[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 29, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E102]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO MR. RONEY CHEERS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 29, 2008

  Mr. McINTYRE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Roney 
Cheers of Shallotte, North Carolina, who recently passed away. The life 
of Mr. Cheers was diverse in experience and rich in success. The 
interests and endeavors of Mr. Cheers varied extensively. However, the 
common thread that wove all of his passions together was his devotion 
to and pride for his hometown of Shallotte.
  Mr. Cheers was elected mayor of Shallotte at the age of 26, the 
youngest in the State of North Carolina at the time, and would return 
to the office again years later for nearly a decade. He also served as 
alderman for the town of Shallotte, first in 1947 and again from 1991 
to 1999. Mr. Cheers would go on to serve his State as a justice of the 
peace as well as magistrate. A man with an expansive vision for the 
future, he was instrumental in helping establish the weekly publication 
that currently serves many of the coastal communities in North 
Carolina, The Brunswick Beacon.
  Throughout his life, Mr. Cheers was also active in the non-political 
aspects of his community, for example, serving as chairman of the 
Shallotte Centennial Committee in 1998 and spearheading efforts to mark 
the town's 100th anniversary and celebrate its rich history. As Co-
Chairman and Co-Founder of the Congressional Caucus on Youth Sports, I 
appreciate his dedication to the young athletes of his community. 
Through his work as a volunteer referee and umpire, Mr. Cheers clearly 
recognized the importance of serving as a positive role model and 
mentor for the next generation.
  Individuals like Mr. Cheers serve as powerful inspirations for what 
can be accomplished with limitless energy and persistent drive. As a 
lifelong servant to the town of Shallotte as well as one of its most 
devoted visionaries, Mr. Cheers never forgot the traditions of the 
small town he grew up in while working simultaneously towards its 
growth and progress. May we never forget and always be grateful for the 
contributions and service of Mr. Cheers.

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