HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 68
(By Delegates Wells, Barker, Eldridge, Ellis, Hrutkay and
Rodighiero)
Requesting the Division of Highways to name the bridge located on
Corridor G which crosses the Little Coal River at the Boone
County Water Park (Milepost Marker 59.9 ATD 323 (79) Dr. No.
3171 1981) the "Bill Queen, Jr. (Walhonde Willy) Memorial
Bridge."
Whereas, Bill Queen a resident of St. Albans, West Virginia,
died in an automobile accident on May 24, 2007, while on route to
a fishing trip. He had fished every mile of the 88 miles of Big,
Little and Coal Rivers.
Whereas, Bill was born in St. Albans, West Virginia, on April
11, 1948. He worked his way through the corporate world. Starting
as a lineman for AT&T he was recognized by the company as a born
salesman and became the senior marketing manager for that firm
handling the State of West Virginia's account. He helped create
the Call-WV tourism program which now provides thousands of
visitors with immediate information about the state. He was an
avid outdoorsman and loved being on the water fishing and
exploring. Bill had actually floated, paddled and motored via boat from Whitesville, West Virginia, down the river system to Mobile
Bay on the Gulf. Then he and his buddies had motored from the Gulf
of Mexico around Key West to the eastern seaboard port of Myrtle
Beach; and
Whereas, Bill along with his fellow outdoorsman Bill Currey
cofounded the Coal River Group, a nonprofit river improvement group
and helped grow that group into a major watershed improvement
organization. The Coal River Group with Bill's help created what
is now called the Walhonde Water Trail. (Walhonde is part of the
original Delaware Indians name for the rivers). The 88 mile long
trail is now sanctioned by the West Virginia Division of Natural
Resources and serves as Southern West Virginia's only public water
trail. The trail has become a popular recreational set for the
region and has helped to bring awareness and assistance in cleaning
up the Coal River Watershed; and
Whereas, He worked tirelessly to identify every landmark,
public access point and fishing hole on the Big, Little and Coal
Rivers. Bill spent his last four years of life mapping the
Walhonde Water Trial and helping to create the infrastructure to
make this water trail a true tourism destination point for all of
southern West Virginia; and
Whereas, His untimely death cut short his work to clean up the
Coal, but the members of the Coal River Group continue to pursue
the dream that Bill had to bring life back to the Coal Rivers; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby requests the Division of Highways
to name the bridge located on Corridor G in Boone County at the
Water Park, the "Bill Queen, Jr. (Walhonde Willy) Memorial Bridge';
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Commissioner of the Division of
Highways is hereby requested to post signs thereon with the words,
printed in bold and prominent fashion, designating the bridge as
the, "BILL QUEEN JR. (WALHONDE WILLY) MEMORIAL BRIDGE'; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates is
requested to prepare a certified copy of this resolution for the
Secretary of Transportation, the Commissioner of the Division of
Highways and for the family of Bill Queen, Jr.