[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 166 (Monday, November 17, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H11177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              WALTER F. EHRNFELT, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3300) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 15500 Pearl Road in Strongsville, Ohio, as the 
``Walter F. Ehrnfelt, Jr. Post Office Building.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3300

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. WALTER F. EHRNFELT, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 15500 Pearl Road in Strongsville, Ohio, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Walter F. Ehrnfelt, 
     Jr. Post Office Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the Walter F. Ehrnfelt, Jr. Post Office 
     Building.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Ballance) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).


                             General Leave

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H.R. 3300, the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3300, introduced by another of my distinguished 
colleagues on the Committee on Government Reform, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette), designates the postal facility in Strongsville, 
Ohio, as the Walter F. Ehrnfelt, Jr. Post Office Building. All Members 
of the Ohio delegation have signed on as cosponsors to this 
legislation.
  Walter Ehrnfelt served as Mayor of Strongsville, Ohio, for 25 years, 
and he was a civic and social institution in this northern Ohio 
community outside of Cleveland for even longer than that.

                              {time}  1530

  He was reelected six times after first being appointed as mayor in 
1978. The town of Strongsville nearly doubled its population during 
Mayor Ehrnfelt's tenure. Largely due to the mayor's efforts over the 
years, Strongsville boasts a fantastic school system, a productive 
industrial base, and many safe and wonderful neighborhoods.
  Mr. Speaker, Mayor Ehrnfelt sadly passed away in office after 
suffering a heart attack on May 25 of this year. Naming this post 
office after Mayor Ehrnfelt in the city he governed and loved would be 
a small, but very deserved, tribute to his leadership. I urge all 
Members to support passage of H.R. 3300. I commend the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) for working to honor Mr. Walter Ehrnfelt.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BALLANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in support of H.R. 
3300, sponsored by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
  Walter Ehrnfelt, Jr., was first elected mayor of Strongsville, Ohio, 
in 1978. He was elected for six 4-year terms until his death on May 25, 
2003. He was a devoted family man, public servant, and businessman. He 
served the citizens of Strongsville in many capacities. He was a member 
of the Strongsville school board, and was later elected president of 
the board and served as county councilman prior to being elected mayor. 
In addition to holding positions in many civic organizations, he was an 
honorary trustee of the Strongsville Chamber of Commerce and a member 
of the Strongsville United Methodist Church.
  I am honored to join my colleagues seeking to honor the many 
contributions of Walter Ehrnfelt, and I urge swift passage of H.R. 
3300.
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I feel honored today to support H.R. 3300, 
a bill to rename the United States Post Office in Strongsville, OH in 
tribute to the city's distinguished and dedicated former mayor and my 
friend, the late Walter F. Ehrnfelt. I would also like to extend 
special thanks to my colleague, Congressman LaTourette, for helping to 
bring his legislation to the floor, along with all of the Ohio 
delegation for co-sponsoring this bill.
  Mayor Ehrnfelt's impact on the city of Strongsville will never be 
forgotten. After graduating from Strongsville High School, he began 
what would become a lifetime commitment to civic involvement. In 1973, 
while running Ehrnfelt Meats, a family business that operates still 
today, his neighbors convinced him to run for the Strongsville School 
Board, leading the fight against a campaign to dismiss teachers and ban 
books in the school district. He won that race, and in 1978 he was 
appointed mayor of Strongsville, later winning his first mayoral race 
in November 1979 by more than a 2 to 1 margin. Voters rewarded his 
effective leadership by re-electing him to six consecutive 4-year 
terms, the last beginning in 2000.
  As mayor, Walter Ehrnfelt guided Strongsville through an 
unprecedented period of growth, evolving from a community of 22,000 to 
a thriving suburb of 45,000 residents. He served on Governor Taft's 
State and Local Government Commission and was president of the Ohio 
Municipal League. But most importantly, Mayor Ehrnfelt lived each day 
with the people of Strongsville close to his heart, truly living his 
life for the betterment of others.
  I'm pleased we have the opportunity to honor Mayor Ehrnfelt for his 
service and spirit today. The people of Strongsville, the state of 
Ohio, and everyone who knew him will miss him greatly.
  Mr. BALLANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this very fitting and 
proper legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3300.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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