Jenks Tribune, Digital Issue 84 - March 26, 2021

FRIDAY, MARCH 26 , 2021

JENKSTRIBUNE.COM

THE FINAL EDITION

This Week’s Jenks Tribune Will Be The Last Publication For Our Local Newspaper

By Kyle Salomon After 84 weeks of publications, this will be the final edition of the Jenks Tribune.

I have never enjoyed a job as much as I have bringing this community news and sports stories about Jenks.

It was a dream come true filled with excitement and anticipation each week with stories and events that needed to be told.

There were days filled with happiness, determination and yes, even heartache as we sought to give you stories of adventure, elation and even disappointment.

I remember writing about veterans who gave their all for our country, teachers who instilled a drive in their students and a football team that just wouldn’t quit.

The people I met along the way have been fantastic. I know that so many of you will be disappointed to see this publication end, but it can’t continue without the support from the local business community.

A little more than two years ago, I began conversing with my parents regarding the possibility of starting a community newspaper in my hometown of Jenks.

The conversation became increasingly serious, and after a commitment to tag along came from a guy named Hayden Tucker, we immediately went to work.

My parents began working on the process to start a business in the State of Oklahoma and even though Hayden and I lived and worked in Yukon at the Yukon Review, we would use any free time we had on nights and weekends to accomplish the necessary things to start a newspaper in 2019.

In May of 2019, after leaving the Yukon Review, we moved to the Tulsa-area to launch the Jenks Tribune the following August.

From day one, I made it clear the only way this was going to work was to obtain the advertising support we needed.

I made the decision to not charge people for the newspaper because after nearly a decade of working in the newspaper industry, I had come to the understanding that subscriptions don’t pay the bills, ads do.

Despite my disappointment in some of our local business community, I will forever be grateful for the time we had covering this community and putting new editions out every Friday. We were able to accomplish and cover many great things, but most importantly, we were able to inform the community of Jenks, America for 84 weeks.

This is the most difficult decision I have ever had to make. Giving up on a dream is not something anyone ever wants to do.

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone told me how much they enjoyed the Jenks Tribune. If that were the case, this wouldn’t be the last edition, but unfortunately, compliments don’t cover the costs of running a newspaper.

I have struggled with this for a while now, but after many discussions with my family and several close friends, I have come to the realization that I need to make this decision.

As I said earlier, this newspaper was only going to survive if the advertising supported it. Sadly, many local businesses chose not to support a community newspaper.

Don’t get me wrong, we had several local businesses and business owners who supported the Jenks Tribune from day one, but in order for this to work, we needed much more than we were able to obtain.

I have thought long and hard about why I couldn’t convince enough businesses to support it.

Now, because of the decision made by those businesses, the hyperlocal coverage will no longer be there. The great things taking place at Jenks Public Schools, the new and exciting businesses coming to Jenks, the annual festivals put on by local organizations, stories involving Jenks residents, plus so much more, will no longer be covered.

Perhaps the most frustrating for me was local business owners telling me they wanted to start advertising in the Jenks Tribune, but never following through when contacted. I even had a business owner stand me up on a meeting he asked for several days prior.

However, I am not going to let my frustration cloud what was a great 84 weeks of the Jenks Tribune.

There are so many people I want to thank for helping me along this ride, but I will keep it to a few.

First and foremost, my parents, Joe and Andrea Salomon. What many of you don’t know is there never would have been a Jenks Tribune without the sacrifice my parents made. They have been my rock throughout this experience and my entire life. I am so thankful for them and what they have done and continue to do for me. I love you, mom and dad.

Next, I want to thank Hayden Tucker. Hayden made a tremendous sacrifice to uproot his life in Yukon, move to a city where he didn’t know anyone and start a community newspaper with a guy he had just met several months prior. If Hayden did not say yes to coming here to do this, I would never have made the move on my own. Hayden has a bright future ahead of him and I look forward to seeing where life takes him. He’s going to do great things.

