[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 135 (Thursday, September 8, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN RECOGNITION OF BURR GRAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2016

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the remarkable 
service of Burr Gray to our community. Burr has served as the President 
of the Cabin John Citizens Association in Cabin John, Maryland for 20 
years. He was elected to lead the Association in 1997 and has served 
the Cabin John community with vision and distinction ever since.
  Burr is an exemplar of what it means to be engaged in a community. In 
1997, at the beginning of his first term, Burr encouraged members of 
the Cabin John community to become volunteers, to be active in its 
Citizens Association, and to participate in the first Cabin John Stream 
Cleanup. Thanks to Burr's leadership, the Cabin John Stream Cleanup is 
now a community tradition that keeps this waterway to the Potomac River 
and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay, clean. Burr also encouraged 
community members to support Friends of Cabin John Creek, a coalition 
of neighborhood community organizations working to curb stormwater 
runoff.
  Burr brought the community's love for the Potomac River to a new 
level when he began the Cabin John Regatta in 1999. This annual canoe 
trip has increased respect for the River within the community and 
allows members of the community to enjoy the natural beauty of Cabin 
John.
  Burr's other endeavors are numerous and include an annual community 
blood drive, plans for a playground at the Clara Barton Community 
Center, and formation of Friends of the Clara Barton Community Center. 
The list goes on and on.
  In 2008, Burr spearheaded the neighborhood effort to celebrate the 
400th Anniversary of Captain John Smith's voyage on the Potomac River 
in 1608. This event brought the community together and led the Citizens 
Association to publish Cabin John: Legends and Life of an Uncommon 
Place.
  Burr has served on the Boards of the Potomac Conservancy and Glen 
Echo Park. He also spearheaded efforts to preserve Gibson Grove, a 
cemetery for freed slaves. These efforts led to the restoration of the 
area and a historical panel to highlight the significance of the site.
  Over the last two decades, Burr has put the needs of the Cabin John 
community first and has personified Cabin John's traditions of service 
and leadership. I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our 
deepest gratitude and appreciation to Burr Gray for his 20 years of 
creative and visionary service to the community.

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