[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 59 (Thursday, May 8, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO KATHARINE HEPBURN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 8, 1997

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay a 
respectful tribute to legendary actress and long time resident of the 
Turtle Bay section of Manhattan, Katharine Hepburn, on the occasion of 
her 90th birthday and the dedication of the Katharine Hepburn Garden in 
the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza.
  Ms. Hepburn is most famous for film career: She has won three Academy 
Awards, for ``Morning Glory,'' ``Guess Who's Coming To Dinner,'' and 
``The Lion In Winter,'' and eight other Oscar nominations. But among 
her friends and neighbors, Katharine Hepburn is renowned and cherished 
for her endless passion for flowers and gardening. In fact, her two 
passions merged in one of her most classic film lines, ``the calla 
lilies are in bloom again,'' from ``Stage Door.''
  Katharine Hepburn first moved to Turtle Bay in 1932 when the area was 
still overshadowed by the Second and Third Avenue Els and the United 
Nations was not yet built. She began enhancing the area by 
transplanting flowers from her family's Connecticut home to her 
backyard garden. Her active involvement in the community began when she 
joined the newly formed Turtle Bay Association in 1957. With the 
Association, Ms. Hepburn fought vigorously to halt the destruction of 
trees and prevent the city's plans to widen Turtle Bay streets by 
cutting back sidewalks.
  In 1987, Katharine Hepburn lent her name to the successful campaign 
to rezone Turtle Bay's midblocks for low-rise construction limitations. 
Her fund raising support for neighborhood safety and beautification 
have been central to the Turtle Bay Association's 40-year growth as a 
volunteer group comprised of tenants, home owners and small business.
  The city of New York and Turtle Bay's residents are presenting 
Katharine Hepburn with a great honor as they dedicate a beautiful and 
serene garden in the midst of Midtown Manhattan in her name.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to rise with me in this tribute to 
Katharine Hepburn on her 90th birthday. Not only has she enriched the 
lives of New Yorkers, but she has touched all of us with her 
outstanding and heartfelt performances over the years.

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