Keep Oklahoma Beautiful

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is the statewide anti-littering campaign. Our group is aiming to create a similar program here in Norman targeting local business owners, home owners, and students through techniques such as city wide mail-outs, channel 20. Another plan we have is to make sure that all Norman residents are aware of their trash days, and rules and location of the city dump.

Our group had a very informative meeting with Mayor Cindy Rosenthal where we learned that the only combatants to the City of Norman litter problem is a six man litter crew headed up by Greg Hall. Other efforts have been made through the years, however no consistent campaign has been enacted.

Our group, Women On A Mission, has made contact with the University of OklahomaOUr Earth, with hopes of creating a joint event that would also include the group tacking the Norman recycling campaign. student organization,

One idea our group has had for an event is to create a trashcan decorating competition. Various groups would purchase and decorate trashcans that could then be placed around Norman at no cost to the city.

Every resident of Norman, whether permanent or just passing through should do their absolute best to keep the city of Norman looking its best. It reflects not only on the city but also the University of Oklahoma and its' students.

Are You Trashy?

Kim Cameron
10/11/07

Are You Trashy?

Norman is cleaning up its act in a plan to beautify the city.A five-person litter control crew lead by street superintendent Greg Hall was added on Aug. 1, 2007 to help control the city’s litter problem, reinstating a program that was canceled in April 2004 because of budget problems.“Keep Norman Classy — Don’t Be Trashy,” is the phrase representing this new program.Mary Hatley, interim city manager stated, “The litter problem of Norman is a constant battle and it always will be a constant battle.”In a city with almost 200 square miles to police, one crew won’t be enough to keep the city clean, but it’s a start.The city plans to have one full-time position and four contract labor personnel from Force Staffing. In 2003, the last full year the city had its former litter program, workers picked up 67,342 pounds of trash beside the road or 6.73 tons per person. Much of the trash like Styrofoam soft drink cups fall into bar ditches and end up going into the storm water system or the wind blows and trash collects on fence lines.

One of our main streets welcoming people to Norman is covered in trash, is this any way to show our pride in where we live?In the rural areas, people dump huge loads of trash on the side of the road. People think the roadsides are a place to dump their personal trash.

There are many things that are dumped that could be recycled, like tree limbs into the city’s compost facility. It is difficult to catch someone in the act of littering leading to many feeling the “well I will go ahead and litter because I won’t get caught” syndrome. But did you know that if two forms of identification are found in roadside trash, the city can prosecute? Citizens who witness trash dumping also can have citations issued. Mayor Cindy Rosenthal said the city wants to build on the recent citizen cleanup efforts and encourage volunteers, homeowner associations, businesses and merchant associations to continue to work on cleaning up the city. There are 33 sections of road in Norman in the Adopt-a-Street plan. Other recent efforts by the Norman Downtowners Association have cleaned up the downtown area before festivals like May Fair. The University of Oklahoma has been a “wonderful partner” in cleanup efforts. The environmental campus organization OUr Earth has been a major influence in keeping not only the campus but Norman clean as well by such efforts as handing out trash bags at the stadium on gamedays.Rosenthal and the city staff hope to energize citizens to be more proactive about cleaning up the city. “It just takes one individual to pick up one piece of trash to make a difference,” Hall said.

I encourage all of you to take this information and think twice in the future about where you throw your trash, whether in Norman or any other city because classy is the way to go.

Past Few Weeks

John Donat
10/10/2007
Blog #2
Past Few Weeks

Times have been busy and very hectic over the past few weeks. The busiest I have ever been. In several ways I am finding out who I am and where I want to be. For most of the last few weeks my group and myself have been find out about our campaigns project dealing with Center for Children and Families or CCFI. During this process, we have found out many families around the Cleveland County area are in need of help from the community. Not everyone is a natural born parent and need assistance in finding out the best ways to support their children.
By speaking with the representative from CCFI, Whitney Russell, my group and I have discovered that by our contributions toward helping get items donated we can help the organization become more recognized in the community and that means their reputation for later events and requests will be sturdy so that more people will help contribute in the future. Because we are helping a nonprofit that helps people with problems any one can have I feel there is more of a relationship because my parents are divorced and have had issues and CCFI is a place that lends a helping hand and advice for people like my parents who are dealing with divorce.
I am scheduled to go in to CCFI and take a tour this Friday (10/12/07) and learn about what happens there everyday with the volunteers and limited staff. From what I have heard it is a very sad and emotional tour, but it will be informative and a necessary step in recognizing what CCFI can offer the public. After the tour I am going to develop a plan on what I am going to do so that I can contribute to my group and CCFI to show I am a much needed contributor to both. Some ideas are already being considered but I want to have a full understanding about what CCFI needs most before I start talking to much because I do not want to come back and contradict myself later.

