FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2020
JENKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS T O OPEN 2020-2021 WI T H DIS TANCE LEARNING
By Kyle Salomon
Several weeks after releasing a three-option “Return to Learn” plan, Jenks Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stacey Butterfield announced Monday that all students in the Jenks school district will begin the year in a Distance Learning plan due to the rise in COVID-19 numbers in Tulsa County. The announcement came during a Jenks Public Schools Board of Education meeting. The 20202021 school year was slated to begin Aug. 19 for Jenks, but after Monday’s news, the start date is now Aug. 24. “After the July 13 School Board meeting when we rolled out the three-option learning plan, we were excited and thought that was how we were going to begin the school year,” Butterfield said. “As the number of positive cases in Tulsa County continued to increase, along with the recommendations from the (Oklahoma) State Board of Education and (Oklahoma) State Department of Health, our team looked and said it would be hard to determine what metric to follow if we didn’t follow this.” The original “Return to Learn” plan was put together by Jenks Public Schools Administration and approved by the Jenks Public Schools Board of Education in mid-July. It consisted of three options, which included at-school learning, all-virtual learning, and blended learning. The original three-option plan will go back into effect when it is deemed safe for the students to return to the classrooms and
OSU STUDENT GE T S IN DEEP WITH OKLAHOMA AQUARIUM BULL SHARKS By Kyle Salomon
Oklahoma Aquarium volunteer Trae Taylor was the Dive with the Bull Sharks contest winner in 2020. The Wewoka, Oklahoma native was selected out of hundreds of entries from across the country and had the opportunity to dive in the bull shark tank Friday at the Oklahoma Aquarium. After having the chance to dive in the aquarium’s Polynesian tank and sea turtle tank, Taylor said he was ready to jump in with the sharks. “The whole day I was just ready to get in the water,” Taylor said. “If there was a feeling to describe this, it would be as if I was a kid again waiting to open presents on Christmas morning.” Taylor said the moment was surreal when he first entered the water. “My thoughts were, ‘WOW this is actually happening. Something I have always dreamed of as a kid is actually happening right now.’” Taylor said his interaction with the sharks was an incredible opportunity. “It was so amazing,” Taylor said. “Looking at those sharks and being around them was a beautiful experience.
JENKSTRIBUNE.COM
Distance Learning is no longer required. Because of that, the deadline to opt into the all-virtual learning plan remains this Friday. Jenks Public Schools will remain in the Distance Learning plan until Tulsa County’s COVID-19 numbers are in the “Yellow Level” of the COVID-19 Alert Levels Chart from the State Board of Education. The “Yellow Level” means no more than 14.39 cases per 100,000 people. “We took a deeper dive into the color-coded system and felt that is where we needed to be,” Butterfield said. “Our goal is to be at school with our students and our employees. We are more comfortable knowing if we can get these numbers down in Tulsa County, they are going to start looking at transitioning us back to at-school. We are looking at twoconsecutive weeks in the ‘Yellow’ before we stop the required Distance Learning. There also may be other information we may be gaining as well. Everyone is learning as we go, we are building the plane as we fly it.” Jenks Public Schools transitioned to a Distance Learning plan in mid-March after the global pandemic infiltrated the Jenks community. According to Jenks Public Schools Administration, this version of Distance Learning will be different than the one in the spring. This fall, Distance Learning included summer planning and preparation. It will include teaching, assessing, and grading new content and concepts and will require a larger time commitment. Devices and internet access support will also be available. cont. on pg 6
I’d say the closest a shark got was approximately 10 feet or so. The longer I was in there, the more interested and comfortable they got. The sharks were definitely curious of what was going on inside their home. They kept checking me out, but none came up close and personal. I assume they got the social distancing memo.” Taylor said the experience was almost exactly what he expected. “The sharks showed signs of curiosity,” Taylor said. “I did expect though that at least one shark would have been curious enough to come up close. Other than that, the dive was everything I expected plus more. No matter how calm you are, once you see that first 300-pound plus shark, you get an amazing adrenalize rush. Also, I sense of complete peace comes from watching the beauty of sharks.” Taylor is a full-time student at Oklahoma State University and says his ultimate career goal is to work at an aquarium and do research on the species. As for diving, he said wants to take a major step the next time he gets into water with sharks. “Next on the list for me would have to be going to South Africa and getting in the water with a great white shark,” Taylor said. “I am trying to plan that after my graduation from Oklahoma State in 2021.”
807 East A Street Jenks, OK 74037
Call or text us 918-955-8152 biergartenjenks.com
I T ’S GOOD TO BE BACK By Kyle Salomon “Hearing from the Owner’s Box”. That is a phrase that I got really used to typing from August of 2019 through February of 2020. Every week, I sat down at my desk and wrote from my personal opinions. I wrote about what was going on in our community here in Jenks. I wrote about the great and wonderful people I had the pleasure of crossing paths with and I wrote about the amazing things happening in my personal life. There were weeks it was easy sitting down and pouring out my thoughts in a 500-word editorial. There were also some weeks that writing anything, let alone a column, seemed like it would take a minor miracle. I am a human being, so like anyone else in the world who has a job, there would be some days and some weeks I didn’t feel like doing a whole lot. The thought of putting out another paper and going through the weekly and daily grind of running a small business put my stomach in knots. Those weeks were few and far between, but they did exist from time to time. Most weeks, I looked forward to covering events, writing stories, taking photos, building pages, selling ads, delivering papers and making sure the lights stayed on by keeping up to date with the expenses that come with running a newspaper. However, those other weeks still were a reality, but you deal with them and move on down the road. Then March of 2020 came steamrolling into our lives. We had heard about this Coronavirus and this thing called “COVID-19”, but it was ransacking other countries across massive oceans thousands of miles away. I mean, this is the United States of America right? No virus is going to come here and change the way we live our lives. That’s just not going to happen. Yeah, we may have some cases across the country or even some here in Oklahoma, but nothing too serious right? How many of you thought that way? I hope a lot of you are raising your hands because I am raising mine.
