[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 106 (Tuesday, July 30, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S7575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO UPON BEING SELECTED AS A 2002 NATIONAL 
                     CIVIC LEAGUE ALL-AMERICA CITY

 Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise to join the National Civic 
League in recognizing the city of Roswell, NM as a recipient of the 
2002 All-America City award.
  Roswell is one of the most fascinating cities in America. Perhaps 
Roswell's most notorious claim to fame is the 1947 ``Roswell 
Incident,'' in which an alleged space craft is said to have crashed 
nearby. It was in Roswell that Dr. Robert H. Goddard chose to launch 
the first rockets into space, propelling him into history as the father 
of space exploration. The New Mexico Military Institute, noted for such 
distinguished alums as Roger Staubach, Sam Donaldson, and Conrad 
Hilton, has been training tomorrow's future leaders in the Roswell area 
since 1891. However, Roswell has much more to offer than stories about 
extraterrestrials.
  The city has been at the forefront of local civic programs aimed at 
improving community standards. The Nothing Other Than Excellence, NOTE, 
program emphasizes how music appreciation can benefit reading and math 
abilities. A low-income dental program, the Community Dental 
Initiative, has provided a creative way to provide access to affordable 
dental needs by combining a mobile dental clinic with a permanent 
clinic helping to reach under-served people. In addition, the city has 
taken up my initiative to get schools and communities involved in 
character education. They have developed a citywide program involving 
schools, parents, churches, and the government to promote Character 
Counts, a program that stresses the importance of trustworthiness, 
respect, responsibility, caring, citizenship, and fairness in young 
people's lives.
  It is for their civic work that the National Civic League recognized 
Roswell as an All-America City. For the past 53 years, the National 
Civic League annually chooses 10 outstanding communities for their 
efforts to involve community members in innovative projects to address 
local challenges. I am pleased that Roswell has tried to create a 
better community through active public participation in civic 
activities.
  Roswell's success is due to the active involvement of the community 
and their willingness to make a difference in each other's lives. All 
of Roswell can bask in the honor of being selected as an All-America 
City. This could not have been achieved without everyone's support. I 
commend you all on your well deserved recognition.

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