FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2020
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JENKS HIGH SCHOOL ALUM, TAFV QUIE T T, T O BE FEAT URED IN NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIE TY VIDEO
Submitted Jenks High School 2013 graduate Tafv Quiett is set to appear on Broadway Sept. 12, as part of the National Down Syndrome Society’s annual Times Square video presentation. The featured photographs highlight children, teens, and adults with Down Syndrome. The program is designed to remind the world in a big way about the contributions and milestones of people with Down Syndrome. “This video is a terrific way to showcase some of the incredible individuals with Down Syndrome living in our communities across the country,’ said NDSS President and CEO Kandi Pickard. “It is something the community looks forward to every year.” The photo of Tavf Quiett was selected as one of 500 photographs that will appear in the video, which is streamed lived on the NDSS social media accounts from the heart of Times Square in New York City. The Times Square video presentation kicks off Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. The video presentation will be followed by the New York City Buddy Walk, which will take place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Buddy Walk events will be held virtually in more than 150 cities across the country, as well as select international locations. There is expected to be more than 325,000 people participating in the events around the globe.
JENKS T RIBUNE ENDORSES CI TY OF JENKS BOND ISSUE
We live in a great community. I believe Jenks is the best community in the state and best community in the nation. These are exciting times to be in Jenks. We have the top school district in this area of the country, we have strong leadership in our city government, we have a very active Chamber of Commerce, which always has Jenks’ best interests at heart when making decisions, we have the only aquarium in Oklahoma and we have a thriving business community with a mixture of old and young entrepreneurs, who are ready to take Jenks to even higher levels of success. However, a wise man once told me the minute you are satisfied and become stagnant is the minute you start going downhill. For us here at the Jenks Tribune, that is what this Aug. 25 bond issue is all about and that is why the Jenks Tribune is endorsing this bond issue. There is no secret that our roads and infrastructure need improvements and with the passing of this general obligation bond, many of those issues will be alleviated. The bond issue totals $20.5 million and covers four areas that need heavy improvements. Yes, your taxes will go up for the next 20 years with the passing of this bond, but I believe they will be dollars well spent for a better way of life here in Jenks.
driven through downtown Jenks during a rainstorm? I have and it is not fun. Drainage improvements are needed in a major way and this is a start to that process. Finally, with all the excitement surrounding the outlet mall coming to Jenks, there is one area that needs addressed as the construction on the facility has commenced. We need another entrance and exit into the area and the $1 million designated for the engineering of 106th Street going east from Elm Street is a start that is needed. The outlet mall will attract many people coming into the Jenks area and more roads, entrances and exits in that space are things that will be vital to its success. I want to thank the staff at the City of Jenks for their hard work in putting this bond issue together and giving us projects that will make our way of life physically better here in Jenks, and positively affect people of all ages who live in this town. This bond issue is not just a vote for better roads, it is a vote for an even brighter future for Jenks. Get out and vote and vote yes!
For the first year, your taxes will rise $75 per $100,000 in property ownership and after that it will be $46 per $100,000 in property ownership. In other words, if you own a $200,000 piece of property, you will pay an extra $150 in property taxes the first year and an extra $92 per year the following years. I am not here to tell anyone how to spend their money, but to me that amount is well-worth improving our roads here in Jenks. The big chunk of the $20.5 bond issue is the $16 million designated for the widening of south Elm Street. The improvements made from the Creek Turnpike to 111th Street on Elm Street are outstanding and extending that to 131st Street would make life much easier for people that live in south Jenks and for businesses, who are interested in building in the southern parts of the city. The $2 million designated for engineering done to widen Elwood Avenue from 91st Street to 121st Street is a step in the right direction. As Elm Street continues to attract more attention, Elwood Avenue becomes more popular as well. Widening Elwood Avenue would be a major step for the future of Jenks. The $1 million designated for the construction of Main Street from Date Street to the railroad that would include drainage from Birch Avenue to Veteran’s Park Pond is something that is sorely needed. Have you ever
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REASONS T O BE EXCI TED
By Kyle Salomon It’s easy to be bummed out right now. Heck, considering what the past five months have looked like, it is not out of the question that you have been bummed out for a while. I am here to tell you if you live and/or work in the Jenks community, you don’t need to be bummed out because there are many reasons to be excited. I could easily sit here and give you 10 reasons for you to have a poor attitude and be depressed. I mean, we are in the midst of a global pandemic and certain things we used to take for granted and loved are either changed in a dramatic way or just gone altogether in 2020, but I believe in staying positive. So, here is the glass half-full approach to this year. 10 reasons to stay positive: 1. The school year is about to start with Jenks Public Schools. Yes, I know Jenks Public Schools made the decision to start the 2020-2021 school year with distance learning, but I believe there is still excitement in the air for a new school year. Our children will reflect our attitudes toward this time, so even if you disagree with school not being in-person right now, keep a positive attitude and that will trickle down to the youngsters. 2. Fall sports are still happening for high school sports. Despite many schools across the state beginning the academic year with distance learning, fall sports is still happening and that should make most everyone happy. If you have a chance, get out and go see the student-athletes compete. 3. The annual Food Truck Festival is happening. Even though it was postponed from early May to late August, the annual Food Truck Festival is taking place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 29 in downtown Jenks. Gather the family and round up your friends and bring them to Main Street to check out what the 2020 Food Truck Festival has to offer.
