue to impact my life as I progressed through my education. We all have those educators in our lives who are special to us and Dr. Butterfield is that for me. Jenks Public Schools is very fortunate to
have someone like Dr. Butterfield leading the district. The leadership and direction she provides does not happen everywhere. I graduated from Jenks High School in 2006 and I did not believe that Jenks could truly get better as a school district when I walked off the stage with my diploma in hand, but it has under Dr. Butterfield’s leadership. She has taken the best school district in the state of Oklahoma and turned it into the best school district in the nation. I have met a lot of people in my career from other areas of the country and their description of the school districts they grew up in don’t come close to what Jenks provides for its students and that is in large part because of Dr. Butterfield. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the Jenks Tribune. Sincerely, Kyle Salomon ksalomon@jenkstribune.com
GUEST COLUMN
Naked Networking® with Kari Mirabal Question: What’s the best way to manage insincere people at networking events? Answer: Don’t allow insincere people to waste your time at networking events. Unintentional conversation represents everything wrong with how some people network. These types pretend they’re listening, yet their eyes drift away as they scan
the room for their next victim. Ever heard the
saying, “a wise person once said nothing?” Let actions speak louder than words to teach people how to treat you. While attempting to hold a conversation with a new contact who isn’t maintaining eye contact, try this strategy. Stop speaking mid-sentence when a contact’s eyes veer off. When eye contact returns, resume your sentence. If their eyes
begin to wander again, repeat the process. Continue these steps until they get the point or close the conversation and walk away. Invest time and energy into people who are interested in engaging you respectfully through active listening. Have a networking question? Send us your inquiry to ksalomon@ jenkstribune.com
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•FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2020 • JENKSTRIBUNE.COM •
GUTTING IT OUT
Ike Houston dribbles around a Union defender Friday night. Houston scored 13 points in Jenks’ 64-60 win over the Redskins. Photos/Hayden Tucker
Anfernee Nelson, above, scored a team-high 18 points on two three-pointers against Union.
Trojans keep streak alive with win over Union By HAYDEN TUCKER
htucker@jenkstribune.com
Jenks boys basketball kept the ball rolling on its hot season with a close win over rival Union last Friday. The Trojans secured their eighth straight win in a tight home battle with the Redskins (8-3). The game ended 64-60 with Jenks hitting timely free throws and keeping its composure. The Trojans jumped out to a 20-8 lead at the end of the first quarter but a defensive adjustment from Union had the lead narrowing to 32-29 at halftime. Both teams kept the score close throughout the second half, but it was the Trojans who got the upper hand in the end.
“It seemed like every time we could’ve just kept digging our hole a little deeper, we would respond,” coach Clay Martin said. “We didn’t shoot free throws well most of the night, but we made some big ones. Being able to make those big plays in crunch time was great.” Despite getting the win, there were several areas to improve on. The Trojans began to struggle when Union applied a press defense. Several turnovers and mental mistakes nearly cost Jenks the game. “It wasn’t the prettiest of games,” Martin said. “We’re going to find a lot on film we wish we would’ve done differently but most Continued to TROJANS, Page 6A
District Quad Duals
Jenks defeated Union 40-24 in one of three duals hosted at Frank Herald Gym Tuesday night. Despite the Trojan win, Union came out district champs. Photo/Hayden Tucker
Trendon Tisdale lines up a three-pointer against Union. Tisdale scored 14 points in the game.
Lady Trojans fall to rival
Jenks girls basketball lost to Union 64-43 last Friday and Bixby 57-39 Tuesday. Photos/Hayden Tucker
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Friday, January 24, 2020 Ike Houston brings the ball up the court past a Union defender. The Trojans defeated the Redskins 64-60 last Friday and Bixby Tuesday to move to 10-1 on the season. Jenks began the Jenks/Union Invitational tournament Thursday.Photos/Hayden Tucker
Trendon Tisdale, right, passes the ball around a Redskin defender. Tisdale scored 13 points against Union.
Chase Martin rises up for a shot over a Union defender. Martin scored 10 points against Union.
Trojans
From page 5A
importantly, perseverance and press on.” Jenks has pulled out several wins in games which its opponents tested them to the end as of recent. In the two games before, Sapulpa and Sand Springs gave the Trojans a run for their money. Each time they’ve had to fight for a win in this eight-game win streak, they’ve come out on top. As he did after the Sapulpa and Sand Springs games, Martin credited his veteran leadership for keeping calm in stressful situations. “A lot of these kids have played now for two years together,” Martin said. “Experience is the toughest teacher. Sometimes you get the lesson first, unfortunately. Today we get to learn some lessons after a win, thankfully.” Senior Anfernee Nelson has been lighting up the scoreboard recently. Nelson dropped 18 points with two three-pointers in the win to lead the Trojans. He did this despite battling through cramps in the second half of the game. “It was tough, but I just wanted the win,” Nelson said. “I’ve been working on (the three-point shot) in practice a lot.” Other leading scorers for Jenks were Ike Houston (13), Trendon Tisdale (14) and Chase Martin (10). Jenks defeated Bixby 73-37 Tuesday night on the road to improve to 10-1 on the season. The Trojans will be in action this weekend at the Jenks/Union Invitational. Jenks faced Class 5A No. 7-ranked East Central in the first round Thursday.
