Recently the City of Checotah was selected by OU’s Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) as the semester’s project for its graduate students in the Gibbs College of Architecture in Norman. The graduate students were given a tour of the town for two days for their initial visit, getting a feel for the small town hospitality as Mayor Daniel Tarkington and others showed them around downtown and fed them at the famous family-owned June’s Restaurant.

Then a community meeting was held at the City Hall as local business owners and town folk gathered to share their stories and give input to the students as potential projects were discussed with particular emphasis on downtown beautification.

Many great ideas were written down by locals who want to see certain changes to help Checotah grow and become even more inviting to visitors and possible new residents.

The college students after interviewing those in attendance will come back with some of their ideas from local perspectives of what to implement as projects around town for downtown beautification they will create.