[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 2, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E309]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   TRIBUTE TO FORMER MICHIGAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE BEVERLEY A. BODEM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 2, 1999

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute today to Beverly 
Bodem, a former representative to the Michigan House of Representatives 
from the 106th Representative District, which is comprised of four 
counties in my congressional district.
  First elected to the House in 1990, Bev Bodem has just concluded her 
service in that body because of the Michigan term limits law. This law 
was enacted at the will of the voters of Michigan, but I have to 
confess that in this case I believe the law has turned a hard-working 
and well-respected public servant out of office.
  Bev Bodem was known especially for her constituent service and for 
paying attention to the people in her northern Michigan district. These 
efforts cut across party lines, and Bev was willing to work arm and arm 
with me on issues that affected the people she was elected to serve.
  One of the issues which she successfully tackled was the problem 
faced by resort operators and other tourism-based industries in her 
district, a district which straddles the northern tip of Lower Michigan 
to touch both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, Because the state's school 
year began before Labor Day, resorts, restaurants and other tourism 
businesses lost much of the summer help. Students themselves had to 
leave good summer jobs before the official end of the tourist season. 
Bev worked hard to adjust the school year to begin after Labor Day, 
benefitting employers, employees, and the many guests and visitors to 
our beautiful state.
  Bev Bodem has been involved in her district and her community in many 
ways outside of her elected office. Such organizations as the Big 
Brothers/Big Sisters of Alpena, the Thunder Bay Arts Council, the 
Alpena Lions Club, the Alpena General Hospital Auxiliary and the League 
of Women Voters have benefited from her willingness to serve and work 
for the betterment of her community.
  Bev, her husband Dennis and daughter Jennifer, a school teacher, 
always presented a living picture of a warm, friendly and proud family 
of public service to all northern Michigan. Bev always demonstrated the 
``best'' of politics by working hard for all the people of her 
district, and she did so with a warm, friendly smile on her face. It 
was obvious she enjoyed her legislative career, and her constituents, 
enjoyed having her as their representative.
  The people of northern Michigan will miss Bev Bodem as the state 
representative, and I will miss working with her.

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