McAlester's Adopt-A-Park program flourishing

Mar. 4—Megan Waters watched as McAlester Public Schools student-athletes laughed and picked up trash at Chadick Park.

The Keep McAlester Beautiful executive director said she is grateful for the MPS Athletic Department's partnership through the Adopt-A-Park program that pairs up adopters with parks to tidy them up.

"This lets people, groups, church, clubs, everyone all adopt their favorite park in town," Waters said. "And we can have more than one, and do have more than one adopter for some parks."

Waters said the project started in 2019 as an offshoot of the Adopt-A-Block program, where anyone can adopt a block to clean it up three or four times per year.

The Adopt-A-Park program works in the same way — anyone can contact Keep McAlester Beautiful to adopt a park and communicate with the nonprofit when cleanups are scheduled and provide basic information on the cleanups.

The program gained about nine adopters in the last few years and Waters wanted to refocus on highlighting parks this year.

"This was a perfect time to refocus on that and showcase our parks again," Waters.

Waters said the adopters' first priority through the program is to keep the park clean — cleaning up trash, making sure trash cans exist in the park, and more.

She said adopters should aim to clean their parks three or four times per year but many often do more.

Waters said KMB will provide any needed equipment for cleanups — gloves, trash bags, etc. — if adopters request it in advance.

Adopters should communicate when they will do cleanup events and send a report to Waters with information including how many people participated, how much time did it take, how many bags of trash were collected, and anything else that should be reported like vandalism or a dead animal at the park.

Waters said KMB will often bring additional volunteers as needed if notified of an event in advance.

Mullen Park, at A Street and Springer Avenue, has an adopter and features a three-quarter mile walking trail, restrooms, two standard-size tennis courts and an ADA-accessible playground.

The Hutchison Family adopted Ike Hutchison Park, at Fourth Street and Krebs Street, which includes a ball field with a backstop, a 24-feet-by-60-feet covered shelter for picnics, restrooms, 20-feet-by-30-feet wading pool, and more.

The McAlester Public Schools Athletic Department adopted Chadick Park, at Third Street and Chadick Avenue. It features four lighted tennis courts, two large covered picnic shelters with electrical hookups, a popular wading pool and splash pad, restrooms at both at the pool and the park, ADA playground equipment, an Oklahoma City Thunder outdoor basketball court, two horseshoe pits, a cornhole area, and more.

Thunderbird Park, at Tenth Street and Pierce Avenue, has an adopter and covers 13.9 acres and is ADA-accessible with picnics tables, a zipline, benches with shade and a drinking fountain.

McAlester Flag Football group adopted Jeff Lee Park, at Third Street and Fillmore Avenue, which is 3 acres and includes the city's largest swimming pool, along with picnic equipment outside the fenced pool area.

Komar Park, at B Street and Comanche Avenue, has an adopter and includes a wading pool, restrooms, two-covered picnic shelters with electric grills and playground equipment on 1 acre.

Charlee Ziverk adopted Puterbaugh Park, between Miami Avenue and Seneca Avenue at Tenth Street, includes playground and picnic equipment on 2 acres.

The McAlester Area Chamber of Commerce adopted the Will Rogers Park, at Thirteenth Street and McArthur Avenue, which is often referred to as Mike Deak Park. The 27.8-acres park also features a baseball stadium with the same name, plus restrooms, an arboretum, play equipment, exercise equipment a walking track, and more.

Rotary Park, at 801 N. Ninth St., has two adopters and includes a three-quarter mile walking track, Debra Saunier Pond and an 18-hole disc golf course, a 400-seat outdoor amphitheater, a covered picnic shelter with electricity, a grill and water, and playground equipment on 8 acres.

Keller Williams Realty adopted the Central Bark, at B Street and Seneca Avenue, which is a fenced dog park, with a side for large dogs and another for small dogs.

Arvest Park, at Second Street and East Chickasaw Avenue, is McAlester's newest park and includes picnic areas, benches, a drinking fountain and food truck hookups. The Greg Rock Family and Choctaw Nation Sober Living Group adopted Arvest Park.

Waters said the following parks do not have adopters:

—Archery Park, at U.S. Highway 270 near the softball complex, features archery backstops and targets, 15-plus shooting stations and an elevated shooting station.

—Connelly Park, at Electric Avenue and Strong Boulevard, is the city's only skateboard park and features two covered shelters, restrooms, and one lighted baseball field with a concession stand.

—Michael J. Hunter Park, at Herbert McIntosh Jr. Street (previously Fourteenth Street) and Chickasaw Avenue, features two covered picnic shelters, restrooms at the splash pad, restrooms at the park, two outdoor basketball courts, and a baseball field with 300 feet down the line, new swings, a new pavilion roof, a new shade kite, pickleball courts, and picnic tables.

—Pete Rosso Park, at West Street and G Street, features a half-mile walking track, benches and barbecue grills on 1 acre.

—Leadership Park, at 301 W. Jefferson Ave., features an outdoor asphalt basketball court, a baseball field with a backstop, restrooms, a splash pad, playground equipment and more.

Waters said anyone interested in adopting a park or block can contact her via email at KMB@keepmcalesterbeautiful.com or in person at 119 E. Choctaw Ave.