A YES VO TE T UESDAY IS A VO TE FOR A BE T TER JENKS By Robert Lee When I ask the people of Jenks what we can do to make our city better, the first answer I get is almost always a variation on the same theme: Make our roads better; shorten our commutes; help us get around town by car, by bike, or by foot. On Tuesday, August 25, we have a chance to make these improvements by approving the Go Jenks bond package. Improving our roads and transportation infrastructure has been a major focus of our city council, with the biggest goal being the muchneeded widening of south Elm between 111th and 131st, and extending pedestrian access to the southern edge of town. We’ve always known we would need to pass a bond to afford this project, which has been my primary goal since becoming mayor last year. We want to improve Elm, but we also have the challenge of Elwood. We’re currently improving the intersection at 111th, with a scheduled widening from 96th to 111th to commence soon thereafter. This leaves two stretches of Elwood (91st to 96th; and 111th to 121st) to be improved. This bond will pay for the engineering of these stretches— the important first step to making the entire length of Elwood passable and walkable. The heart of this bond package is allowing us to get as far as we can in taking care of the important corridors of Elm and Elwood. But that’s not all it will do. We’re going to make improvements to Main Street, from Elm to Downtown. We’ll add sidewalks and trees, while solving the problem of stormwater that pools on the west side of Downtown.
4. You get to vote on the future of Jenks Tuesday. The City of Jenks G.O. Bond Issue will be on the ballot Tuesday for Jenks citizens to vote yes or no on several road improvement projects in south Jenks and the downtown area. Whether you are for the bond issue or not, make sure to get out and vote Tuesday. 5. The annual Trojan Preview is taking place tonight. The annual Trojan Preview is happening at 5 p.m. at Allan Trimble Stadium. Jenks football is hosting Booker T. Washington, Muskogee, Bartlesville, and Putnam City in the final tune-up before the regular season. 6. Jenks football is hosting Springdale Har-Ber in the season-opener Aug. 28. The Trojan football team is opening its regular season at 7:05 p.m. Aug. 28 at Allan Trimble Stadium against Springdale Har-Ber. 7. The Oklahoma Aquarium is now offering animal encounters. On top of the many fun and exciting programs offered by the aquarium, the popular Jenks attraction is having animal encounters now. This is your chance to get to experience the animals at the aquarium in a whole new way. 8. College football is about to kick-off. I, myself, am excited about being able to watch some college football this year. I know, it will be a little different with what is going on but being able to sit down on a Saturday and watch some college football in the fall is something that is hard to beat. Whether you are an OU, OSU, TU, Arkansas, or fan of another school, watching college football always makes life more exciting. 9. The Jenks Tribune is printing again. No, I couldn’t resist this one and I do believe this is something to be excited about here in Jenks. We enjoy reporting on what is happening in this community and keeping our citizens informed. 10. You live and/or work in Jenks, America. This is one of the best places on earth to call home and to be able to live here and work here is something I never take for granted. People make a community and the Jenks community is about as good as it gets. I hope reading some of these helped brighten your day and if you needed it, helped turn that frown upside down. I know this has been a tough time for everyone, but attitude is a choice. Make the right one and be positive. It’s a good way to live. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the Jenks Tribune. Sincerely, Kyle Salomon ksalomon@jenkstribune.com
Veteran’s Pond. An exciting by-product of this work will be making improvements and adding sidewalks from Main to Veteran’s Park, giving our park a beautiful front door from Downtown. Finally, we’re going to engineer a new road at 106th, from Elm into River District. As we’ve worked to open this area up to commercial development, we keep coming back to the same problem. If this area is going to be as successful as we want it to be, we need an additional point of access from Elm Street. This will give people more opportunities to spend their money in Jenks, while opening up additional avenues for economic development in this new part of town. These projects will shorten our commutes, allowing us to spend more time with our families. These projects will make for faster response times for public safety. These projects will make our town more walkable and bikeable, improving our property values and giving us more opportunities to stay healthy. They will make our city more beautiful and will enhance our quality of life. They will boost our businesses and make Jenks more attractive to new businesses, contributing to our city’s economic well-being for decades to come. We have a chance on August 25th to make Jenks a stronger city. I hope you will join me in bringing these historic and much-needed improvements to our city. You can get more information at Facebook.com/GoJenks. Thank you for voting YES on August 25th!
