Broken Arrow News Notes Recap

The Museum of Broken Arrow’s GRAND EVENT

The Museum Broken Arrow announced today, A Night for  the Museum: The Grand Event!, will be held on September 17, 2021, 6pm, in the Grand Ballroom at Stoney Creek Hotel in Broken Arrow! Guests will enjoy a “Vaudeville Frolic” 1920’s themed event, live music by Grady Nichols, and a magic show performed by Mike Platten.

“The Museum Broken Arrow Staff and Board of Directors, as well as Volunteers and Supporters, have spent the last twelve years sharing, preserving and encouraging a love for Broken Arrow’s rich history not only with Broken Arrow citizens but its  numerous visitors as well. We plan to celebrate TWELVE years of the museum and create a  WONDERFUL night for our supporters! Packed with food, auctions, fun and friends this is a night you will not want to miss!” said Brown, The Museum’s Executive Director.

The Museum is honored to announce this year’s Historical Impact Award will be given to the family of the late Ms.  Barbara Brown Kimbrough, whose dedication to Broken Arrow, The Museum Broken Arrow, and the arts knew no bounds, and for whom their exhibit hall is named.

Visit the museum’s website or event page for more information: www.brokenarrowmuseum.org/2021grandevent.html and www.facebook.com/NightfortheMuseum

Ground Breaking for Luxury Row Homes

August, 27, 2021:  The Rose Quarter in the redevelopment area of the Rose District in downtown Broken Arrow, Oklahoma held a ground breaking for a new project that will consist of  six luxury row homes to be built at the corner of E. Elgin Street and E. First Street.  The single-family row homes will range in size from 1,866 square feet to 2,100 square feet. Each home will be two-story with three bedrooms, two and one-half baths and a two-car rear-load garage.

The Rose Quarter is a project by Alicia Lowery and Patrick Ndouniama. It will be developed, constructed, and marketed by the Donnell Companies.

For additional information, please contact Jeff Donnell, 918-277-9230 or eat0@eau0eav0eaw0.

Water Week Art Award Winner

Art will be on permanent display in New Orleans Square

Karelis Olivares, 14, is this year’s winner of the City of Broken Arrow Utilities Department’s Drinking Water Week Art Contest. She was recognized by Fast Signs, the Mayor, and other City officials and presented with a plaque on Wednesday, Aug. 25, on the northeast corner of New Orleans St. (101st St.) and Elm Pl. Her artistic endeavor titled Water Fall, will be on permanent display as a wrap on an electrical box at New Orleans Square.

Olivares is a ninth-grade student at All Saints Catholic School. Her father, Carlos Olivares is serving in the U.S. Navy and stationed in San Diego. He was granted leave so that he could be present for the award presentation.

The annual art contest was a part of Drinking Water Week, a national observance May 2-8 that highlighted the value of water to each of us in our everyday lives. This year’s theme was “Drinking Water, There When You Need It,” and art submissions were judged on the following criteria:

• Creativity

• Theming/ Message

• Quality of artwork

This year marks the 47th Anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act that forms the core of the national effort to provide quality drinking water and protect the health of our citizens. Tap water delivers public health protection, fire protection, support for our economy, and the quality of life we enjoy. Any measure of a successful society, including low mortality rates, economic growth and diversity, productivity and public safety, are in some way related to access to safe water. The City of Broken Arrow ensures that the water delivered to consumers meets all federal and state standards and is clean and abundant.

New Veterans Center

The new center will serve five local veterans’ organizations

Aug. 24, 2021: The City of Broken Arrow celebrated the opening of a new Broken Arrow Veterans Center, north of Veterans Park, at 1117 S. Main St., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Tuesday, Aug. 24.

The Broken Arrow Veterans Center is a 4,600 square foot facility that features offices, meeting space, and a catering kitchen for the local chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Vietnam Veterans, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Blue Star Mothers.

“Broken Arrow has a long-standing tradition of honoring and supporting veterans. Our Military History Center and Veterans Park are perfect examples of that commitment,” City Manager Michael Spurgeon said. “Adding our new Veterans Center only further demonstrates our desire to ensure that those who have served and sacrificed have a place to gather and work on providing services to fellow patriots in our city and region.”

