[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 4241]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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             REMEMBERING JOSEPH ``JOE'' CELESTINO GALLEGOS

 Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I wish to honor the life of Joseph 
``Joe'' Celestino Gallegos, a beloved leader and constituent from my 
home State of Colorado. Mr. Gallegos passed away on December 11, 2016, 
at the age of 60, after a battle with cancer. He was a true visionary 
and leader in his hometown of San Luis, the oldest town in Colorado, 
where he was elected to a fourth term as Costilla County commissioner 
just a few months ago.
  Mr. Gallegos was a fifth-generation farmer and rancher with deep ties 
to the American West. His family property, the Corpus A. Gallegos 
Ranches, was settled in 1860 and recognized as a ``Colorado Centennial 
Farm'' in 1990. The son of educators, Mr. Gallegos spent his youth in 
Pagosa Junction and Colorado Springs, CO, and in Questa, NM. He spent 
his weekends, vacations, and summers working the family ranch in San 
Luis and tending to livestock in the surrounding mountains of the 
Sangre de Cristo Range.
  After graduating from Colorado State University in Fort Collins with 
a degree in mechanical engineering, Mr. Gallegos became an engineer in 
the oil fields. His work took him to Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota, 
Wyoming, Ireland, and Africa before he returned to San Luis permanently 
in 1986.
  Working with his father on the family ranch, Mr. Gallegos soon became 
a trailblazing advocate for the land, water, people, and culture of San 
Luis and Costilla County, working selflessly to preserve the area's 
rich local traditions. Mr. Gallegos was one of the founders of the 
Sangre de Cristo Acequia Association, which protects some of the oldest 
water rights in the State of Colorado, and his work has inspired 
younger generations to respect local water rights and acequia 
conservation. He served on the Costilla County Conservancy Board for 13 
years and was also a member and ditch rider of the San Luis People's 
Ditch, which holds the oldest water right in Colorado.
  Mr. Gallegos was elected as a Costilla County commissioner four 
times, serving in office for 12 years. He was passionate about creating 
and sustaining local jobs; rehabilitating infrastructure and historic 
structures; and supporting veterans, senior citizens, and youth. One of 
the projects of which he was most proud was the restoration of the old 
Costilla County courthouse. Built in 1883, it is one of just two intact 
adobe courthouses in Colorado. Mr. Gallegos also worked to restore the 
Lobatos Bridge, the southernmost bridge over the Rio Grande River in 
Colorado, originally built in 1892.
  He oversaw the construction of a Health and Human Services complex 
and a senior citizens' center; helped create a county Trails, Open 
Space, and Recreation Program; supported the effort to name State 
Highway 159 as the Costilla County Veterans Memorial Highway; and 
developed the Costilla County Biodiesel Project. He also pursued other 
renewable energy initiatives such as biomass heat for county shops and 
solar electricity for county buildings.
  Outside of his work, Mr. Gallegos also earned a second-degree black 
belt in martial arts and was gifted at training and riding horses.
  Mr. Gallegos was a man whose generosity touched the lives of 
countless others. Over 500 people attended his funeral service at 
Centennial High School in San Luis. He is survived by his daughter 
Patricia Vialpando, her sisters Annmarie Gonzales and Cristina Miers, 
and their families; his sister Marie Rafaela Gallegos-McCord, his 
brothers Aquino ``Jerry'' Gallegos, James ``Jimmy'' Gallegos, and their 
families; his niece Elaiza Gallegos; his nephews Adrien and Django 
Gallegos; and two very special people, Rose Mendoza-Green and her 
granddaughter Celena.
  I join with the people of Costilla County and the San Luis Valley in 
honoring Mr. Gallegos's life, and I send my deepest condolences to his 
family and loved ones.

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