Wednesday, January 17, 2007

City of a Hundred Spires to See New Pinnacle
Prague town hall will have memorial of Reagan


WASHINGTON, D.C. – The capital and largest city of the Czech Republic will have a new memorial in remembrance of the 40th president of the United States. Having easily won in last autumn’s local district elections, the Ronald Reagan dedication will be located in front of Prague 6’s town hall. The Ronald Reagan Legacy Project (RRLP), a group dedicated to preserving the legacy of President Reagan, applauds the city’s memorial plans.

Set to be completed before the end of his term, Mayor Tomas Chalupa of the Civil Democratic Party (ODS) stated that the design of the Reagan memorial will be decided by an architectonic contest. The contest will also determine whether the dedication will be a statue or an abstract piece. In a display of commitment to the memorial, the town hall has already set aside 100,000 crowns ($4,600 USD) for the project. While in its infancy stages, Mayor Chalupa spoke of the new initiative; “It is at the beginning. Above all, I think it is correct.”

“Ronald Reagan’s message to the Czechs was that of freedom from tyranny and economic stability for their nation,” said Grover Norquist, chairman of the RRLP. “The dedication to the president in Prague is a critical step in highlighting Reagan’s critical leadership in defeating communism.”

President Reagan was crucial in bringing the Soviet Union to its knees and instilling freedom and prosperity in the 1980s. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, Czechoslovakia became the Czech Republic, marking the first completely non-communist government since 1946.

“I commend Mayor Tomas Chalupa for his support of a leader who helped the Czech Republic break free from Soviet oppression,” continued Norquist. “The Czechs’ admiration of Reagan will finally have a face in its dedication to one of the greatest statesmen in history.”

The RRLP seeks to name at least one monument to President Reagan in each of America’s counties, and in nations that were once Communist. RRLP Chairman Grover Norquist, a long time Washington insider, is available for interviews. Please contact John Kartch at 202-785-0266 or jkartch@atr.org.
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