Anfernee Nelson rises up for a lay up. Tisdale lead all scorers with 18 points and two three-pointers.
Friday, January 24, 2020
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Jenks defeats Union during district quad
Jenks defeated Union 40-24 in one of three duals in the district quad. Union was crowned district champs, however. Photos/Hayden Tucker
Jenks boys and girls swim win host invitational meet
Jenks boys and girls swim took first place at the Jenks Invitational meet last week. The Trojans scored 506 points and the girls scored 502.5. Photos/Drew Bethell
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FIGHTING FIRES
My blood pressure was taken before and after the drill to ensure that I wasn’t at risk of any health problems arising.
uJenks Fire Department allowed our Hayden Tucker to participate in training last week. The fire department used a local empty house to hold mock fires. Tucker recounts his experience in this photo essay. Photos/Drew Bethell
The gear weighs around 45 pounds in total and it felt like the oxygyn tank was most of the weight. In all it took me around 10 to 15 minutes to get all the gear on. Fire Chief Greg Ostrum, left, informed me that firefighters only get around two minutes to get all the gear on.
Right: The drill I went through was a standard drill. The glow you see is a box that puts out an orange light to simulate a flame. There was no real smoke. In fact, the “smoke” you see is perfectly fine to breathe.
I led the group of four in behind me holding the fire hose. Once I entered the room, I aimed the nozzle at the “flame” and put it out. From there, another firefighter used an axe to break a window. I, then, aimed the hose and fired out the window allowing all the smoke to escape the room as seen below.
JFD was also testing their new drone system. They use the drone to have an eye in the sky.
We also documented this in video. Check out our social media to see it. Thank you to our JHS interns Drew and Elise for capturing this process.
Friday, January 24, 2020
JenksTribune.com Bond
Jenks Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stacey Butterfield accepts a check from Tulsa Teachers Credit Union Jan. 15 at the Jenks Chamber of Commerce January Luncheon. Photo/Courtesy of Jenks Public Schools
Speech
From page 1
From page 1
“We appreciate the support,” Butterfield said in her speech. “We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our wonderful community. It is because of the support of our community that we are accomplishing so much, and we do not take it for granted.” The Class of 2020 will have 794 students graduate in May, while there are 12,535 students in the overall Jenks Public Schools District this academic year. That number is higher than the previous year, but the Class of 2019 graduated 889 students. The Class of 2019 also had $21.9 million in schol-
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arship offers, logged 28,000plus volunteer hours, had 12 National Merit finalists and had two Oklahoma Academic All-State selections. In the 2018-2019 school year, Jenks Public Schools employed more than 1,600, raised $483,062 by the Jenks Public Schools Foundation and had 42.5 square miles in the district. Jenks Public Schools student demographic breakdown in 2018-2019 was 52% white, 15% Asian, 13% American Indian, 11% Hispanic and 9% African American. Also, in 2018-2019, 39% of students received free and
reduced lunches, 19% were gifted and talented, 13% were English language learners and 17% were in special education. Jenks Public Schools’ students had a higher test score average than the State of Oklahoma in the English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and ACT tests. “Learning is different than is used to be,” Butterfield added in her speech. “We have to be able to educate in multiple ways. School safety is and always will be our top priority.” In the 2018-2019 school year, the Jenks Public Schools general fund totaled $91,862,761, while the general fund expendi-
tures totaled $92,122,230. Of that amount of expenditures, salaries and benefits made up 93% at $85.9 million. Jenks Public Schools’ net assessed value in 2019 was $832 million. On Feb. 11, Jenks Public Schools’ voters will hit the polls to vote yes or no on a JPS bond issue of more than $12 million. Butterfield said she wants to see the polls full of voters. “I encourage everyone to get out and vote,” Butterfield said. “We need our voices to be heard. When I say this, I mean it, Jenks Public Schools is all about the people and that is the students, our staff, our families and our community.”
bond will appear on the April ballot and will be proposed as one question with all road improvement projects under the single question. Other capital funded projects that were considered for the potential bond were the new Senior Activity Center, new Fire Station One downtown and the new Animal Shelter. According to Lee, those items among others will remain a top priority for the City of Jenks, as they search for different ways to fund capital projects. “It was a challenge to limit this to $20 million,” Lee said. “We had to narrow our scope of projects to stay at that limit and address the most critical needs for our city based on what we have heard from our citizens. Road improvements are the top priority for our citizens right now. This process also gave us a chance to review other projects such as the new senior center, fire station and animal shelter. We will identify the next steps with those projects and move forward with them.” Lee said it was important to keep the bond amount to $20 million. “We wanted to keep it at $20 million to minimize financial impact on individual citizens,” Lee said.