This will require routing the water under the railroad, down Birch to
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JENKS SOPHOMORE, MADALYN BOWMAN, NAMED 2021 T ULSA COUN TY TEEN MISS UNI TED S TATES AGRICULT URE Submitted Jenks High School sophomore, Madalyn Bowman, was recently named 2021 Tulsa County Teen Miss United States Agriculture. Here is the letter Madalyn wrote to the Miss United States Agriculture Pageant: “My name is Maddy Bowman from Jenks, Oklahoma. I am entering my sophomore year at Jenks High School where I am active in a variety of clubs and organizations. I am active in Spanish Club, DECA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and FFA. The latter of these groups has completely changed my life. Prior to joining the FFA, I was very undecided about what I wanted to do with my life. I was an active dancer and member of the Jenks Pom Team for many years. This organization has given me a whole new perspective on the importance of leadership, teamwork and agriculture, the greatest American industry. I currently serve as the Jenks FFA Chapter Reporter, show lambs, participate in FFA Career Development Events including prepared public speaking and seek opportunities to be involved in community service within my community.
When I am not at school or being involved in my various school-based activities, I serve my church as a teacher in early childhood program and enjoy spending as much time as possible with my family and friends. Upon graduation from Jenks High School, I hope to continue my education at Oklahoma State University and study to become a schoolbased agricultural education teacher. I look forward to sharing my passion for agriculture with both my future students and the supporters of the Miss United States Agriculture program!”
JENKS SOPHOMORE, GWENI TH MADHAN, WINS S TATE ‘DOODLE FOR GOOGLE’ COMPE TI TION Submitted Gwenith Madhan is already the best in her state and now she’s aiming to earn a national title. Madhan, who is entering her sophomore year at Jenks High School, was recently selected as the Oklahoma winner of the national “Doodle for Google” competition. The 15-year old is one of 54 finalists from around the United States competing for a grand prize of a $30,000 scholarship, $50,000 of technology for her school, Google hardware, and the honor of having her artwork displayed on Google.com for one day. “Everyone in my family knew for a couple months that I was the Oklahoma winner, but I had no idea until a couple of days ago,” remarked Madhan. “I came home and there was someone from Google at my door with balloons and big box. I was so excited, and I definitely did not expect anything like this to happen. I think I’m still in shock.” Entrants into the competition were asked to create a doodle based on their answer to the question of how they show kindness. Madhan immediately thought about social media and how too often, kindness can be absent from the dialogue, especially among teenagers. She created her doodle to appear as different social media platforms with the Google letters as people with hearts for hands. After initially sketching her vision on paper, Madhan used a digital artist app
to create a cleaner version. She wanted the Google letters to spread kindness to each other while using a bright color palette of pink, blue, green, and yellow. “I based my doodle on the idea of positivity and acceptance,” stated Madhan, who has been drawing since she was three years old. “I always do my best to speak out on social media if I see people spreading rumors or bullying. I want to spread the message that positivity is not hard. It is free to promote, and it can have a great effect on people’s lives. I didn’t want to show a random act of kindness, but instead, something people can do every single day.” From the field of 54 state/ territory winners, online voting will help determine the five national finalists before one national winner is declared. The five national finalists will each receive a $5,000 scholarship as well as a trip to Google headquarters. The celebrity judges for the 2020 competition are Lilly Singh, award-winning creator and entertainer, Rodney Robinson, the 2019 National Teacher of the Year, and Mari Andrew, an illustrator and best-selling author. To assist the judges, voting is open to the public from Monday, August 17 through Friday, August 21. Madhan, who has been attending Jenks Public Schools since third grade, says she is considering a career in art or a place where she can change the world in a positive way. She has yet to allow herself to think about what it would be like to win the “Doodle for Google” competition. “I think I would go into absolute shock,” Madhan said. “It would be crazy.” Go to https://doodles.google. com/d4g/vote/ to cast your vote. Madhan’s doodle is listed in the “Grades 8-9” section under “Oklahoma.”