IT ’S ALL ABOU T CONNECTIONS Eric Fox, Associate Principal, Jenks High School Two things people who know me are already aware of: 1. I’m not very handy when it comes to self-repairs and 2: I’m frugal – which is a way to avoid having to admit I’m cheap. So, recently when we had an issue with a toilet at our house, I was determined to fix it myself. Wasn’t YouTube created for home repairs? After a long stretch of getting the water shut off, replacement parts installed and turning the water back on, it happened. The minor leak I was trying to fix was now a major leak. The more I tried to correct one issue, the worse the problem became, especially when the water was restored to full strength. Water was spraying all over the place once the pressure increased. I had problems with connections. Connections were critical. We find our community, our families, our students and our educators facing challenges with connections. What repairs or proactive measures can we take to try to ensure the maximum effectiveness of our connections as we begin this school year? What can we do to minimize ill effects on loose connections as pressures and stressors increase? As a parent, please consider connecting with your child’s school early and often, even before the school year commences. You can do this in a variety of ways. When you know your child’s teacher, counselor or administrator, send a quick introductory email (or it may be appropriate for your child to do this if he/she is a little older). What have they enjoyed about school? What have been past challenges? What are you hoping they get out of their experiences? Have they spoken of any possible future careers or hobbies that the teacher could use to help motivate them or to provide enrichment? This can be helpful at the beginning of any school year, particularly since time will be spent in a remote learning environment. Secondly, sign up to get class and/or school announcements and to become a virtual observer in the courses. At Jenks, parents can sign up to be an observer through the learning management system,
This world, this nation, this state, and this community were flipped upside down and for the first time in my lifetime, the future was murky and clouded with fear and skepticism. National, state and local officials kept telling us to not be afraid, but when you shut businesses down and tell people they can’t leave their house unless they are going to the grocery store, the pharmacy or to work if you are deemed “essential”, fear is going to happen. However, I believe there are times in life when lessons can be learned. I believe this is one of those times. There are many lessons we can learn from this global pandemic, but for me, one of the biggest lessons I have learned from a professional standpoint is to not take anything for granted. Our print editions were stripped from us so quickly, we barely had time to think about what we were doing going forward. With advertising being our only source of income, there was no way we could continue with the print issues, but when we pulled the plug, the thought never crossed my mind that could be it. We may never print another Jenks Tribune again. When we made the decision to bring our print product back, I made the decision right then and there I would not take this for granted any more. It is a blessing to get to put out a community newspaper in Jenks every week and that is something that should never be taken for granted. Sitting down at my desk and having the opportunity to write an editorial is something I will never take for granted again. I hope all of you can apply that to your lives. Let’s stop taking things for granted, because we have seen now just how quickly they can be torn away. It’s good to be back. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the Jenks Tribune. Sincerely, Kyle Salomon ksalomon@jenkstribune.com
Canvas. This means any notifications that come from the school or a teacher can also come to you. Schedule time on a consistent basis to sit down with your child and look over their courses and announcements. Ask them what they are enjoying about their classes or what they are struggling with or a fact or concept they learned that was interesting during the week. Not only will that provide some insights about their experiences, but it will also help foster communication and conversation skills that are vital to future success in school and beyond. Again, the amount of student ownership in this process can be scaffolded as students matriculate to higher grades. Likewise, as educators, we also need to make connections to the home and students. We need to find out about our students’ passions and aspirations, their favorite books and movies and any exciting new music they’ve discovered. The process of re-connecting students to schools will take intentional efforts with the length of time we’ve been out of formal face-to-face learning opportunities. I know staff members are excited to learn about their students each year and this one is no different. There will be challenges and pressures from time to time. Loose connections can bring problems like my water debacle in the bathroom. Deliberate actions to secure those connections create greater efficiencies to be certain, but more importantly, create greater opportunities to maximize potential. Isn’t that what we want for our students, our schools and our community?
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 | jenkstribune.com
Kyle Salomon Owner Hyperlocal LLC Publisher: Jenks Tribune
Jinger Wiesman Creative Director/ Advertising Executive Jenks Tribune
Office | 918-528-7272 Mobile | 918-231-0787
Office | 918-528-7272 Mobile | 918-813-0654
ksalomon@jenkstribune.com
jwiesman@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 AMERICA FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL SE T FOR AUG. 29 By Kyle Salomon Bring your appetites to Jenks Aug. 29, as food trucks will invade the downtown area. The eighth annual Jenks America Food Truck Festival will begin at 11 a.m. and conclude at 6 p.m. and will take place on Main Street from 1st to 3rd Streets. The event usually takes place in the first week of May, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement. “It is a very popular event each year,” said Josh Driskell, Jenks Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “On a good year, this event draws 15,000 people. We are encouraging people to wear masks. We want people to be safe. Volunteers will be cleaning and sanitizing tables and chairs throughout the day. We are taking all the precautions we can and working with the public safety entities here in Jenks to make sure we are abiding by the rules, but we are looking forward to a good time.” Similar to the Boom Fest, which took place July 4, the Jenks America Food Truck Festival will be an outdoor event. “We want to provide some sense of normalcy for our residents and businesses, while still exercising precautions,” Driskell said.
