[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S9826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              VALLEY JUNCTION, IOWA, INNOVATIVE EXPANSION

 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 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 communities all across my State. That is 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 am 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, the citizens of Valley Junction, IA, have been working 
hard to make their area a true destination in central Iowa and a more 
vibrant community. With the help of a Main Street Iowa Challenge Grant, 
the Lagniappe in Valley Junction, a trendy boutique offering art, 
jewelry, gifts, accessories, and clothing with an emphasis on local 
artists is now expanding. The retail area will be expanded by 
approximately 1,000 square feet and will offer garden art, fountains, 
planters, wind chimes, and other outdoor accessories. The new addition 
will also add a social flare to the specialty shop with an outdoor 
seating area for 50 people. The second floor remodeling will allow 
expanded selection of wine and gourmet foods. The addition of a coffee/
wine bar, featuring a beautifully preserved oak and marble bar, will 
provide an elegant conversation area with access to a rooftop garden. 
This New Orleans-style atmosphere is quite fitting for this boutique, 
named for the Creole term for ``a little something extra''
  This expansion project is mainly the brainchild of Caren Sturm, the 
owner of the Lagniappe. Her creative and innovative thinking serves as 
an inspiration to the rest of Valley Junction, and the project itself 
will allow for expanded business hours, special events, private 
parties, and jazz music on a regular basis. This upwards expansion is 
an innovative solution to the lack of commercial space present in the 
Valley Junction area. It is a model for other proprietors to emulate, 
as demand for retail space far exceeds the availability of property. I 
salute Caren Sturm and the rest of Valley Junction for their hard work 
to maintain the status of their town as one of the best retail and 
downtown areas in Iowa.
  The beauty of the Main Street Iowa program is that the ideas and 
initiatives come from local creativity. 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 
Valley Junction, success itself comes from local leadership, local 
teamwork, and home-grown ideas and solutions.
  This project is a shining example of new construction and a catalyst 
for future projects. When people see one of the anchors of 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.
  So I congratulate Caren Sturm and the citizens of Valley Junction for 
putting together a winning proposal to secure a Main Street Challenge 
Grant. Their efforts to reinvigorate their historic downtown are 
setting a terrific example for other shopping districts across America, 
and for that, I salute them.

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