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LEADERSHIP JENKS OPENS APPLICATIONS FOR 34TH CLASS Submitted For over three decades, the Jenks Chamber has provided the unique experience of learning the ins and outs of Jenks from current community leaders, including a behind-the-scenes look at operations. Leadership Jenks is about cultivating another generation of community leaders and innovators. Over an eight-month span, participants will engage in sessions on public safety, education, county and state government, city operations and more. New to the program this year, Leadership Jenks will add a class project to the curriculum. Classmates will conceptualize and implement a project which benefits the Jenks community. To conclude the program, all Leadership Jenks alumni will be invited to the graduation ceremony to congratulate the 34th class over a networking lunch. Notable Leadership Jenks alumni include Jenks Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stacey Butterfield, Past Chamber Board Chair Mark Tedford, Chamber Board Chair Heather Turner, Rep. Lonnie Simms and more. ABOUT LEADERSHIP JENKS The goal of Leadership Jenks is to identify, motivate and educate emerging leaders in our community. Leadership Jenks is a joint community leadership-building program organized and co-sponsored by the Jenks Chamber of Commerce, Jenks Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation, and the City of Jenks. MISSION Leadership Jenks aims to promote and enhance community leadership through an in-depth introduction to social, economic, business and policy issues in Jenks. Leadership Jenks provide a rich networking environment and access to community, county, and state leaders. PROGRAM COST Member Price – $250 Nonmember Price – $350 Tuition is due by Friday, September 18. CONT on pg 7A
MASK MANDATE NO T ON T UESDAY CI TY COUNCIL AGENDA
Several weeks ago, there was a lot of discussion about whether or not the City of Jenks should issue a mask mandate to help stop the spread of COVID-19. There was discussion about a mask mandate being put on the Aug. 18 City Council agenda, so the Jenks City Council could vote on the issue to decide if it was going to become mandatory for Jenks residents to wear a mask while in public. According to city officials, because the lower number of cases of COVID-19 in the city of Jenks and Jenks citizens stepping up and wearing masks on their own, a mask mandate was not on the City Council agenda for Tuesday. City officials did say there is still a possibility of a mask mandate making its way onto a City Council agenda in early September if the COVID-19 numbers rise between now and then, but if the numbers do not rise, it is unlikely.
JENKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS SE T T O BEGIN NEW YEAR
By Kyle Salomon In early August, Jenks Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stacey Butterfield announced at the monthly School Board meeting that the district would begin the 2020-2021 with distance learning due to the COVID-19 numbers in Tulsa County. School was originally supposed to begin for Jenks Wednesday, but after the announcement about distance learning, the start date was pushed back to Aug. 24 (Monday). “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 at the August meeting after making her distance learning announcement. “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 distance learning is no longer required. 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 midMarch 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. “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 atschool learning. When we are bringing our kids back, we want to be ready.”
SIMS COMMEN T S ON T OP TEN BRIDGE S TAT US
Submitted State Rep. Lonnie Sims, R-Jenks, today commented on the recent announcement by Gov. Kevin Stitt that the state is now ranked ninth in the nation for the status of highway bridge conditions, according to the latest data from the Federal Highway Administration. This includes interstates, U.S. highways and state highways that are the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) responsibility. Sims said infrastructure was a big priority for him during his time as Jenks’ Mayor and when he served on the Jenks City Council as well as on the Indian Nation Council of Governments Board of Directors. It remains a priority now that he serves as a member of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee on Transportation and as vice chair of the House County and Municipal Government Committee. “Making sure we have safe and adequate roads and bridges throughout all parts of our state is incredibly important to our citizens who need to be able to connect to services, to their jobs and to each other,” Sims said. “Our economy remains strong only as we are able to transport goods to consumers and from our businesses and industry.” Sims continued, “I am very proud to say that nowhere is our state’s current investment in roads and bridges more visible than in House District 68. With projects like the Gilcrease Expressway Extension, the bridge replacement at I-44 and 33rd W. Ave and many others on track to begin construction in the next two years, including the $60 million dollar I-44 and U.S.-75 interchange replacement. These are major game-changing projects for progress, renewal and long-term growth in our district. Truly, best days are ahead for House District 68.” Sims said he’s pleased to be tasked with carrying on the legacy of Republicans who before him set transportation as a priority for the state since taking the majority in the Legislature more than a decade ago. Under their watch, ODOT has established and been able to maintain its eight-year roads and bridges plan, and the County Improvement for Roads and Bridges (CIRB) five-year plan, maintained separately by counties, has been adequately funded through legislative appropriations to ensure numerous projects on that list are complete as well. “There are so many priorities in our state budget,” Sims said. “Education, health care, public safety and more. But they all truly hinge on making sure we have the proper infrastructure in place to move people and products. Great roads and bridges mean safer families, more jobs and a better economy in Oklahoma.” Transportation had been underfunded for decades before Republicans took the majority of seats in the Legislature. In 2004, nearly 1,200 of Oklahoma’s 6,800 highway bridges were considered structurally deficient, and the state was ranked as low as 49th place in national bridge condition rankings. The number of structurally deficient bridges has been reduced to 86 today, with each of those already scheduled for repair on ODOT’s eight-year plan, according to the department. In addition, the current $879 million CIRB plan calls for replacement or rehabilitation of 313 bridges, 151 that are structurally deficient, over the next five years. The Legislature’s support for ODOT for FY20 totaled $905,523,856 in appropriated and dedicated state funding, a 248% increase in investment from FY06, when such funding for ODOT equaled $260,202,897.
