City Councilman Jim Spoon receives national honors

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Sand Springs, OK - Sand Springs’ own Jim Spoon has been recognized by the National Community Pharmacists Association during the NCPA’s 2018 convention in Boston, MA. Spoon has been recognized as the 2018 Willard B. Simmons Independent Pharmacist of the Year, for his exemplary leadership and commitment to independent pharmacy and his community.

“Jim has been a tireless advocate for independent pharmacy over the years, helping shape not only its future but the future of his community through service,” said NCPA President David Smith, RPh as part of the national convention’s announcements.

Spoon currently serves as Sand Springs City Council Member “At Large” and is a member of the council’s Legislative and Finance and Development Committees. He is a Sand Springs Rotarian, and has been an active member of the Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy and the Sand Springs Education Foundation.

He received his BS in Pharmacy in 1975 from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and received his PharmD from the University of Oklahoma in 2002. Many local Sand Springs residents may be familiar with Spoon Drug, which he opened in 1979.

“We wish to express our sincere congratulations to Jim Spoon on this well-deserved recognition,” said Elizabeth Gray, City Manager for the City of Sand Springs. “We enjoy the opportunity to work with Mr. Spoon on our council and appreciate his long-standing commitment to improve our city and this community.”

Three City Council seats up for election this February, filing period set for December

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Left to right: City Council members Brian Jackson, Beau Wilson, Christine Hamner, Jim Spoon, Mike Burdge, Phil Nollan, Patty Dixon. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

The Sand Springs City Council approved a resolution for Notice of Election at this week’s regular meeting. Three Council seats will be up for grabs in the coming election, including Ward 5, Ward 6, and the At-Large position.

The filing period will be held from Monday, December 4th through Wednesday, December 6th. Candidates must file a Declaration of Candidacy with the City Clerk between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. in the City Municipal Building.

Ward 5 is currently represented by Vice Mayor Beau Wilson, Ward 6 is represented by Brian Jackson, and the At-Large position is occupied by Jim Spoon.

Wilson is a 2003 Charles Page High School graduate with an Associates from Tulsa Community College and a vocational degree in Railroad Sciences from Johnson County College. He is a member of the Sand Springs Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce, and is the owner of Beau Wilson Insurance in downtown Sand Springs. He was elected to his first term in 2015 and selected as Vice Mayor in May.

Ward 5 boundaries.

Jackson is a 2002 CPHS graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Oklahoma State University. He is a member of the Sand Springs Rotary Club, Tulsa Young Professionals, the Sand Springs Symphony League, and is a Sand Springs Salvation Army Advisory Council member. He is employed as the Development Manager for Junior Achievement of Eastern Oklahoma and was first elected in 2009. He is currently serving his third term.

Spoon holds a Bachelor’s of Pharmacy from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Oklahoma. He is a member of the Sand Springs Rotary Club, Sand Springs Education Foundation, and Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy. He owns two Spoon Drug pharmacies in Sand Springs and was elected to his first term in 2015.

Council members must be at least twenty-five years of age at the time of taking office and must reside within the ward they are elected to. Members are elected to three-year terms, are not term-limited, and do not receive any compensation for their duties. The City Mayor and Vice-Mayor are elected to one-year terms from within by a vote of the Council.

Ward 6 boundaries.

Powers of the Council include the ability to appoint or remove the City Manager, to enact municipal legislation, to regulate bond elections and raise revenues, to investigate any and all municipal affairs, to appoint or remove members of various municipal boards, and to create or abolish any offices, departments, and agencies of the City government not expressly created by the City Charter.

The Council is required to hold at least one monthly meeting, and individual council members may not be absent from more than half of all meetings within a four-month period. Any council member may be removed from office for any cause through a recall petition and subsequent election.

If only one candidate files, they will inherit the position unopposed. If more than two candidates file, a non-partisan primary election will be held on February 13th, followed by a runoff election on April 3rd.

Sand Springs City Council members help fund Elementary field trip

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs City Council considered a request from Councilman Brian Jackson to help fund a field-trip for Sand Springs Elementary students Monday evening at their regular August meeting. The outcome wasn’t what Jackson was hoping for, but it was still a positive result.

Jackson submitted a request that the City add Junior Achievement BizTown to Resolution 16-30, which authorizes the City to make arrangements for funding and participation of City officials in public events that are in the best interest of the City and promotes the goals and objectives of the City.

There are currently nineteen events/expenses that are authorized by the resolution, including Oklahoma Municipal League conferences, National League of Cities conferences, Mayors Council of Oklahoma conferences, The Oklahoma Academy, Sand Springs Chamber of Commerce membership, and Tulsa Metro Chamber membership.

Adding BizTown to the list would allow the City to redirect funding from the Hotel/Motel tax reserve to the Economic Development budget. Had the resolution passed to add BizTown to the list, Council would then consider a request by Jackson that a total sum of $3,625 be given to Sand Springs Public Schools for the purpose of sending 145 students from Northwoods Fine Arts Academy and Garfield STEAM Academy to BizTown in January, 2017.

BizTown opened in Tulsa in March 2003 under the name “Exchange City.” A city within a city, BizTown is a 6,500 square foot facility that houses a miniature “city” ran by fifth grade students. BizTown students spend approximately four weeks preparing for their trip, learning curriculum centered around financial literacy and work readiness. On January 17th and January 20th, students from Garfield and Northwoods respectively would visit the BizTown facility for a total of four hours where they will work jobs, collect a paycheck, and live like adults.

Some of the career-fields available inside BizTown include banking, working for a newspaper, policing, working in the food industry, City Government careers and more.

