[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 149 (Tuesday, November 16, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7459-H7460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1428) recognizing Brooklyn Botanic Garden on its 
100th anniversary as the preeminent horticultural attraction in the 
borough of Brooklyn and its longstanding commitment to environmental 
stewardship and education for the City of New York.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1428

       Whereas Brooklyn Botanic Garden opened to the public in 
     1910;
       Whereas the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a 52-acre urban 
     oasis in the heart of Brooklyn, New York, and features more 
     than 11,000 different kinds of plants from around the world;
       Whereas the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is made up of many 
     exquisite and historic specialty gardens, including the 
     Japanese-Hill-and-Pond-Garden, the Children's Garden, the 
     Native Flora Garden, the Cranford Rose Garden, the Alice 
     Recknagel Ireys Fragrance Garden, and the Steinhardt 
     Conservatory;
       Whereas more than 730,000 visitors a year enjoy the 
     Brooklyn Botanic Garden;
       Whereas the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is host to a world 
     renown Cherry Blossom Festival;
       Whereas the Brooklyn Botanic Garden provides premier 
     environmental education for children and adults;
       Whereas the Brooklyn Botanic Garden improves public 
     education in Brooklyn through a partnership with the Brooklyn 
     Academy of Science and the Environment High School and has 
     provided valuable training, curriculum development, and field 
     study opportunities that would otherwise not be available;
       Whereas the people of Brooklyn enjoy spending time in the 
     beautiful gardens, making it a center for socializing, 
     recreation, and education; and
       Whereas the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has become an integral 
     part of the cultural life and economic development of 
     Brooklyn and provides an invaluable service to residents: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the 
     Brooklyn Botanic Gardens on its 100th anniversary as the 
     preeminent horticultural attraction in the borough of 
     Brooklyn and for its longstanding commitment to environmental 
     stewardship and education for the City of New York.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Bilbray) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.


                             General Leave

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I now yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of H. Res. 1428, a resolution recognizing the 100th 
anniversary of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
  H. Res. 1428 was introduced by our colleague, the gentlewoman from 
New York, Representative Yvette Clarke, on June 9 of 2010. It was 
referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which 
ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on July 28, 2010. 
The measure enjoys the support of 50 Members of the House.
  Mr. Speaker, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a top cultural and 
environmental attraction in New York City, attracting over 730,000 
visitors each year. It is a superb example of urban gardening and 
horticultural display, serving local residents and international 
visitors alike, and also features a number of educational programs 
through a partnership with the Brooklyn Academy of Science and the 
Environment High School.
  The Brooklyn Botanic Garden features a number of specialty gardens 
and collections on its 52 acres, including a collection of cherry trees 
that allows it to host a world-renowned Cherry Blossom Festival each 
spring. Its other collections hold over 11,000 different varieties of 
plants from all over the world, representing an invaluable cultural and 
scientific resource.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Brooklyn Botanic 
Garden on its 100th anniversary and for its commitment to education, 
community service, and environmental stewardship.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1428, 
recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

                              {time}  1420

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield time to the sponsor of 
the bill, our colleague, Representative Yvette Clarke, for such time as 
she may consume.
  Ms. CLARKE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Ms. Norton, for giving 
me this opportunity to share with everyone how proud I am to rise in 
support of H. Res. 1428, which recognizes and salutes the Brooklyn 
Botanic Gardens on the occasion of its 100th anniversary as the 
preeminent horticultural attraction in the borough of Brooklyn and its 
longstanding commitment to the environmental stewardship and education 
for the City of New York.
  The Brooklyn Botanic Garden opened its doors to the public in 1910. 
Today, this 52-acre urban oasis features more than 11,000 different 
kinds of plants from around the world and specialty gardens, including 
the Japanese Hill and Pond Garden, the Children's Garden, the Native 
Flora Garden, the Cranford Rose Garden, the Alice Recknagel Ireys 
Fragrance Garden, and the Steinhardt Conservatory.
  The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is an important part of the Brooklyn 
community, reaching over 150,000 children every year through various 
programs on site, in schools, and throughout the community. This garden 
contributes to the environmental and public education in Brooklyn and 
throughout the city of New York through partnerships with the Brooklyn 
Academy of Science and the Environment High School. The Brooklyn 
Botanic Garden hosts an annual Cherry Blossom Festival and has become 
an integral part of the cultural life and economic development of the 
city of New York and provides an invaluable service to its residents.
  Today, under the leadership of President Scot Medbury and Board 
Chairman Frederick Bland, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden thrives in a 
dense urban setting in the heart of New York's 11th Congressional 
District and welcomes more than 725,000 visitors annually.
  The garden serves more than 150,000 youth annually through a wide 
range of on-site, in-school, and community-based initiatives. It is a 
leader in building stronger, healthier communities through programs 
such as GreenBridge, which involves over 60,000 residents annually in 
neighborhood greening projects. Through its scientific research, plant 
conservation projects, and award-winning publications, the garden is a 
vital source of public awareness and understanding of the essential 
role plants play in our lives.
  While the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has had 100 wonderful years of 
establishment, I am excited to see what the future holds for this great 
institution. I am happy to see that it is revitalizing its 52 acres by 
developing more than 4 acres of new and enhanced gardens for the 
enjoyment and education of the public, improving facilities to orient 
and serve visitors, and expanding its community horticulture programs.