Balancing Act

Balancing Act
By Michael Maldonado







On Thursday, October 4, Team Heroes attended the official presentation/tour for the Center for Children & Families, Inc. During the presentation, several directors within the organization spoke to us about the mission, needs and general operations of CCFI. Many other students in the class have probably heard the two CCFI groups lament over the somewhat contradictory objectives that have been presented to us. CCFI wants everyone in the community to instantly think of them when discussing organizations related to children and family development but they do not want to raise any funds or take on any more clients or volunteers. While overcoming this challenge is at the top of our groups’ priorities, an entirely different challenge occurred to me during the CCFI visit. How do the people at organizations that witness some of society’s most heartbreaking issues put their judgments and emotions on hold to do this kind of work?

CCFI is no stranger to seeing some horribly traumatic cases come through their doors. Our group was briefly told some examples of cases where children are neglected, abused and underdeveloped. Working on the public relations side of the organization, we do not even witness these things first hand. This is just a group project for a campaigns class for us. However, this is not just a project for Whitney Russell, the person in charge of communications at CCFI. She sees these things every day when she goes to work and is expected to put her sadness and anger aside in order to do her job.

Thinking about Whitney’s job brought me to yet another realization. The idea is not to leave one’s emotions at home but, rather, to bring them to work and incorporate them into the job. CCFI is one of Norman’s largest family development organizations and it is constantly seeing clients and helping families. Executive Director Linda Terrell told our group that she has seen miracles happen at CCFI. This is because everyone at the organization puts so much passion into what they do—from the Executive Director to the child therapist to the person in charge of communications. Linda Terrell explained that part of the CCFI philosophy is to treat all people involved in incoming cases (whether they are abusers or the abused) with a loving attitude. This is where the healing begins.

When considering a career in public relations, many people are somewhat hesitant to enter the non-profit arena. Not only do opportunities in the non-profit world seem less glamorous than some of the more sensationalized PR careers that seem to get more media attention, but they also occasionally deal with clients with very upsetting issues. Imagine doing PR every day for an organization such as Bryan’s House which helps children who are infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. The emotional strain of doing work for an organization like Bryan’s House is undoubtedly difficult. However, it is important to understand how doing PR for such an organization has an immensely positive outcome for everyone involved.

The CCFI visit really gave me a different perspective on the work Team Heroes is doing for them. While it may be painful to hear about some of the issues that they have to deal with, the rewards of sharing CCFI’s message and aiding in the mission of the organization seem priceless. Having an emotional tie to them may also help us do an even better job.

Education Focuses on Success

Education Focuses on Success


Hybrid cars, energy efficient light bulbs and the constant image of the possible outcome of an ever-warming planet are all signs of an increased environmental awareness. With evidence of this gradual climate increase, more people are becoming aware of their own influence in this pattern, and want to know what they can do to slow the process.

Norman residents are steps closer to being able to do their part in the race to save the environment. Voting to pay for a curbside recycling service, residents living in residences with traditional trash pickup will be able to take advantage of this $3 per month service, which is added to their water bill.

Although recycling center drop offs have been available to residents for some time, this campaign has dual purposes. First we are educating the Norman homeowners already paying for trash pickup. By enabling them to recognize recyclable materials, they will be better equipped to optimally use these services. Secondly, it is important to us to emphasize the importance of using the drop-off centers. Apartment dwellers and rural residents will be urged to continue using the centers. Additionally, cardboard that cannot be picked up through curbside services can be dropped off at the drop stations.

