[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 28, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E83]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     ANTONE SOUZA: MAN OF THE YEAR

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                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 28, 2003

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, people who continue to 
believe that there is a conflict between historic preservation and 
economic development have obviously never been to New Bedford, 
Massachusetts. A few days ago I had both the honor and the pleasure of 
participating in the sixth annual public reading of Moby Dick, one of 
the great works in American literature, the opening pages of which are 
set in New Bedford. Our reading takes place at the Whaling Museum, 
which is one of the important features of the national Park which we 
established as a tribute to America's whaling history. Integrating 
respect for the cultural and aesthetic heritage of the 19th century 
with the economic demands of the 21st is a difficult job, but done 
right, is an extremely rewarding one for the people not just of New 
Bedford but of the entire region, and indeed of the state. No one has 
been more effective in working at this task than Antone Souza, which 
explains why the New Bedford Standard Times made him its Man of the 
Year for 2002.
  I have myself benefited enormously from Tony Souza's tutelage in 
trying to help these efforts, and I invite all of my colleagues who do 
not understand how preservation of a city's heritage is not only not an 
obstacle to economic development but, properly understood, a strong 
engine for it, to visit us in New Bedford.
  And an important part of any such visit should be time spent with 
Tony Souza, whose experience and expertise in this area so potentially 
valuable for so many parts of America is always available, because of 
his passion for what he does, and his generosity in sharing his 
experience.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to join in congratulating Tony Souza on being 
made Man of the Year, and even more important, in thanking him for the 
enormous contributions he has made to New Bedford, and to our national 
heritage. And in accord with our rules about being clear as to any 
conflicts of interest that might potentially arise, I am proud to note 
that he is the husband of my Deputy District Director, Elsie Souza. 
Together they form an extraordinarily effective partnership in so many 
ways.
  Mr. Speaker, so that Members can fully understand the important 
public policy implications of the thoughtful approach to preservation 
which we take in New Bedford, I ask that the New Bedford Standard Times 
article on Antone Souza be printed here.

                  Souza Synonymous With Revitalization

                           (By Jack Spillane)

       If Tony Souza's ideas were like footprints, those 
     footprints could be seen throughout the city of New Bedford, 
     and even into the surrounding towns.
       From the restoration of the Zelterion Theatre to the 
     renovation of the Grinnell Mansion on County Street, Mr. 
     Souza has, for more than a quarter century, fought the battle 
     to preserve the architectural gems of New Bedford's past.
       The executive director of the Waterfront Historic Area 
     League since 1996, Mr. Souza is the latest in a long line of 
     city preservationists who have, over time, reinvented a 
     downtown that was once considered the worst section of the 
     city.
       For his body of work, Mr. Souza is The Standard-Times New 
     Bedford Man of the Year for 2002. Nominations came from the 
     community and the newspaper staff, with a newsroom committee 
     making the final selection,.
       It has been a rewarding labor for Mr. Souza.
       ``The first time I went in (the Zeiterion) after it was 
     restored and I saw all the kids enjoying the live theater 
     that none of us had the opportunity to view when we were 
     growing up, I literally cried,'' he said.
       Mr. Souza sees himself as far more than a preservationist; 
     he says he's also an educator for the city's working-class 
     children, regularly going into the schools to talk about 
     architectural history.
       Mr. Souza also sees historic preservation as a spark plug 
     for the community's business growth.
       He gives the example of the Star Store's restoration and 
     conversion into a UMass-Dartmouth campus spurring shop and 
     restaurant growth downtown.
       ``Historic preservation is economic development,'' he said.
       The past year has been a particularly successful one for 
     Mr. Souza and WHALE.
       The nonprofit group, after struggling for many years, 
     raised some $600,000 and has stabilized the structure of the 
     Corson Building, a key textile-era commercial structure in 
     the middle of the National Park.
       The most ambitious project in the past year was a private-
     public partnership with developer Hall-Keen LLC to save five 
     abandoned downtown office buildings.
       Urban planners believe one of the keys to reviving downtown 
     is to restore residential housing. When professional 
     residents live downtown, they says, the shops and restaurants 
     follow.
       WHALE won three prestigious awards this year, one of them 
     from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for the 
     best managed preservation organization in America.
       ``WHALE has always looked at projects that no one else can 
     handle and assumes those projects for itself,'' said former 
     Mayor John K. Bullard.
       ``This takes guts, intelligence and lots of support. That 
     effort would not be happening, without Tony Souza's 
     leadership.

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