Broken Arrow EDC, Chamber and City Visited Businesses

August 2021 - The Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation facilitated a new approach for expressing their collective appreciation for business investment both large and small, while also identifying opportunities to help companies succeed.  The BA Business Blitz was held Aug. 9-20, as an extension of the EDC and City’s existing business retention and expansion efforts.  The Blitz involved Chamber, BAEDC and City of BA staff, volunteers, and officials visiting small and large companies to thank business owners for their dedication, effort, investment and contribution to the Broken Arrow area economy.

“My business has been in Broken Arrow for 16 years,” said President of York Electronics Jennifer Jezek, BAEDC Board Member and Chair of the Blitz. “These three organizations work tirelessly in a collective approach to ensure my business can tap into resources, while having all the information I need to grow my company and to keep people employed in BA. I am proud of this effort and proud to be a business owner in BA.”

The teams did their best to cover the city in the allotted two-week period.

Senior Vice President of Economic Development for the Broken Arrow Chamber and Economic Development Corporation, Darla Heller, said, “This is a chance for us to understand challenges and address them head on. Retaining and growing our business base equates to a healthy economy and this campaign was designed to make sure BA companies are positioned for that growth.”

For questions or concerns, please contact us at 918-893-2100 or visit our website at BrokenArrowEDC.com.

Broken Arrow Begins Construction on The War at Home Memorial

The project memorializes veterans lost to suicide

August 17, 2021: The City of Broken Arrow began construction on “The War at Home Memorial,” to memorialize the 22 veterans a day who are lost to suicide after they return home. The project is a partnership with the nonprofit organization Mission 22 and the Muskogee Nation. It will be a part of Veterans Park, 1111 S. Main St., near the new Veterans Center.

The memorial consists of 20 steel plates set in granite and features silhouettes of American veterans who lost their battle with Post Traumatic Stress. These 20 men and women are representative of the veterans we are losing every day to the fight here at home.

The War at Home Memorial was originally a mobile monument moving around the United States every two years to bring attention to this cause. Now, the memorial will be a permanent installation for paying tribute and raising awareness of the battles veterans often face upon their return.

“We are so proud to become the final home of these 20 silhouettes of our remarkable soldiers from all branches of the U. S. Military. I’m praying their families find peace when visiting their loved ones here. They will never be forgotten,” Mayor Wimpee said.

For more information go to mission22.com.

BA Chamber Annual Gala Awards Recipients

August 15, 2021 – The Broken Arrow Chamber recently hosted their Annual Gala at Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center. This black-tie event is an elegant evening where achievements in business and community leadership in Broken Arrow are recognized and celebrated.

There were 15 awards given out to a range of businesses and business leaders. The judges for the award committee was comprised of a committee including past award winners.

Below are the awards that were given out Saturday and the recipients.

Police Officer of the Year: Detective Christopher Pellegrino

Firefighter of the Year: Stephen Coldwell

Volunteer of the Year: David Pickel, Brightway Insurance

Chairman’s Award: Dawn Seing, McGraw Realtors

Total Resource Campaign Top Producer: Mike Scrimsher, Royal Printing

Community Advocate of the Year: Robyn Havener, Edward Jones

Manufacturer of the Year: Cameron Glass

Non-Profit of the Year: Volunteers of America

Minority Owned Business of the Year: The Flower Co.

Business Person of the Year: Dr. Travis Ring, Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic

Small Business of the Year (15 or less employees): Legacy Counseling Service

Large Business of the Year (16-50 employees): Ascension St. John Broken Arrow & Saint Francis Hospital South

Entrepreneur of the Year: Cory Else – Pro Day Athlete Development

Citizen of the Year: Mayor Debra Wimpee

“On behalf of the Chamber Board and the Chamber Staff, we want to congratulate all of our recipients. Each one is personally invested and committed to the work that they do in our community. These businesses and individuals are incredibly inspiring and is what keeps our community thriving,” stated Alvin Bailey, 2020 Chamber Board Chair.

