[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 116 (Friday, July 29, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ON THE OCCASION OF THE WESTACRES COMMUNITY'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 29, 2011

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Community of 
Westacres in the Township of West Bloomfield, as its residents 
celebrate its 75th anniversary.
  In 1936, as the nation was still in the throes of the Great 
Depression and stood on the precipice of an unknown future, United 
States Senator James Couzens partnered with the Federal Emergency 
Relief Administration and Oakland Housing Inc., to establish the 
Westacres community. The vision was to build a community where working 
class Michigan residents and their families could have a place of their 
own and strive to achieve the American Dream. To this end, Oakland 
Housing Inc. put forward a number of guidelines to ensure that the 
residents of Westacres would be families interested in the welfare of 
their neighbors and in using the land they were provided to help them 
be self-sufficient.
  As with all new communities, Westacres faced a number of challenges, 
but its residents always rose to meet the call of service to their 
neighbors. In 1937, to address the need for public safety, residents 
started the Westacres Fire Department, a volunteer force to protect 
their community. Residents also took it upon themselves to create the 
Westacres Credit Union and Westacres Library to provide the financial 
support and continuing education for their neighbors. The residents 
also founded the Orchard Lake Community Church and at the height of our 
nation's need for austerity, established the nation's oldest ride pool 
to get workers to work while conserving resources.
  It is with a sense of great pride that over the last 75 years and 
from its humble beginnings, the Westacres community has grown and 
flourished as its residents have moved into America's dynamic middle 
class. Today, the community has grown to over 300 residences with 
dozens of families who have been part of Westacres for generations. As 
was the case when it was founded, service has continued to remain 
strong with the community residents who volunteer countless hours 
across the greater southeast Michigan community.
  It is with great honor and pride that I represent the community of 
Westacres, as it celebrates this most auspicious occasion. Through its 
history, Westacres and its residents represent the powerful success 
that can be achieved in the face of adversity. Westacres' 75th 
anniversary is indeed an impressive milestone and I wish its residents 
many more years of success and service to our community.

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