[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 98 (Thursday, July 18, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PAYING TRIBUTE TO RUBY MARTINEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 18, 2002

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, today I stand before you to celebrate the 
life and mourn the loss of Ruby Martinez. Mrs. Martinez, a former 
Councilwoman and Mayor of Boone, Colorado, selflessly committed years 
towards the development and betterment of her community. After a long 
battle with cancer, she passed away on June 30, 2002. As we mourn her 
loss, I would like to pay tribute to her life before this body of 
Congress and this Nation.
  At the early age of fourteen, Ruby Martinez began striving for 
success when she began working the fields to raise money so that she 
could attend Catholic school. Although her graduation led her to a job 
in the larger city of Colorado Springs, she selflessly returned to 
Boone to care for her ailing grandmother who had suffered from a 
stroke. Her civil involvement began through calling local officials 
with the intent of organizing local volunteer programs to help the less 
fortunate and actively address the town's issues and concerns.
  Once her tenure as Mayor commenced, she created several agencies to 
improve the lives of her constituents with the Housing and Urban 
Development agency, which repaired homes for owners who could not find 
the means to do so themselves. She actively served as a board member of 
the Pueblo Community Health Board, the Pueblo Chemical Depot Reuse 
Commission and Chemical Demilitarization Authority, the Sheriff's 
Advisory Board, and she was the founding member of the Boone-Avondale 
citizens Alliance.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to pay tribute to the memory of 
an exemplary citizen in the State of Colorado. Ruby Martinez was a 
vibrant woman who achieved much success and was a beacon of inspiration 
to her entire community. I join her family and a grateful community 
today in the mourning of her loss.

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