New Tourism Office

Building includes County Court Clerk extension office

August, 11, 2021: Officials with the City of Broken Arrow and Tulsa County cut the ribbon on its new Tourism and Economic Development (TED) Office on Wednesday, Aug. 11. The office is located at 123 N. Main St. and includes an extension of the Tulsa County Court Clerk’s office in the adjacent space.

The City’s TED team has two primary focuses within the City: Business Retention and Expansion and Tourism and Marketing. The TED team works closely with the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce and the Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation in order to make Broken Arrow an attractive place for businesses to locate. The Tourism and Marketing Team also promotes Broken Arrow as a destination for special events, sports tournaments and regional travelers, working closely with the Convention and Visitors Bureau and local hoteliers and merchants.

For more information contact:  Aaron McColloch, City of Broken Arrow, (918) 704-6652; eat1@eau1eav1eaw1.

City of Broken Arrow Opens New Fire Station #3

The new station replaces an older station near Indian Springs

City of Broken Arrow officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Broken Arrow Fire Station #3 Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. 

The more than 11,000 square foot station is located at 5420 S. 23rd St. and includes:

Six modern semi-private bunk rooms

Three large bays to accommodate modern equipment

Two Captain’s bunks

Offices

A common area

Physical fitness space

A public restroom for the nearby trails

This new Station #3 replaces an almost 50-year-old former Station #3, located about two miles away on Elm Place, north of Jasper (131st) Street.

The location is consistent with the City’s research which indicated the best locations for ideal response times for assisting citizens. In addition, the quick access to the turnpike gives the first responders the ability to reach areas around town very quickly.

“We are extremely grateful to our citizens and city leaders for their support and willingness to provide our department with the trucks, stations, equipment, and staffing so we can fulfill our mission of ‘Serving Others,’” said Broken Arrow Fire Chief Jeremy Moore.

Broken Arrow Achieves Oklahoma Film Friendly Community Certification

July, 21, 2021: With recent production successes, including hosting portions of the 2021 Academy Award winning film “Minari” as well as the faith-based film “When Will Jesus Return,” the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) is proud to announce the City of Broken Arrow has completed the requirements for the Oklahoma Film Friendly Community Program and achieved certification becoming the second community in the state to be designated ‘film friendly.’

An OF+MO initiative with a mission to certify film friendly communities across all 77 Oklahoma counties, the Oklahoma Film Friendly Community Program seeks to provide the necessary resources and toolkit to communities wishing to further benefit from the impact of the state’s booming film and television industry. As a certified film friendly community, the City of Broken Arrow has demonstrated their readiness to position themselves to support future film and television production by designating a film liaison, establishing a film permit and increasing representation of their community assets in OF+MO’s online Oklahoma Locations Directory per the program’s requirements. These assets, which appear on OF+MO’s website and other marketing materials, will now be branded with the official certification seal of the Oklahoma Film Friendly Community Program; likewise, the seal will be provided to Broken Arrow for promotional purposes and their own collateral.

For more information on OF+MO’s Oklahoma Film Friendly Community program, visit okfilmmusic.org/filmfriendly.

BA tops out Brown-Kimbrough Arts Center

Center for Arts, Innovation, and Creativity will be regional attraction 

June 17, 2021 – Officials from the City of Broken Arrow held a topping out ceremony for the Brown-Kimbrough Center for Creative Arts on Thursday, June 17, south of the project site fencing at, 302 S. Main St. in the award-winning Rose District.

“The Brown-Kimbrough Center for the Arts will be a wonderful addition to Broken Arrow and the Rose District,” said City Manager Michael Spurgeon. “The public-private partnership that created this project is adding another highlight to our city and, this, as well as the recently completed mural at the Museum a block away, further shows that Broken Arrow is a city that supports the arts.”

The future creative arts center will be a 15,500 square foot facility on the former site of AVB Bank. The two-story building will feature multiple classrooms, flex space, gallery space and indoor/outdoor areas to host events. The Brown-Kimbrough family, owners of AVB Bank, donated the property to the City in 2020.

Non-profit ArtsOK, Inc., the Regional Arts Alliance of Broken Arrow, will occupy the facility and arrange programming. This innovative space will be a unique destination in the Rose District and will serve to the enjoyment and education of the citizens in the entire metro area.

The facility is expected to open in January 2022.

