[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 34 (Tuesday, March 4, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING THE 225TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOWN OF FRANKLIN

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                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 4, 2003

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Town of 
Franklin, Massachusetts on the occasion of its 225th anniversary, March 
2, 2003.
  Founded on March 2, 1778, the Town of Franklin was the first in our 
nation to be named after Benjamin Franklin and is home to America's 
first public library. Franklin is also home to the nation's only 
continuously operating one room schoolhouse. Today, Franklin has grown 
into a vibrant community of over 30,000 people and remains a great 
place to live, work and raise a family.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent this fine community of dedicated 
individuals who, over the years, have worked hard to build their town 
into what it is today. Whether it is providing a first class public 
education for all their children or valuing their senior citizens, the 
people of Franklin are what ``community'' is all about. Every summer, 
residents line the streets for Franklin's annual 4th of July parade. 
The town commemorates our independence in the spirit of its great 
namesake, Benjamin Franklin, with a festive celebration at its historic 
town common.
  Mr. Speaker, I am confident that my colleagues in the U.S. House of 
Representatives join me in congratulating the Town of Franklin for its 
225 years.

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