Next, I want to thank Jinger Wiesman. Jinger has been with me for the duration of the Jenks Tribune. You ever wonder why the Jenks Tribune is so visually appealing? You ever wonder why our graphics and our ads look so amazing? Jinger is the reason. She took the Jenks Tribune to new heights with her creativity and her ability to take an idea and make it shine. CONT on pg 4...

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR TOP ADVERTISERS

By Kyle Salomon This issue of the Jenks Tribune is the 84th edition and it is our final edition. When we started the Jenks Tribune, we made it clear that we were not going to charge people to get a copy of the paper, but we were going to live or die through our advertising support.

Unfortunately, we had to make a very difficult decision that will stick with us forever.

However, even though the local business community, as a whole, chose not to support its local newspaper, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t several businesses and business owners who were loyal supporters.

We had a total of five what we call “difference-maker” advertisers. These businesses and business leaders made the choice to support the Jenks Tribune from day one and have had ads for at least 60 weeks we have been operating, which is three-fourths of the weeks since we began Aug. 16, 2019.

Here are the five “difference-maker” advertisers for the Jenks Tribune: 1.Brent Hagar State Farm Insurance Agency – 84 weeks of advertising Brent Hagar State Farm Insurance Agency is a special business.

Brent Hagar is a tremendous business owner and community leader. Brent truly understands what it means to be a member of a community and what it takes to support a community. He was with us from day one and we could not be more thankful for his unwavering support. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Brent and thank you to your staff and thank you for being a true supporter of the Jenks community.

2.Andrea Salomon Coldwell Banker Select – 84 weeks of advertising Andrea Salomon, of Coldwell Banker Select, is not only my mother, but she has been a true supporter of the Jenks Tribune from day one. Many may think because Andrea is my mother, she was getting her advertisement for free, but that is not the case at all. I was fully prepared to give her whatever ad space she wanted at no cost. However, she would not have it. She told me from day one she wanted to pay for her ad because she wanted to support this business and be a true supporter of the Jenks community. She is definitely that. She loves Jenks and works hard for the people in this community. Thank you, Andrea for your constant support and for being a true supporter of the Jenks community.

3.381 Creative – 84 weeks of advertising Do you ever wonder why the Jenks Tribune looks as good as it does every week? Do you ever wonder why the ads are so appealing and so creative? All that is because of Jinger Wiesman and 381 Creative.

Jinger joined the Jenks Tribune from day one and she has been making it look amazing since she first started with us. Not only has she been showcasing her creative skills for the past 84 weeks, but she has also advertised her design company every week as well. I am telling you, if you need any kind of design work done, and you do not use Jinger Wiesman and 381 Creative, you are missing out. Her work ethic and skill level combined make her the best at what she does. Thank you, Jinger and 381 Creative for being a true supporter of the Jenks Tribune and the Jenks community.

4.Hargrove-Marker Funeral & Cremation Services – 84 weeks of advertising Hargrove-Marker Funeral & Cremation Services have been loyal supporters of the Jenks Tribune from day one. Ken Hargrove and the rest of the staff at Marker Funeral Homes are true supporters of the Jenks community and have a true understanding of what it means to be a community. They are in an industry where treating people the right way means everything, and it shows in how they operate in the Jenks community. Thank you, HargroveMarker Funeral & Cremation Services and the Marker Funeral Homes family for your support and thank you for being true supporters of the Jenks community.

5.BancFirst – 65 weeks of advertising Ever since I was a young driver on the streets of downtown Jenks", BancFirst has been a staple in the community. When we started the paper in 2019, they proved they truly are supporters of the Jenks community by supporting the local newspaper. As Jenks has grown, many more banks have come to town hoping to achieve what BancFirst has in this community, but BancFirst has always maintained its support of its local community. Thank you, BancFirst Jenks for your consistent support and for being true supporters of the Jenks community.

Again, a most heart-felt thank you to Brent Hagar State Farm Insurance Agency, 381 Creative, Andrea Salomon Coldwell Banker Select, Hargrove-Marker Funeral & Cremation Services and BancFirst for your tremendous support.

It did not go unnoticed.

Sincerely, Kyle Salomon Owner & Publisher Jenks Tribune

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES ANSWER WHY YOU SHOULD VO TE FOR THEM OVER THEIR OPPONENTS Last Monday, the Jenks Tribune sent out one question at the same time to all five city council candidates who have opponents.

