Within the past two years, several local groups and individuals have adopted city streets and blocks as part of efforts by Keep El Dorado Beautiful to engage the community in building a sustainable, citywide cleanup campaign.
KEB members have lauded groups and individuals who are stepping up to take responsibility for designated areas -- all working together to help keep El Dorado litter-free.
However, most of the adopted streets are concentrated in the same quadrant of the city and KEB members said they would like the effort to spread to other parts of the community.
"We have had a real good turnout of people adopting streets but they're all in the north, northwest part of town," said Janis Van Hook, president of KEB.
"We have multiple street adoptions in the northwest area and we have not had a very good response from the east side or the west side," Van Hook continued. "We really would like to see people in those two areas adopt a street or block."
She said many residents have been working hard in the community, having logged 146 volunteer hours picking up litter between April and May.
The work coincided with The Great American Cleanup, which began March 1 and ends today.
The annual Great American Cleanup and Great Arkansas Cleanup are promoted by the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission each spring and fall, respectively.
During the 2021 Great American Cleanup, volunteers in Arkansas spent more than 50,000 hours in communities across the state -- including El Dorado -- cleaning up and improving more than 1,000 public spaces, according to information provided by the KABC.
More than 309 community cleanups were coordinated in 63 counties, with volunteers collecting 121 tons of litter from roadways, waterways/shorelines and parks and public areas.
The total economic value of the cleanups was estimated at $1.32 million for the state.
Van Hook said local volunteer hours and other information, including photos of cleanups and adopt-a-street signs, have been compiled and submitted to the KABC.
KEB members have said that keeping such information on file with KABC helps KEB and the city of El Dorado maintain good standing with the KABC and Keep America Beautiful.
The information may also be used in consideration for grants and other resources.
The most recent El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Union County (ULEAD) class clocked 46 hours between April and May, Van Hook said.
Habitat for Humanity homeowner Corey Williams and his family have adopted more than one section in the Askew Addition and the 500 block of East Second where the family home is located.
During a regular KEB meeting May 23, KEB members learned that the family has extended their coverage area east to Rock Island Right of Way.
Last fall, El Dorado Habitat for Humanity hosted a neighborhood cleanup in the Askew Addition, with assistance from KEB, to help keep the neighborhood safe and clean.
The effort was coordinated after Williams met with Habitat board members and the group approached the El Dorado City Council about incidents, including gunfire, that had occurred in the neighborhood.
"I'm so proud of that family because they're a young family with children and their children also get out and clean up and we hope that will inspire other young people and young families with what we're trying to do here," Van Hook said.
Anyone who is interested in adopting a street may call Van Hook at 870-918-2706.
Van Hook stressed that volunteers who adopt streets will be expected to make a commitment and remain actively involved in keeping the areas clean.
The city will make and erect signs denoting the groups and individuals who have adopted streets. Streets may also be adopted in honor of loved ones, KEB members have said.
Making headway
KEB members said they are slowly but surely making headway in spreading their message about litter prevention, recycling and beautification.
In April, the group participated in its annual Earth Day project in partnership with Northwest Elementary School.
For the past several years, KEB member Jeri Ratcliff has headed up "Plant the Town Purple", a project in which KEB works with Northwest to distribute hundreds of low-maintenance, "Wildcat Purple"-colored plants to students, faculty and staff, who are encouraged to plant the flowers at home.
KEB also set up a booth during the 30th annual Mayhaw Festival, which was held May 7.
"We had a very good day at the Mayhaw Festival ... We had people from other towns asking how to get involved with Keep Arkansas Beautiful and we've had six people to contact us and say they want to adopt a street in their area," Van Hook said.
She said the group also distributed materials featuring the Keep Arkansas Beautiful mascot, Otto the Otter, and KEB plans to take the program into local schools for the 2022 - 2023 school year.
The program is part of an ongoing effort by KEB to inspire and educate children from an early age about litter-prevention, with the hopes that the children will share what they learn with their families.
Keep Arkansas Beautiful debuted Otto, a North American River Otter, in 2017 with the motto, "You Otto Not Litter"!
Van Hook said Otto was a hit among children at the Mayhaw Festival.
"We handed a lot of Otto material out -- coloring books, activity books -- and the kids really loved it. We ran out," she said.
"He's a mascot who fights litter. We have story books to read in the schools and stickers and all kinds of stuff that we're going to hand out," she continued. "We've got approval from (the El Dorado School Board) and the program will be brought into schools next year."
She said ULEAD graduates Sara Coffman, Gabby Pitard and Elizabeth Young are taking the lead on the project.
KEB has also signed up to participate in other upcoming, community events, including the Summer Breeze Pop-Up and Shop, which is set for 1 until 6 p.m. Saturday in Mattocks Park, and the Unity in the Community Fourth of July Parade on July 4.
KEB is also considering rebooting its quarterly ward cleanups.
In 2018 and 2019, KEB worked with El Dorado City Council members to coordinate community cleanups in each of the city's four wards.
The intent was to schedule one cleanup per quarter and with assistance Clean Harbors, KEB offered cash incentives for volunteer groups who participated.
Dan Roblee, general manager of Clean Harbors and a member of KEB, said the company would not be able to offer the cash incentives in 2020.
The ward cleanups were subsequently called off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
KEB members said they plan to discuss the reboot with Clean Harbors and they are exploring options for other incentives to encourage volunteers to participate.