COLDWATER (WTVB) - Porticos were recently added to each end of the Branch County Memorial Airport terminal in a totally tax free project. Long time Coldwater pilot Bill Geiger’s $35,000 donation made it happen. Nick Michaels Construction of Quincy did the work and it was officially dedicated with a rock placed next to one of the porticos to recognize Geiger. He was able to make the donation to the Branch County Community Foundation for the Branch County Projects Fund for the terminal addition. This is the first grant for the Branch County Projects Fund, which was set-up to for specific projects in the county that aren’t funded by tax dollars.  The project included a large cement area, picnic tables with a cedar roof and beams for community members to come and view planes landing and taking off from the airport.  Over 14,000 planes a year land and take off from the four different runways at the Branch County Memorial Airport.

Geiger, who flew planes from from 1972 until 2000, said he wanted to make a donation for the love of aviation. The new airport terminal was constructed and opened in 2010 and that year was named the Michigan Airport of the Year.