“We believe we will have a good crowd and we know it is good for our downtown businesses. Anytime we can highlight downtown, we know it is a win for our shops down here.” There will be more than just food trucks at the event. Anthem Road Academy students will perform at the Downtown Commons throughout the festival. There will also be non-food vendors selling different items and sponsors will have areas to promote their businesses or organizations as well.
JENKS SE TS STANDARD FOR COMMUNITY UNI TY By Josh Driskell It would be easy to look at the past five months and feel disheartened. Uncertainty abounds, unemployment climbed, and businesses have suffered. But that is only part of the story.
Driskell said a children’s section is also being created, which will have reduced touch points and will be safe. “We appreciate the investment by our businesses into events like this,” Driskell said. “These types of events don’t just bring people to Jenks, but they improve the quality of life for people that live here. It is great to live in a community where there is so much to do. What our (Chamber) board and members want is a chance for people to be safe and take reasonable precautions, but still have something fun you can do.” The Chamber of Commerce is anticipating 24 food trucks with each one required to follow the safety regulations they are given for the event. Craig Bowman Farmers Insurance Agency is the title sponsor for the Jenks America Food Truck Festival.
The rest of the COVID-19 story so far is one of communities coming together and uniting. That’s certainly the case here in Jenks. Throughout this ordeal, I have had to pleasure of seeing the best of us firsthand. I’ve seen restaurant owners do everything they can to provide a clean and safe way to serve their customers. I’ve seen retailers bend over backwards to make sure customers have a sanitary shopping experience. I’ve seen business owners sacrifice so that their employees can keep feeding their families and paying their mortgages. We’ve seen the best of a community coming together. From the beginning, Jenks residents and businesses alike have united behind a common goal of doing what’s best for all of us. When businesses were restricted in the early days of the outbreak, Jenks residents supported the inventiveness of Jenks’ entrepreneurs and ordered food to go. They shopped local. They kept the cash registers in Jenks ringing. We still have challenges ahead of us. Daily coronavirus cases continue to rise across the state and nation. Federal aid programs have run out and businesses will need all of us – now more than ever – to support them. In addition to shopping local, we need to reach out to our elected officials in Washington, DC and encourage them to support legislation enacting new support measures to keep the American economy moving. Now is the time for Jenks residents to come together and continue to set the standard for how each of us treats one another, how we support our businesses, and how we unite to overcome adversity.
Bringing the Best in Real Estate to Jenks Andrea Salomon
Sales Executive | Coldwell Banker Select 8909 S Yale | Tulsa OK 74137 Asalomon@cbtulsa.com AndreasHomeSite.com | 91 8. 2 31.0957
OKLAHOMA AQUARIUM TO OFFER ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS Guests at the Oklahoma Aquarium can now experience a behind-the-scenes adventure like never before with a new interactive program. The aquarium is offering animal encounters, letting guests have up-close meetings with their favorite aquatic creatures. Visitors can help biology staff train river otters, feed zebra sharks, and even watch feedings of juvenile bull sharks and their famous loggerhead sea turtle Seamore. One of the encounters is with some of the furriest members of the Oklahoma Aquarium family: river otters. During the otter encounter and feed experience, participants will receive a 15-minute lesson about river otters and their ecological importance, followed by the opportunity to assist biology staff in training the river otters to touch a target in order to receive a treat. “The Oklahoma Aquarium’s mission is to educate and inspire conservation of our aquatic world through interactive discovery,” says Chief Marketing Officer Andrea Leitch. “Through face-to-face encounters with our animals, we hope to spark an even greater passion for aquatic conservation.” Many of the encounters are for small, private groups, allowing an even safer experience at the aquarium. To learn more and reserve your encounter, visit okaquarium.org.