The five candidates with opponents are running for the At-Large seat and the Ward 4 seat. Dawn Dyke is going up against Rod Cline for the Ward 4 seat. Kevin Short, David Randolph and Krista Monk are running against each other for the At-Large seat.

The question we sent each candidate was: In 100 words or less, please explain why the people of Jenks should vote for you over your opponent(s).

We gave each candidate until 5 p.m. Sunday to respond with their answer.

Here is what they had to say: Rod Cline: “The lack of teamwork exhibited by our council in capitalizing on recent new business opportunities for our community coupled with the unnecessary mask mandate are the driving forces behind my decision to run for Ward 4. I am a conservative, ‘Jenks first’ minded candidate who will have the best interests of our main street businesses and our community at the forefront of all future council votes and decisions. We will work from a perspective of economic growth rather than fear and failure.”

Dawn Dyke: I bring experience and fresh ideas to serve Jenks as the Ward 4 Councilor, voted on by a majority of City Councilors sixteen months ago. I supported our Police & Fire Departments call for mask ordinance, which helps keep Jenks residents safe and our businesses open.

I supported the 2020 Bonds to expand Elm from 111th to 131st. I’m excited about our successes and believe we can build on our momentum, such as record city sales tax revenue in 2020-2021. Candidates like David Randolph and myself will continue to look forward with vision instead of dwelling on the past.

Kevin Short: “My family has lived in Jenks for over 100 years. I have a passion for Jenks. I look forward to growing our economy with reasonable, safe, and manageable opportunities. My background as a community banker for 25+ years provides me the necessary relationship-building tools to understand economic opportunities and move Jenks forward. I look to lead on the City Council through my eight years of proven leadership with the Jenks Public Schools Foundation. I have grown up watching Jenks evolve from a small town to a thriving, family-oriented city and look to continue that evolution as your next City Councilor.”

David Randolph: “We need economic development — and I am the only at-large candidate who is a member of the Jenks Chamber of Commerce. I’m also the only at-large candidate who voted in the 2020 JPS bond election, supported and voted for the 2020 Go Bond (to expand Elm from 111th to 131st), and has experience in Jenks city government on the Planning Commission. I believe in public safety and wrote and promoted the petition to support the mask ordinance. I am running on a nonpartisan basis, and Mayor Lee has endorsed me. Dawn Dyke shares these values, and I also support her.”

Krista Monk: “We are only a vote away from potential stagnation and family hardship. Jenks has missed business opportunities from delay.

-Honesty- Balanced- Committed: Truth may not always be pleasing but the people deserve it. As a health and process improvement leader, I know doing the job right requires dedication of time and energy. I support a viable street infrastructure while being open to alternative transportation. Being committed also means being able to work with professional city staff while not automatically deferring to their judgment. Motivated. My primary motivation is to protect the community. Experienced. 15+ years in non-profit & for-profit agencies”

WE’LL SEE YOU LATER, TAKING A CHANCE DOESN’T ON MAIN STREE T ALWAYS PAN OU T, BU T I T DOESN’T MEAN IT ’S A

By Sarah Clavin FAILURE They say goodbye is the hardest thing. I have to say; I much prefer something not so permanent like, “see you later,” “hasta luego,” or “see you next time.”

But as they also say, all good things must come to an end. And whether this is the ending we wanted, we like, or we would have chosen, this road has diverged and there’s a new path we must go down.

What a privilege it has been to share the space with you; to candidly share thoughts and feelings, to educate and enlighten, to weep with you and to rejoice. It has been my incredible honor to write for the Jenks Tribune over the past several years. I hope, dear reader this will not be the finite end to our journey.

You might say entrepreneurship runs in my blood. I come from a long line of dreamers, hustlers, go-getters, Entrepreneurs.

My grandparents put their life savings and a massive loan on the line to start Miller Swim School, when a year-round swimming lesson facility was a completely foreign idea to most residents in Oklahoma. My dad recently left an industry he has known for over 40 years and started his own business. My husband has started multiple companies, my brother has his own business, my uncle and cousins have many of their own, and the list goes on and on.

