Spark Query to "Tinker" via Python / cron

#!/usr/bin/python
# vim: ts=4 sw=4:expandtab:ai

DEBUG = True

#credentials for your spark core
spark_api="https://api.spark.io"
access_token="aaabbbcccdddeeefff1112223334445556667778"
device_id="123456789abcdef123456789"

# The MARKER_FILE exists when the Spark is unreachable
MARKER_FILE='spark_timeout.marker'
# Logs succesful connections and data value from Spark (which must be running Tinker)
OUTPUT_FILE='spark.log'

import requests
import json
import datetime
import os

fOutput = open (OUTPUT_FILE, 'a')

# ---------------------------
# Call the tinker "analogread" function on A0
# ---------------------------

payload = {'access_token': access_token}
function = "analogread"
arguments = {'params': 'A0'}
response = requests.post(spark_api + '/v1/devices/' + device_id + '/' + function , params=payload, data=arguments)
if (DEBUG):
    # Show the URL
    print (response.url)

    print (response.text)
    print (response.json())

if 'return_value' in response.json ().keys ():  # I got a valid 'return_value' from my call

    # Remove the MARKER_FILE if it exists - i.e. start logging data again
    if os.path.isfile(MARKER_FILE):
        os.remove (MARKER_FILE)
        fOutput.write ("\n--- Spark came back online --- \n")

    avalue = response.json()['return_value']

    print ("A0 = {}".format (avalue) )

    fOutput.write ("{}, {} \n".format (datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%s"), avalue) )

else:
    if not os.path.isfile(MARKER_FILE):  # i.e. This is the first failure, so log and create MARKER_FILE
        print   ("Response code: {}:{} \n".format (response.status_code, response.text) )
        print   ("JSON return_value: {} \n".format (response.json()['error']) )
        fOutput.write ("{}, Response Code: {} \n".format (datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%s"), response.status_code) )
        fOutput.write ("{}, error: {} \n".format (datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%s"), response.json()['error']) )
        # Create a marker file indicating I've timed out
        fError = open (MARKER_FILE, 'w')
        fError.close ()

fOutput.close ()