2016
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 16-034
       
       
       BY SENATOR(S) Lambert and Grantham, Aguilar, Baumgardner,
       Carroll, Cooke, Crowder, Donovan, Garcia, Heath, Hill, Hodge, Holbert,
       Jahn, Johnston, Jones, Kefalas, Kerr, Lundberg, Marble, Martinez
       Humenik, Merrifield, Neville T., Newell, Roberts, Scheffel, Scott,
       Sonnenberg, Steadman, Tate, Todd, Ulibarri, Woods, Cadman;
       also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Carver and Lawrence, Arndt, Becker J.,
       Becker K., Brown, Buck, Buckner, Conti, Coram, Court, Danielson,
       DelGrosso, Dore, Duran, Esgar, Everett, Fields, Foote, Garnett, Ginal,
       Hamner, Humphrey, Joshi, Kagan, Klingenschmitt, Kraft-Tharp,
       Landgraf, Lebsock, Lee, Leonard, Lontine, Lundeen, McCann, Melton,
       Mitsch Bush, Moreno, Navarro, Neville P., Nordberg, Pabon, Pettersen,
       Primavera, Priola, Rankin, Ransom, Rosenthal, Roupe, Ryden, Saine,
       Salazar, Sias, Singer, Thurlow, Tyler, Van Winkle, Vigil, Williams,
       Wilson, Windholz, Winter, Wist, Young, Hullinghorst.
       
       
          CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF UNITED STATES
       HIGHWAY 24 FROM MILE MARKER 298 IN MANITOU SPRINGS
       TO MILE MARKER 283 IN WOODLAND PARK AS THE "SPC ROB
       LEE NICHOLS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY". 
       
       
          WHEREAS, Rob Lee Nichols was born on December 29, 1988; and
       
          WHEREAS, Rob Lee Nichols attended Sand Creek High School in
       Colorado Springs and graduated in 2007; and
       
          WHEREAS, Rob Lee Nichols was a 20-year resident of Colorado
       Springs; and
       
          WHEREAS, Specialist (SPC) Rob Lee Nichols enlisted in the United
       States Army in 2010 and was initially assigned to Fort Stewart, Georgia;
       and
       
          WHEREAS, SPC Rob Lee Nichols served two deployments during his
       short U.S. Army career - the first in Iraq and then in Afghanistan; and
       
          WHEREAS, SPC Rob Lee Nichols was killed in action by a suicide
       bomber on July 23, 2013, near Soltan Kheyl in Afghanistan while on
       patrol; and
       
          WHEREAS, SPC Rob Lee Nichols received a Bronze Star and Purple
       Heart for his actions serving our nation; and
       
          WHEREAS, SPC Rob Lee Nichols now rests with his heroic veteran
       brothers in the Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs; and 
       
          WHEREAS, SPC Rob Lee Nichols left behind a mother, father,
       biological father, brother, half-sister, and grandparents, all of Southern
       Colorado who loved him dearly; and
       
          WHEREAS, SPC Rob Lee Nichols was an amazing young man as
       evidenced by the many friends he left behind; and
       
          WHEREAS, SPC Rob Lee Nichols was a member of the American
       Legion, the largest veteran service organization in the country, and this
       Joint Resolution is supported by the approximately 25,000 veterans who
       are members of the American Legion, Department of Colorado; and
       
          WHEREAS, SPC Rob Lee Nichols wrote a blank check to the citizens
       of the United States, upon which he offered his life for our freedom; and
       
          WHEREAS, The United States of America cashed that check on July
       23, 2013; and
       
          WHEREAS, SPC Rob Lee Nichols was full of life, laughter, and love
       for his God, family, brothers-in-arms, and country, and loved to travel our
       beautiful state and frequently drove Highway 24 visiting the western
       regions; and
       
          WHEREAS, It is only fitting that SPC Rob Lee Nichol's bravery and
       love of country and his fellow man be recognized so that we may never
       forget his sacrifice to our great nation; now, therefore,
       
          Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Seventieth General Assembly of the
       State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:
       
          (1)  That the portion of United States Highway 24 from Mile Marker
       298 to Mile Marker 283, from Garden of the Gods, through Manitou
       Springs, Cascade, and Green Mountain Falls, Colorado, to Woodland
       Park, Colorado, be renamed the "SPC Rob Lee Nichols Memorial
       Highway".
       
          (2)  That the Colorado Department of Transportation may accept and
       expend gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of the initial
       placement of signs to mark United States Highway 24 from Mile Marker
       298 to Mile Marker 283 as the "SPC Rob Lee Nichols Memorial
       Highway".
       
          (3)  That the Colorado Department of Transportation may explore a
       cooperative agreement with the Board of County Commissioners for El
       Paso and Teller counties for the maintenance of the signs marking the
       "SPC Rob Lee Nichols Memorial Highway".
       
          Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to
       the parents of SPC Rob Lee Nichols, Donna and Robert Ribisi of
       Colorado Springs; the City Councils of Cascade, Colorado Springs, Green
       Mountain Falls, Manitou Springs, and Woodland Park; the Mayor of
       Colorado Springs, John Suthers; the American Legion, Department of
       Colorado Commander Thomas Florez; the Board of County 
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       Commissioners of El Paso county and Teller county; the Executive
       Director of the Colorado Department of Transportation; and the Colorado
       Transportation Commission.
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Bill L. Cadman               Dickey Lee Hullinghorst
       PRESIDENT OF                    SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES
       
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Effie Ameen                           Marilyn Eddins
       SECRETARY OF                CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES