[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 24, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S3928]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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             CONGRAULATING SOUTHEAST ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT

 Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, I wish to pay tribute to the hard 
work of the students and faculty of the Southeast Island School 
District, their local community members, and their Superintendent, 
Lauren Busch.
  In response to high food costs, the school district sought funding 
and community support to build greenhouses for students at each of its 
four schools: Thorne Bay, Coffman Cove, Naukati, and Barry Stewart. 
Students and community members found funding, purchased and constructed 
greenhouses and are now using locally sourced biomass to heat them.
  While building a few greenhouses may not sound like much to those in 
the lower 48, things are different in Alaska. High transportation 
costs, high energy costs, the lack of access to raw materials, and 
sometimes severe weather all combine to make for a high cost of living. 
This makes this district-wide greenhouse project a tremendous 
achievement.
  A central part of my job is to explain how different Alaska is to my 
colleagues here and to help them understand these high costs our Alaska 
communities face. These are the central challenges of our State and, in 
one project, have been smartly and creatively addressed through the 
Southeast Island School District greenhouse program. In addition, the 
program also teaches students many other valuable skills, including 
entrepreneurship.
  I am proud to congratulate these hard-working and resourceful 
Alaskans and I wish them continued success.

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