Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Illinois for yielding the time and thank him for his cosponsorship of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in support of H.R. 5929, the Katherine Dunham Post Office Designation Act. Katherine Dunham was a legendary dancer, choreographer, and social activist. Katherine Dunham always said she wanted a useful legacy, a legacy that was more than being a dancer. She truly achieved that goal.

Katherine Dunham was born on June 22, 1909, in the Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn. She was one of the first African Americans to attend the University of Chicago, where she eventually earned

her bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in anthropology. She achieved broad critical acclaim both in the United States and abroad for her performances, borrowing movements and rhythms from the Caribbean and South America, while also adhering to classical ballet. Her technique is still taught and bears her name.

Ms. Dunham used her fame to focus the public's attention on social injustices around the world, including enduring a 47-day hunger strike at the age of 82 to help shift public awareness to the international relationship between America and Haiti. Further, she received many awards and recognition for her work such as the Presidential Medal of Arts, Southern Cross of Haiti, the Kennedy Center Honors, the French Legion Honor and the NCAAP Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 1967, Ms. Dunham moved to East St. Louis, Illinois, where she helped open a performing arts training center and established a dance anthropology program at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. The center in East St. Louis was eventually named the Katherine Dunham Center for the Arts and Humanities.

Honoring Katherine Dunham with this post office designation is fitting and appropriate, not only to Katherine and her family, but the residents of the city of East St. Louis and the congressional district that I am privileged to represent. East St. Louis is a community that has suffered hard times, but through it all, Katherine Dunham and her center served as a focal point for revitalization and hope for the city and its people.

Mr. Speaker, Katherine Dunham touched the world, not only through her artistic gifts, but with her conscience as well. Through her, we grew as a Nation. Just as she challenged the norms of dance, she challenged all of us to confront the important issues of our time. Renaming this post office for Katherine Dunham is a small gesture, but it is one way to say thank you for her continuing contributions to the people of East St. Louis, which she was proud to call home.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5929, and I thank my friend from Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the distinguished career and extensive community involvement of Mr. Theodore F. (Ted) Gundlach of Belleville, Illinois.

Ted Gundlach was born, along with his twin brother, Joseph, on January 11, 1924, in Belleville, Illinois. Ted's father, T.J. Gundlach had, the year before, opened a small machine shop to provide tools and equipment for the local mines and factories.

After college, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering, Ted accepted an appointment to the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1943 and served for the duration of World War II. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of Lieutenant J.G.

Returning home to Belleville, Ted entered the family business, T.J. Gundlach Machine Co. and J.M.J. Industries, Inc. Starting as General Manager, Ted would become President and CEO and expand the Gundlach Machine Co. market reach to six continents.

As much as Ted poured his energy into his business, he also found time to be personally involved in his community. Ted has served on 16 different boards of directors, been a member of numerous fraternal, business and civic organizations and helped to steer many community and charitable projects. He has received a number of awards from business, professional, educational and civic organizations, recognizing his contributions and leadership.

While Ted built his company into a position of international leadership in their marketplace and has performed outstanding service to his community, he has always been devoted to his family. Ted and his wife, Patricia, live in Belleville, Illinois and have two children, Mary Barbara Compton and Laurie Ann Frillman. They have three grandchildren, Amanda, Molly and Lucas.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in an expression of appreciation to Mr. Theodore Gundlach for his years of service to his community and to wish he and his family the very best in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 100th Anniversary of the First Presbyterian Church of Granite City, Illinois.

In 1906, a major earthquake rocked San Francisco, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the Dow Industrial Average closed above 100 for the first time and the Wright brothers received a patent for their flying machine. Also in 1906, a growing group of Christians who had been meeting weekly in a local school organized the First Presbyterian Church of Granite City.

From the initial 25 members, the congregation had grown to 112 when the first service was held on Easter Sunday, April 15, 1906. The coming years would see continued growth, both in the size of the congregation and in the physical facilities. The church, on 2160 Delmar, in Granite City, was completed in 1916 and an educational wing was added in 1930.

