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HomeMy WebLinkAbout14637 RESOLUTION NO. 14637 A RESOLUTION CHANGING THE NAME OF THE PARK CURRENTLY KNOWN AS BESSEMER PARK AKA MINNEQUA PARK TO “RAY AGUILERA PARK” AND CHANGING THE NAME OF THE AQUATIC FACILITY CURRENTLY KNOWN AS BESSEMER PARK POOL AKA MINNEQUA PARK POOL TO “RAY AGUILERA PARK POOL” WHEREAS, Ray Aguilera was a proud native of Pueblo, who grew up in the Bessemer neighborhood and after many years of service to the City which he loved, passed away on May 9, 2021; and WHEREAS, Ray was passionate about closing the opportunity gap for Pueblo’s youth who were low-income, minority or who were otherwise disadvantaged which caused him to establish a grass-roots organization in 1988 dedicated to providing college scholarships; and WHEREAS, that grass-roots organization became the Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation, that has made the promise of education possible to literally thousands of students since its inception. Thanks to Ray’s vision, dedication and bold fundraising abilities, the organization still thrives today and has raised over $4.1 million to help eliminate barriers to education and a better quality of life; and WHEREAS, in 2014, Ray founded the Pueblo Poverty Foundation whose mission was to help eliminate the achievement gap, but this time with a focus on elementary students; and WHEREAS, that organization has created successful vocabulary-building incentive programs which has helped move the achievement scores in a positive direction in many Bessemer elementary schools; and WHEREAS, Ray Aguilera also put on a Christmas extravaganza for many years for hundreds of children and their families that included food, bike and toy giveaways and stockings filled with treats; and WHEREAS, with an unparalleled love for children, Ray loved to play Santa, getting back some of the joy he so generously gave to the children present; and WHEREAS, Ray was also widely known as an effective city leader, serving four elected terms as a Pueblo City Council member; and WHEREAS, Ray Aguilera was one of Pueblo’s biggest champions for economic development and assisted numerous nonprofit organizations to grow and prosper with his support; and WHEREAS, Ray served on boards such as PEDCO, the Latino Chamber of Commerce & Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, Pueblo Urban Renewal, Salvation Army, Pueblo Area Council of Governments and was appointed by Governor Bill Owens to serve on the state-wide Caring for Colorado Foundation, where he represented Pueblo’s voice on a state-wide level; and WHEREAS, on a national level, Ray brought prominence and honor to the Pueblo community by being named the United States Hispanic Chamber Government Advocate in 2007; and WHEREAS, Ray received many accolades and awards, including the Citizen of the Year by the Greater Pueblo Chamber and the Tutt Award for Leadership by the El Pomar Foundation in 1996, as well as honors from the Pueblo African American Concerns Organization, the NAACP, the Colorado State Fair Fiesta Day Committee and was named the Latino Chamber Member of the Year to name just a few; and WHEREAS, Ray Aguilera achieved all these incredible things while remaining authentic and true to himself, which is what made Ray unique; and WHEREAS, while he was bold and a bit unconventional in his approach at times, no one could question Ray’s love and passion for Pueblo; and WHEREAS, Ray’s love for his hometown was evident in his hard work and dedication to the citizens of this community, especially those who are disadvantaged; and WHEREAS, long before it was a national topic, Ray was a tireless voice for the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion; and WHEREAS, Ray was often called upon at any time of the day or night to help a family in need, or to put his muscle behind a community effort because Ray was known for getting things done; and WHEREAS, Ray Aguilera had a heart of gold and dedicated his entire life to the community of Pueblo; and WHEREAS, there is no one more deserving than Ray Aguilera to have a park and swimming pool named in his honor and memory in the community he loved so much; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PUEBLO, that: SECTION 1. The park currently known as Bessemer Park aka Minnequa Park shall be and hereby is renamed “Ray Aguilera Park.” SECTION 2. The aquatic facility currently known as the Bessemer Park Pool aka Minnequa Park Pool shall be and hereby is renamed the “Ray Aguilera Park Pool.” SECTION 3. The officers and staff of the City are authorized to perform any and all acts consistent with this Resolution to implement the transactions described herein. SECTION 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon passage and approval. INTRODUCED June 14, 2021 BY: Robert Schilling MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL APPROVED: PRESIDENT OF CITY COUNCIL ATTESTED BY: CITY CLERK City Clerk’s Office Item # Q-1 Background Paper for Proposed Resolution COUNCIL MEETING DATE: June 14, 2021 TO: President Lawrence W. Atencio and Members of City Council CC: Mayor Nicholas A. Gradisar VIA: Marisa Stoller, City Clerk FROM: Dennis E. Flores, Member of City Council SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION CHANGING THE NAME OF THE PARK CURRENTLY KNOWN AS BESSEMER PARK AKA MINNEQUA PARK TO “RAY AGUILERA PARK” AND CHANGING THE NAME OF THE AQUATIC FACILITY CURRENTLY KNOWN AS BESSEMER PARK POOL AKA MINNEQUA PARK POOL TO “RAY AGUILERA PARK POOL” SUMMARY: Attached is a Resolution which renames Bessemer Park aka Minnequa Park “Ray Aguilera Park” and makes a similar name change for the City swimming pool located within the park. PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION: Not applicable to this Resolution. BACKGROUND: Founder and visionary of the Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation and the Pueblo Poverty Foundation. Four-time city council member. Unofficial Mayor of Bessemer. Fierce promoter of Pueblo and our diverse culture. These are just a few of the ways that Ray Aguilera has impacted the community of Pueblo in a big way. Ray was a proud native of Pueblo, who grew up in Bessemer and attended catholic school. Passionate about closing the opportunity gap for Pueblo’s youth who were low-income, minority or who were otherwise disadvantaged led him to establish a grass-roots organization in 1988 dedicated to providing college scholarships. That grass-roots organization is the Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation, that has made the promise of education possible to literally thousands of students since its inception. Thanks to his vision, dedication and bold fundraising abilities, the organization still thrives today and has raised over $4.1 million to help eliminate barriers to education and a better quality of life. Ray did not stop there. In 2014, Ray founded the Pueblo Poverty Foundation. Again, his quest was to help eliminate the achievement gap, but this time with a focus on elementary students. The organization has created successful vocabulary-building incentive programs which has helped move the achievement scores in a positive direction in many Bessemer elementary schools. A tough guy on the outside, but a true softie on the inside, Ray also put on a Christmas extravaganza for many years for hundreds of children and their families that included food, bike and toy giveaways and stockings filled with treats. With an unparalleled love for children, Ray loved to play Santa, getting back some of the joy he so generously gives to the children present. All of these efforts are done by Ray out of the true goodness of his heart. He did not accept any dollars for his work with either of these organizations and has many, many times funded them out of his own pocket. Ray was also widely known as an effective city leader, serving four elected terms as a Pueblo City Council member. He was one of Pueblo’s biggest champions for economic development and assisted numerous nonprofit organizations to grow and prosper with his support. He served on boards such as PEDCO, the Latino Chamber of Commerce & Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, Pueblo Urban Renewal, Salvation Army, Pueblo Area Council of Governments and was appointed by Governor Bill Owens to serve on the state-wide Caring for Colorado Foundation, where he represented Pueblo’s voice on a state-wide level. On a national level, Ray brought prominence and honor to the Pueblo community by being named the United States Hispanic Chamber Government Advocate in 2007. Ray received many accolades and awards, including the Citizen of the Year by the Greater Pueblo Chamber and the Tutt Award for Leadership by the El Pomar Foundation in 1996, as well as honors from the Pueblo African American Concerns Organization, the NAACP, the Colorado State Fair Fiesta Day Committee and was named the Latino Chamber Member of the Year to name just a few. Ray Aguilera achieved all these incredible things while remaining authentic and true to himself. This is what made Ray unique. While he was bold and a bit unconventional in his approach at times, no one can question Ray’s love and passion for Pueblo. It was evident in his hard work and dedication to the citizens of this community, especially those who are disadvantaged. Long before it was a national topic, Ray was a tireless voice for the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion. What many people do not know is that Ray was often called upon at any time of the day or night to help a family in need, or to put his muscle behind a community effort. Why? Because Ray was known for getting things done. Ray had a heart of gold and dedicated his entire life to the community of Pueblo. There is no one more deserving than Ray Aguilera to have a park and swimming pool named in his honor and memory in the community he loved so much. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The cost to replace park name signage will be paid out of the Council Contingencies Fund after an estimate of such expenses is received from the Parks and Recreation Department. BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Not applicable to this Resolution. STAKEHOLDER PROCESS: Not applicable to this Resolution. ALTERNATIVES: If this Resolution is not approved, the name of the park and swimming pool will remain unchanged. RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the Resolution. Attachments: Proposed Resolution