[[Page H7460]]

  The new herb garden opened in the spring of 2010 and is the first of 
several new and re-imagined gardens to come. The Visitor Center, 
currently under construction, will be an extraordinary demonstration of 
what can be achieved through environmentally sensitive design and will 
help the garden better welcome its growing audience. A series of 
exciting projects will continue to unfold over the next several years 
in response to the urgent call for beauty and renewal in urban life and 
for environmental stewardship at all levels of society.
  As a Brooklyn native, for years I have seen how this dynamic 
institution has educated people of all diverse urban neighborhoods 
about the importance of enhancing the quality of their surroundings 
through the cultivation and enjoyment of plants. It has done an 
outstanding job of bringing public awareness to the importance of 
sustaining our environment and providing access to the tools and ways 
in which we can conserve and protect it.
  I urge anyone who has the chance to visit the garden and witness 
firsthand the abundance of breathtaking plant life that resides in the 
middle of Brooklyn. All of us in Brooklyn appreciate the role that the 
Brooklyn Botanic Garden plays in our lives, and we look forward to 
continuing the enjoyment of this beautiful institution. The Brooklyn 
Botanic Garden is truly a national treasure.
  This recognition is well deserved, and I urge my colleagues to join 
me in passing this very important legislation.
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield).
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Let me thank the gentlelady for yielding this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today for two reasons. First, to offer my support 
for H.R. 1428, the measure that was offered by the gentlelady from 
Brooklyn, New York (Ms. Clarke). That is a resolution recognizing the 
Brooklyn Botanic Garden on its 100th anniversary. That is a good 
resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I also rise today in support of H. Res. 1475, which was 
a resolution that I offered some months ago. Unfortunately, I was not 
on the floor a few moments ago when this matter was taken up, and I 
regret that I was not here at that very moment. But I wanted to come to 
the floor now to offer my strong support for H. Res. 1475, which is a 
resolution congratulating the town of Tarboro, North Carolina, on the 
occasion of its 250th anniversary. I introduced this resolution in June 
of this year, with 54 original cosponsors, including the entire North 
Carolina House delegation. I thank my North Carolina colleagues for 
their very strong support.
  Most people, Mr. Speaker, may not know about Tarboro, North Carolina, 
or the tremendous impact the town made on the history of our State and 
Nation.
  On November 30, 1760, the North Carolina General Assembly approved 
the charter for the town, and Tarboro was born, making it the 11th 
oldest colonial town in our State. President George Washington visited 
the town during an historic visit through the South in 1791, choosing 
to overnight in this small town. Settled as a trading post on the Tar 
River in the mid 18th century, Tarboro thrived as a river port.
  Mr. Speaker, Tarboro was also an early political incubator and 
produced two Congressmen who both represented the Second Congressional 
District of North Carolina in this House.
  Congressman George H. White was elected to Congress in 1897 and 
served until 1901. He was the last Reconstruction-era African American 
from the South to serve in Congress until the 1970s. Rising racial 
tension made it impossible for George H. White to win a third term in 
Congress. His final speech before his congressional colleagues right 
here on this House floor has inspired Americans for over 100 years. He 
said, and I quote: ``This, Mr. Chairman, is perhaps the Negroes' 
temporary farewell to the American Congress, but let me say, Phoenix-
like, he will rise up someday and come again.'' That statement was made 
right in this Chamber.
  Congressman L.H. Fountain served in the U.S. House of Representatives 
from 1953 until 1983. He is remembered for being a stalwart advocate 
for small towns such as Tarboro during his service in the House.
  Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs, Retired General Hugh 
Shelton of the United States Army, who served in that position under 
President Bill Clinton, was born in Tarboro and reared in the 
neighboring town of Speed, where he continues to live today.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, Tarboro is home to some 11,000 residents. They 
are my constituents. Its ideal location on the banks of the Tar River 
historically served as a thriving river port and trading post, and 
today offers extensive fishing, boating, and recreation for people of 
all ages.
  Tarboro's downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic 
Places, where many original structures are still in use today, 
including restaurants and theaters and quaint shops, and even the home 
of Congressman George H. White and the home of Congressman L.H. 
Fountain. Its town commons joins Boston, Massachusetts, as the only 
original remaining town common on the East Coast. The town continues to 
grow and evolve while maintaining its connection to history and 
originality.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent this town. It is indeed an 
historic day for the residents of Tarboro, and I sincerely congratulate 
the town on the occasion of its 250th anniversary. I am pleased that 
the House is considering this resolution. I urge my colleagues to vote 
``aye'' when it is presented for a vote.
  Again, I would like to thank the gentlelady and I also would like to 
thank my friend Mr. Bilbray from California for their courtesy.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to lend my support for H. Res. 
1428, which seeks to recognize Brooklyn Botanic Garden on its 100th 
anniversary, as the preeminent horticultural attraction in the borough 
of Brooklyn, and its longstanding commitment to environmental 
stewardship and education for the City of New York.
  Built from a site that functioned as an ash dump in the 1800s, the 
Brooklyn Botanic Gardens have become a preeminent example of the finest 
urban gardening, and a model for environmental stewardship.
  The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens prides itself on a strong commitment to 
education, community outreach, and scientific research. Programs like 
Project Green Reach and the Garden Apprentice Program provide a 
science-focused educational program for over 2,500 K-12 participants 
annually from Brooklyn's public Title I schools. The program provides 
youth with unique, hands-on opportunities for personal growth and 
career development, through learning about science, ecology, and the 
environment in their classrooms, in their neighborhoods, and right at 
the Garden.
  Its 52 acres in the heart of Brooklyn, New York serves as a premier 
environmental education site for New York City's youth, a get-away for 
the 730,000 annual visitors, and an exquisite recreational spot for New 
Yorkers.
  I commend the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens for its numerous achievements 
over the last 100 years, and I wish them luck over the next century as 
it continues to serve the community.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1428.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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