[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CELEBRATING THE CENTENNIAL OF THE VILLAGE OF KENSINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 21, 2009

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
Village of Kensington on the occasion of its centennial. As one of New 
York's most unique and historic communities, Kensington is a quiet 
treasure on the North Shore of Long Island. With its beautiful green 
space, stylish architecture, and warm-hearted residents, Kensington has 
become synonymous with pleasant living.
  The original vision for a ``planned colony'' on Long Island which 
would become Kensington, was the brainchild of the President of Aetna 
Bank in New York, Charles Finlay, and his partner, E.J. Rickert. With 
the farmland they purchased, Mr. Finlay and Mr. Rickert envisioned a 
community of spectacular homes amidst natural beauty, while maintaining 
proximity to the local railroad station. Their vision became a reality 
when in February 1909, the Kensington Association was created to 
organize Village improvements, including roads, landscaping, utilities, 
pool facilities, and walkways.
  Rickert and Finlay built Kensington's famous white gates, modeled 
from those of London's Kensington Gardens, and named the Village after 
its new landmark. Improvements to Kensington continued, while honoring 
Rickert's and Finlay's vision for maintaining the natural beauty of the 
area. By a unanimous vote of Kensington's residents, Kensington became 
an incorporated village on November 28, 1921.
  While a lot has changed around Kensington since that time, the 
Village has remained a wonderful community in which to raise a family 
and live out the American dream. Despite the hustle and bustle of the 
worlds' greatest metropolis just a few miles away, Kensington continues 
to be a community of tranquility. Its welcoming white gates will always 
symbolize the hospitable nature of its residents. I ask all my 
colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me in 
honoring Mayor Susan Lopatkin, Deputy Mayor Gail Strongwater, Trustees 
Howard Diamond, Alina Hendler, and Gregory Keller, Village Clerk/
Treasurer Arlene Giniger, and all the people of the Village of 
Kensington on their 100th anniversary.

                          ____________________