Bill Text: WV SCR33 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: US Army SGT Lewis M. "Mike" Totten Memorial Road
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-19 - To Transportation and Infrastructure [SCR33 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2021-SCR33-Introduced.html
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 33
(By Senator Lindsay and Jeffries)
[Introduced March 18, 2021]
Requesting the Division of Highways name a portion of WV61, beginning at (38.242842), (-81.561931) and ending at (38.256364), (-81.573414), known as MacCorkle Avenue, in Marmet, Kanawha County, the “U. S. Army SGT Lewis M. ‘Mike’ Totten Memorial Road”.
Whereas, Lewis M. “Mike” Totten was born on August 25, 1949, the son of Charlotte and Roy Totten; and
Whereas, Lewis M. “Mike” Totten, a native of Marmet, was a graduate of East Bank High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies Education from the University of Charleston, taking courses at night over a 10-year period while working full time at E.I. DuPont in Belle; and
Whereas, Lewis M. “Mike” Totten (then Lewis Leavens) served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1971, rising to the rank of E5 Sergeant. SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten served in combat in Vietnam from March 1970 to March 1971, as part of the air cavalry, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, until wounded in combat, and for which he has reportedly received the Purple Heart. He then served in the corps-level United States Army Republic of Vietnam and was part of the intelligence-counterintelligence Phoenix Program; and
Whereas, After returning home from military service, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten was a bridge inspector for the State of West Virginia; and
Whereas, U.S. Army SGT Lewis M. Totten was also a certified public school teacher, a master electrician, pipefitter, and boilermaker; and
Whereas, Collaborating with then-Senator Tod Kaufman, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten advocated for the successful Senate resolution that led to the creation of what later became the West Virginia Veterans Memorial at the State Capitol Complex. Both met with and secured the support of Governor Arch Moore, Jr., on the issue of a state Vietnam Veterans memorial, which later became an all-wars memorial. He later helped secure one of the largest corporate donations, from E. I. DuPont, to the state’s Veterans Memorial Commission; and
Whereas, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten participated in E. I. DuPont’s volunteer team for Project Teach, a semester-long effort to cover instruction in public school classrooms while regular teachers received first-generation computer training when the technology first entered the classroom. He designed the instructional program for E. I. DuPont’s volunteer team, training and coaching the company’s contributors; and
Whereas, While at E. I. DuPont, working in coordination with the Belle Works’ Human Resources Department, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten provided counseling to veterans with PTSD. He also trained employees on the first substance abuse and smoking policy program in the global DuPont system; and
Whereas, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten retired from E.I. DuPont in Belle as an electrical-instrument mechanic after 39 years of service, having developed multiple safety devices for the chemical industry and having received multiple safety awards; and
Whereas, At the time of his death, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten was president of the Marmet Hospital Foundation, having served on its board for several decades. His final project with the foundation created the first ADA wheelchair-accessible playground in the West Virginia State Parks system, in Kanawha State Forrest; and
Whereas, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten was also a past president of the Charleston Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, was a member of the American Legion, and also taught map-reading classes for local boy scout troops in the Kanawha Valley; and
Whereas, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten, 71, died November 16, 2020, at the Cleveland Clinic, suffering cardiac arrest after contracting COVID-19, following a long-awaited kidney transplant. His kidney and heart disease were connected to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. He is survived by his wife, Mary Martha Totten, and his son, Mark Leslie Totten. Also surviving Mike are his sister, Debbie; brother, George Totten; sister, Marie Leavens Dawson, as well as many other extended family members; and
Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate U.S. Army SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten and his contributions to our state and country; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name a portion of WV61, beginning at (38.242842), (-81.561931) and ending at (38.256364), (-81.573414), known as MacCorkle Avenue, in Marmet, Kanawha County, the “U. S. Army SGT Lewis M. ‘Mike’ Totten Memorial Road”; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the portion of road as the “U. S. Army SGT Lewis M. ‘Mike’ Totten Memorial Road”; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.
