[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 29 (Monday, February 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING GRAND AVENUE MARKET

 Mr. MARSHALL. Madam President, today I wish to honor the hard 
work, determination, and sheer grit of the community of Plains, KS. 
Last month, Grand Avenue Market, the first grocery store in Plains in 
more than 20 years, opened for business.
  For too many across Kansas, food deserts--areas with little access to 
fresh produce--are all too commonplace. Last month, thanks to the 
decades-long commitment of community members in Meade County, 
especially the Community Enhancement Foundation of Plains, the grocery 
drought was finally brought to an end. But it wasn't easy.
  The project to bring a grocery store to Plains began in 2008, when 
the communities of Kismet and Plains raised nearly $500,000 out of the 
$2 million required for the initiative. Every day since, amid 
turbulence and trial, the greater community and the people of Plains 
never gave up.
  After receiving a loan from a USDA, the dream of not having to travel 
between up to 25 miles to neighboring towns to simply get groceries 
began to look more like reality. But hurdles in the form of a bank 
unwilling to honor a letter of credit and banks reluctant to supply 
another made that dream look rather dim. That is when the community 
contacted my office.
  Using our knowledge of USDA rural development financing programs, we 
reached out to banks in the area to see if they would be willing to 
participate in the project to bring fresh produce to Plains. Exploring 
community banks that understand the importance in investing in 
community infrastructure, one bank in particular began to emerge.
  Heartland Tri State Bank in Elkhart simply made this dream of so many 
in southwest Kansas possible. I know I speak for all Kansans when I say 
thank you. Thank you for your investment. Not merely an investment in a 
grocery store, but a much more important investment--an investment in 
people and their lives.
  It was my sincerest honor to play a small part in helping make Grand 
Avenue Market a reality. It is with great pleasure that I recognize 
Plains, KS; Heartland Tri State Bank; the Community Enhancement 
Foundation of Plains; and the surrounding community for their 
diligence, effort, and pure will in bringing an end to the grocery 
drought in their parcel of the prairie that we Kansans call 
home.

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