https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/ Newspaper columns by Mayor Brian Pillmore on life, leadership, and community in Yukon, Oklahoma. en-us Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/his-name-shall-be-called/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/his-name-shall-be-called/ Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. Each name speaks volumes. This isn't a feel-good moment—it's a royal proclamation. The King is here. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-government-shall-be-upon-his-shoulder/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-government-shall-be-upon-his-shoulder/ Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Isaiah didn't say 'the church choir' shall be upon His shoulder. He said the government. This child came to take the throne—ultimate power, ultimate justice, ultimate peace. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/unto-us-a-son-is-given/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/unto-us-a-son-is-given/ Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore This wasn't just anyone's kid. 'Son of Man' comes from Daniel 7—a global ruler demanding allegiance. Not a theory. Not a metaphor. A literal, unstoppable, global reign. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/unto-us-a-child-is-born/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/unto-us-a-child-is-born/ Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore This wasn't just a baby. This was a coronation. The magi brought gifts fit for royalty, shepherds bowed in awe, and Herod resorted to bloodshed. The King had come. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-art-of-thankfulness/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-art-of-thankfulness/ Sat, 22 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore My father writes down two things he's thankful for every evening. This quiet practice has become one of his greatest sources of strength. This Thanksgiving, I'm committing to do the same. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/what-makes-us-civilized-part-5/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/what-makes-us-civilized-part-5/ Sat, 08 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Roads are mobility, connection, and commerce. When roads crumble, civilization crumbles. Yukon is investing in 273 lane-miles of roadway to ensure safe passage for generations to come. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/what-makes-us-civilized-part-4/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/what-makes-us-civilized-part-4/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Water-borne illness killed our great-grandparents. Today, clean water is essential to civilization—and Yukon is planning for redundant, sustainable sources for the next 50 to 100 years. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/what-makes-us-civilized-part-3/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/what-makes-us-civilized-part-3/ Sat, 25 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore The last flush. That bowl is empty. When wastewater systems fail, civilization breaks down. Yukon is investing in generational repairs to ensure this never happens. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/what-makes-us-civilized-part-2/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/what-makes-us-civilized-part-2/ Sat, 18 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore In the wilderness of Alaska, help is hours away. In Yukon, Oklahoma, our fire department and emergency medical personnel arrive in 5 to 8 minutes. That difference is civilization. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/what-makes-us-civilized-part-1/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/what-makes-us-civilized-part-1/ Sat, 11 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore What holds civilization together? Five basic elements—from safety in our homes to clean water flowing from our taps—form the invisible threads of our daily lives. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/brotherhood-and-the-open-road/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/brotherhood-and-the-open-road/ Sat, 13 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore What do you get when five guys pile into a car in a foreign country with nothing but Google Maps, a Bible, and a sense of humor? A deeper sense of brotherhood and a reminder of the value of male friendships. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/conservatives-greatest-opportunity/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/conservatives-greatest-opportunity/ Sat, 30 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore One of the greatest opportunities that conservatives have over the next decade is to embrace the Latino population into the conservative movement. We share core values: God, Family, Community and Work. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/endless-summers/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/endless-summers/ Sat, 16 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Do you remember a summer that seemed to never end? Endless summers may slip away with the shorter days, but they never truly end. They live on, etched into our hearts. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/more-than-conquerors/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/more-than-conquerors/ Sat, 02 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore One thing I did not expect after being elected was the number of people that would pray for me. Paul's words about being 'more than conquerors' take on new meaning when you understand what true conquest looks like. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/its-hard-to-imagine-what-you-havent-seen/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/its-hard-to-imagine-what-you-havent-seen/ Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Imagination is a compilation, in new order and significance, of what we have already seen or experienced. After seeing LaGuardia's transformation, what could we imagine for Yukon? https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-spy-who-planted-trees/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-spy-who-planted-trees/ Sat, 05 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Sometimes the most heroic acts don't come with explosions or headlines. Sometimes, they grow—quietly—in the form of trees. A lesson from Eli Cohen about quiet courage and strategic thinking. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/experience-is-a-hard-teacher/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/experience-is-a-hard-teacher/ Sat, 24 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Experience is a hard teacher; it gives you the test first and the lesson later. Like Robert Fulghum, I could write 'All I Really Needed to Know I Learned as a Resident Advisor.' https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/not-a-straight-line/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/not-a-straight-line/ Wed, 14 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore The path forward is rarely a straight line. City-building isn't either. We're at an inflection point, but I'm more excited than ever for Yukon's future. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/living-my-oath/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/living-my-oath/ Sat, 10 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore A year ago, I was sworn in as a City Council member. That night, and each day since then, I have been living my oath: 'I will faithfully discharge my duties as City Council Member to the best of my ability.' https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/there-are-only-three-cities/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/there-are-only-three-cities/ Wed, 16 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore There are only 3 cities: New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland. But Yukon has a distinct identity that makes it one of the great ones. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/leaving-more-for-the-next-generation/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/leaving-more-for-the-next-generation/ Sat, 12 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore True inheritance extends beyond financial assets. What memories, lessons, strengths, social connections or other wealth are you passing down? https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/braums-oklahomas-great-equalizer/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/braums-oklahomas-great-equalizer/ Sat, 15 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore In a world that often feels divided, places like Braum's remind us of what we share. It's more than an ice cream and burger joint—it's a great equalizer where everyone belongs. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/accepting-mortality-and-embracing-life/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/accepting-mortality-and-embracing-life/ Sat, 01 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Spoiler alert: You will die. The real question isn't about safety—it's about living. As William Wallace said, 'Every man dies, not every man truly lives.' https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/inaccurate-assumptions-and-genuine-character/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/inaccurate-assumptions-and-genuine-character/ Sat, 15 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Zacchaeus gets a bad name, often unfairly labeled as a thief. His name means 'innocent' or 'pure' - suggesting he was misunderstood and unjustly vilified by those quick to judge. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/its-a-feature-not-a-bug/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/its-a-feature-not-a-bug/ Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore My failing bathroom light fixture taught me about perspective. Sometimes what seems like a defect turns out to be beneficial - dim light for five minutes before full brightness kicks in. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/looking-forward-but-not-ignorant-of-the-past/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/looking-forward-but-not-ignorant-of-the-past/ Sat, 18 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore The Forensic Review Report reminded me of auditing Budapest Bank in 2009. We are turning a page in Yukon with robust governance and the West Point Honor Code. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-flavor-of-life-are-you-alive/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-flavor-of-life-are-you-alive/ Sat, 04 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore The greatest foods and drinks are fermented. It takes something living—like bacteria or yeast—to create flavor. Just as fermentation brings life to food, being truly alive brings richness to our lives. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-fullness-of-time-had-come/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-fullness-of-time-had-come/ Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Paul wrote that 'when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son.' The Roman world of the First Century was perfectly set for Jesus to change the world. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/not-another-high-school-musical/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/not-another-high-school-musical/ Tue, 17 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore A revolutionary musical far beyond Hamilton, depicting a greater love story than West Side Story - Mary's Magnificat, the song of a holy woman trusting in God. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/an-unlikely-audience-2-of-2/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/an-unlikely-audience-2-of-2/ Tue, 10 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Matthew's account of the surprising visitation of the Magi from the east - not astronomers, but astrologers who read horoscopes and searched ancient prophecies. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/an-unlikely-audience-1-of-2/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/an-unlikely-audience-1-of-2/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore The Gospel writer Luke records the angel's message announcing Jesus' birth was delivered to an unexpected audience - shepherds in the fields, much like farmers and ranchers north of Yukon. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-power-of-shopping-local/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-power-of-shopping-local/ Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore A dollar spent in Yukon stays in Yukon. When you spend locally, you're making an investment in our community and funding the essential services we all rely on. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/echoes-into-eternity-the-legacy-of-our-words/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/echoes-into-eternity-the-legacy-of-our-words/ Sat, 26 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore How can our lives echo into eternity? Through our children and the written word. Take up the pen and leave a legacy—a way to outlive your own body. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-wheels-are-coming-off/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/the-wheels-are-coming-off/ Tue, 15 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore I am sending out a call via the CB radio to you all, the citizens of our great city, 'The wheels are coming off.' The day we are pulling the big rig over is this November 5th. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/there-is-nothing-like-on-the-job-training/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/there-is-nothing-like-on-the-job-training/ Tue, 01 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore With NO experience in government prior to May 14, I have been drinking from a firehose. There is nothing like being thrown into the arena to make you learn quickly. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/its-better-to-be-lucky-than-good/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/its-better-to-be-lucky-than-good/ Tue, 24 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Sometimes circumstances beyond our control change everything. My friend went from managing the 'ugly stepchild' subsidiary to becoming a 'lucky duck' when world events created demand for his products. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/building-bridges-not-walls/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/building-bridges-not-walls/ Sat, 14 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Economics is a positive-sum game where everyone can win together. A rising tide lifts all boats—what benefits our community typically benefits everyone. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/money-for-nothing-your-grant-aint-free/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/money-for-nothing-your-grant-aint-free/ Sat, 07 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Every grant comes with both a carrot and a stick. What seems like 'free money' isn't worth the price if the stick is too burdensome. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/strategic-neglect-what-to-ignore/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/strategic-neglect-what-to-ignore/ Sat, 31 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore What you decide not to focus on is as important as what you focus on. A critical daily question: What am I NOT going to focus on? https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/begin-with-the-end-in-mind-city-manager-search/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/begin-with-the-end-in-mind-city-manager-search/ Sun, 25 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore By removing overly stringent requirements and focusing on essential skills, we increased applications from 7 to 35 candidates in our city manager search. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/two-cups-two-paths-bacchus-and-jesus/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/two-cups-two-paths-bacchus-and-jesus/ Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Two feasts, both centered around wine, offer different paths: the indulgent ecstasy of Bacchus or the sacrificial covenant of Jesus. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/how-did-you-get-your-start/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/how-did-you-get-your-start/ Sat, 17 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore I got my start in a bagpipe shop, learning everything about business in 3-4 hours each afternoon from a 6'8" former construction worker named Angus MacDonald. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/embracing-our-foundational-documents/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/embracing-our-foundational-documents/ Sat, 20 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Just as kings in the Bible were required to make a copy of the law and read it all the days of their life, I am committed to reading our city charter each week. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/an-epidemic-of-loneliness/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/an-epidemic-of-loneliness/ Tue, 02 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore We are facing an epidemic of loneliness. About one-in-two adults in America experience loneliness, with health impacts similar to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/freedom-and-independence/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/freedom-and-independence/ Sat, 22 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Freedom and independence are, in my opinion, the highest calling of the human heart. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/leaving-it-better-than-we-found-it/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/leaving-it-better-than-we-found-it/ Sat, 08 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore While 'Leave No Trace' is crucial, Baden-Powell's principle of 'Leave It Better Than You Found It' takes it a step further. https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/welcome-to-yukon-pathways/ https://pillmoreforyukon.com/columns/welcome-to-yukon-pathways/ Sat, 25 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT Brian Pillmore Our city is experiencing a unique 'Goldilocks moment' – we are not too big, nor too small; we are just right.