What I’ve seen firsthand about entrepreneurs is the incomparable amount of dedication, blood sweat and tears that it takes to have a dream, and to make that dream a reality, no matter the obstacles, the doubts, the fears, or the failures that stand in the way. An entrepreneur is truly a rare breed. They work when everyone sleeps, they take on triple and quadruple the load of every other employee, and they make sacrifices many will never know. It is not a business to them, but rather their lifeblood, their dream; the reason for waking in the morning and staying up way too late at night.

The owner of this paper took a major chance on me when he set me up a column, offered it to me permanently, and gave me the autonomy to write. He let me have the latest deadline possible, knowing I was writing every article Tuesday nights after work, after the kids were all in bed, with some Braum’s and Taco Bell. Emailing a late-night version to my dad for final collaborations and edits. Kyle let me turn in the final copy just hours (sometimes minutes) before the print deadline.

I can remember the first time we met, in my office discussing his brandnew Newspaper. I thought, what a risky move, diving headfirst to print media in the 21st century, and I loved it even more. Kyle has been the epitome of selfless dedication, grit, and integrity during his time running the Tribune. I’ve watched him bring back print media, write almost every column in his paper, survive 2020, and a wedding. He has attended multiple events for the city, Jenks schools and for the local community, and has written educational and informative articles on them all. It has been an honor to work with an entrepreneur like him.

Thank you for having the courage to take a risk, to go against the grain, to put everything on the line for something that would benefit your community. Thank you for taking a risk on me and so many others, for believing in something outside of the norm, and for encouraging and inspiring those around you to dream big.

“I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all of the difference.”

-Robert Frost So, we pack up and move on. Close our laptops and the doors behind us, knowing that hope is a dream awakening. And, although it feels finite, this is not good bye But, dear friend, rather a pause.

By Hayden Tucker When Kyle Salomon and I decided to start the Jenks Tribune around this time two years ago, we both knew there was a possibility it wouldn’t work out. We did it anyway.

For me, starting the Jenks Tribune wasn’t necessarily about becoming a dominant news outlet. It was to try something new, to try something different.

We never got the chance to implement the ideas I thought would be interesting to try and I will always regret that. We planned to roll out company changes a few days after what would become the beginning of the pandemic.

What I won’t regret is the time I spent working at the Jenks Tribune.

Since I was laid off due to the pandemic a year ago, I’ve been wandering a little bit, unsure of what to do with my life now. For most of my life I’ve known I wanted to work in journalism and when I reached the end at the Tribune, I knew it would be my final job in newspapers.

It’s hard to find the career you were put on this earth to do in the first place, let alone finding the thing to do after that. Just because it didn’t work out doesn’t mean it was a waste of my time. I took so much away from this experience, it’s hard to say I wouldn’t do it all over again.

Not many people would (or should) trust a 21-year-old to make so many business decisions, but Kyle Salomon did. Kyle took a chance on hiring me at the Yukon Review six months before we moved to Jenks.

He trusted me to come up with ideas and be creative, even then, and encouraged me to run with them.

If you want a cool boss, find Kyle Salomon. Thank you so much for this experience. To his parents, Joe and Andrea, I thank you for welcoming me and making me feel at home. You trusted me as well and I’ll always be grateful.

In a creative field, you’ll need top-notch graphic design and Jinger Wiesman stepped up early in the Jenks Tribune process and brought our image to something we could be proud of and something pleasing to look at. She’s very creative and I always love looking at anything she designs. Thank you, Jinger, for being part of the team and making it fun.

Thank you to the interns, PR Directors, coaches, politicians, business owners, and anyone else who helped us along the way and made this possible.

It wasn’t a long-term success, but it wasn’t a failure. a lot and made the Jenks Tribune better.

Last and most certainly not least, is my wife Kristen. If I had not moved back home to start the Jenks Tribune, I would never have found my wife, so it is funny how things work out. It is not easy being married to a newspaper guy and Kristen has been my support system from the time she and I started dating. She never once said anything negative about me having to work late or work weekends and she always knew the perfect thing to say if she could tell I didn’t have the greatest day. I truly am the luckiest guy in the world with her as my bride. I love you, Kristen!