CITY OF JENKS SALES TAX NUMBERS ON THE RISE SINCE 20102011 FISCAL YEAR By Kyle Salomon The City of Jenks collects 3.55% of tax on any sales of goods in city limits. In the past decade years, Jenks has seen a steady rise of roughly 3 to 10% in sales tax. In that time frame, the City of Jenks has averaged a 6.3% rise per year in sales tax collection. City Manager Chris Shrout said that is in large part because of the Riverwalk Crossing area filling back up. “We are very thankful for the Creek Nation for everything they have done for the Riverwalk,” Shrout said. “They have done a fantastic job. We are trying to build on that. We have some great restaurants in town, but in terms of department stores and things like that, we still don’t have any. We are also seeing a shift in the way people shop. More people are buying stuff online. Fortunately, Amazon is now remitting sales tax on items they sell and ship to Jenks.” If an online shopper purchases an item on Amazon and that item is delivered to a residence in the City of Jenks, Amazon collects 3.55% and remits it to the Oklahoma Tax Commission, who then takes their portion and gives the rest to the City of Jenks. Any business in Jenks that is selling goods is required by law to have a sales tax I.D. number, which is provided by the OTC. The OTC will then physically collect the money from each business and remit that the first several weeks of each month. “Historically, over the past 30 years, we have lagged behind other communities in the area in sales tax collection,” Shrout said. “I think that is in large part because we have so many people that have moved here but work in Tulsa. Our location is a double-edged sword in that you can leave here and be anywhere in the
Tulsa metro within 15 minutes. That is a benefit to us, but the downside is it’s so easy to go somewhere else and I think many people do go to Tulsa to shop.” Shrout added that Jenks is fortunate to have Walmart, Reasor’s, CVS and Walgreens within city limits, but if you want to get some sort of specialty items, you have Sam’s in the Tulsa Hills area, Costco and Sprouts on Memorial Drive and Whole Foods on 91st and Yale. “We think there is some leakage to those stores, but in addition to that, there are many restaurants that border Jenks with Tulsa Hills and Riverside Drive,” Shrout said. “A city like Owasso benefits from being a little farther out. They are kind of on an island. It takes them at least 15 minutes to get into Tulsa and some of these other areas frankly benefit from being a little bit farther removed from the City of Tulsa.” The City of Jenks fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30 every calendar year. Out of that 3.55% of sales tax collection, .55% goes toward the “vision” projects. Right now, there is a little more than $16 million from that tax that is designated for the low water dam and other projects, such as improvements to Veterans Park and infrastructure improvements, such as 1st and 7th Street and the B Street sidewalk. However, the low water dam is in jeopardy. Due to the ballot language from the bond issue, it states that if a maintenance endowment fund is not secured for the project by December of this year, that $16-plus million can be used on other capitally funded projects.
JENKS POLICE DEPART MENT INCIDENT REPORT S July 27 through Aug. 2 GRAND LARCENY; 11000 BLOCK S NATHAN ST; Footage shows two suspects, 1 male and 1 female, arrive in extended cab pickup (possibly Chevy) with a step-side bed, use tools to bypass two locks on the trailer hitch, slash two tires on the victim's vehicles, and then drive off with the trailer. PETIT LARCENY ALL OR SHOPLIFTING (CITY); 11030 S ELM ST; Unknown suspects unlawfully walked out of the business, without paying for the cases of beer, depriving the business of the value. LARCENY; 10300 BLOCK S OLMSTEAD ST; Took wallet that was dropped in the bathroom. MVA-HIT & RUN -PROPERTY DAMAGE; 700 BLOCK E MAIN PL; The suspect(s) involved struck the victim's vehicle while it was unoccupied in the parking garage. The suspect(s) failed to report the crash and fled from the scene. WARRANT ARREST; 400 BLOCK S ELM ST; WARRANT ARREST FOR OKMULGEE COUNTY ASSAULT AND BATTERY; 900 BLOCK W 101ST ST; The suspect threw the first physical altercation after having a verbal argument with the victim. BURGLARY 2ND DEGREE; 12000 BLOCK S ELM ST; Unknown suspect(s) came into the self-storage complex, broke into unit 516 and stole various items belonging to the victim. UNAUTHORIZED USE OF CREDIT CARD; 400 BLOCK E MAIN ST; Unknown suspect(s) removed $560.00 from the victim's bank account linked to his social security account. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 11400 BLOCK S ADAMS ST; The suspect entered both victim's unlocked vehicles and stole several items. BURGLARY FROM AUTO (OTHER THAN PARTS); 800 BLOCK E A ST; Suspect(s) took items belonging to the victim's out of their vehicle without their permission. *No arrests were made
DIS TANCE LEARNING
CON T...
“This gives our parents an opportunity to plan and our teachers to plan,” Butterfield said. “As soon as we launch our Distance Learning plan on Aug. 24, our internal leadership team will turn its focus back to at-school learning. When we are bringing our kids back, we want to be ready.” With the news of opening the academic year with Distance Learning, one of the main questions from people was regarding students in extra-curricular activities or athletics and what that meant for those programs to start the new year.
JENKS GOES DARK DUE TO POWER LINE BREAK The morning of July 29, the entire City of Jenks went dark, as the city lost all power. Several power lines, located on Elwood Ave. between 81st and 91st streets, snapped and caused a small fire in the ditch next to the road. Jenks and Tulsa emergency crews were on the scene immediately and power was restored within an hour despite PSO saying it could be up to six hours. Photo/Kyle Salomon
“We are continuing activities and athletics,” Butterfield said. “The Jenks model for Distance Learning is going to look different than others. There will be some students who come to school for services that best meets their individual education plan and their needs. As we meet students’ academic needs, we also want to give the opportunity for those secondary students that are engaged in activities or athletics to continue those activities as well. The reason being, just as academics are important, for some students, they are working toward college opportunities or employment opportunities beyond high school through their activities or athletics. We want them to have those options.”
LUCILLE Named for B.B. King's favorite guitar, meet LUCILLE! A 45-pound English setter mix estimated at 2 to 3 years old, Lucille is a "Sweet Little Angel," to quote one of B.B.'s songs. She gets along well with other dogs and absolutely loves all people! If you'd like to meet Lucille or any of her adoptable friends, call Jenks Animal Control at 918-299-6311 Option 8 or email animalcontrol@jenksok.org. Lucille would love to be in a home where she won't be singing the blues!