OKLAHOMA AQUARIUM FEELING ECONOMIC EFFEC T S OF COVID-19
By Kyle Salomon
COVID-19 has run rough shot over businesses since early March and the Oklahoma Aquarium is also feeling the effects. The Oklahoma Aquarium is not funded by any sales tax that is collected by the City of Jenks. The facility is funded through gate admissions, memberships, and events throughout the year. It has an annual budget of around $6 million. With the pandemic hitting the nation in mid-February and early March, The Jenks Aquarium Authority made the decision to close the facility’s doors March 16. “With the way the aquarium’s finances work, there is a busy season from March through the end of August,” Jenks City Manager Chris Shrout said. “It is typically in that time frame the aquarium is collecting its most revenue. Usually, when September hits, everyone is back in school and there is less guests coming into the facility, so September through February is typically the slow season.” The timing of when COVID-19 hit has made it difficult on the popular Jenks attraction. “COVID-19 really hit a bad time for the aquarium because it was closed the second half of March and all of April,” Shrout said. “It re-opened in mid-May and what we have seen since the reopening is about a 40% decline in number of guests coming through the door, which means revenue has declined about 40%.” The decline in revenue is presenting challenges for aquarium and city staff. “It is a big challenge,” Shrout said. “The aquarium has cash in the bank, but obviously a limited amount. The quicker we can come out of this pandemic and people feel more comfortable coming and visiting the aquarium, the better because there are 10,000 animals we have to keep alive regardless of how many guests are walking through the doors. That’s where the majority of the expenses are.” Heating and cooling a 75,000 square-foot facility with 10,000 animals, who eat every day and paying employees to manage those animals during a global pandemic, such as the one that is taking place can make life difficult. “I don’t think anybody has an understanding of how long this pandemic is going to last, but I think at the minimum, we believe it is going to affect the aquarium’s finances for at least another six months,” Shrout said. “Because of that, it looks like we will be dealing with a 40% decline in attendance for the next year and possibly beyond that. Then, when the pandemic is over, you have to get those people back through the door. You have to remind them the facility is there, and it is an opportunity to learn about marine life around the world right here in your backyard of Jenks.” The Oklahoma Aquarium is trying to do its part in making people feel safe to come to the facility. Not only is social distancing being enforced, the aquarium made masks a requirement Aug. 10 to enter the facility. “There is no silver bullet to take care of this revenue/expense issue other than let’s do everything we can to make people feel safe and then get those customers back,” Shrout said. “We have all sorts of precautions in place. We have hired people to just go around and clean everything throughout the day.
The employees are required to wear masks and our guests are now required to wear masks. If there is anything we can do to make people feel safe, we are going to do it. We also believe by issuing a mask requirement, we could potentially attract more guests because people will feel more comfortable.” COVID-19 also came at a time when the Oklahoma Aquarium was projected to become completely self-sustaining. The annual debt payments for the facility are around $1.3 million. Those payments go toward paying back revenue bonds that were issued to build the facility. Those revenue bonds have been refinanced over time with the last time being in 2014. “We refinanced those in 2014 to reduce the payment and get a better interest rate,” Shrout said. “If there is not another refinancing, those revenue bonds will be paid off in 2034. For the first 15 years, the debt on the aquarium was in large part paid for by the original Vision 2025 sales tax. $923,000 would come from the Vision 2025 tax, but that tax expired in 2015, which left the aquarium with an extra $923,000 required to pay the debt annually.” Prior to that tax expiring, city leadership needed to identify another way to fund the debt payment. As a part of the debt refinancing, it was negotiated with the new power plant in the City of Jenks that its industrial water sales would have a 25% markup cost and that 25% surcharge was identified to pay any short fall on the amount of revenue generated by the aquarium verses the operating expenses and debt payments. “The first year we needed that industrial water plant money, it was a $400,000 transfer,” Shrout said. “I was then charged by the City Council and by the Oklahoma Aquarium Board to see if the aquarium could be self-sustainable and pay the debt without requiring a transfer from the industrial water sales. Since 2016, we have been focused on keeping expenses in line and increasing revenue by increasing the number of people that can visit the facility.” Mission accomplished for Shrout and city and aquarium staff. Following the $400,000 transfer four years ago, three years ago, the transfer was $320,000, and two years ago, it was $75,000. “We have reduced it from $923,000 under Vision 2025 tax to $400,000 to $320,000 to $75,000,” Shrout said. “The aquarium’s revenue has increased enough, and expenses were kept in check, so there was only a $75,000 transfer needed to cover that debt two years ago.” The facility was well on its way to becoming completely self-sustaining. However, with COVID-19 affecting the attendance and revenue in 2020 for the Oklahoma Aquarium, it is yet to be determined how it will impact the subsidy amount needed, if any, from the industrial water sales going forward.