I would also like to thank all my family, friends, local community leaders, business leaders and others who have helped me along the way and have supported the Jenks Tribune.

It has been a wild 84 weeks, Jenks, America. It has been a dream come true for me to be able to provide my hometown with community news and sports coverage.

We’ll see you later, on Main Street.

CONT from pg 4...

If you need any type of creative work done, you definitely should call Jinger and 381 Creative if you want the best product you can get. It would be a mistake if you didn’t.

Next, I would like to thank our Jenks High School interns Drew Bethell, Elise Siebert, and Izzy Pankey. Drew and Elise were our interns during the 2019-2020 school year and Izzy was our intern this school year. All three have different skillsets and talents, but all three have incredibly bright futures ahead of them. They came in and worked hard, learned

This isn’t a failure. We had 84 weeks of great success. Now, it’s on to the next chapter.

Thank you for reading and may God Bless you and your loved ones.

Sincerely, Kyle Salomon ksalomon@jenkstribune.com

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 Jenks Tribune

Victoria Hurt Sales Associate Jenks Tribune

Office | 918-528-7272 Mobile | 918-231-0787

Office | 918-528-7272 Mobile | 918-813-0654

Office | 918-528-7272 Mobile | 432-301-3420

ksalomon@jenkstribune.com

jwiesman@jenkstribune.com

sales@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 POLICE DEPARTMENT INCIDENT REPORTS MARCH 15 THROUGH MARCH 21 GRAND LARCENY; 12000 BLOCK S NANDINA ST LARCENY; 1300 BLOCK W 118TH ST MVA-HIT & RUN -PROPERTY DAMAGE; 2500 BLOCK E 136TH PL DRIVING UNDER SUSPENSION; 1000 BLOCK E MAIN ST IDENTITY THEFT; 1700 BLOCK W 109TH ST IDENTITY THEFT; 2000 BLOCK E 135TH ST

COUNCILOR BOX HOSTS TOWN HALL MEE TING City of Jenks Ward 6 City Council Member Cory Box hosted a Town Hall Meeting Saturday at City Hall where anyone was invited to come and discuss any topics they would like to discuss regarding the City of Jenks and its future.

Nearly 20 people attended the meeting, both in person and virtually. Several of those in attendance and also answering citizen-raised questions were city manager Chris Shrout and chamber president and CEO Josh Driskell.

Ward 3 City Council Member Craig Murray was there in attendance and Ward 4 City Council Member Dawn Dyke was present virtually.

The hour-and-and-half-long meeting topics brought up

by Jenks residents were the possibility of another bridge connecting Jenks and Tulsa from 121st street in Tulsa to 131st street in Jenks, the low-water dam update and updates on the road construction projects on 111th and Elwood and Elm Street.

Also, the potential of the City of Jenks purchasing land on Main Street from the Jenks Public Library was also discussed and if the city does purchase the land, what could be done with that area.

IDENTITY THEFT; 500 BLOCK W F ST BURGLARY FROM AUTO (PARTS/ACCESSORY); 12000 BLOCK S 18TH ST BURGLARY FROM AUTO (OTHER THAN PARTS); 12500 BLOCK S 18TH CIR BURGLARY FROM AUTO; 12000 BLOCK S 7TH ST BURGLARY FROM AUTO (OTHER THAN PARTS); 800 BLOCK E A ST

ROU TE 66 ALLIANCE’S KEN BUSBY SPEAKS AT CHAMBER LUNCHEON

Ken Busby, Executive Director & CEO of the Route 66 Alliance, was the keynote speaker last Wednesday at the Jenks Chamber of Commerce March Luncheon. Busby spoke on the history of the popular roadway and the plans for future growth around the Route 66 passage. Photos/Courtesy of the Jenks Chamber of Commerce

