[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                   RECOGNIZING OXFORD-BELLEVUE FERRY

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I am proud to name Oxford-Bellevue 
Ferry, believed to be our Nation's oldest privately owned ferry, as the 
U.S. Senate Small Business of the Week.
  Currently owned and operated by Judy and Tom Bixler, the ferry has 
transported residents and tourists between the towns of Oxford and 
Bellevue across the Tred Avon River since 1683--more than 90 years 
before the Colonies came together to form the United States, making it 
one of the oldest companies in the country.
  Over the past three centuries, the ferry has become a part of the 
fabric of the community, with some residents calling it ``the pulse of 
the river.'' Residents have also come to associate the sound of the 
ferry's engine with the turning of the seasons: the first sounds mark 
the beginning of spring, while the ferry's final rumble of the year 
lets them know that fall has arrived.
  Tom and Judy purchased the ferry route and moved to Maryland in 2001. 
Since then, they have not only been good stewards of the ferry's 
history, but they have become pillars in the Oxford community and 
leaders in Maryland's tourism industry.
  Last year, Judy was appointed chair of the Maryland Tourism 
Development Board, where she advocates for Maryland's tourism industry 
and helps market Maryland as a tourist destination. In 2018, Tom and 
Judy were awarded the Community Impact Award by the Talbot County 
Department of Economic Development and Tourism for their commitment to 
serving Talbot County, its visitors, and its residents.
  I was proud to stand with Tom and Judy for the Oxford-Bellevue 
Ferry's 325th anniversary celebration in 2008 and am proud to recognize 
their continued success today. I hope the ferry will still be 
transporting Marylanders and tourists across the Tred Avon River for 
many years to come.

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