JENKS CAP CADE T JOINS AIR NATIONAL GUARD CYBER TEAM Submitted July 14, Jenks Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet Lt. Col. Bailey Lunsford stepped into the office of Technical Sergeant Cory Shaw, the senior recruiter at the 138th Fighter Wing of the Tulsa Air National Guard. Lunsford’s six years of serving and training in the Civil Air Patrol culminated in this meeting. Lunsford achieved the CAP Billy Mitchell Award, which less than 15% of CAP cadets achieve, in April 2017. Mitchell cadets, who enlist in the Air Force, enter the service at the advanced grade of E-3, Airman First Class. “Being part of the Air National Guard team helps airmen in many different ways when it comes to their career path and college goals,” Shaw explained. “It lets them maintain control of their future by allowing them to keep their education a priority by serving one weekend a month and two weeks a year. It also allows them to travel when they want, since our travel opportunities are voluntary, and our career fields transfer to the civilian field very well. Being able to maintain control of their future is important to this generation and we understand that. That is why we allow them to decide what career path they want and how they want to get there. We give them all of the tools that are needed to be successful.”
Cadet Lt. Col. Bailey Lunsford posing in uniform after her 2019 high school graduation. Credit: Jensynn Watts, Wild Goose Chase Photography
Lunsford has joined the ranks of the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 138th Fighter Wing as part of their Cyber Operations team. She will be completing her associate degree in Mechanical Engineering at Tulsa Community College and plans to transfer to Oklahoma State University’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program while earning triple bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering and Computer Engineering. “CAP’s aerospace education program fueled my fascination with STEM; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics,” Lunsford stated. “To the point that I decided to attend Tulsa Technology Center’s two-year STEM Academy.” “Bailey was in a rigorous, college prep engineering program from Project Lead the Way,” stated Debbie Waken, the Tulsa Tech STEM Academy counselor. “She was not comfortable with just knowing the coursework, she mastered it and had a 4.0+ GPA from Tulsa Tech. She always went the extra mile to excel and it showed in her grades.” “Being in the military and getting your college degree will define your life in such a profound way,” Maj. Jamie Underwood, Director of Personnel for the 138th Fighter Wing, stated. “You’ll quickly discover how successful, driven, and resilient you really can be. We all want the chance to prove to ourselves that we can be ‘more’, regardless of where that motivation comes from. The Guard and college offer that chance, and although it takes a leap of courage and faith to become part of the 1%, our Airmen are a testament that hard work and diligence pay off.”
(L-R) Then Cadet Staff Sgt. Zachary Sprague, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Christian Kuerbitz, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Ashley Sutherland, Cadet 2nd Lieutenant Bailey Lunsford, Cadet 1st Lieutenant Luc Felando (not shown), and Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Logan Kuerbitz motivating one another at the 2017 National Cadet Competition in Dayton, Ohio. Credit: Maj. Richard Callaway, CAP
“The first thing that I noticed about Bailey was that she is a very determined individual,” continued Shaw. “She knows what she wants to do and how she wants to get there. I also noticed that she is very responsible. I know that I could give her a task to complete and it would get completed without any hesitation.” Lunsford has voluntarily served in the Civil Air Patrol’s Oklahoma Wing for six years. Lunsford’s journey with CAP started in August 2014 at the age of 12, along with her brother who is four years older than she is. “The experiences I had during my first two years in CAP shaped me to be the cadet I am today,” Lunsford reflected. “I remember my first encampment, a few months after I joined. I was nervous, not sure what to expect, but determined to do my best.” “I’ve attended six encampments.” Lunsford mentioned with a smile. “In my second year, I went through staff training. I’ve served in various roles as encampment staff in the years since. Last year I commanded the Cadet NCO Academy where I was responsible for the training and instruction of cadet noncommissioned officers who came from Oklahoma and surrounding states.”
Cadet Lt. Col. Bailey Lunsford (holding the American Flag) with U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark Oschenbein (Ret) and fellow cadets during the 2017 Veterans Day Parade in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Credit: Capt. Brandon Lunsford, Sr., CAP
“Bailey is a natural leader, she gets it,” Staff Sergeant Dan Golden, CAP, one of the unit’s Leadership Education Officers, commended. “She cares about her mission and knows her job, but more importantly, cares about her people. The balance of those things is what makes a great leader. I’ve been proud to know her as a cadet and am excited to see where she goes in life.” Cadet command is the ultimate challenge for a cadet officer. It is an enormous test of leadership skill, especially one’s ability to articulate a vision and point all cadets toward meaningful goals. The position stands at the epicenter of the squadron: the cadet commander is the most visible cadet, a role model for the entire cadet corps, and the liaison between the senior staff and the cadet staff. “Stepping into my first command was exciting,” Lunsford said. “It was also a little scary and everything in between. As commander I was responsible for the entire cadet unit, from training and education to activities and exercise. It can be overwhelming if you do not have a solid team working with you. I am proud of my team; they are the reason for the success we shared.”
Then Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Baily Lunsford (left) and various other cadets doing community service at a Soldier’s Wish event in October 2016. Credit: Capt. Brandon Lunsford, Sr., CAP
“The Jenks Flight is a fairly new flight,” stated Major Tina Nazarian, CAP, the flight’s commanding officer. “I am extremely proud that we had Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Lunsford at the helm of the cadet unit in the formative stages of the flight. She brought with her a unique set of experiences, talents and skills that proved to be exactly what we needed to train up the next generation of cadets. The Air National Guard will have an asset with that young lady.” “As I approach the end of my cadet career,” Lunsford continued. “I cannot help but reflect on the experiences I was privileged to have; powered flight, working toward my private pilot’s license, the encampments, the summer activities across the country, there is just so much. I wish every 12 to 18-year-old Oklahoman would take advantage of the opportunities CAP can provide for them. Most of all, I am going to remember the relationships. The people that make up local CAP units, volunteering their time, resources and energy, are truly the heroes in my book. I am so thankful for them.”