ELEVEN STRAIGHT

BASEBALL EARNS 11TH CONSECU TIVE VICTORY TUESDAY

After dropping its first two games of the season to Owasso, the Jenks High School baseball team has reeled off 11-straight wins and sit at 11-2 overall after a two-game sweep of Muskogee Monday and Tuesday. The first nine of the 11-consecutive wins were against Lincoln Christian, Vian, Ponca City twice, Stillwater, Enid, Claremore, Edmond Santa Fe and Moore. Jenks will host the Tiger/Trojan Classic this weekend along with Broken Arrow. Photos/Kyle Salomon

GIRLS SOCCER TAKES FIRST LOSS TO BOOKER T. WASHINGTON The Jenks High School girls soccer team suffered its first defeat of the season Tuesday with a home loss to Booker T. Washington. The Lady Trojans were 2-0 heading into Tuesday’s match with wins over Bixby and Broken Arrow.

Photos/Kyle Salomon

JENKS HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORT S SCHEDULES 2021 Baseball March 26 – vs. Deer Creek at Trojan-Tiger Classic 1 p.m.

March 27 – vs. Moore at Trojan-Tiger Classic 12 p.m.

March 29 – at Union 6 p.m.

March 30 – vs. Union 6 p.m.

April 2 – vs. Sand Springs 6 p.m.

April 3 – vs. Catoosa 6 p.m.

April 5 – vs. Booker T. Washington 5 p.m.

April 6 – at Booker T. Washington 4:30 p.m.

April 8 – at Broken Arrow 6 p.m.

April 9 – vs. Glenpool 5 p.m.

April 12 – at Bixby 6 p.m.

April 13 – vs. Bixby 6 p.m.

April 15 – vs. Bishop Kelley at BixbyBroken Arrow Turf Classic 2 p.m.

April 16 – vs. Sapulpa at BixbyBroken Arrow Turf Classic 1 p.m.

April 16 – vs. Broken Arrow at BixbyBroken Arrow Turf Classic 6 p.m.

April 17 – BixbyBroken Arrow Turf Classic TBA April 19 – vs. Sapulpa 6 p.m.

April 20 – at Sapulpa 6 p.m.

April 22 – vs. Cascia Hall 6 p.m.

April 23 – vs. Bartlesville 6 p.m.

April 26 – District Make-up Date April 27 – District Make-up Date April 27 – vs. Berryhill 5 p.m.

April 29 – vs. Enid 6 p.m.

May 1 – vs. Collinsville 1 p.m.

May 3 – vs. Bishop Kelley 6 p.m.

May 6 – Regional Tournament TBA May 7 – Regional Tournament TBA May 8 – Regional Tournament TBA May 13 – State Tournament TBA May 14 – State Tournament TBA May 15 – State Tournament TBA Boys Soccer March 26 – South Tulsa Classic Tournament TBA March 27 – South Tulsa Classic Tournament TBA March 30 – at Union 8 p.m.

April 2 – at Sapulpa 8 p.m.

April 6 – vs. Enid 8 p.m.

April 9 – at Owasso 8 p.m.

April 13 – vs. Stillwater 8 p.m.

April 16 – at Bartlesville 8 p.m.

April 20 – at Muskogee 8 p.m.

April 23 – vs. Ponca City 8 p.m.

Girls Soccer March 26 – Deer Creek Tournament TBA March 27 – Deer Creek Tournament TBA March 30 – at Union 6 p.m.

April 2 – at Sapulpa 6 p.m.

April 6 – vs. Enid 6 p.m.

April 9 – at Owasso 6 p.m.

April 13 – vs. Stillwater 6 p.m.

April 16 – at Bartlesville 6 p.m.

April 20 – at Muskogee 6 p.m.

April 23 – vs. Ponca City 6 p.m.

Track & Field March 26 – at Edmond North Invitational 4 p.m.

April 3 – at Broken Arrow Invitational 9 a.m.

April 9 – at Owasso Invitational 12 p.m.

April 16 – Jenks Invitational 3 p.m.

May 8 – Regional Meet 9 a.m.

May 15 – State Meet 9 a.m.

Slow Pitch Softball March 30 – at Deer Creek 6 p.m.

April 8 – vs. Sand Springs 5 p.m.

