Mike Coffman

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 474.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Diwali, a festival of lights celebrating the Hindu New Year. Originating in India, Diwali is the largest and one of the most important celebrations observed within the Hindu religion. Diwali's festival of lights symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

Diwali festivities include deep cleaning and extensive decorating of office buildings, temples, and homes. The celebration begins by lighting clay lamps in temple windows in honor of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity and wealth. Traditional Indian feasts take place with friends and loved ones, during which, sweets and presents are prepared and shared.

The significance of this event is not exclusive to India. Today, where there are Hindus they honor their traditions and observe this important day. Here in Colorado, for example, we have a thriving and growing Hindu community. The Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of the Rockies also known as the Hindu Temple of Colorado located in the City of Centennial, and the 6th Congressional District exemplifies this.

It is with great pride that I join all in recognizing Chairman Ved Nanda, President Sudhir Verma, Vice President Sridhar Talanki and Board Members: Arjun Sen, Mahesh Anandan, Anshuman Purohit, Asha Vasant, Deepak Malhotra, Madhu Bhat, Rajesh Agarwal, Rajesh Kaul, Ravi Raj, Reva Nayar, Sanjai Natesan, Sony Das; and volunteers Rahul Mirchand, Poonam Kakkar, Satish Kumar, and Suresh Lakkaraju.

I wish them and all the Temple's members well as they celebrate Diwali.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor today to recognize the accomplishments of my dear friend, Dr. Barbara Shannon-Banister. She will retire from her position as the Chief of the Community Relations Division for the City of Aurora on December 31, 2018.

Dr. Shannon-Banister is a truly dedicated civil servant whose work over the length of her career has significantly benefitted my hometown of Aurora, Colorado, and the greater Denver Metropolitan area. In 1989, Dr. Shannon-Banister co-founded the Metro Community Provider Network (MCPN), which is the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides primary care and other health-related services for the medically underserved not only in the City of Aurora but also for areas outside of Aurora.

As a fierce advocate for civil rights, Dr. Shannon-Banister also worked to bring the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to Aurora, where she was instrumental in starting a new NAACP chapter in 1991. Her efforts gave the residents of Aurora, Colorado's third largest and most diverse city, an organization that fully understood the need to protect and advance the cause of civil rights.

A true icon of our community, she is also President and chief executive officer of the non-profit foundation, Grand Design Inc. , that works to preserve African American culture through community outreach, hosting concerts, and visual arts performances.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Barbara Shannon-Banister represents the very best in public service that the State of Colorado and our nation has to offer. I thank her and commend her for her decades of tireless and inspirational leadership on behalf of all of us in our community, our state, and our nation. I wish her all the best of luck and a wonderful and fulfilling retirement.