[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 138 (Thursday, September 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     TRIBUTE TO MAYOR CARL W. BLOCK

                                 ______


                            HON. JIM SAXTON

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 6, 1995
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor and privilege for me to 
congratulate the Honorable Carl W. Block, mayor of Stafford Township, 
for his 25 years of dedicated public service as a member of the 
Stafford Township Council, Planning Board, Regular Republican Club, and 
the Board of Trustees of Southern Ocean County Hospital.
  Under Carl's leadership, Stafford Township has won 24 State and 
national environmental awards, more than any other municipality in the 
country. Many of the environmental processes conceived and piloted by 
Stafford are now being used nationwide and in Europe.
  Under Mayor Block's leadership, Stafford Township is the fastest 
growing community in all of Ocean County, with more business and 
commercial development than any other Ocean County community. This has 
enabled the township to maintain a tax rate for its citizens well below 
the county average.
  Mayor Block has been successful in bringing to Stafford millions of 
dollars in revitalization grants, including the Neighborhood 
Preservation Program, which is used to revitalize older areas of the 
township. He has also increased parks and recreational areas for the 
residents of Stafford by 1,000 percent. Manahawkin Lake, which has 
revitalized under Mayor Block's leadership, has had the highest 
percentage of swimmable days in all of Ocean County.
  Carl developed a long-range master plan for Stafford which gave 
careful consideration to growth while protecting the environment and 
assuring that future growth would be managed properly through existing 
infrastructure and roadways.
  His dedication to quality of life issues in Stafford Township 
resulted in the township receiving the Quality New Jersey Award in 
1992. This award is equivalent of the Malcolm Bainbridge Award. 
Stafford's successes with environmental planning and management have 
been recognized by numerous national magazines, including National 
Geographic, which pointed to Stafford Township as an example of how one 
town can make a difference.
  The past year, under Carl's leadership, Stafford was the first 
township in New Jersey to win the prestigious Lawrence Emerson Award 
from the National Arbor Day Foundation. This resulted in the permanent 
display of New Jersey's State Flag at the Lied Conference Center in 
Nebraska. Stafford was also selected for the 1995 First Place National 
Award for Excellence by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] 
for its innovative storm water management design.
  Stafford Township's designation as a Tree City U.S.A. for 6 
consecutive years, and as a Tree Growth Award Winner for 4 consecutive 
years are records unsurpassed by any other community in the entire 
Nation.
  Carl Block's motto throughout his tenure as an elected official has 
been ``Progress With Pride.'' Stafford Township's economic growth, as 
well as the environmental regulations in existence in the township 
today, are indicative of his success in judiciously encouraging growth 
while protecting the environment.
  For his contributions to the citizens of Stafford Township and all of 
Ocean County, I recognize Mayor Carl Block today.


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