Also, in 1930, a new organ was installed. That organ was replaced in 1951 and again in 1961. Music has always played an important part in the life of the First Presbyterian Church and that was further enhanced with the creation of two paid positions of organist and choir director in 1942. In 1993, the Grand Concert Series was instituted which allowed the Church to extend its musical gifts to the community at large.

The 1990s saw even more changes for the First Presbyterian Church. A fire, in 1994, caused extensive damage and made it necessary to move services to a nearby church while the church could be restored. The resulting renovation brought about not only a beautiful new sanctuary but also a spirit of renewal for the church family. This spirit was further enhanced as First Presbyterian merged with Mitchell Presbyterian in 1998.

As the First Presbyterian Church has weathered the changes of the past 100 years, so has the neighboring community. In response to the changing conditions, First Presbyterian has initiated and joined in a number of programs to expand their ministry. A Vacation Bible School, summer drama camp, and an association with the United Congregations of Metro-East are but a few examples of this community outreach.

As much as they celebrate their past, the congregation of First Presbyterian Church looks forward to the future. Their strong commitment to their faith, their families and their community enables them to constantly strive for new ways to fulfill their mission, ``Bringing People to Christ.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the 100th anniversary of the First Presbyterian Church of Granite City and to wish the best to them for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 50th Anniversary of Holy Virgin Mary and Shoghagat Armenian Church located in Swansea, Illinois.

The Church has historically been an integral part of the Armenian community. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 A.D. So it was natural that the Independent Club, an organization of Armenian Americans, would seek to start a church for their community in 1956.

The new Church, then named Holy Shoghagat Armenian Church, began in a small white structure at 13th and Summit Avenue in East St. Louis, Illinois. A neighboring parish house and additional parcel of land were later acquired.

Circumstances required that the original church properties be sold in the early 1970's and for several years the congregation had to celebrate the liturgy in different local churches. Throughout this difficult period, the parish family stayed together and finally, in 1978, the new Church in Swansea, Illinois was consecrated.

On the occasion of their 50th Anniversary, in addition to celebrating that milestone for their local Church, the members of Holy Virgin Mary and Shoghagat Armenian Church are paying tribute to their ancestors who were victims of the Armenian Genocide, both those who lost their lives and those who survived. A large khatchkar, carved in Armenia, will be dedicated to honor those who suffered during that terrible period in history.

For 50 years, Holy Virgin Mary and Shoghagat Armenian Church has served, not only as a place of worship, but as a unifying religious center for the local Armenian community. Though their numbers may be small, their dedication to their Church and their culture remains strong.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the 50th Anniversary of Holy Virgin Mary and Shoghagat Armenian Church and to wish the best to them for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 60th anniversary of the French Village Fire Department located in St. Clair County, Illinois.

In 1946, residents in the Dutch Hollow and French Village neighborhoods took action to provide fire protection for their communities by forming the French Village Fire Department. Initial funding for this new department came from bake sales and raffles, but they were able to purchase a fire engine from Towers Fire Apparatus in nearby Freeburg, Illinois. The first firehouse was located on a resident's property off Rural Route 5, which is now 2nd Avenue in Fairview Heights.

Raising funds for the department was a struggle during the early years in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Picnics, dances and fish fries were some of the fund-raising activities that were required to keep the department operational. Through an election in 1953, the French Village Fire District was formed. This provided tax revenue so that the fire department could begin to plan for equipment, supplies, and ongoing operations.

In addition to growth in residential property, the early years were also marked by tragedy. In 1952, firemen Frank Robinson and Francis Johnson, Jr., lost their lives when their fire truck was struck while en route to a call. In 1954, another firefighter, Paul Hodson, suffered a fatal heart attack while fighting a vehicle fire. This second tragedy provided the stimulus for the department to provide better emergency care.

The next decades saw continued growth for the French Village Fire Department. Additional trucks and advanced equipment were added to keep pace with the growing population as well as the new advances in technology.

In the 1980s an effort at the ballot to disband the department was defeated and a bond issue was passed to replace aging equipment and build a second fire station. The 1990s saw the opening of the new station and the department's 50th anniversary. In the new century, the French Village Fire Department continued to expand and improve with the addition of a 75-ft. aerial ladder.