POLICE LOGS INCIDENT REPORTS Jan. 13 though Jan. 19
used the driver side door for balance.
DUI-10400 S ELWOOD AVE Hart had red watery eyes. I smelled a strong odor of what is commonly associated with an alcoholic beverage coming from Hart’s person and breath. Hart admitted to drinking three beers and two or three shots at approximately 0200 hours. Based on Hart’s driving behavior and the clues I saw, I asked Hart to step out of the vehicle to do SFST’s to determine if he was safe to drive home. As Hart exited the vehicle, he
MVA-HIT & RUN -PROPERTY DAMAGE-12000 BLOCK S BIRCH AVE Struck a utility pole and left the scene without contacting police. DUI-3200 W 111TH ST Huai had red watery eyes and admitted to drinking two cups of wine. During the transport, I smelled an odor what is commonly associated with an alcoholic beverage.
WARRANT ARREST-3000 W 111TH ST Ashley had an FTA warrant out of Bixby. UNAUTHORIZED USE OF CREDIT CARD-11000 BLOCK S NANDINA Suspect unlawfully used a credit/debit card that does not belong to them without the owner’s permission. LEAVING SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT(CITY)-10500 S HIGHWAY 75 The suspect changed lanes and struck the victims
before leaving the scene and refusing to stop when the victim tried to get his attention.
FALSE PRET OR BOGUS CHECK UNDER $50012900 S 1st ST An unknown person(s) obtained the victims checking account information then created and used bogus checks. LARCENY-AUTO AIRCRAFT OR OTHER MOTOR VEH-700 W DUNCAN The suspect(s) entered the construction site and stole heavy construction
equipment valued at $60,000. The suspect(s) were last seen traveling east on Duncan while in possession of the stolen equipment. ARRESTS MICHAEL HART 1/18/2020 DUI MAN HUAI 1/15/2020 DUI WILLIAM MOORE 1/19/2020 INTERRUPT OR PREVENT EMERGENCY CALL, PLANNING OR THREATENING VIOLENT ACT, OBSTRUCTING OFFICER, DOMESTIC A&B/ABUSE
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Friday, January 24, 2020 WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. -Psalm 31:24
Erin Miller and Robert Morris, both of Frisco, Texas, announce their plans to marry Feb. 29 at the Pearl District Building in Tulsa with James Pickens officiating. Miller is the daughter of Glen and Stacey Miller of El Reno. She is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, where she was a member of the Cowboy Marching Band, Kappa Delta Sorority and Kappa Kappa Psi Service Fraternity. She is employed with the Prosper Independent School District, Prosper, Texas. She teaches high school math. Morris is the son of Gart and Kelley Morris of Jenks. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas where he was a member of the Razorback Marching Band and Kappa Kappa Psi Service Fraternity. He is employed with the Frisco Independent School District where he teaches computer science.
Friday, January 24, 2020
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Friday, January 24, 2020
Chamber announces winners at awards banquet Local businesses were celebrated at the Jenks Chamber of Commerce’s Inaugural Banquet. Here are the list of award winners: -Tedford Memorial Scholarship: Keegan Helms -Ambassador of the Year: Ken Hargrove, HargroveMarker Funeral & Cremation Service -Young Professional of the Year: Sarah Koehling, Speech and Beyond Pediatric Therapy -New Business of the Year: Got Wood Axe Throwing Co. -Restaurant or Bar of the Year: George’s Pub -Retailer of the Year: Reasor’s -Community Impact: Jenks Community Food Bank -Business of the Year: Windows by Jeff, Inc. -Ed Gerchman Leadership Award: Dr. Stacey Butterfield, Jenks Public Schools - Photos/Hayden Tucker
Ken Hargrove - Ambassador of the Year
Sarah Koehling - Young Professional of the Year
Got Wood - New Business of the Year
George’s Pub - Restuarant/Bar of the Year
Reasors - Retailer of the Year
Jenks Community Food Bank - Community Impact
Windows By Jeff - Business of the Year
Dr. Stacey Butterfield - Ed Gerchman Award