Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

City seeks grant for walking trail

Gurdon's City Council voted to apply to Arkansas Rural Community Development for a $15,000 matching grant to update a local walking trail. This was done at the Council's monthly meeting Monday, Aug. 16.

Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin said, "We are not sure who owns the land we are talking about, whether it is our school system or this city. But the school has already said we could have it if it is legally their property.

"This gives us plenty of value to meet the in-kind requirements of this sort of grant so I am in favor of us applying. There is also quite a bit of valuable timber along that path."

The Council voted unanimously to make the application by passing resolution 04-004, which authorizes the official application for the grant.

Bobby Smithson, superintendent of the Gurdon School District, said Tuesday at the Gurdon School Board meeting, "We realize there is a walking trail behind our primary school here that the city is interested in improving. I believe we should take the position this is fine with us, as it will benefit the entire community."

Board members agreed. The Board voted to approve the project as long as the City pays for any necessary deed changes. The existing walking trail is near the corner of 10th Street and Pine, behind the Primary School.

Mayor Franklin said the trail is approximately one-quarter mile in length, in the shade and "already very nice."

"The improvements to be made will be to asphalt it over with track-type, spongy asphalt made to state specifications, pave the parking lot used by walkers, and update the landscape just a little."

The Gurdon Rotary Club, according to Tambra Childres, recorder/clerk, is considering building a gazebo at the trail to commemorate 100 years of Rotary.

I believe there are plans to put a partial fence around it for more privacy," Childres said, "but the trail is free to the public."