CONT from pg 4 SCHOLARSHIPS A limited number of scholarships are available for the program, valued up to the full value of the program. Eligible applicants include small businesses (under five employees) and nonprofits (501(c)(3) status only). PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS To participate, interested persons must fill out an application form and the agreement form. Participants are required to: Be a resident of the Jenks community or employed by an area business Miss no more than one session of Leadership Jenks Participate in class project PARTICIPANT SELECTION Process Applications will be reviewed by the Leadership Jenks Steering Committee and, once selection is complete, applicants will be notified as to their status. The committee’s goal is to select a diverse group of individuals representing different areas of the community and business community. After acceptance, all correspondence and reminders will be sent via email from the Jenks Chamber of Commerce. CLASS PROJECT Time will be allotted during meals to discuss ideas for a class project involving volunteerism outside of the scheduled program agenda. Participation in the project is required to graduate Leadership Jenks. A class project must involve the whole class and benefit the community of Jenks. Class project proposals must be submitted by Feb. 1 for the Chamber to review and approve.
BENEFITS Learn about meaningful ways to make a difference by giving back to the Jenks community through volunteer activities. Become part of a rich learning community constituted of leaders with unique backgrounds and perspectives. Develop a deeper understanding of issues facing the Jenks community. Access to Facebook group with classmates and alumni to ask questions and build community.
JENKS POLICE DEPAR T MEN T INCIDEN T REPOR T S AUGUS T 10 T HROUGH AUGUS T 16
SESSION DATES, TOPICS AND TIMES History of Jenks – Tuesday, Oct. 13 Jenks Public Schools, Tulsa Tech, TCC – Tuesday, Nov. 10 County and State Government – Tuesday, Dec. 8 Public Safety (Police and Fire) –Tuesday, Jan. 12 Oklahoma Aquarium –Tuesday, Feb. 9 City Government and Services – Tuesday, March 9 Economic Development and Community Growth –Tuesday, April 13 Leadership Jenks Alumni Lunch and Graduation TBA Bus Tour TBA Class project date TBD by class All sessions begin at 6 p.m. Session locations will be sent prior to each session. NOTABLE ALUMNI Dr. Stacey Butterfield, Jenks Public Schools Superintendent Representative Lonnie Sims, Oklahoma House District 68 Mark Tedford, owner of Tedford Insurance and Past Chamber Board Chair Heather Turner, owner of Anthem Road Academy and Chamber Board Chair Chris Smith, BancFirst Jenks President Greg Helms, owner of GS Helms & Associates Architect and former Jenks Chamber of Commerce Board Chair
LARCENY; 500 BLOCK W C ST; Suspect removed items from the victim’s backyard without his knowledge or permission. LARCENY; 2700 BLOCK E 140TH PL; Unknown suspect removed items from a package delivered to the victim. PLANNING OR THREATENING VIOLENT ACT; 12000 BLOCK S TAMARACK ST; Suspect made threatening recorded messages and sent the messages to the victim. MVA-HIT & RUN -PROPERTY DAMAGE; 11500 BLOCK S LOCUST AVE; Unknown suspect/ suspects drove his or her vehicle into the victim’s house causing structural damage to his garage. BURGLARY; Forcibly entered the victim's business and removed property with the intent to deprive. UTTERING FORGED INSTRUMENTS; 800 BLOCK N SYCAMORE PL; The victim believes that whoever stole her husband's truck, also found her checkbook and forged a check for $400.00. DUI; 1800 W MAIN ST POSS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA; 300 BLOCK W MAIN ST; The suspect was parked in a public alley behind his residence while shooting up Heroin. OBTAIN\ATT OBT PROP BY TRICK \ DECEPTION; 12700 BLOCK S 2ND ST; The suspect(s) received $825 from the victim for the purchase of a puppy. The suspect(s) did not provide the victim with the puppy in return. IDENTITY THEFT; 12800 BLOCK S 7TH ST; Suspect(s) used the identity of the victim without her knowledge
in an attempt to file unemployment claims. IDENTITY THEFT; 3700 BLOCK W 110TH; The unknown suspect(s) attempted to change the victim's mailing address to receive fraudulent SS compensation funds. IDENTITY THEFT; 700 BLOCK W 110TH PL; An unknown suspect(s) fraudulently filed for unemployment using the victim's personal identification information. LARCENY-AUTO AIRCRAFT OR OTHER MOTOR VEH; 11000 BLOCK S ADAMS ST; The unknown suspect(s) stole the victim's 2011 Ford Explorer located on the driveway of the RP's residence. UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A VEHICLE; 12100 BLOCK S WACO AVE; The suspect was operating a car in the City of Jenks that was reported stolen out of City of Tulsa. BURGLARY; 400 BLOCK E 119TH ST; Unknown suspect(s) took possession of victim's vehicle, while also burglarizing the victim's second vehicle by making access into the garage of the residence which provided access into an occupied dwelling. LARCENY-AUTO AIRCRAFT OR OTHER MOTOR VEH; 400 BLOCK E COMANCHE ST; Unknown suspect(s) stole the victim’s 2017 Nissan depriving her of it's use without her permission. PETIT LARCENYSHOPLIFT; 200 S RIVERFRONT DR; Suspect broke the lock device of the bicycle and stole the bicycle from outside the apartment depriving the victim.
