2016
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 16-1006
       
       BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Ryden and Thurlow, Buckner,
       Danielson, Fields, Foote, Garnett, Ginal, Humphrey, Kraft-Tharp,
       Lee, Lontine, McCann, Melton, Moreno, Primavera, Roupe, Wist,
       Arndt, Becker J., Becker K., Brown, Buck, Carver, Conti, Coram,
       Court, DelGrosso, Dore, Duran, Esgar, Everett, Hamner, Joshi,
       Kagan, Klingenschmitt, Landgraf, Lawrence, Lebsock, Leonard,
       Lundeen, Mitsch Bush, Navarro, Neville P., Nordberg, Pabon,
       Pettersen, Rankin, Ransom, Rosenthal, Saine, Salazar, Sias, Singer,
       Tyler, Van Winkle, Vigil, Willett, Williams, Wilson, Windholz,
       Winter, Young, Hullinghorst;
       also SENATOR(S) Todd and Martinez Humenik, Scott, Aguilar,
       Baumgardner, Carroll, Cooke, Crowder, Donovan, Garcia,
       Grantham, Guzman, Heath, Hill, Holbert, Jahn, Johnston, Jones,
       Kefalas, Kerr, Lambert, Lundberg, Marble, Merrifield, Neville T.,
       Newell, Roberts, Scheffel, Sonnenberg, Steadman, Tate, Ulibarri,
       Cadman.
       
          CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF A PORTION OF
       EAST SIXTH AVENUE IN AURORA AS THE "COLORADO
       FREEDOM MEMORIAL HIGHWAY". 
       
          WHEREAS, Eighty-eight Colorado soldiers are buried at Normandy
       Beach, France, and thousands of others were laid to rest in distant
       cemeteries or their remains were never recovered in wars on foreign soil;
       and
       
          WHEREAS, In May 2000, a group of veterans, historians, and citizens
       assembled by Rick Crandall and Pat Smith, State Adjutant of the
       Colorado American Legion, began a series of meetings at the Legion's
       state headquarters to begin discussing the parameters for which
       individuals would be included on a memorial dedicated to all Colorado
       veterans killed in action; and
       
               
          
          WHEREAS, The group concluded that such a memorial would honor
       veterans who were killed in action or from wounds received in combat
       action and who had listed Colorado as their home of record upon entering
       service and would date back to the Spanish American War, so as to
       include all wars since Colorado attained statehood; and
       
          WHEREAS, The very first task accomplished by this group was
       creating the name of the memorial--Pat Smith simply stated, "It should be
       called the Colorado Freedom Memorial"; and
       
          WHEREAS, Rick Crandall met with an architectural designer,
       then-25-year-old Kristoffer Kenton, who began the design process of the
       Colorado Freedom Memorial; in April 2001, Kenton finished the design
       of what would be one of the most unique and beautiful military
       memorials in America; and
       
          WHEREAS, In January 2003, the Aurora City Council gave
       unanimous approval to move forward with creating an agreement
       between the city and the Colorado Freedom Memorial Foundation for the
       location of the memorial at Telluride Street and Sixth Avenue, near
       Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora; and
       
          WHEREAS, A partnership was created between the Colorado
       Freedom Memorial Foundation and the Aurora Parks, Recreation, and
       Open Space Department; the partnership continues to this day under the
       leadership of Diane Crandall, who manages the events and day-to-day
       operation of the Colorado Freedom Memorial; and
       
          WHEREAS, The nonprofit Colorado Freedom Memorial Foundation
       received its 501(c)3 designation from the IRS in June 2001 and began a
       fundraising campaign that continued for the next eleven years; the first
       $100 was raised during a Women Marines Association Area 7 Conference
       at Paula Sarlls' home, attended by Aurora mayor Paul Tauer; Rick
       Crandall; and Colorado Women's Hall of Fame member Lieutenant
       General Carol Mutter; and
       
          
       
       
       
       
          WHEREAS, During a live radio-thon on KEZW 1430 AM in May
       2012, an anonymous donor contributed $345,000, which provided enough
       money to begin construction of the Colorado Freedom Memorial; and
       
          WHEREAS, A groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Freedom
       Memorial was held on February 2, 2013, a beautiful, sunny Colorado
       winter morning; and
       
          WHEREAS, In May 2013, the Colorado Freedom Memorial was
       dedicated, with several thousand people in attendance; and
       
          WHEREAS, Since then, thousands of Coloradans and visitors from
       other states and nations have visited the Colorado Freedom Memorial to
       locate the names of their lost warriors and to reflect on their memories of
       their loved ones; and
       
          WHEREAS, The Colorado Freedom Memorial has become a
       gathering place for annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day
       commemorations and other statewide veterans events; and
       
          WHEREAS, The avenue that brings visitors to the Colorado Freedom
       Memorial is a State Highway and is eligible to be named in honor of our
       war veterans; now, therefore,
       
          Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventieth
       General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:
       
          (1)  That the portion of East Sixth Avenue from the I-225 interchange
       to the E-470 interchange shall be renamed the "Colorado Freedom
       Memorial Highway";
       
          (2)  That the Colorado Department of Transportation may accept and
       expend gifts, grants, and donations for the purpose of the initial
       placement of the two signs to mark East Sixth Avenue from the I-225
       interchange to the E-470 interchange as the "Colorado Freedom Memorial
       Highway"; and
       
          
       
       
       
          (3)  That the Colorado Department of Transportation may explore a
       cooperative agreement with the Board of County Commissioners of
       Arapahoe County and the city of Aurora for the maintenance of the
       markings for the Colorado Freedom Memorial Highway.
       
          Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to
       Governor John Hickenlooper; Colonel John Wagner, Commander,
       Buckley Air Force Base; Major General H. Michael Edwards, Adjutant
       General of Colorado; Steve Hogan, Mayor of Aurora; the Aurora City
       Council; the Board of County Commissioners of Arapahoe County; Pat
       Smith, Adjutant of American Legion Department of Colorado; former
       Aurora mayor Paul Tauer; Rick and Diane Crandall; Paula Sarlls,
       President, Women Marines Association Colorado Columbine - WM
       History Chapter; Lieutenant General Carol Mutter; the Veterans of
       Foreign Wars Department of Colorado; the Wings Over the Rockies Air
       and Space Museum; the Aurora History Museum; the History Colorado
       Center; and Colorado's Congressional delegation.
       
       
       
       _________________________________________________________
       Dickey Lee Hullinghorst               Bill L. Cadman
       SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE                    PRESIDENT OF
       OF REPRESENTATIVES                        THE SENATE
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Marilyn Eddins                           Effie Ameen
       CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE                SECRETARY OF
       OF REPRESENTATIVES                        THE SENATE