(L-R) Cadet Lt. Col. Bailey Lunsford with Civil Air Patrol National Commander, Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, at the 2018 Cadet Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Credit: Unknown photographer
PO TENTIAL MASK MANDATE DOMINATES TOWN HALL MEE TING DISCUSSION Jenks City Council Member Cory Box, along with Jenks City Manager Chris Shrout hosted a Town Hall Meeting last Saturday at Jenks City Hall for open discussion regarding projects and issues going on in the City of Jenks. Nearly 20 people attended the two-hour event. An hour-and-a-half of the meeting was spent discussing a potential mask mandate the City of Jenks will vote on Aug. 18 as a City Council. Other topics of discussion were the update on what is going on with the Tulsa Premium Outlet Mall and the upcoming bond election for infrastructure improvements within city limits. Photos/Kyle Salomon
SOCIAL MEDIA POLL RESULTS SHOW MAJORITY IN FAVOR OF MASK MANDATE IN JENKS The Jenks Tribune put together a social experiment last weekend where we asked the citizens of Jenks to weigh in on the potential mask mandate. We ran polls on our Facebook Page, Twitter Account, and Instagram Page. We ran the polls beginning last Saturday through Wednesday and the results were 55% in favor of a mask mandate and 45% against it. The Jenks City Council is scheduled to vote on a potential mask mandate for the City of Jenks at the Aug. 18 City Council meeting.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2020
JENKSTRIBUNE.COM
SOF TBALL LOOKS TO HAVE BIG YEAR IN 2020 By Kyle Salomon Despite the threat of the COViD-19 pandemic, there is a lot to be excited about for the 2020 Jenks softball season. The Jenks softball program opened practice July 15, but many of the girls came into the preseason in shape because of their travel ball schedule. “There hasn’t been much difference than in previous years,” Jenks softball coach Todd Williams said. “A lot of them have been playing on their travel ball teams, so they have been out. Practice has been going well so far. We lost five seniors from last year’s group and have about eight freshmen that have come in a done well so far.” Williams said despite losing the five seniors, including starting pitcher Jordyn Pipkin, who went on scholarship to Wichita State University, he is excited about the 2020 version of Jenks softball. cont on pg 6
JENKS RELEASES 2020 SCHEDULE, DROPS TEXAS SCHOOL, ADDS ARKANSAS OPPONENT By Kyle Salomon Jenks football has announced its schedule for the upcoming season with one change in its opening game. The Trojans will now take on Arkansas opponent, Springdale Har-Ber, Aug. 28 instead of Texas opponent Mansfield Summit. With the University Interscholastic League’s rule change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mansfield Summit had to drop the game with Jenks. The 2020 version of Jenks football is widely considered one of the favorites to bring home the gold ball in December.
Following a 6A-1 title game appearance in 2019, the Trojans return the majority of their line-up on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Stephen Kittleman, offensive tackle and Oklahoma State commit Logan Nobles and safety Grant Lohr. Keith Riggs enters his third year as the head coach of the Trojans. Riggs had 6A-1 state championship game appearances each of his first two seasons but has yet to capture the crown. Riggs’ Jenks team will have perhaps its best chance in 2020 to win that coveted state championship if the Trojans can stay healthy and COVID-19 does not intervene, and force games being cancelled. Jenks football has won 16 state championships in its history with its first coming in 1979 and last coming in 2015. 2020 TROJAN FOO TBALL SCHEDULE: Preseason August 21 – Trojan Preview 5 p.m. Allan Trimble Stadium Non-District August 28 – Springdale Har-Ber 7:05 p.m. Allan Trimble Stadium September 4 – At Bixby 7 p.m. Spartan Stadium September 11 – Union 7:35 p.m. Chapman Stadium (University of Tulsa) September 18 – Bye Week District September 25 – At Enid 7 p.m. Dr. Bruce Selby Stadium October 2 – Broken Arrow 7:30 p.m. Allan Trimble Stadium October 8 – At Norman 7 p.m. Harve Collins Stadium October 15 – Edmond Santa Fe 7:30 p.m. Allan Trimble Stadium October 23 – Yukon 7:30 p.m. Allan Trimble Stadium (Homecoming and Senior Night) October 30 – At Edmond Memorial 7 p.m. Edmond Memorial Stadium November 5 – At Westmoore 7 p.m. Moore Schools Stadium Playoffs November 13 – Quarterfinals TBA November 20 – Semifinals TBA December 4,5 – 6A-1 State Championship TBA There are two districts in Class 6A-1 and in order to make the playoffs, schools must finish in the top four of each district to qualify and finish in the top two to host a first-round playoff game.
