CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY FOURTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-21-180 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Peña, Sena, Bassan, Benton
RESOLUTION
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Dedicating The Section Of Coors Boulevard From Central Avenue South To Bernalillo County Limits To Honor The Life And Service Of Father Graham R. Golden, O. Praem And To Urge The New Mexico Legislature And The New Mexico Department Of Transportation To Make The Same Dedication (Peña, Sena, Bassan, Benton)
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DEDICATING THE SECTION OF COORS BOULEVARD FROM CENTRAL AVENUE SOUTH TO BERNALILLO COUNTY LIMITS TO HONOR THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF FATHER GRAHAM R. GOLDEN, O. PRAEM AND TO URGE THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATURE AND THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO MAKE THE SAME DEDICATION.
WHEREAS, Father Graham R. Golden, O. Praem lived his life as a testimony of God’s all-embracing love, mercy, and grace; and
WHEREAS. Fr. Graham was born to Dan and Deborah Golden on January 8, 1986, in Albuquerque; and died in an automobile accident on May 21, 2021 at the age of 35; and
WHEREAS, Fr. Graham had been a part of the Norbertine Community of Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey in Albuquerque, NM for 12 years, and he would have celebrated his sixth year as an ordained priest on June 20, 2021; and
WHEREAS, throughout his years of communal life and service, Fr. Graham was well-known for being present whenever and wherever he was needed or invited; and
WHEREAS, Fr. Graham entered the Norbertine Community with a deep desire to serve the poor, the oppressed, and the most marginalized members of our community; and
WHEREAS, many members of our Albuquerque community have a personal story of an encounter with Fr. Graham that has touched, impacted, or greatly changed their lives; and
WHEREAS, Fr. Graham engaged in extensive work in the Albuquerque community, including but not limited to working with teenagers and young adults, preparing and facilitating homilies, supporting the expansion of the retreat center at the Abbey, committing himself to the Pilgrimage for Vocations, and establishing a group of young Norbertines; and
WHEREAS, Fr. Graham served on several boards and committees for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, worked for the Catholic Foundation for a time, and served as the previous pastor at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community, most recent pastor at St. Augustine Church at Isleta Pueblo, and the Vocations Director and Director of the Office of Christian Discipleship and Religious Vocation at the Abbey, among other roles; and
WHEREAS, Fr. Graham’s untimely death shall serve as a catalyst for encouraging more public investment among the New Mexico Department of Transportation, the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Mid-Region Council of Governments, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority, and the New Mexico State Legislature to improve safety along Coors Boulevard from Central Avenue south to Bernalillo County Limits; and
WHEREAS, in January 2021 the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County adopted R-20-121 to establish Coors Boulevard and State Highway 45 as a priority area for making improvements to the corridor to align with Urban Arterial Standards; and
WHEREAS, through a continued collaboration amongst the City and County, Bernalillo County will for its part consider a dedication and directives substantially similar to those expressed here; and
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque has recently launched two initiatives aimed at honoring and responding to the increasing number of pedestrian, bicyclist, and motor vehicle deaths attributed to careless and excessive speeding - 1) Speeding Has A Name and 2) Vision Zero; and
WHEREAS, Speeding Has A Name is a City Council public education campaign aimed at humanizing the impact that speeding has on the public health, safety, and welfare of Albuquerque individuals and families; and
WHEREAS, the Vision Zero Initiative is a citywide commitment to create safer streets for all, whether walking, biking, driving, or taking transit, and regardless of age or ability; and
WHEREAS, the Norbertine Community and Fr. Graham have established a strong long-term relationship with Mayor Tim Keller and the Norbertine Community would like to continue to work with the Mayor to ensuring public safety; and
WHEREAS, the Norbertine Community would like to honor the life and service of Fr. Graham by continuing to work with the City of Albuquerque to help implement these campaigns and initiatives across City departments by providing ongoing volunteer support; and
WHEREAS, Fr. Graham was an extraordinarily dedicated, talented, and intelligent young priest in Albuquerque and his pastoral heart touched many individuals and groups during the short six years of his priesthood.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
Section 1. That the City will dedicate the section of Coors Boulevard stretching from Central Avenue south to Bernalillo County Limits to honor the life and service of Fr. Graham.
Section 2. That the City will urge the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the New Mexico State Legislative to do the same dedication.
Section 3. That the City will continue to work with the Norbertine Community to support the implementation of the Speeding Has A Name public education campaign, including holding a special event for volunteers to post street signage aimed at improving public safety.
Section 4. That the City will prioritize transportation infrastructure investment aimed at improving public safety along Coors Boulevard from Central Avenue south to Bernalillo County Limits.
Section 5. That the City will urge the New Mexico State Legislature to provide ongoing capital outlay funding to provide transportation infrastructure investment along Coors Boulevard from Central Avenue south to Bernalillo County Limits.
Section 6. Upon enactment of a substantially similar resolution by Bernalillo County, the dedications and directives expressed by the City and County will constitute a joint resolution of the two governments only as to the matters expressed by each, respectively.