[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 12, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E6]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA CHAMBER OF 
                                COMMERCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 12, 2010

  Mr. STUPAK. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the Keweenaw Peninsula 
Chamber of Commerce on the organization's 50th anniversary serving 
Copper Country. Over the course of five decades the Chamber has 
fostered a vision of bringing communities on the peninsula together to 
promote the economic development of the entire region.
  The Keweenaw Peninsula, the northern-most point in Michigan's Upper 
Peninsula, is surrounded by the majestic Lake Superior on three sides, 
and whether driving, biking, kayaking or snowmobiling the area provides 
some of the most scenic trails and waterways in the entire Nation. It 
served as the center of the Upper Peninsula's and the Nation's copper 
mining industry for generations, earning the region's nickname Copper 
Country. It is also home to Michigan Technological University in 
Houghton, Michigan, which has been named one of the ``Best Buys in 
Education'' by U.S. News and World Report.
  The Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1959 when 
the Houghton Association of Commerce and the Hancock Chamber of 
Commerce were combined to form the Houghton-Hancock Chamber of 
Commerce. The purpose of this merger was to advance the civic, 
educational, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, and 
tourist interests in the areas of Houghton, Hancock, and Portage Lake.
  In 1978 the Houghton-Hancock Chamber of Commerce changed its name to 
the Copper Country Chamber of Commerce. The organization officially 
took the name of Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce on December 12, 
1985. At this time Chambers from Lake Linden, Painesdale, South Range, 
and Copper Harbor, among others, fused into this single entity. This 
regional Chamber works to advance the general welfare of Houghton and 
Keweenaw Counties to ensure its citizens and businesses prosper.
  The Chamber is continuing its work to serve the region with an effort 
to unite with the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance and the 
Keweenaw Convention and Visitor Bureau to lead Houghton and Keweenaw 
Counties in the development and enhancement of tourism, economic 
development, and business related activities.
  Madam Speaker, the Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has served 
as a leader in improving civic life and economic development in the 
Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The Chamber's 
commitment to both the traditions and to the future of Copper Country 
serves to benefit all who live in and enjoy the resources and beauty 
Keweenaw Peninsula has to offer. Therefore Madam Speaker, I ask that 
you, and all of my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives, 
join me in recognizing the Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce on 
its 50th anniversary.

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