John Gooden, representing Kingfisher Trails and Bill Reitz, representing the Kingfisher Airport Authority, were the featured speakers at the Kingfisher Rotary Club last week.

They talked of the $1.7 million grant which has now been approved, paving the way for the Kingfisher Airport runway to be extended to 4,000 feet, allowing for much larger airplanes to operate here.

Reitz commented that the permits from the federal government’s Environmental Protection Agency have been approved in only four months, which he said was very unusual.

Gooden assisted the Airport Authority by writing the grant proposal.

Gooden said the main hurdle was the challenge to relocate the wetlands area located on the land needed for the expansion.

With the help of the John A. Francis family, the wetlands will be relocated to an area of ground called “Harry’s Hole,” located east of the railroad tracks behind the Atwoods store on the south side of town.

The Francis family owns the property.

Gooden is also coordinating that project to turn the area into a nature trail.

He said it is a little-seen area of the community, which could now be put to good use for area residents.

The grounds had been used as an illegal dump area for many years, Gooden said, and would now be put to a more positive and beneficial use.

Gooden also updated Rotarians and guests on the sidewalk projects for the Kingfisher Trails for which grants written by him have also been approved.

He said first up would be the construction of the safe walkway corridor running west from the intersection of U.S. Highway 81 and Will Rogers Avenue and extending to Kingfisher Memorial Library and then on to 13th Street.

The walkway will allow for safe pedestrian traffic from the Junior High and High School to the Library and on to Highway 81 restaurants for students. He noted that students now walk on the road or on lawns to make the journey.

He said another grant has been approved to allow for cleanup of the Trails area on the north end of town, east of U.S. 81.

That will allow for safer and more convenience for walkers to travel that less used area of Kingfisher Trails that runs through the wooded area along Kingfi sher Creek.

It then connects to Uncle John’s Creek that weaves through Kingfisher Park off State Highway 33 on the east side of town.

Kingfisher Rotary President Brian Walter, who works closely with Gooden on all Kingfisher Trails projects, noted that Gooden was recently honored by the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful organization with a Lifetime Achievement Award, that will presented in November at a banquet hosted at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.