LARCENY OF LOST PROPERTY; 100 S RIVERFRONT DR; Unknown suspect took possession of the victim's property. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 500 BLOCK W 114TH ST; Suspect gain unauthorized entry into the victim's vehicle stealing items of the victim depriving the victim of such items. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 400 BLOCK E 119TH ST; Suspect opened the unlocked door to the 2008 Ford Escape and stole the quarters that were inside the center console that came to a value of $ 15.00. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 12300 BLOCK S ASH ST; sunglasses stolen during the night out of his black BMW. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 12500 BLOCK S CEDAR PL; Unknown suspect(s) made entry to the victims vehicle and retrieved a wallet belonging to the victim, depriving the victim of their belongings without their knowledge and permission. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 1100 BLOCK W 119TH ST; Suspect entered vehicles and took items with the intent to deprive. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 100 BLOCK E 119TH ST; Suspect entered vehicles and took items with the intent to deprive. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 11700 BLOCK S FIR AVE; Unknown suspect entered the victim’s Jeep Wrangler without her knowledge or permission and stole a Sig Sauer firearm. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 11700 BLOCK S IVY ST; Unknown suspect/suspects entered the victim's vehicle without his permission and stole approximately ten dollars' worth of change and a bottle of Belvedere Vodka. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 12000 BLOCK S DATE AVE; Unknown suspect(s) broke into the victim's truck and proceeded to take the above listed handgun, magazines, and ammunition. BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 12500 S ASH AVE; Suspect entered the vehicle and took items without permission depriving the owner of the items use and value. MALICIOUS INJURY/DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY; 600 BLOCK E MAIN ST; Suspect(s) broke the back-door window of the business.
Church Directory Beaver Street Baptist Church 102 W. Beaver Street Crossroads Church 2525 W. Main Street Dove Ministry 2833 W. Main Street
Life Church Jenks 890 W. 81st Street Newspring Family Church 2907 W. 108th Place South River Oaks Christian Church 300 N. Elm Street
First Baptist Church 11701 S. Elm Street
St. James Presbyterian Church 11970 S. Elm Street
First Christian Church 308 E. Main Street
The Church at Jenks 2101 W. 118th Street
First Jenks United Methodist Church 415 E. Main Street
The Connecting Co. 1737 W. 81st Street
Jenks Bethel Baptist Church 11808 S. Elm Street Jenks Bible Church 708 W. Main St Jenks Church 1015 W. Main Street Kirk Crossing 11420 S. James Avenue
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CALL ME! Sarah Foley 918-798-3251 sfoley@mcgrawok.com
Long-time Jenks resident, a former City of Jenks employee, and a proud parent of a Jenks High School golfer! FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2020
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JENKS SOF TBALL TAKES DOWN PONCA CITY IN HOME-OPENER By Kyle Salomon After a sluggish start to the season this past weekend in the Broken Arrow Tournament, the Jenks softball team handled business Tuesday with a 10-3 win over Ponca City at home. The Lady Trojans had a record of 1-3 this past weekend. With the wet weather toward the end of the week, the tournament was moved to four different sites. Jenks played their four games at Sand Springs on Friday and Saturday. Tuesday’s victory brought Jenks’ record to 2-3 overall. The Lady Trojans opened the game with a five-run first inning to lead 5-0 after one. Ponca City put three on the board in the second frame and Jenks added two to take a 7-3 lead into the third. The Lady Trojans put one run across the plate in the third and two more in the fourth to grab ahold of the lead 10-3 before both teams coasted the remaining two-and-a-half innings. Emma Lang got the start in the circle and she earned in the win with Emma Vickey completing the battery behind the plate. “Emma threw really well,” Jenks coach Todd Williams. “The only two hits they had were in the first inning, so she threw well for us. She threw well Saturday for us as well. I thought we swung the bats much better tonight than we did this weekend. We just didn’t swing it very well on Saturday. We were much better tonight. We just need to keep improving.” Jenks travels to Muskogee Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. game with the Roughers before playing in the Owasso Tournament Saturday.