April 8 – vs. Owasso 7:30 p.m.

April 13 – at Broken Arrow 5 p.m.

April 15 – at Sand Springs 5 p.m.

April 19 – at Haskell 12 p.m.

April 19 – at Bixby 5:30 p.m.

April 20 – vs. Sapulpa 5:30 p.m.

April 22 – at Union 5:30 p.m.

April 23 – at Muskogee 5:30 p.m.

April 26 – vs. Coweta 5:30 p.m.

Boys Golf March 29 – at Union 8:30 a.m.

April 5 – at Catoosa 8:30 a.m.

April 6 – at Edmond Memorial 8:30 a.m.

April 12 – at Norman 8:30 a.m.

April 15 – at Edmond North 8:30 a.m.

April 20 – Conference Tournament TBA April 22 – State Preview Tournament TBA April 24 – Jenks Invitational at South Lakes Golf Course 8:30 a.m.

May 3 – Regional Tournament TBA May 10 – State Tournament TBA May 11 – State Tournament TBA Girls Golf March 27 – at Stillwater Invitational 9 a.m.

March 29 – at Bixby Invitational 8 a.m.

March 31 – at Bartlesville Invitational 8 a.m.

April 1 – at Deer Creek Invitational 8 a.m.

April 5 – at Owasso Invitational 8 a.m.

April 7 – Jenks Invitational at South Lakes Golf Course 8 a.m.

April 13 – at Union Invitational 8 a.m.

April 14 – at Putnam City Invitational 8 a.m.

April 16 – at Sand Springs Invitational 8 a.m.

April 19 – State Preview Tournament TBA May 5 – State Tournament TBA May 6 – State Tournament TBA Boys Tennis March 26 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

March 29 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

April 2 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

April 6 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

April 17 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

April 27 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

May 10 – Regional Tournament TBA May 14 – State Tournament TBA May 15 – State Tournament TBA Girls Tennis March 29 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

April 3 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

April 5 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

April 17 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

April 26 – Road Tournament 8 a.m.

May 3 – Regional Tournament TBA May 7 – State Tournament TBA May 8 – State Tournament TBA

BOYS SOCCER TAKES DOWN BOOKER T. AT HOME The Jenks High School boys soccer team defeated Booker T. Washington Tuesday at home to improve to 2-1 overall. The Trojans have beat the Hornets and Broken Arrow and lost to Bixby in the season-opener. Photos/Kyle Salomon

Thank you, Jenks for voting for us!

We appreciate your support!

HERB ‘N’ PLANT FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

By Kyle Salomon The annual Jenks Herb ‘n’ Plant Festival, put on by the Jenks Garden Club, returns in 2021 after being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 24 in downtown Jenks. Main Street and several side streets in the downtown area will be closed beginning at 7 p.m. April 23. This event will be the 25th anniversary for the annual festival.

“We are looking forward to it being bigger and better this year,” Jenks Garden Club President Roger Twilley said. “It’s one of those things you don’t know how the attendance is going to be, but we are expecting it to be really big. We are very excited to able to do it after having to cancel last year. We are guessing there will be quite a few people in attendance from the feedback we have received.”

At this point, there are close to 100 vendors with booths, who will be in attendance. There will be precautions taken with numerous people cleaning tables and chairs on a regular basis. “We have received a good response from vendors,” Jenks Garden Club Vice President Sherry Bonner said. “We feel like this event in a way kicks off the spring event season in Jenks. We have some new vendors this year, but still have quite a few of the same vendors that come every year.”

Twilley, who’s father, Bill Twilley started the Jenks Herb ‘n’ Plant Festival 25 years ago, said this event will benefit Jenks.

“All the stores down on Main Street benefit from this,” Twilley said. “I don’t think there is a shop in town that couldn’t benefit from this. The Garden Club will be giving away specialty items at its tent on 2nd and Main to help commemorate the 25th anniversary. We now have what we call, ‘Shop and Drop, so if people buy a lot of stuff, they can come put it at the booth and not have to carry it around the rest of the time they are there.”

There will be an area for children to play and “Hope is Oxygen” will be the non-profit sponsor for this year’s event.