Create unforgettable memories in BA’s Wedding District

Available services include everything from planning to licenses

The City of Broken Arrow has taken an innovative new approach to marketing Broken Arrow’s award winning Rose District. With the downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the City’s Tourism and Economic Development division needed a new way to attract people to the downtown area. Staff soon realized that the Rose District already had a built-in niche.

“We were trying to come up with innovative new ideas while also understanding we are still in the middle of a pandemic,” said Lori Hill, tourism director for the City. “When people are ready to travel again and have events such as weddings, the Rose District will be ready.”

The Rose District is home to numerous wedding-related event professionals, including:

Pastors

Bridal registries

Venues

Florists

Lodging

Hair and nail salons

Catering and bakeries

Jewelers

Dress shops

Photographers

To tie the one-stop wedding experience together, the City collaborated with the Tulsa County Court Clerk’s office, which opened a satellite office in downtown Broken Arrow earlier this year.

Couples planning a wedding can visit RoseDistrictWeddings.com to see all Broken Arrow’s RoseDistrict has to offer!

The certified marriage license copies are needed when applying for an Oklahoma Real ID.

The Tulsa County Court Clerk’s satellite office in Broken Arrow is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). The office is closed for lunch from noon-1 p.m. and no applications are processed after 4:30 p.m.

Tulsa Union 2021 Football Schedule

Aug 27  7:00pm at Lake Ridge - Home

Sep 3  7:00pm at Broken Arrow - Home

Sep 10  7:00pm at Jenks - Home

Sep 24  7:00pm at Owasso - Home

Oct 8 Open

Oct 1  7:00pm at Putnam City - Away

Oct 14  7:00pm at Moore - Away

Oct 22  8:02pm at Norman North - Away

Oct 29  7:00pm at Southmoore - Home

Nov 5  6:30pm at Edmond North - Home

Broken Arrow Tigers 2021 Football Schedule

Aug 27  7:00pm at Mansfield Legacy - Away

Sep 3  7:05pm at Tulsa Union - Away

Sep 10  7:30pm at Owasso - Away

Sept 23  7:00pm at Westmoore - Away

Oct 1  7:00pm at Jenks - Home

Oct 8  7:00pm at Edmond Memorial - Away

Oct 14  7:00pm at Yukon - Home

Oct 22  7:00pm at Edmond Santa Fe - Home

Oct 29  7:00pm at Norman - Away

Nov 5  7:00pm at Enid - Home

Coweta Tigers 2021 Football Schedule

Aug 27  7:00pm at Bishop McGuiness - Away

Sep 3  7:00pm at Wagoner - Home

Sep 10  7:00pm at Frontenac - Home

Sep 24  7:00pm at Edison - Away

Oct 1  7:00pm at Rogers - Away

Oct 8  7:00pm at East Central (HC) - Home

Oct 14  7:00pm at McAlester - Home

Oct 22  7:00pm at Shawnee - Away

Oct 29  7:00pm at Bishop Kelley - Home

Nov 5  7:00pm at Durant - Away

Wagoner Bulldogs 2021 Football Schedule

Sep 3  7:00pm at Coweta - Away

Sep 10  7:00pm at Tahlequah - Away

Sep 17  7:00pm at Sperry - Home

Sep 24  7:00pm at Cleveland - Home

Oct 1  7:00pm at Bristow - Away

Oct 8  7:00pm at Catoosa (HC) - Home

Oct 14  7:00pm at Miami - Home

Oct 22  7:00pm at Oologah - Away

Oct 29  7:00pm at Grove - Away

Nov 5  7:00pm at Skiatook - Home

Porter Pirates 2021 Football Schedule

Aug 27  7:00pm at Chelsea - Away

Sep 3  7:00pm at Mounds - Away

Sep 10  7:00pm at Haskell - Home

Sep 24  7:00pm at Talihina - Home

Oct 1  7:00pm at Canadian - Home

Oct 8  7:00pm at Hulbert - Away

Oct 14  7:00pm at Gore - Home

Oct 22  7:00pm at Sallisaw Central - Away

Oct 29  7:00pm at Colcord - Home

Nov 5  7:00pm at Warner - Away