[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CONGRATULATIONS TO DECATUR AIRPORT

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                           HON. GLENN POSHARD

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 1996

  Mr. POSHARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Decatur 
Airport, owned and operated by the Decatur Park District, on the 
occasion of its 50th anniversary of service to the community. Since its 
inception in 1946, the Decatur Airport has provided an excellent 
facility as a gateway to the national air transportation system and a 
vital link to the rest of the globe. Due to the airport's emphasis of 
superior safety and maintenance, public relations, and Federal grant 
administration, it is not surprising that this facility earned the 
coveted Airport of the Year awards from the State of Illinois in 1988, 
1994, and again in 1996, its golden anniversary year.
  The Decatur Airport serves not only the various facets of aviation--
general and corporate aviation, military, scheduled passenger, and air 
cargo carrier services--but also as an economic engine for the 
community. The airport and the various businesses and agencies that 
call it home generate in excess of $35 million in total economic impact 
for the community of Decatur and the surrounding area, as well as 
providing employment for over 400 of its citizens.
   Mr. Speaker, on August 31, 1996, the Decatur Airport will offer a 
50th Birthday Party for the community to celebrate this half-century of 
progress with special events both on the ground and in the air for all 
to enjoy. I am proud to join with the citizens of Decatur and other 
airport users in congratulating the Decatur Park District on their 
foresight and efforts in developing the Decatur Airport into the 
superior facility it has grown to be. It is an honor to represent the 
Decatur area in the U.S. Congress, and I wish the airport continued 
success as it ventures into the 21st century.

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