The BizTown program costs Junior Achievement $50 per student. The schools provide half of that cost and Junior Achievement raises the other half. Local philanthropist Mike Case, of Case and Associates, donated $3,625 to Junior Achievement to help fund the Garfield and Northwoods students, but the schools still have to raise their half of the funds.

While the Council recognized the quality learning environment that BizTown provides, their concern was that it wasn’t the place of the City to use Public funds in such a manner. “I’m not quite sure it’s a city responsibility,” said Councilwoman Patty Dixon. She went on to suggest that local civic groups and businesses should be contacted for help, and that the Council could help in being a voice for the program.

Councilman Jim Spoon was more direct in saying “I can’t see that it’s not a charitable donation.” The resolution specifically states that charitable donations are not allowed to be made with the funds.

“I see it as a partnership opportunity with our public schools that are hurting,” said Jackson. Jackson, who is the Development Manager for Junior Achievement, had also attempted to get BizTown on the resolution when it was initially passed in April. The Council voted to pass the resolution as-is by a vote of 5-2-0 with Jackson and former Councilman Dean Nichols voting against.

Council also pointed out that this money has already been budgeted, and rather tightly. “If we’re going to do something like this, we need to find a better way,” said Councilman Phil Nollan.

Nollan, Burdge, Dixon, and Councilman Beau Wilson each voluntarily committed to sponsoring four kids apiece out of their own pocket. David Charney, President of Capital Homes was also present at the meeting for an unrelated matter and personally pledged to sponsor ten kids.

With twenty-four kids down, Sand Springs schools still needs to find donors for the remaining 119. Citizens wishing to make a donation can send checks to the Board of Education building at 11 West Broadway, Sand Springs, OK 74063. Please note "Garfield/Northwoods JA Biztown" in the memo line.

Police Chief Mike Carter presents 2016 Policing Plan for Sand Springs

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

City of Sand Springs Police Chief Mike Carter is taking a proactive approach towards police-community relations in the face of nation-wide tensions.

With police actions continuing to fall under increased media and public scrutiny, Carter wants to learn from situations like the Ferguson, Missouri conflicts and avoid accusations of biased policing.

“While race has not played a significant factor in policing/judicial problems in the City of Sand Springs; unintentionally, economic disparity may play a significant role in unequal consequences of violations of the law by people in Sand Springs.”

Carter also made it clear that “if even one person feels that they were subject to racial bias by the SSPD, it is our responsibility to take steps to better that situation and take steps to make sure we alleviate that concern in the future.”

The mentally ill are another demographic addressed by Carter. “It is important to treat mental health issues as a medical care situation and to lessen the possibility of potential for violent conflict with the individual.”

Body cameras represent one area where Sand Springs is already well ahead of the curve. While movements like “Black Lives Matter” are demanding body cameras be implemented elsewhere, the SSPD has already been using body cameras for approximately eight years, according to Carter.

The Department is also working on increasing the amount of warnings that are given in relation to the total number of traffic stops.

According to Carter’s report, approximately one-third of Sand Springs officers have been trained in advanced mental health techniques through the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The remaining two-thirds of SSPD officers are expected to go through the training by the first quarter of 2017.

The Department is also working on training all officers in anti-bias policing. The training focuses on the belief that all people have some implicit bias, and that officers should seek to understand and control their bias so that it won’t be a factor in their policing decisions.

Last year, all SSPD officers attended Use of Force training that not only covered shoot-don’t-shoot situations, but also helped coach officers through issuing verbal commands that are clear and won’t cause confusion or put the officer at risk. The Department will continue to put officers through verbal training sessions that focus on de-escalation and officer approachability.

One example of the SSPD’s restraint in use of force is an incident in the Spoon Drug parking lot two weeks ago.

On Friday, July 18th, officers responded to a call about an armed suspect in the 3800 block of Highway 97. That suspect refused to comply with officers’ orders and was tackled to the ground after the responding officer saw he wasn’t holding a weapon.

The Department plans on starting a program in the near-future called “Talk and Pop with a Cop” that will allow the public to speak with officers and other community leaders about the City.

The Department plans to continue issuing fewer and less-costly citations so as to encourage citizens to appear in court and result in less warrants and less conflicts between officers and citizens. The Department will also raise the penalties for failure to appear in court to further incentivize citizens to appear. Alternatives to fines and jail times are being explored such as community service in local festivals.

City of Sand Springs announces five new pharmacies to open in River West development

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Staff Reports

In a controversial move, the City of Sand Springs has approved the building of five new pharmacies in the River West shopping center. City Councilman Michael Phillips confirmed the decision in a statement to the press Friday morning.

“I’ve always said, you can never have too many pharmacies. They’re really the ultimate convenience and shopping experience. Not only do they cure your colds, they also offer greeting cards, snacks, children’s toys, and magazines. That’s basically all you need in life.”

The vote passed 6-1 with the lone dissenting voice coming from Councilman Jim Spoon, who owns two Spoon Drug locations in Sand Springs. “This is an obvious attempt to get back at me for not bringing a dessert to the City Council Christmas party,” said Spoon. “I honestly intended to, I just forgot! Ever since then, none of the other Councilors ever invite me over for poker night!”

Despite Spoon’s protests, Vice-Mayor John Fothergill was adamant that the decision was strictly in the best interests of the town. “Competition breeds success. With these five new pharmacies joining CVS in the development, our town is sure to begin thriving like never before.”

Mayor Mike Burdge was unavailable for comment as he is currently attempting to be the first man to run across the Pacific Ocean.

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