The French Village Fire Department has been a shining example of dedication and professionalism, made possible by the sacrifices that their firefighters and their families have made since 1946. Their compassion, valor, and unselfish acts of courage make each of them an everyday hero.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the 60th anniversary of the French Village Fire Department and to wish the best to them for continued service in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2808, a bill that directs the Treasury Department to mint 500,000 one-dollar coins marking Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. Abraham Lincoln is a true American hero who will always be remembered for his commitment to the ideals of freedom, democracy, and equal opportunity. Illinois, known as the Land of Lincoln, is where Lincoln lived for many years and began his political career. Today, many historical sites in Illinois are dedicated in honor of Lincoln and his legacy. Illinois will be a focal point for activities to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.

Besides being a noble tribute, this commemorative coin will help provide significant funding for the bicentennial and is an important part of how the United States will mark Lincoln's 200th birthday in 2009.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Comair Flight 5191 and I join my colleagues in support of H. Res. 980. My deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims of this tragic event that occurred in Lexington, Kentucky.

It is little solace to them that we have the safest air transportation system in the world, or that we had not had a major fatal accident in five years. Along with our support of this resolution, what Congress must do to honor these victims is to learn everything we can from this accident to try to prevent similar events in the future. Their lives will be remembered in the work we do here. As the ranking Democrat on the Aviation subcommittee, I am committed to making sure this happens. The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting a thorough investigation of this accident, and I fully support its efforts, along with those of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation.

Mr. Speaker, I again remember those that lost their lives in this accident and offer my condolences to their loved ones. I also urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 980.

Mr. Speaker, 17 days ago, Hezbollah terrorists conducted a raid into Israel, killing three Israeli soldiers and kidnapping two others, igniting serious fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. I rise today to express my strong support for Israel as it defends itself from an increasingly powerful terrorist presence in southern Lebanon.

Israel has taken many meaningful steps in recent years to push the dream of Middle East peace forward, including removing all forces from Lebanon and, just last year, unilaterally withdrawing from Gaza. In return, Israel faces an emboldened Hezbollah, backed and encouraged by Iran and Syria, with an arsenal of 13,000 rockets that it routinely uses to bombard Israeli towns, and Hamas, which controls the Palestinian Authority. Neither group recognizes Israel's right to exist.

The House recently passed H. Res. 921 with my support, which reaffirms Israel's right to defend itself from these attacks. Through this action we have made a clear statement that the United States will stand with Israel while continuing to work with the international community to bring peace to the region.

Mr. Speaker, the current situation, with Iran and Syria enabling Hezbollah to establish an even greater presence in Lebanon is intolerable and a major obstacle to Middle East peace. Any international agreement should focus on removing Hezbollah from that country, per United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559. This is a critical point for Israel and the entire region, and the United States must remain actively engaged in this process.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Tim Friedman upon his retirement from the House Democratic, Cloakroom. For the past 30 years Tim Friedman has served with utmost distinction.

After moving from Lackawanna, NY, Tim arrived in Washington, DC, in 1976 to begin his career in the House of Representatives. He first served for the Hon. Dan Rostenkowski before becoming a Doorkeeper under the Hon. James T. Molloy from 1976 to 1982. In 1982, Tim moved to the office of the House Sergeant at Arms before being appointed as Assistant Manager of the House Democratic Cloakroom in 1985 by the Hon. Thomas P. 0'Neill, Speaker of the House.

Since I came to Congress in 1988, I have gotten to know Tim Friedman quite well. He is an upstanding man with strong character and high principles. I am pleased to have worked with him.

In times of retirement, I am reminded of the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, ``The reward for a thing well done is to have done it.'' Not only should Tim feel rewarded, but all of us who have benefited from his long and successful 30 year career, an accomplishment for which he deserves to be proud.

Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in offering congratulations and gratitude for Tim's long and successful career in the House of Representatives. I wish him well and hope he continues to achieve happiness, health and success in his future endeavors.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 9, the Voting Rights Act. All of us are grateful for those sacrifices which forced America to bring equality and justice to all and we must continue to uphold the basic principles and sentiments embodied in the Voting Rights Act.

The landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 guaranteed that racism and its bitter legacy would never again disenfranchise any citizen by closing the polls. The failure to ensure voting rights regardless of race or national origin was a national shame, which was finally addressed and corrected in this historic bill.

Over the last 41 years, progress continues to be made in ensuring all citizens have the right to vote. However, the past two presidential election involved vote-related controversies, which led to significant numbers of voters unable to vote or unable to have their votes counted. These instances make clear the Voting Rights Act is still necessary and much needed. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 9 because we, as Americans, must preserve and defend our most basic right and liberty--the right to have our voices heard through voting.

Mr. Chairman there is no civil rights legislation more important or effective than the Voting Rights Act. We cannot and should not return to the days before 1965. We need to extend the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act. I support H.R. 9 and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 133rd anniversary of the incorporation of the Village of Brooklyn, Illinois, the first and oldest African-American town in the United States.

Around the year, 1829, a group of 11 African-American families, some free, some fugitive slaves, crossed the Mississippi River from Missouri and settled in the area that would become Brooklyn, Illinois. The community continued to grow as it attracted both escaped slaves and free African-Americans from the St. Louis area and neighboring states. The thriving settlement was platted and named, Brooklyn, in 1837.

During Brooklyn's early years, before the Civil War, African- Americans had no ability to vote or petition for the incorporation of their community. With the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1865, the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 and the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, African-Americans gained the legal rights of citizenship. Shortly after these events, on July 8, 1873, the citizens of Brooklyn petitioned to incorporate. An election was called and, by unanimous vote, Brooklyn was incorporated as a village in St. Clair County, Illinois.

The history of Brooklyn has roughly paralleled that of neighboring municipalities in the industrial area along the Mississippi River, across from St. Louis. Many of its residents readily found work in the stockyards and factories that flourished into the middle of the last century. As those industries left, so did the jobs that allowed the citizens of Brooklyn to provide for their families.

Despite recent hard times, the same spirit that led those first courageous settlers to establish this community still lives on. The village motto is, ``Founded by Chance, Sustained by Courage,'' and those words inspire the current generation to seek new opportunities for their community. The ``North Star'' Corridor Economic Alliance Project is one example of a new implementation of the community's founding values.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 133rd anniversary of the Village of Brooklyn, Illinois and to wish them the best as they move forward in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution before us today, despite the fact that it barely touches on the war in Iraq, which is the stated purpose of our debate, and makes some claims I do not agree with. While I will vote yes, I want to be absolutely clear that I am doing so to emphatically support our troops and the bravery they display every day in fighting the war on terror. I did not vote to authorize the Iraq War and continue to believe it was a mistake. I do not agree with parts of this resolution that misstate the original administration arguments for invading Iraq. The heart of this discussion needs to be that the Bush administration has been almost totally inept in its planning and prosecution of the war and occupation of Iraq.

Time and again, the Bush administration has been wrong. Before invading Iraq, we were told that Saddam Hussein was an imminent threat to the United States. After attending the briefings provided by the administration, I did not feel that administration officials made this case, and the lack of weapons of mass destruction certainly undercuts this argument. Even worse, we were given a stream of incorrect assumptions of the costs of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Then- Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz testified before a Senate Committee and predicted that the monetary cost of the war to the United States would not exceed $2 billion. Including money to be appropriated this year, we are approaching $400 billion, and continue to spend $8.1 billion every month in Iraq. Wolfowitz also said Iraq had no history of ethnic strife.

It is important to remember that the Bush administration assertions were not conventional wisdom at the time. Both then-Army Chief of Staff, GEN Eric Shinseki, and then-Bush economic adviser Larry Lindsey, soon left their positions after publicly stating, respectively, that the war would take large numbers of troops and hundreds of billions of dollars to prosecute.

