[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 186 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2514-E2515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMENDING THE CITY OF PRICHARD, ALABAMA, AND ITS MAYOR RON DAVIS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 6, 2007

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the city of 
Prichard, Alabama, its mayor, Ron Davis, and the city council for 
successfully eliminating the city's debt.
  On November 9, 2007, Mayor Davis signed two checks at a ceremony at 
the A.J. Cooper Municipal Complex, officially paying off the city's 
creditors a full year ahead of schedule. As Mayor Davis stated while 
signing these checks, the city of Prichard is now open for business--
business that includes the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Alabama Motorsports Park 
and theme park, which will feature stock car racing, drag racing, and a 
road course.

[[Page E2515]]

  Founded as a settlement in the 1830s, Prichard was incorporated as a 
city in 1925. During World War II, it became home to many who worked 
for the shipbuilding companies in Mobile.
  The closing of Brookley Air Force Base in the late 1960s, followed by 
the closings of Scott and International Paper companies in the early 
1990s, cost many Prichard residents their jobs and forced them to move 
away from the city. In 1999, the city filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy 
protection in federal court, revealing the city owed $5.3 million to 
creditors. Over the last eight years, the city has been paying this 
debt with quarterly payments--some as much as $1.5 million.
  Madam Speaker, the residents of Prichard, Alabama, have firmly rooted 
themselves in their proud history, but they also keep an optimistic and 
careful eye on the road ahead. I have no doubt that the consistent 
leadership and inspired vision of today's residents will lead to great 
success in the coming years.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the city of Prichard as 
well as the leadership of Mayor Ron Davis and the city council. It is 
my hope that Prichard enjoys continued prosperity, and it is my 
distinct pleasure to represent this community in the United States 
House of Representatives.

                          ____________________