Mark Keppler and John Wright

The CITIZEN OF THE YEAR 2000 Award goes to two people and a project. The two people receiving this award are DR Mark Keppler, C.S.U.F. and John Wright, City of Clovis Planning Director. The project is THE RAIL TRAIL / OLD TOWN TRAIL. While hundreds of people worked on this project, it was Keppler and Wright working a total of 14 years to initiate a plan, make the plan and carry it out. About 10 years ago John Wright became interested in finding a use for the abandoned railroad property that ran through Clovis and began purchasing the property without a plan for its use.  Meanwhile, Mark Keppler arrived to teach at C.S.U.F. and was looking for bike trails to ride. While talking to John a plan started.