[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 132 (Wednesday, November 17, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S11425]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ZACH HEBL'S ACHIEVEMENT ON BEHALF OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, as we all know, this is an election 
year. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, both parties 
recognize the importance of civic engagement this year. That is why I 
want to recognize the efforts of Zach Hebl, an Eagle Scout from Cedar 
Township, IA. When 15-year-old Zach learned that his parents' polling 
location was not accessible to people with disabilities, he coordinated 
an effort to construct a sidewalk, parking lot, and wooden access ramp 
at Cedar Township Hall, a Johnson county polling location, so that 
everyone in his precinct had an equal opportunity to cast their ballot.
  Zach's achievement is particularly important because as of September 
of 2003, there were approximately 300 precincts in Iowa that did not 
meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Without 
renovation, these locations will shut down in 2006 and close their 
doors to voters. Thanks to Zach, Cedar Township Hall was the first site 
to be removed from this list. I would like to print in the Record this 
article from the Cedar Rapids Gazette which describes Zach's project in 
greater detail.
  The article follows:

       Cedar Rapids Gazette, August 26, 2003:
       Fifteen-year-old Zach Hebl didn't want to see the one-room 
     schoolhouse become just a symbol of the past.
       The old schoolhouse, which closed in the 1950s, has served 
     as the township's polling place for at least 60 years but was 
     in danger of no longer being an allowable voting site because 
     it failed to meet Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA, 
     requirements.
       That's when Hebl got the idea to bring the old building up 
     to current standards by building a ramp and deck onto the 
     building.
       ``I've always figured I could be voting here one day and 
     wanted to do something so that I could do that,'' said Hebl, 
     who lives on a farm in Cedar Township about two miles south 
     of the schoolhouse.
       Hebl began working on the project, which he will use as an 
     Eagle Scout project, in mid-April. He developed plans for 
     multiple ramps and made a presentation to the Cedar Township 
     Board of Trustees. He researched the ADA requirements and 
     prepared cost estimates. By mid-July, both the Scouts and 
     trustees approved the project.
       ``We were glad somebody came along to take this project 
     over,'' said Don Brannaman, a trustee who has lived in Cedar 
     Township for 55 years. ``We were going to have to find a way 
     to do this.''
       Hebl worked with his Eagle Scout adviser, Jim Jacob, 51, a 
     structural engineer with Van Winkle-Jacob Engineering in 
     Coralville, to conduct site elevations and choose the best 
     design.
       ``This building has got a lot of significance,'' said 
     Jacob, who lives in Cedar Township and has voted at the 
     building since 1983. ``If people couldn't vote here, nobody 
     would take care of the building, and it would fall into 
     disrepair.''
       On Saturday, it was evident many residents didn't want that 
     to happen. A group of 25 kids, mostly fellow members of Troop 
     120, and 19 adults arrived at the job site to help build the 
     24-foot-long ramp and deck. Installation of the posts began 
     Friday, and the final touch on the project, a large concrete 
     parking slab and sidewalk to the ramp, will be installed in 
     September.
       ``We wouldn't want to vote anyplace else,'' said Loretta 
     Basten, 58, who attended the one-room schoolhouse until third 
     grade when it closed in the 1950s. She was bringing snacks to 
     the site.
       ``There are students who go to college and come back just 
     so they can cast a ballot here,'' Basten said.

  In August, Chet Culver, Secretary of the State of Iowa, and I had the 
privilege of attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new polling 
place. There to support Zach were his parents, Boy Scout Troop 120, and 
many members of the community. It was a proud moment for Cedar Township 
as Zach cut that ribbon. He is a wonderful example of how one person 
can truly impact a community simply by acting upon an idea.
  As the author of the ADA, I am always glad to see progress toward its 
four great goals--equality of opportunity, full participation, 
independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with 
disabilities. Zach's work is critical to ensuring equality in voting 
and full participation in our democratic system, which formerly was not 
available to the people in his County and still is not available for 
many Iowans. Even though Zach is too young to vote, he serves as a role 
model to Eagle Scouts and young people across the country. He proves 
that one person can make a tremendous difference.

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