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




                   BEDFORD, IOWA, RECLAIMING HISTORY

 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 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. 
It has a powerful multiplier effect. And it touches communities and 
people in very concrete ways.
  For example, the citizens of Bedford, IA, have shown tremendous 
initiative in rescuing and restoring an important piece of their 
heritage, the Garland Hotel, formerly known as the Bedford House. This 
building and business has been a centerpiece in their downtown since 
1857. The Garland Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic 
Places by the National Park Service in 1977, but it fell into disrepair 
and closed in 1997.
  The citizens of Bedford are now determined to restore the Garland 
Hotel its former glory, and they are doing so with the help of a Main 
Street Challenge Grant. The $40,000 Main Street grant is not only 
helping the Garland Hotel, it's serving as a catalyst to mobilize the 
community and leverage additional funding. $260,000 has been invested 
by private citizens and companies to see the project through its 
completion. The Main Street grant itself will be used to reinstall the 
hotel's historic columns, second floor balcony, and the original 
signage on the hotel's facade.
  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 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 Bedford, success 
itself comes from local leadership, local teamwork, and home-grown 
ideas and solutions.
  Projects like the restoration of the Garland Hotel in Bedford 
leverage the spirit and morale of people in our small towns and local 
communities. 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 sets a positive example. It 
offers hope. It serves as a catalyst for a far-reaching ripple effect 
of positive changes.
  I congratulate the citizens of Bedford 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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