Honoring the 10 communities selected to receive the 2003 All-America City Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the people of Laurinburg, North Carolina, and the other nine recipients of the 2003 All-America City award. It has been my honor to represent the people of Laurinburg since I was first elected to represent the Eighth Congressional District of North Carolina. Through this role, I have been fortunate to forge many personal and close relationships with these folks and witness firsthand why they are a worthy recipient of this award. This really is an honor for me to be able to sponsor this legislation today. Through their hard work, the rest of America is getting to see the positive spirit of accomplishment that I have been able to witness over the years. The All-America City Award is a 54- year-old program sponsored by the National Civic League that recognizes civic excellence. The award is given annually to 10 communities that exemplify and display a positive spirit of grassroots involvement and collaborative problem-solving in an effort to better their community.

These communities that we recognize today exhibit the American spirit of hard work and cooperation as they seek to identify and meet community-wide challenges. Laurinburg is a community where citizens, businesses, schools, volunteers, and government officials work together to address these issues that are vitally important to their citizens. Laurinburg can and should take pride in the fact that they have been recognized by this national organization for their hard work. Truly, Laurinburg is a great example for other communities to emulate; and they seek to step up to the many challenges that face all communities, large or small.

In June of this year, the good people of Laurinburg sent over 100 delegates here to Washington, D.C., to participate in their All-America City finals presentation. The presentation included a bagpiper. Perhaps I should note here that Laurinburg can be found in Scotland County in North Carolina and is home to the Fighting Scots. They also brought a marching band and a group of their citizens who had crafted a fine production designed to showcase our shared feeling of community pride.

To get that far, Laurinburg representatives had first submitted a detailed application highlighting the city's three most pressing challenges: access to quality health care, affordable housing, and youth programs. The community is addressing these needs through Scotland County Memorial Hospital's mobile health unit, Habitat for Humanity's Providence Place Community, and the Youth Center Task Force, and many other efforts.

I am pleased to represent such a fine community where the citizens come together and work together to solve problems at a local level rather than waiting on someone else to fix things.

A wise man once said there are three types of people in this world, those who watch what happens, those who wonder what happened, and those who make things happen. Rest assured, the people of Laurinberg, North Carolina, are the type of people who make good things happen. It is my honor to represent these good people. It is my privilege to sponsor this legislation honoring the 2003 recipients of the All-America City Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the City of Tempe, Arizona, one of ten communities in the United States selected to receive an All-America City Award from the National Civic League. The All-America City program recognizes civic excellence in communities in which citizens, government, businesses and non-profit organizations work together to address critical local issues.

This award is yet another recognition of what Tempe has achieved through innovative public-private partnerships that have made it one of the nation's finest cities. Dynamic collaboration on the three projects presented--Tempe Town Lake, Riverside Sunset Neighborhood and the Tumbleweed Youth Services--has enabled the city to successfully address important issues like crime, education and poverty. In this respect, Tempe is certainly a model for other cities.

Tempe Town Lake was a dry riverbed and crime magnet that has been cleaned up and is now the location of community festivals, athletic and cultural events, and development. Additionally, partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will restore 170 acres into a natural habitat preserve.

To address the decline of the Sunset/Riverside Neighborhood, the city developed a series of partnerships with organizations and groups such as the Boys and Girls Club, the Riverside/Sunset Neighborhood Association, Scales Elementary School, and the Arizona State University College of Nursing. This collaboration successfully revitalized the neighborhood by building the Westside Multigenerational Center and offering numerous services including crime prevention services and new housing.

The final project recognized for its outstanding contribution to the community of Tempe is one that is close to my heart because we had to defend it when its mission came under attack. The Thomas J. Pappas School for the Homeless is not only an outstanding success as an educational institution, it is currently expanding its facilities to teach, feed and clothe even more homeless children. Moreover, the Pappas School, Tumbleweed Youth Services, the Tempe Community Council, and the First Congregational Church partnered to create Tempe's first homeless resource center for teens.

Mr. Speaker, through commitment to collaboration between the private and public sector, the City of Tempe has once again proven itself to be a model community. Mayor Neil Giuliano also deserves commendation for his leadership of the Tempe delegation as well as his work to encourage private sector investment in, and cooperation with, the City of Tempe.

I am proud to represent this great community and I am honored to co- sponsor House Concurrent Resolution 230 congratulating each of the All- America cities for their exemplary grassroots community-oriented problem solving efforts. Please join me in congratulating the City of Tempe and all of the 2003 All-America cities.

Mr. Speaker, this Member is pleased to rise today as an original cosponsor in strong support of H. Con. Res. 230, a resolution honoring the 10 U.S. communities selected to receive the All-America City Award. This Member is proud to note that South Sioux City, which is located in the First Congressional District of Nebraska, received this impressive designation.

