VELMA, Okla_A group of
citizens are pushing to get a road in Velma changed to honor the teenager who
was murdered in June.
On Sunday, city
council members and the mayor approved a petition of 600 signatures to change
the name of 'School Road'
to 'Braylee's Way'. On Tuesday, Velma Mayor Shawn Enloe said he thinks the
street sign will be up when the new school year begins in August.
Braylee Henry's
killing shook the town up, but instead of staying mad and upset, they wanted to
find a way to forever remember her and felt this was the perfect way.
Signature after
signature from residents on a petition to honor Braylee filled Velma city hall
in no time at all.
"Well I
went up there and I wasn't even the first one there. I went up their and there
was already like a bunch of sheets filled so everyone pretty much beat me to
it," Braylee's friend Samantha Moore said.
Mayor Shawn Enloe
said the town of Velma
consists roughly of 630 people. He wasn't shocked to see that over 600 people
signed the petition.
"That's Velma,
you know, I mean we step up when times are needed and it doesn't surprise me at
all. After living here for 30 years I know that's Velma."
Braylee spent
the majority of her time at the school's gym, renaming that street was a no
brainier.
"It's a
really big honor. I think she would like because she loved being a Velma-Alma Comet
more than anything," Moore
said.
Residents who
live on that street will have to change their physical address. Resident Mike
Thompson said they approved the change without a second thought.
"You know,
just a great family and a tribute to a wonderful young lady."
Enloe said the
only step left to getting the street sign up will be the update to the E-911
mapping to make sure emergency officials will be dispatched to the correct area
when changed.
Braylee's family was given the petition of signatures to keep after
council approved it so they will always remember how the street name was
changed.