Further, it quickly became clear that the planning of the occupation of Iraq was woefully inadequate, placing our soldiers in increasing danger. Stories of inadequate supplies of bulletproof vests and armor for humvees documented this fact. The outspoken concern of former generals in regard to these preparations further underscored the problems. The intensity of the insurgency caught the administration by surprise.

The United States has allocated $50 billion to private contractors for reconstruction and rebuilding efforts in Iraq since the beginning of the war. Nine billion dollars in reconstruction funds are unaccounted for, while the Defense Contract Audit Agency has deemed that $1.47 billion spent by the Halliburton Corporation was excessive or insufficiently documented. Oil production is at 2.2 million barrels per day--down from 2.6 million barrels per day prior to the war.

The resolution we are debating also says ``. . . the terrorists have declared Iraq to be the central front in their war against all who oppose their ideology.'' This is true only because we gave them the opportunity to do so. Iraq clearly was not the central front before the U.S. invasion--another unfortunate outcome of poor planning.

I continue to believe that part of our decision making process concerning how to move forward in Iraq must include an analysis of how we got there. It is not enough to say that since we are there, we have to make the best of it. I agree that we cannot just walk away, and do not support a certain date for our exit, but we still do not have any framework for evaluating our progress there. While the death of Al Zarqawi is great news, and it seems that Iraqi security forces are taking on more responsibility, does anyone really believe that in one year, or two years, or even five years, that Iraq will be able to defend itself?

I said at the outset of this war that the United States was going to pay the vast majority of its costs, in both lives and dollars, and this has clearly been the case. We must reengage the international community to take on more of the burdens of the occupation, and seek to bring our troops home as soon as possible.

Today, I join my colleagues in celebrating the extraordinary efforts and accomplishments of our troops. But I do not celebrate our country's undertaking of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. It was a bad decision followed by numerous other bad decisions, and while I hope it ends well, we will feel the ramifications in many ways for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the life and extraordinary achievements of Katherine Dunham, who passed away on May 21, 2006.

Katherine Dunham was born in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, on June 22, 1909. Her father, Albert Millard Dunham, was a descendant of slaves from Madagascar and West Africa. Her French Canadian mother, Fanny June Taylor, died when Miss Dunham was young. Her father then married Annette Poindexter, a schoolteacher from Iowa, and moved his family to Joliet, Ill., where he ran a dry-cleaning business.

Katherine Dunham became interested in dance at an early age. While a student at the University of Chicago, she formed a dance group that performed in concert at the Chicago World's Fair in 1934 and with the Chicago Civic Opera in 1935-36.

With a bachelor's degree in anthropology, she soon undertook field studies in the Caribbean and in Brazil. By the time she received her M.A. from the University of Chicago, she had acquired a vast knowledge of the dances and rituals of the black peoples of tropical America. (She later took a Ph.D. in anthropology.)

In 1938, she joined the Federal Theatre Project in Chicago and composed a ballet, L'Ag'Ya, based on Caribbean dance. In 1940, she formed an all-black company, which began touring extensively by 1943. Tropics (choreographed 1937) and Le Jazz Hot (1938) were among the earliest of many works based on her research.

Katherine Dunham is noted for her innovative interpretations of primitive, ritualistic, and ethnic dances and her tracing the roots of black culture. Many of her students, trained in her studios in Chicago and New York City, have become prominent in the field of modem dance. She also choreographed for Broadway stage productions and opera-- including Aida (1963) for the New York Metropolitan Opera. She also choreographed and starred in dance sequences in such films as Carnival of Rhythm (1942), Stormy Weather (1943), and Casbah (1947).

Dunham also conducted special projects for Chicago black high school students. She served as the artistic and technical director (1966-67) to the president of Senegal; and artist-in-residence, and later professor, at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and director of Southern Illinois's Performing Arts Training Centre and Dynamic Museum in East St. Louis, Ill.

Dunham's writings, sometimes published under the pseudonym Kaye Dunn, include Katherine Dunham's Journey to Accompong (1946), an account of her anthropological studies in Jamaica; A Touch of Innocence (1959), an autobiography; and Island Possessed (1969), as well as several articles for popular and scholarly journals.