South Sioux City is located on the banks of the Missouri River in northeast Nebraska. It is the home of many recent immigrants and refugees in addition to a population that has been there 4, 5, or 6 generations. It is a growing community with a population of almost 12,000, which is a 23 percent increase over the last census. It is part of the Sioux City metropolitan area, otherwise known as Siouxland, which is well known here on Capitol Hill for the annual steak dinner they host for all Members. They have been doing that for some 20 or 30 years.

South Sioux City has many accomplishments. Some interesting things the city has done recently include guaranteeing that all fifth through eighth grade students have a home computer; creating a youth council aimed at building youth leaders; creating a county-wide economic development committee; constructing a 15-field soccer complex that is very popular with their Hispanic American population, of course; and building the world's first ecopath using recyclables versus aggregate surfaces.

All of the citizens of South Sioux City are to be congratulated on this designation. The mayor, William McClarty; the city administrator, Lance Headquist, who always has a new effort for us to support; other city and school district employees, the chamber of commerce and many others played a role in this achievement. South Sioux City is a progressive community. It has had problems but, it has always tackled them straight on and been successful. I am very pleased that they have cooperated so well cross-culturally in their achievements. The leadership of South Sioux City is very proactive and skilled in pursuing opportunities for the city. As a result, they have been very successful.

Mr. Speaker, in closing I want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) for his initiative in bringing this resolution to the floor. With respect to the community that is in my district, I know that they are not going to rest on their laurels; they will continue to grow and excel in the future.

This Member urges his colleagues to vote ``aye'' on H. Con. Res. 230.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 230, which honors the ten communities that received the National Civic League's All-America City

Award for 2003. As the latest recipients of the prestigious 54-year-old award, these communities embody the spirit of American democracy by demonstrating how cooperation between citizens, businesses, volunteer organizations, and local government leads to the resolution of the critical problems facing America's cities.

I am extremely proud to represent the Greater Racine Area, an All- America city and a tremendous asset to Wisconsin's First Congressional District. Over the past few years, the citizens of Racine and the surrounding area have worked diligently to implement multiple initiatives that have positively impacted the lives of those who live in Racine County. For example, the Racine Area Intergovernmental Sanitary Sewer Service, Revenue Sharing, Cooperation and Settlement Agreement is an initiative that uses revenue from Racine's outlying communities to make improvements to the city's wastewater treatment infrastructure and enhance the city's cultural attractions such as its zoo, fine arts museum and library. A second initiative, the West Sixth Street Revitalization effort involves the participation of citizens, local businesses and government to help rebuild run-down homes in the inner city. Finally, the Racine County Youth As Resources (YAR) program is an exemplary project that encourages young people to take an active role in improving their own neighborhoods. This program provides grants for youth-led community service projects such as neighborhood cleanup programs, educational programs and services for the elderly.

I commend the citizens of the Greater Racine Area for their dedication to improving their community and applaud their willingness to employ innovative methods and basic American ideals toward the achievement of that goal. Racine, Wisconsin is truly a role model for other communities to follow and a deserving recipient of the 2003 All- America City Award. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Con. Res. 230, honoring the Greater Racine Area and the other nine communities that symbolize America's strong tradition of embracing civic responsibility and upholding the tenets of democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 230) honoring the 10 communities selected to receive the 2003 All-America City Award.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 230, introduced by my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from the State of North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), honors the great All-American communities of Laurinburg, North Carolina; Tempe, Arizona; New Haven, Connecticut; Miami Beach, Florida; Des Moines, Iowa; Marquette County, Michigan; Wilson, North Carolina; South Sioux City, Nebraska; Corpus Christi, Texas; and the Greater Racine Area of Wisconsin. These 10 cities earned the 2003 All- American City Award. This award is given every year by the National Civic League.

Established in 1894, the National Civic League is the Nation's oldest community advocacy organization. And, in fact, the All-American City Award is the oldest community recognition award in the U.S. For 53 years, this honor has recognized cities whose citizens are the most cooperative and involved in identifying and addressing community-wide challenges in their area.

Ten cities are chosen each year, and this year's honorees are very deserving. Each of these 10 cities has demonstrated, among other qualities, effective local government, an outstanding philanthropic and volunteer base, intercommunity cooperation, and strong citizen relations.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I commend Laurinburg, Tempe, New Haven, Miami Beach, Des Moines, Marquette County, Wilson, South Sioux City, Corpus Christi, and the Greater Racine Area for their awards, and the gentleman from North Carolina for introducing House Concurrent Resolution 230.

I urge all Members to support its adoption.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter).

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes).