[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 160 (Tuesday, December 7, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H8040-H8042]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING CENTENNIAL OF LILBURN, GEORGIA

  Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1642) recognizing

[[Page H8041]]

the centennial of the City of Lilburn, Georgia and supporting the goals 
and ideals of a City of Lilburn Day.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1642

       Whereas the City of Lilburn was founded in 1890 by the 
     Seaboard Airline Railway;
       Whereas the City was named after the general superintendent 
     of the railroad, Lilburn Trigg Myers of Virginia;
       Whereas, on July 27, 1910, the City of Lilburn, Georgia, 
     incorporated by the Georgia General Assembly and W.A. Carroll 
     became the city's first mayor and T.F. Brownlee, Dr. H.T. 
     Dickens, W.H. Massey, and J.S. Young were the first four 
     councilmen;
       Whereas John Choice's store was the first general store in 
     Lilburn, located at the crossroads of today's Rockbridge 
     Road, Harmony Grove Road, and Highway 29;
       Whereas a post office and voting precinct were established 
     at John Choice's store;
       Whereas Choice's store was a landmark on a Civil War map 
     used by General Sherman in his Atlanta campaign;
       Whereas by 1919, the town had grown to include a bank, 
     school, auto dealer, two doctors, and about nine merchants;
       Whereas the business section of Lilburn was largely 
     destroyed by fire on November 15, 1920;
       Whereas the depression of 1929 also took a heavy toll on 
     the area and the town gradually died and the government 
     organized in 1910 ceased to exist;
       Whereas it is claimed that the people were so quiet, well 
     behaved, orderly, and law abiding that there was no need for 
     government;
       Whereas the town gradually relocated along Highway 29, as 
     automobiles provided an alternative to the railroad and 
     thereby created an old and new Lilburn;
       Whereas the need for a water line in 1955 created a new 
     city government and the town began to grow again;
       Whereas in 1976, a new city hall was built in the Old Town 
     area and led to the vibrant City of Lilburn as it stands 
     today;
       Whereas the City of Lilburn has been home to several 
     notable citizens including National Basketball Association 
     Hall of Fame Player, Dominique Wilkins, and Miss Georgia 
     2009, Kimberly Gittings;
       Whereas the City of Lilburn boasts a diverse mix of 
     churches and temples, including Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, one 
     of the largest Hindu temples in the world and the largest 
     traditional, stone, and marble Hindu temple outside of India;
       Whereas the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir was completed and 
     dedicated in Lilburn on August 26, 2007;
       Whereas the City of Lilburn has a vibrant arts culture and 
     an active citizenry;
       Whereas the 37th annual Lilburn Daze, an arts and crafts 
     festival promoted by the Women's Club, is celebrated on the 
     second Saturday in October and features over 400 vendors;
       Whereas the annual Christmas parade, held on the second 
     Saturday in December, is always an anticipated event for the 
     community with over 70 participants marching down Main 
     Street;
       Whereas the City of Lilburn strongly values education and 
     is home to eight elementary schools, three middle schools, 
     three high schools, and five private schools;
       Whereas the City of Lilburn has undergone dramatic 
     demographic change since its incorporation, and boasts a 
     growing South Asian and Hispanic population;
       Whereas the 2000 Census found the population of the City of 
     Lilburn to be 11,307 people, 3,943 households, and 2,835 
     families;
       Whereas, on July 27, 2010, the City of Lilburn marked the 
     100th anniversary of its incorporation;
       Whereas the City of Lilburn will formally celebrate its 
     centennial on September 25, 2010;
       Whereas the Centennial Year Council, made up of Mayor Diana 
     Preston and Councilmen Scott Batterton, Johnny Crist, Tim 
     Dunn, and Eddie Price, has continued as well as initiated 
     projects such as the Downtown Development Authority, the 
     Lilburn Community Improvement District, the Lilburn Community 
     Partnership, and the Centennial Greenway Trail with the 
     intention that such projects will ensure a healthy and 
     vibrant community for generations to come;
       Whereas the City of Lilburn will celebrate its centennial 
     with numerous activities including music, games, an ice cream 
     social, and a mini-museum at numerous locations throughout 
     the city; and
       Whereas the commitment to preserving Lilburn's legacy is 
     evident today with its Centennial Celebration on September 
     25, 2010, which brings the past and the present together to 
     reflect, to plan, and to act for the community to continue to 
     grow and prosper: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the centennial of the City of Lilburn, 
     Georgia;
       (2) congratulates the City of Lilburn, Georgia, on its 
     centennial;
       (3) supports the goals and ideals of a City of Lilburn Day; 
     and
       (4) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling upon the people of the United States to observe such 
     with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CLAY. Madam 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 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I now yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  On behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am 
pleased to present House Resolution 1642 for consideration. This 
measure recognizes the centennial of the City of Lilburn, Georgia. 
House Resolution 1642 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman 
from Georgia, Hank Johnson, on September 22, 2010. The measure enjoys 
the support of over 50 Members of the House.
  Madam Speaker, the City of Lilburn was founded in 1890 by the 
Seaboard Airline Railway and incorporated in 1910 by the Georgia 
General Assembly. This historic city has faced dramatic changes and 
tough times since its incorporation. Its business district was largely 
destroyed in a fire on November 15, 1920, and the Great Depression 
nearly wiped the city out for good.
  The city gradually relocated to an auto-friendly location around 
Highway 29 as widespread travel by car became an alternative to rail 
travel. In 1976, Lilburn's city hall was built in the city's original 
location, anchoring its Old Town district with shops and restaurants. 
Today, Lilburn is a vibrant, small city with an active arts community, 
a large and diverse collection of churches and temples, and growing 
South Asian and Latino populations.
  Madam Speaker, let us now congratulate the City of Lilburn on its 
centennial through the passage of House Resolution 1642. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today to support House Resolution 1642, which recognizes the 
centennial of Lilburn, Georgia. Located just outside of Atlanta, the 
City of Lilburn was incorporated by the Georgia General Assembly on 
July 27, 1910. I understand that Lilburn celebrated the centennial on 
September 25, and I wish to congratulate the city and everyone involved 
in the planning and execution of the festivities.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to join in support of this 
resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield 5 minutes to one of the 
original cosponsors of the resolution, and a gentleman who has 
represented the city over time, my good friend from the great State of 
Georgia, Mr. David Scott.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Clay, for your outstanding 
leadership on the committee and for your outstanding leadership in 
bringing forward this very, very appropriate and extraordinary 
resolution for a very extraordinary city that I have had the privilege 
of representing for many years that has now been redistricted over the 
years, and my colleague Hank Johnson now represents it. But once you 
represent Lilburn, you always represent the city of Lilburn.
  It is a fantastic city, made up of tremendous people who are very 
courageous, who are very smart, and who make a very significant 
contribution to every aspect of the forward progress of our great State 
of Georgia. So I am proud as a cosponsor of this resolution, which 
recognizes the history, the prominence, and the resilience, especially 
the resilience. Because you measure greatness not by the easy times; 
you measure greatness by the tough times that you go through and that 
you overcome. Such is the story of this great city of Lilburn, Georgia.
  As many of my colleagues know, and as I mentioned before, I had the 
privilege of representing Lilburn during my first term as a Member of 
Congress. I

