[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9824-S9825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ADEL, IOWA, REINVIGORATION

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, one of the greatest challenges we 
face--not just in Iowa but all across America--is preserving the 
character and vitality of our small towns. This is about economics, but 
it is also about our culture and identity. After all, you won't find 
the heart and soul of Iowa at Wal-Mart or Home Depot out in the strip 
malls. No, the heart and soul of Iowa is in our

[[Page S9825]]

family farms, and on Main Street in small communities all across my 
State. That's why we need to be as generous as possible--and creative 
as possible--in keeping our downtowns not just alive but thriving.
  As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I'm involved in 
funding many hundreds of programs every year. But the Main Street Iowa 
program--providing challenge grants to revitalize downtown buildings 
across my State--is in a class by itself. It's smart. It's effective. 
And it touches communities and people in very concrete ways.
  For example, Aubrey Dunbar and the citizens of Adel, IA are taking 
strides to improve commerce and aesthetics in their downtown area. 
Adel's Main Street revitalization efforts received a $45,000 Main 
Street Challenge Grant in 2004 to be used toward the purchase and 
installation of an elevator in Aubrey Dunbar's Grandeur on the Square, 
a three story effort containing shops and a restaurant. Mr. Dunbar kept 
the historic charm of the older buildings by refurbishing rather than 
replacing the tin ceilings, and even maintained the old Masonic symbol 
on one of the buildings.
  The beauty of the Main Street Iowa program is that the ideas and 
initiatives come from our small towns and rural communities. I have 
been pleased to secure $1.5 million in funding since 2002 for Main 
Street Iowa Challenge Grants. The Main Street programs of the Iowa 
Department of Economic Development help provide technical assistance, 
but, as we have seen in Adel, success itself comes from local 
leadership, local teamwork, and home-grown ideas and solutions.
  Projects like the restoration of the Grandeur on the Square in Adel 
leverage the spirit and morale of people in our small towns and local 
communities. Grandeur on the Square has drawn affluent shoppers into 
Adel and has benefited downtown businesses. An average of 200 people 
now go through downtown Adel daily as a result of the shopping and 
dining opportunities created by Mr. Dunbar. When people see one of the 
anchor businesses on Main Street being renovated or expanded, this can 
change the whole psychology of a town or community. It offers hope. It 
serves as a catalyst for a far-reaching ripple effect of positive 
changes.
  I congratulate Aubrey Dunbar and the citizens of Adel for putting 
together a winning proposal to secure a Main Street Challenge Grant. 
Their efforts to reclaim their heritage and reinvigorate their historic 
downtown are setting a terrific example for other small towns across 
America, and for that, I salute them.

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