By enabling Norman residents to recycle essentially at their own home, the city is giving people previously uninvolved in recycling a chance to make a positive impact. With the overwhelming majority of residents enthusiastic about recycling, the program will be a success with the participation of educated customers.

With all the measures in place now to help us all be more environmentally aware, the curbside recycling program is just another way for consumers to minimize their impact on the environment. With our campaign to educate customers, we aim to maximize the effectiveness for all parties involved in the process.

--Lacey Earls

Norman strives for "Light Green"

Curbside recycling has been on the minds of many Norman citizens for many of years. On May 8, 2007, this dream became one step closer to reality as 71 percent of Norman voters approved the curbside recycling proposition. JEWN Communications, our PR Campaign’s group, has been given the opportunity to explore the problems, opportunities and other issues that may arise with Norman curbside recycling. Our goals for this campaign include educating customers, making sure they are satisfied with the program and encouraging people to participate.

The only problems now involve encouraging the involvement and participation of eligible curbside recyclers, educating Norman citizens on curbside and drop-off site recycling options and deciding on a recycling company.
The curbside recycling plan has already been pushed back a full month and is now set to begin on March 1, 2008. Many Norman citizens will have the opportunity to utilize curbside recycling, but those that do not will still be able to generate recyclable materials through Norman’s drop-off recycling site. Those that can recycle by means of curbside service will have a $3 addition to their monthly water bill.

Waste Management/Recycle America is North America’s largest recycler and Norman, Oklahoma’s leading option for a recycling company. Recycle America has proposed to pick up newspapers, magazines, aluminum, steel and tin cans, No.1 and 2 plastics and glass. The only withdraw is that they will not be picking up cardboard. This, however, can be easily taken care of as Norman drop-off sites do accept cardboard. The recyclable products will be picked up at the homeowner’s curbside in an 18 gallon, uncovered, bin.

While some may be worried about the start of this program, Norman’s new city manager, Steve Lewis, brought a list of 31 self-set goals to the City Council’s retreat on Saturday, Sept. 15. Included among his goals is “Ensuring the recently enacted curbside recycling program begins service on March 1.” So before the city of Norman frets of curbside recycling woes, we must remember how much closer we are to becoming environmentally-efficient than we were a year ago today.

"Don't Be Trashy, Keep Norman Classy"

Don’t Be Trashy, Keep Norman Classy
By: Kelsey Martin

Littering is an apparent problem all over the United States as citizens finish that last slip from their big gulp cup and then chunk it out the window littering Mother Earth. It was presented to my group the Women on a Mission to help conquer this problem in the City of Norman. Our goal for this campaign is to raise awareness about litter to Norman homeowners, business owners, and students, and gain support from these publics for an anti-litter movement in the city.

We first met with the Mayor of Norman, Cindy Rosenthal, who was very helpful in narrowing down our goal and publics and providing vital information about current issues being addressed about littering and what has been done in the past. Littering has been an ongoing issue in Norman and no consistent action has been taken, therefore Norman homeowners, business owners, and students have been unaware and unhelpful in combating the problem. We hope to target these three publics in hopes of creating a cleaner Norman.

Two ideas arose to target these publics including a public art project similar to the Spirit of the Buffalo contest that took place in Oklahoma City in 2004, in which business owners would purchase a trashcan and have the opportunity to decorate it and advertise their business and then during a main event these would be unveiled and distributed around the city. This would create more available trashcans in the community with no cost to the City of Norman and encourage business involvement.

Another idea targeted students who are moving off campus into new residences and unaware of the city codes and trash day regulations in the city. This is an on-going problem as student residences in Norman are looking rundown and trashy because they are uneducated about how to keep their own home. Our idea was to create a website on the City of Norman homepage that would give tips and information for these new homeowners. If possible the website would be listed in their monthly bill to spread the new website.

As our campaign progresses, we are acquiring research from past anti-litter campaigns, including the statewide Keep Oklahoma Beautiful whose mission is “to encourage, promote and assist individual and group efforts in the areas of beautification, enhancement and preservation of Oklahoma's environment”. We also distributed surveys to our three publics and received very good results to help us to better understand the perception of Norman’s litter problem which will help us in the further execution of our campaign!