ANNUAL T ROJAN PREVIEW T O GIVE JENKS FINAL T UNEUP BEFORE REGULAR SEASON By Kyle Salomon As the 2020 regular season draws nearer, Jenks football will host the annual “Trojan Preview” at 5 p.m. Friday at Allan Trimble Stadium. It will be the only time the Trojans will go against an outside opponent before they open the regular season at 7:05 p.m. Aug. 28 against Springdale Har-Ber at Allan Trimble Stadium. “Not having spring practice and the usual summer work we typically have, there a few more wrinkles we need to work out at this point,” Jenks football coach Keith Riggs said. “We may be a little more generic than we would typically be at this time in the season, but more than anything, this will be an evaluation tool. We want to go compete and play well, but we still have some spots where we are trying to figure out the right pieces.” CONT on pg 7A
JENKS HIGH SCHOOL 2020 FALL SPORTS 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 PreState, 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 FOOTBALL Preseason August 21 – Trojan Preview 5 p.m. Allan Trimble Stadium NonDistrict August 28 – Springdale HarBer 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 – 6A1 State Championship TBA
SOFTBALL
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. 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
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JENKS VOLLEYBALL IMPROVES TO 3-0 WITH SWEEP OF BART LESVILLE By Kyle Salomon Jenks volleyball earned its first sweep of the young season Tuesday with a three-games to none throttling of Bartlesville. The victory improved the Lady Trojans’ record to 3-0 after Jenks traveled to Edmond North last Thursday and beat the Huskies in a five-game classic. The Lady Trojans defeated the Bruins 25-23 in the first game Tuesday, 25-20 in the second and 25-15 in the third and final game of the night. “The first two games we just couldn’t get our in our offense,” Jenks coach Tanna Smith said. “Our serve/receive game wasn’t working very well. We started serving more aggressively in the second and third games. I am super proud of the girls. The third game looked a lot more like us. The girls are definitely gaining more confidence as the matches go on. With each match, we are getting better.” Smith said even though there are eight seniors on the roster, her team is still inexperienced. “We are improving,” Smith said. “Our practices are getting better. I don’t want to be peaking yet. It is still August, and this was our third match. I am fine with the upward climb we are making right now. We will keep working on our mental game, but I am proud of them. Any time you win, it is a good thing and we are happy about that.” Jenks finished the match with 47 kills, 11 blocks, six aces, 62 digs, 45 assists and 62 receptions. Mikiah Perdue led the team in kills with 14. Savanna LaBiche led the team in blocks with six. Alison Montes led the team in aces with two. Megan Salyer led the team in digs with 15. Honda Figueroa led the team in assists and Sophie Bufogle led the team in receptions with 20. Jenks’ next match is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Owasso.
JENKS FOO TBALL SWI TCHES BACK TO OLD HELME T DECAL FOR 2020 SEASON By Kyle Salomon If you have been an avid Jenks football follower for the past 20 years, you might have noticed a change on the side of the helmets at the beginning of the 2017 season. The Trojans transitioned from the traditional “Jenks” decal on the sides of their helmets to the new “JT” decal. Jenks football has been wearing the “JT” decal since the beginning of the 2017 season, but in the 6A state championship game last year, the senior class wanted to honor legendary Jenks football coach Allan Trimble by wearing the old “Jenks” decals on the sides of their helmets. Trimble had recently passed away following a three-year battle with ALS disease. This year’s football leadership council has decided they want to keep the old “Jenks” decal for the 2020 season. “Our leadership council asked if we could stay with those decals after we went with them in the championship game last year,” Jenks football coach Keith Riggs said. “They kind of liked them, so yes we are going to stick with those this season.” The Trojans host the annual Trojan Preview this Friday at Allan Trimble Stadium and then host Springdale Har-Ber at 7:05 p.m. Aug. 28 at Allan Trimble Stadium in the regular season-opener.
FOO TBALL COMPLE TES SECOND WEEK OF PRAC TICE The Jenks football team completed its second full week of official practice this week. The Trojans will get their first test against an outside opponent this evening at Allan Trimble Stadium during the Trojan Preview. The regular season opens Aug. 28 against Springdale Har-Ber at home. Photos/Kyle Salomon
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FOO TBALL CONT Booker T. Washington, Muskogee, Bartlesville, and Putnam City will be the other four teams at Allan Trimble Stadium Friday. “It is going to be a great evaluation tool to go against other teams and see where we are at some of those positions,” Riggs said. “The other thing is we want to be better than we were Saturday in our intrasquad scrimmage. We want to see improvement every week. I was pleased overall with the scrimmage considering we only had one day of practice in full pads prior to Saturday.” Since the opening of fall camp, Jenks coaches, players, athletic trainers, and staff and made sure they are taking every precaution necessary to stay as safe as possible. “They have handled it really well,” Riggs said. “There have been so many distractions and so many new things with precautions, what we have to do in practice, what we can’t do in practice, and they have really rolled with it. Ever since back in mid-March, they have handled it really well.” The schedule for the Trojan Preview will look different this year to help keep all the teams safe and not have all five teams on the field at the same time. There will be a three-team scrimmage with the Jenks junior varsity, Bartlesville, and Putnam City and then half games against Bartlesville and Putnam City for the junior varsity. Then, the Jenks varsity will play a three-team scrimmage against Booker T. Washington and Muskogee and half games against each team following the scrimmage.