JENKS HIGH SCHOOL ANNOUNCES CROSS COUNTRY, SOF TBALL, VOLLEYBALL 2020 SCHEDULES As the 2020-2021 school year is slated to begin Aug. 24, fall sports is set to kick-off. Here are the Jenks High School varsity cross country, softball, and volleyball 2020 schedules: CROSS COUNTRY Aug. 22, 8:30 a.m., Deer Creek Run, at Deer Creek High School Aug. 27, 3:30 p.m., Owasso Relays, at Mohawk Park Sept. 12, 9 a.m., Broken Arrow Invitational, at Broken Arrow Oneta Ridge Middle School Sept. 19, 11 a.m., Missouri Southern Stampede, at Missouri Southern University Sept. 26, noon, 6A Pre-State, at Edmond Santa Fe High School Oct. 1, 3:30 p.m., Owasso Rams Invitational, at Mohawk Park Oct. 8, 3:30 p.m., Frontier Valley Conference, TBD Oct. 24, noon, 6A Regional, TBD Oct. 31, noon, 6A State Championships, at Edmond Santa Fe High School SOFTBALL Aug. 13, 5:30 p.m., at Union Aug. 14, TBD, Broken Arrow Tournament, at Broken Arrowhead Park Aug. 15, TBD, Broken Arrow Tournament, at Broken Arrowhead Park Aug. 18, 5:30 p.m., vs. Ponca City Aug. 20, 5:30 p.m. at Muskogee Aug. 22, TBD, Owasso Tournament, at Owasso Sports Complex Aug. 22, TBD, Owasso Tournament, at Owasso Sports Complex Aug. 24, 5:30 p.m. at Sand Springs Aug. 25, 5:30 p.m. vs. Owasso Sept. 1, 6 p.m. vs. Shawnee Sept. 3, 5:30 p.m., vs. Muskogee Sept. 7, 6 p.m. at Ponca City Sept. 8, 5:30 p.m., vs. Sapulpa Sept. 11, TBA, Bixby Tournament, at Bentley Park Sept. 12, TBA, Bixby Tournament, at Bentley Park Sept. 14, 5 p.m., at Kellyville Sept. 15, 5 p.m., at Sapulpa Sept. 22, 6 p.m., at Shawnee Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m. vs. Sand Springs Sept. 25, TBA, Tahlequah Tournament, at Northeastern State University Sept. 26, TBA, Tahlequah Tournament, at Northeastern State University Sept. 28, 5 p.m., at Owasso Sept. 29, 5:30 p.m., vs. Union Oct. 3, TBA, Edmond Tournament, Oklahoma Christian University VOLLEYBALL Aug. 11, 6:30 p.m., at Union Aug. 13, 6 p.m., at Edmond North Aug. 18, 6:30 p.m. vs. Bartlesville Aug. 25, 6:30 p.m., at Owasso Aug. 28, 8:30 a.m., Broken Arrow Invitational, at Broken Arrow High School Aug. 29, 8:30 a.m., Broken Arrow Invitational, at Broken Arrow High School Sept. 1, 6:30 p.m., vs. Muskogee Sept. 3, 6:30 p.m., vs. Victory Christian Sept. 11, 8:30 a.m., Heather Harkness Invitational, at Edmond Santa Fe High School Sept. 12, 8:30 a.m., Heather Harkness Invitational, at Edmond Santa Fe High School Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m., vs. Bixby Sept. 22, 6:30 p.m., at Sand Springs Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m., vs. Lincoln Christian Sept. 25, 8:30 a.m., Jenks Invitational Sept. 26, 8:30 a.m., Jenks Invitational Sept. 29, 6:30 p.m., at Broken Arrow Oct. 1, 4:30 p.m., at Edmond Memorial Oct. 1, 6:30 p.m., Norman North, at Edmond Memorial Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m., vs. Booker T. Washington Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m., vs. Sapulpa Oct. 13, TBD, Regional, TBD Oct. 19, TBD, State Championships, TBD Oct. 20, TBD, State Championships, TBD
JENKS ATHLE TIC DIRECTOR SAYS MASKS WILL BE REQUIRED AT ATHLE TIC EVENTS Jenks Public Schools Director of Athletics Tony Dillingham released a letter Wednesday to the Jenks community saying that masks will be required for anyone attending Jenks athletic events. Here is the letter from Dillingham: Dear students-athletes, coaches, staff, officials, administrators, parents, and patrons, Jenks Public Schools is requiring the wearing of masks at school for students and staff, so we will be applying this same expectation to athletic events. We would like to welcome you to our facilities. As we navigate through these uncertain times during the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to you to know that the health and safety of all student-athletes, coaches, staff, officials, administrators, parents, patrons are our primary priority. When you attend events in our facilities, we are asking you to follow the guidelines below: 1. Masks or face coverings are required for all participants, coaches, workers, officials, patrons, or anyone entering a Jenks Public Schools facility. Refusal to wear a mask or face covering will prevent admittance into the facility. We ask that all patrons exercise social distancing procedures within JPS facilities. 2. Participants, officials, and coaches may remove their masks when they reach their perspective playing field or court (ex: volleyball: on the court, softball: inside the playing field fence). 3. Jenks ticket takers and sellers will be masked and gloved. 4. While we believe sportsmanship is paramount to the development of young people, at this time, we will recommend no hand shaking between opposing teams, both before and after games, to reduce contact as much as possible. 5. At some of our venues, there may be seating areas marked off as unavailable. Please refrain from sitting in these areas to help us keep everyone safe. 6. For participants, officials, and coaches, no shared towels, clothing, shoes, water bottles, or equipment. 7. Locker rooms will be accessible to teams, but we highly recommend visiting teams come dressed and ready to participate for the event. Masks will be required in the locker rooms, athletic training rooms, and coaches’ offices and any area considered outside of the playing field or court. 8. Only necessary personnel will be allowed in the press box or at the scorer’s table. 9. When traveling to and from away events, all Jenks coaches and student/athletes will be required to wear face coverings. We thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions or concerns before coming to our facilities, please do not hesitate to contact our Athletic Department at 918-299-4415 ext. 2214, or by email at tony.dillingham@jenksps.org or Jason.culler@jenksps.org.
Shop Small. Shop Local. Hire 381 Creative For All Your Graphic Design And Marketing Needs! Three Eight One Creative is inclusive and a proud ally for the LGBTQ+ community.
Jinger Wiesman Owner/Graphic Designer 381creative.com 918.813.0654
JENKS FOO TBALL SEASON TICKE TS NOW ON SALE With the high school football season in Oklahoma right around the corner, Jenks Public Schools is now selling season tickets. Current season ticket holders are able to purchase 2020 Jenks football season tickets through Wednesday. Non-current season ticket holders are able to purchase 2020 Jenks football tickets Wednesday through Aug. 21. Season tickets will be available from 7 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. during the weekdays of those date ranges in Jenks Public Schools Department of Athletics in the Robert L. Sharp Fitness Center on the north end of Allan Trimble Stadium.
JENKS POM FASHION SHOW SE T FOR SEP T. 15 Jenks pom is set to put on its 22nd annual Pom Fashion Show Sept. 15 at Jenks High School. This year’s theme is “The City that Never Sleeps” and will take place at 7 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center. The latest styles and trends from local businesses will be walked down the runway by Jenks seniors. These students are involved in all aspects of the Jenks community, such as academics, sports, clubs, etc. Alongside the students, Jenks High School administrators will also be involved in the event. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jenks pom squads have been preparing for the upcoming school year. The varsity, junior varsity and junior high pom squads attended an “at home” UDA camp in July in hopes to qualify for the national competition in Orlando, which will take place in 2021. The Jenks pom squads will perform their routines for the Fashion Show audience with a special performance coming from Jenks Premiere Pom. This year’s pom seniors are Emily Condon, Peyton Lee, Ashley Lewellen, Thiry Saleh, Leah Snowbarger, Hattie Stephens, Sydney Wallis, and Maddie Borchers. Modeling forms are now being accepted for the show. Information can be found at jenkspom.com. Spots are limited. Forms along with T-shirt sizes and modeling fees need to be sent to Brandi Thomas, 11908 S. 4th St. in Jenks. Pom Fashion Show ticket information will be released soon on the Jenks pom Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.
SOF TBALL cont...
“We are pleased with the bunch that we have,” Williams said. “We lost our ace pitcher Jordyn Pipkin, who went to Wichita State. She ran it up there around 65 mph for us, so she is going to be hard to replace. However, that is one area we struggled in last year, was our pitching depth. We are about five or six-deep in that position this year, so we are in a better situation.” Williams said catcher Emma Vickery and shortstop Jessica Watson will be two key returnees to this year’s team. Vickery is dealing with an elbow injury she sustained in a travel ball game but is expected to be ready by the beginning of the season. Watson is the two-time defensing Defensive Player of the Year in the Frontier Conference. She did not make a single error until the 27th game of the regular season in 2019. “We have seven returning starters this year,” Williams said. “We are excited about the possibilities. We just hope we get to play. The girls have been doing well in practice thus far. They have the ability to work hard and still have a good, light-hearted attitude. They are very competitive, but still have fun.” The 2020 season will be Williams’ third year as the head coach of the Trojans and 15th in the program. Th regular season is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Union. The Trojans will follow the opening game with a trip to Broken Arrow Friday and Aug. 15 for the Broken Arrow Tournament.
JENKS GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY OPENS PRESEASON, READY TO DEFEND TIT LE By Kyle Salomon
Last fall, the Jenks girls cross country team crushed the competition, as it captured the 6A Girls Cross Country State Championship in dominating fashion. The Jenks girls will be the favorites to bring home the gold again in 2020, as all seven varsity starters return to defend their 2019 title. Avery Mazzei, Deborah Mazzei, Shelby Kihega, Ryann Barber, Tarren Lowry, Paige Twiehaus and Gabrielle Vargas will lead a deep and talented group of runners in 2020. Jenks officially opened preseason practice last week with workouts from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the Jenks High School Track and Field Complex. “We probably had our best tempo run ever to start the preseason,” said Rachael Graddy, Jenks High School girls cross country coach. “Not just the varsity girls, but all the way down. Everyone is holding each other accountable.” Graddy is entering her fourth year as head coach, but there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season. “I feel like this is the most prepared coming into a season we have ever been based on the varsity girls we have coming back and the leadership we have, but I also feel like it is the most unprepared we have ever been because of the pandemic and not knowing what is going to happen,” Graddy said. The girls are required to wear masks when they arrive to practice every morning but allowed to remove them when working out on the track. They are not allowed to congregate in the locker rooms, and they are running in groups of four and distancing themselves from each other, as they work out. The girls cross country regular season is officially scheduled to begin Aug. 22 at Deer Creek High School in Edmond.
JENKS FOO TBALL TO OPEN PRACTICE MONDAY Jenks football got work in throughout the summer with several camps in July at Allan Trimble Stadium. The Trojans are set to open official practice at 6 a.m. Monday. Photos/Drew Bethell