The Jenks Garden Club is non-profit organization and has a membership of close to 30 people. Both Twilley and Bonner said they would like to see more people join the club. The annual membership fee is $15.

ANNUAL CHRIST MAS PARADE TO RE T URN IN 2021

By Kyle Salomon After having to cancel the 2020 Jenks Christmas Parade due to the pandemic, the Jenks Kiwanis Club has announced the 2021 Christmas Parade will take place Nov. 20.

The annual holiday event will begin at 10 a.m. and run through the downtown area of Jenks. “Last year, we had people that wanted to do it and people that didn’t,” Jenks Kiwanis Club President Ken Hargrove said. “A lot of people were a little concerned with what was going on with COVID. This year, we think we will be through the pandemic enough and we need to steer ahead and start planning now. We want to more people to get involved. We want to try and get as many local businesses participating as we can and make this more a community event.”

Hargrove added that the money raised from the event will be used to help sponsor and give scholarships to Jenks High School Key Club students.

The Kiwanis president also said he expects to have most of the same commitments as they usually have to take part in the 2021 version of the parade.

JENKS HIGH SCHOOL ANNOUNCES DUB WEEK EVENTS As the deadline looms to support the Jenks High School’s Student Council’s annual philanthropy campaign, called DUB Week, the school has announced several events that will potentially help raise awareness for their cause.

This year, the Jenks STUCO has pledged to help “The Common Good of Tulsa” build a commercial kitchen.

Here is a list of upcoming events where you can help their cause: March 27 - City-wide 5k race in Jenks on March 27 “We would love all corporate donations, sponsorship, even participation for the 5k.”

April 24 – Volleyball Tournament at Jenks High School “Corporate donations are welcome to sponsor a team.”

April 30 – Raffle “This raffle will take place at the high school, any business donations appreciated to help with this event.”

Any donations to these events, please contact elissa.mahaffey@jenksps.org and/or Kimberly.catterson@jenksps.org.

ANNUAL FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL RE T URNS TO MAY IN 2021 The annual Jenks, America Food Truck Festival will return to its normal time of year in 2021, as it is set to take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 1 in downtown Jenks.

The Craig Bowman Farmers Insurance sponsored Jenks America Food Truck Festival features a variety of popular food trucks and other vendors across the region. Patrons can dine and explore Main Street Jenks.

Over 10,000 people pass through Main Street for the festival each year. If you or your business are interested in sponsoring this year's event, email lane.castleberry@jenkschamber.com.

The 2020 Food Truck Festival took place in August due to the pandemic.

CI TY-WIDE GARAGE SALE SE T FOR MAY 1

The annual City-Wide Garage Sale in Jenks will take place starting at 7 a.m. May 1 within Jenks city limits. No permit is needed to host a sale. Last year’s event was postponed to July due to the pandemic.

KIWANIS CLUB TRASH BASH SE T FOR MAY 8 The Jenks Kiwanis Club is hosting its annual Trash Bash from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 8 at 106th and Elm Street.

The event is put on by the City of Jenks and Jenks Chamber of Commerce.

This one-day event is a chance for Jenks residents to dispose of large waste items that would normally have to be taken to the dump.

No contaminants, tires, batteries, refrigerants, or hazardous materials will be accepted.

There will be signage directing people to the drop-off.

The cost to drop off trash is $10 per pickup load, with increments of $10 for sizes larger. Trailers more than eight feet long will require multiple tickets. No contaminants, tires, batteries, refrigerants, or hazardous materials will be accepted.

Tickets are available at the drop-off site the day of the event.

JENKS VOCAL MUSIC SE T TO PU T ON ‘A GRANT NIGHT FOR SINGING”

The Jenks High School vocal music department will put on the Rodgers and Hammerstein production, “A Grand Night for Singing”, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The three performances will take place at the Jenks High School Performing Arts Center. There will be availability to watch the show in person, but the Jenks PAC has been cut to 25% capacity, which is about 500 people. For ticket information, go to www.jenksvocaltix.com. Virtual streaming tickets for the performances is also available. Photos/Kyle Salomon