HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 16

(By Delegates Frederick, Browning, Long, Caruth, Kominar,

H. White, Staton, R. Thompson, Yeager and Butcher)


[Introduced January 29, 2003; referred to the

Committee on Rules.]


Requesting the West Virginia Division of Highways to name entire portion of the West Virginia section of I-73/74, the King Coal Highway, the "Nick Joe Rahall II King Coal Highway" ; the intersection of I-73/74 and the Coalfield Expressway the "United States Senator Robert C. Byrd King Coal Highway and Coalfield Expressway Intersection" ; and, the intersection of I-73/74, the King Coal Highway and Route 123 near the Mercer County Airport the "Nelson Walker Intersection."

Whereas, Interstate I-73/74 owes its existence to the hard work and efforts of all of our congressional delegation and the many citizens who joined in that effort; and

Whereas, One person, Nick Joe Rahall II, of Beckley, Raleigh County having been first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 as the youngest member in the 95th Congress and reelected thirteen times to the office has had the foresight,
skills and intelligence to provide steadfast and effective leadership in the effort to improve the lives of people living and working in the southern coal fields of West Virginia; and
Whereas, Congressman Nick Joe Rahall II is a distinguished member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. Congress where he has fought for, authored and championed the cause of improved transportation for his home state and especially the hard-working people of the southern coal fields; and

Whereas, One person, Congressman Nick Joe Rahall II, saw to it that when his district needed to be a part of a new and exciting interstate highway, he was there, as always, to ensure that the funding was approved in the House of Representatives for the construction of I-73/74, the King Coal Highway through southern West Virginia; and

Whereas, United States Senator Robert C. Byrd of Sophia, Raleigh County has served longer in the U.S. Senate than anyone else in West Virginia's history; and

Whereas, United States Senator Robert C. Byrd has held more leadership positions and has cast more votes in the U.S. Senate than has any other Senator of any party in Senate history; and

Whereas, We in the Legislature and all of the citizens of this
State recognize his untiring efforts on behalf of the State of West Virginia, not only has he brought pride to the State with staunch advocacy of the Congress as an equal branch of our federal government against all efforts to erode that power, he has also enriched all of our lives through ensuring significant federal appropriations for needed improvements in this State and the genuine honesty of his character and leadership; and
Whereas, The words "mission accomplished" and "job well done" were echoing in the ears of all of the many board members, supporters, office holders, state highway staffs and friends involved in the I-73/74 interstate highway drive when the interstate became a reality; and

Whereas, Nelson Walker, President of the King Coal Highway Authority, led the effort of these groups as the unpaid volunteer executive director of I-73/74 Corridor Association, by organizing

civic leaders from Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina in this very successful campaign; and

Whereas, Nelson Walker has been married to Phyllis Walker for twenty-three years, has four children and thirteen grandchildren and has served in important public and private capacities including serving as Vice President of Operations of Bluefield Supply
Company, member of the West Virginia Economic Development Council, past mayor of Bluefield and as former Executive Director of the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce ; and
Whereas, It is not only right and just to honor the efforts of

Congressman Nick Joe Rahall II, for his dedication to the people of his home state, in general, and for his work in bringing the King Coal Highway into existence, in particular, by formally naming the West Virginia section of I-73/74, the King Coal Highway the "Nick Joe Rahall II King Coal Highway"; to honor the efforts of United States Senator Robert C. Byrd for his dedication to the people of his home state, it is one of the few things we can do to thank him, by formally naming the intersection of I-73/74 and the Coalfield Expressway the "United States Senator Robert C. Byrd Coalfield Expressway Intersection" ; and to honor the selfless efforts of Nelson Walker by formally naming the intersection of I-73/74, the King Coal Highway and Route 123 near the Mercer County Airport the "Nelson Walker Intersection" ; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Legislature hereby requests the West Virginia Division of Highways to name the West Virginia section of I-73/74, the King Coal Highway the "Nick Joe Rahall II King Coal Highway" ;
the intersection of I-73/74 and the Coalfield Expressway the "United States Senator Robert C. Byrd Coalfield Expressway Intersection" ; and the intersection of I-73/74, the King Coal Highway and Route 123 near the Mercer County Airport the "Nelson Walker Intersection" and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates is hereby directed to forward a copy of this Resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways, Congressman Nick Joe Rahall II, U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd and Nelson Walker.