Cleanup efforts in the small town of McCurtain in eastern Oklahoma’s Haskell County paid off as residents are honored by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful program.
Not to be confused with McCurtain County in Southeast Oklahoma, the town of McCurtain was recognized as a top-level Oklahoma Clean Community due to its programs of City-wide Cleanup, Fresh Paint Days and a tire disposal initiative.
Instead of town leaders being honored with a banquet and dinner, they will receive the award through the mail and in a virtual ceremony because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
“We’re proud of the work we’ve done and look forward to continuing to serve our community and Haskell County through continuing and expanding our efforts,” said Mayor Patrik Lovell.
The Town of McCurtain holds city-wide cleanup events and pushes to deter citizens and visitors from littering. Their cleanup operation annually fills several large trash roll-offs and rids the town of trash and unsightly debris.
Their participation in the Fresh Paint Days program has placed fresh coats of paint on downtown area buildings that haven’t been freshly painted in many years. McCurtain, with the help of scores of volunteers, collected hundreds of pounds of litter, utilized countless gallons of paint, and spent hundreds of hours beautifying their community.
“It’s because of these events and activities that McCurtain is a cleaner community,” says David Roberts, the town’s grant administrator. “By removing trash and waste we not only beautify and showcase the best of our small town but also reduce risks to human health and the environment. I’m thrilled that our town can now be officially called an Oklahoma Clean Community.”
DEQ and KOB recognize entities that participate in multiple events which include a tire collection event annually, the Great American Cleanup and other environmental service projects. DEQ encourages entities to coordinate a community-wide cleanup. After cleanup is complete and all criteria for other service projects are met, a community can be recognized as an Oklahoma Clean Community.