A clean, attractive community is not only a more pleasant place to live, but the value of the good impression it makes is so necessary for the community to draw new business and industry. A Clean-up campaign is being planned for Altus.

The Clean Up Action Group of the Altus Chamber of Commerce has set four dates for the City Wide Clean-Up for Feb. 23, May 18, Aug. 17 and Nov. 16. Organizations and individual volunteers are being recruited to clean up the main thoroughfares of Main Street, Broadway Street, Falcon Road, Tamarack Road, Park Lane and Veteran’s Drive.

At the first clean up event on Saturday, Feb. 23, volunteers will meet at the Altus Community Center between 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. to register and pick up trash bags. The workers will return between 11 a.m. and noon to turn in the trash they have picked up.

The goals of this group include keeping Altus looking as good as possible and keeping trash out of the main waterways in the area.

The City of Altus is under budget constraints and can no longer spend the money and staff as they have in the past on trash pickup. They can only pick up trash in the dumpsters and outside the dumpster only furniture, appliances and bathroom fixtures. They are not able to pick up these as often as they have in the past because of staff and equipment reductions. So it is the responsibility of each property owner whether business or individual to maintain the city right of way on their property and of course their property also.

All businesses along the major thoroughfares will be notified of the initial clean-up effort. The chamber staff has a list of areas that need to be cleaned and are asking for additional volunteers.

This is a cooperative effort between the Altus Chamber of Commerce, City of Altus, Main Street Altus, Altus AFB, Altus Rotary, Altus Lions, Altus Kiwanis Club, Jackson County Health Action Team – Nutrition and Fitness Task Force, Western Oklahoma State College, Southwest Technology Center , Altus Realtors, OSU Extension Center – 4H Clubs, Boy Scouts, area churches, McDonald’s and hopefully many other businesses.

The Altus Times, KEYB and KWHW radio stations are also helping and many other individuals.

Anyone interested in joining this effort is asked to call the Altus Chamber of Commerce at 580-482-0210 to sign up.

At the planning meeting held on Wednesday, Jan. 30 many ideas were presented and discussed. There are several citizens in our community who very quietly spend many hours picking up trash and debris in their respective neighborhoods. They are to be commended for their efforts.

All citizens are encouraged to adopt this selfless attitude and clean up their own property, mow, edge and spray their yards for weeds. If we all do this, won’t our city be bright and shiny?