[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 1, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING CAROLE PAGONES

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to publicly recognize 
and honor Carole Pagones on the occasion of her retirement from Main 
Street Sioux Falls, Inc. Under her extraordinary leadership, Main 
Street Sioux Falls helped to engineer a dramatic revitalization of the 
core commercial district in South Dakota's largest city.
  When Carole took the helm at Main Street Sioux Falls, first-floor 
vacancies in downtown buildings were at a discouraging 69 percent, and 
the downtown area was usually deserted after 5 o'clock. Like so many 
towns and cities, Sioux Falls struggled to maintain the vitality of the 
area that was once its heart and soul.
  While some merely lamented this situation, Carole energetically set 
about changing it. During a 12-year stint as the executive director of 
Main Street Sioux Falls, and later as the organization's development 
director, she initiated new events to draw people to the area. She 
worked to enhance the area's appearance to make it more inviting. The 
historic preservation of building facades and outdoor dining 
opportunities are particularly valuable enhancements for the downtown 
area. And she wielded her personal charm to persuade individual 
businesses to return to the area.
  Today, any visitor to downtown Sioux Falls can immediately sense the 
wonderful results of Carole's efforts. Numerous shops, restaurants, and 
other businesses now operate in an area that is once again one of the 
city's most desirable locations. Statistics tell the same story--under 
Carole's tenure, the vacancy rate that once stood at nearly three 
quarters of all first-floor downtown properties has been whittled down 
to a mere 7 percent.
  Besides restoring the vibrancy of the core downtown area, Carole has 
also helped Sioux Falls prepare for transformational developments that 
will expand and improve what we have traditionally considered to be 
``downtown''. For example, the Philips-to-the-Falls project will link 
downtown with the natural amenities of nearby Falls Park. And 
development is now gaining steam on the ``East Bank'' of the Big Sioux 
River, opposite the vibrant area on the west side of the river.
  Though Carol's presence at Main Street Sioux Falls will be sorely 
missed following her retirement, she leaves the organization well 
prepared to build upon her remarkable record of success. Fortunately, 
Sioux Falls and the entire State will continue to benefit from Carole's 
leadership through her membership on the State's Board of Regents and 
her ongoing participation in many Main Street Sioux Falls events.
  On behalf of all South Dakotans, I congratulate Carole Pagones for 
her outstanding leadership, and I wish her continued successes on all 
her new challenges and opportunities.

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