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had my district office out there, and grew to love the people of 
Lilburn, and still do. And I can proudly say that the men and women of 
Lilburn are still as uplifting and courageous today as they were when I 
had the honor of representing that extraordinary city.
  It was first inhabited by Native Americans, Madam Speaker, the Native 
American tribes, in 1817. The city of Lilburn has since blossomed to a 
community now of over 11,000 people. This community now has eight 
elementary schools, three middle schools, three high schools, and five 
private schools. And I am proud to say that the education system within 
the city of Lilburn is creating the future leaders of my great State of 
Georgia, this Nation, and indeed, the world.
  Madam Speaker, the city of Lilburn has truly been tested, as I 
mentioned before, and as my colleagues have mentioned. Of the 
tremendous challenges facing this city, on that devastating day of 
November 15, 1920, the city business section was completely destroyed 
by a fire. And while the pulse of the city was tested by this fire, the 
great people of Lilburn rose to the challenge to reclaim their sense of 
community and partnership, rolled their sleeves up, and went to work 
and rebuilt this great city.
  And today I am proud to say that the city of Lilburn is largely 
associated with the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce, which now 
boasts a sound residential area, a thriving business section where 
historic buildings are for antiques, crafts, clothing, restaurants, and 
all in an inviting atmosphere. The culture, the arts, the business, 
education, these are areas of great contribution of this great city.
  Madam Speaker, today the city of Lilburn is represented by Mayor 
Diana Preston, Councilman Scott Batterton, Councilman John Crist, 
Councilman Tim Dunn, and Councilman Eddie Price, great people doing a 
great job. And together, these outstanding public leaders are 
continuing to advance the city of Lilburn in an economically and 
culturally vibrant and healthy way. The leaders of this great city have 
initiated projects such as Downtown Development Authority, the Lilburn 
Community Improvement District, the Lilburn Community Partner, and the 
Centennial Gateway Trail.
  Madam Speaker, greatness is here, and it is in the possession of the 
great city of Lilburn. I encourage all of my colleagues to unanimously 
pass this resolution in honor of this great and historic city, Lilburn, 
Georgia.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from the 
great State of Georgia who happens to represent the city of Lilburn, 
Georgia, and the chief sponsor of the resolution, Mr. Hank Johnson.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, today I am pleased, on behalf 
of the citizens of the great city of Lilburn, Georgia, to usher 
through, with the help of my friends, this resolution, which speaks to 
the prominence and the resilience of the people of Lilburn.
  My colleague David Scott has said it all, ladies and gentlemen. And I 
do appreciate him for his very eloquent words on behalf of this 
resolution. All has been said. It's tough to follow a Baptist preacher. 
And I won't even try at this time. But I would ask that my colleagues 
give this due consideration and please vote ``yes'' on this resolution, 
H. Res. 1642, recognizing the centennial of the city of Lilburn, 
Georgia.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. I ask for support of this resolution, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this measure.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1642.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CLAY. Madam 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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