[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 66 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE BILL SANDBERG, MAYOR OF NORTH 
                         SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 24, 2008

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness 
that I come to the floor to speak about my dear friend, my mentor, and 
a tremendous Minnesota civic leader, Mayor Bill Sandberg of North Saint 
Paul. Mayor Sandberg passed away earlier this week to the great sadness 
to all who loved him and worked with him. For 30 years Bill served as 
North Saint Paul's mayor and his extraordinary leadership, warm smile 
and soft laugh will be missed.
  Mayor Sandberg was profoundly committed to his family, our community, 
and his country. Having lived in North Saint Paul and raised my 
children there, I can say the success and well-being of our city was in 
large part due to Bill's hard work and his pride in serving his 
neighbors. Bill loved North Saint Paul and his constituents loved him.
  All of us who worked with Bill Sandberg over the years were fortunate 
and blessed. We are all better for his friendship. In the mid 1980s it 
was Mayor Sandberg who encouraged me to stay involved in politics after 
I lost my first election and he created the opportunity for me to enter 
public life with an appointment to a city committee. Even though he was 
a Republican and I am Democrat, it didn't matter to Bill who always put 
public service and common sense first. He went out of his way to work 
with me and I am a better public official because of him.
  In 1987, I was elected to the North Saint Paul City Council where I 
served with Mayor Sandberg for the next four years. After that, in the 
Minnesota State House and in Congress, I have had the honor of 
representing North Saint Paul and working closely with the mayor to 
keep the city strong and vibrant.
  Bill Sandberg was also a devoted family man. His love and lifelong 
companion, Dolores, was a wonderful person who Bill cared for 
throughout her life. Bill was also blessed by a loving daughter, Karen, 
and son-in-law, Jack, have two wonderful children who also loved their 
grandfather very much.
  Madam Speaker, I personally feel a great personal loss with Bill's 
death and I will miss him profoundly. He was a kind, loving man who was 
a blessing in my life and the lives of the many who he served over the 
years.

                          ____________________