Except for a brief appearance in 1965, Dunham has not performed regularly since 1962 and has concentrated on her choreography. One of her major works was the choreographing and directing of Scott Joplin's opera Treemonisha in 1972. She dissolved her company in 1965 to become advisor to the cultural ministry of Senegal and returned to the United States in 1967.

She left the conventional dance world of New York that year to live and work in East St. Louis at an inner-city branch of the Southern Illinois University, running a school attached to the University and working with neighborhood and youth groups.

The Dunham tradition has persisted. She was considered a woman far ahead of her time. She considered her technique ``a way of life.'' The classes at her Manhattan school--attended by many artists, including Marlon Brando and Eartha Kitt, during the 1940s and the 1950s, were noted for their liberating influence.

Her mastery of body movement was considered ``phenomenal.'' She was hailed for her smooth and fluent choreography and dominated a stage with what has been described as ``an unmitigating radiant force providing beauty with a feminine touch full of variety and nuance,'' otherwise known as the Dunham Technique, which is still practiced today.

Katherine Dunham's intellectual, artistic, and humanitarian contributions have earned her many coveted awards over the years, including the Presidential Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, French Legion of Honor, Southern Cross of Brazil, Grand Cross of Haiti, NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award, Lincoln Academy Laureate, and the Urban Leagues' Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also one of 75 women whose lives were celebrated in the book, I Have A Dream. Katherine is survived by a daughter, Marie-Christine Dunham-Pratt, who lives in Rome.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Katherine Dunham on her service, her lifetime of experiences and her contribution to the world of dance which serves as an invaluable resource to not only the people of East St. Louis but to the world.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Oberstar amendment.

This amendment would stop the Department of Transportation from implementing its proposed rule to open up U.S. air carriers to a greater share of control by foreign owners. For the past 65 years, we have required that U.S. citizens have actual control over all management decisions of U.S. airlines. In a matter of a few months, the Bush administration has sought to make enormous changes by allowing significant opportunities for foreign investors at the expense of America's safety, security, and its workplace.

The proposed rule would change and allow foreign investors to have a greater say on airline economic decisions that would include being able to direct airlines to buy foreign aircraft or have more repair stations overseas; have work performed by foreign citizens; and dictate routes, frequency, pricing, classes of service, advertising, and code sharing.

I am opposed to the change because it will result in the loss of American jobs, hurt rural and small communities, and could severely jeopardize our safety and security. I am very concerned about the outsourcing of jobs for our pilots, flight attendants, and mechanics, and I urge all Members to support the Oberstar amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 150th Anniversary of the Perry County Fair which is held each year in Pinckneyville, Illinois.

While no records exist of the first fair in 1856, oral accounts passed down from those who attended describe the Pinckneyville town square decorated with tall corn stalks and the owners of the prize livestock showing them in the street. Although much has changed since that initial event 150 years ago, the Perry County Fair remains a premier venue of agricultural and horticultural exhibition, as well as a place where families come to be entertained and old friends renew acquaintances once a year.

As the ``oldest consecutive running fair in Illinois,'' the Perry County Fair has seen much of our Nation's history. The Civil War, Prohibition, the Great Depression, both WorId Wars, the ushering in of two centuries and a millennium all occurred during the time that the Perry County Fair has been in operation.

The Perry County Agricultural Society was established as the governing body of the fair and continues today as the organization entrusted with planning, funding and organizing the Perry County Fair. Early records note that a $1.00 contribution was good for family entry to the first fairs and that $10.00 provided for a lifetime family membership. As the fair has expanded through the years, the balance of providing a first class fair that is affordable to all families continues to be a struggle.

Competition of livestock, produce and the tasty results of many closely-guarded family recipes have been a staple of the fair since its inception. Other attractions at the fair through the years have been horse racing, beauty pageants, musical entertainment, rides and, always, good food.

Several generations have now enjoyed the Perry County Fair and it has become an event that not only draws families and friends together from Perry County but also attracts fairgoers from throughout Southern Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Perry County Fair. May it continue to provide entertainment for Southern Illinois families well into the future.