[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 5987]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 5987]]

              THE 150TH BIRTHDAY OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of the City 
of Grand Rapids, Michigan, which on May 1, 2000, will celebrate its 
150th birthday. Residents of the city have been invited to commemorate 
the occasion with Mayor John Logie at the Grand Rapids Sesquicentennial 
Community Party, an event which will highlight the growth


and development of a city that is still on the ascent.
  When a group of fur trappers, explorers, loggers, and sod busters 
took a break from their daily activities on May 1, 1850, to make Grand 
Rapids an incorporated city, the estimated population was 2,686 
persons. The number of square miles that the city encompassed stood at 
four, the estimated number of city officials was sixteen, there were 
thirty two miles of road within city limits, and there was neither a 
police force nor a fire department. To be sure, the first mayor of 
Grand Rapids, Mr. Henry R. Williams, had his work cut out for him.
  Today, I think Mr. Williams would be extremely proud to see how far 
the city of Grand Rapids has come in its 150 years. Its population now 
stands at 192,000 persons, and, when surrounding metropolitan areas are 
added to this, the figure grows to 1,021,200. This makes Grand Rapids 
the second largest city in Michigan and the 58th largest city in the 
Nation. The city encompasses 45 square miles, employs over 2,000 city 
officials, has 562.81 miles of road within its limits, a police force 
of 379 officers and a fire department of 260 firefighters. Mr. 
President, I think it goes without saying that Mayor Logie also has a 
lot of work on his hands.
  The City of Grand Rapids has planned many events to be included as 
part of its Sesquicentennial Celebration. All elementary schools, 
public, private, and charter, will be served birthday cake on May 1. 
The original city boundary will be marked with special historic 1850 
signs. City officials have commissioned the designing of a parade float 
to participate in area parades, which depicts the Grand River and is 
fully equipped with jumping fish, fireworks, and depictions of historic 
buildings and neighborhoods. Free coloring books entitled ``The City of 
Grand Rapids: Then and Now,'' will be distributed on April 29, 2000.
  In addition, officials from the four sister cities of Grand Rapids--
Omihachiman, Japan; Bielsko-Biala, Poland; Perugia, Italy; and Ga 
District, Ghana--will join in the celebration. A time capsule, to be 
built into the new Archive Center, will receive its first items. One 
hundred and fifty trees will be planted throughout the community to 
commemorate the birthday celebration. A beginning list of 150 
historical sites in Grand Rapids will be released on April 29, 2000, 
and will be completed throughout the year. And finally, the Grand 
Rapids Press will publish four essays, submitted by Grand Rapids 
residents, as a tribute to the birthday, with the topics of these 
essays ranging from diversity to the city's quality of life.
  Mr. President, in one hundred and fifty years, residents of Grand 
Rapids have experienced their fair share of both prosperity and 
decline. At the end of World War II, the future of Grand Rapids looked 
bleak. Through the incredible efforts of thousands of individuals in 
the years since, though, the city has managed to turn the tables full 
tilt. As we enter the new millennium, Grand Rapids is enjoying the 
greatest economic boom in its history. With this economic prosperity 
has come a remarkable turn in the overall quality of life that 
residents enjoy. Also, it should be noted that Grand Rapids is one of 
Michigan's most diverse cities, diversity which increases everyday as 
more and more jobs are created within city limits. The turnaround of 
Grand Rapids serves as a model, and an inspiration, to other cities, 
not only in Michigan, but throughout the Nation.
  Mr. President, I extend greetings to all those participating in the 
Grand Rapids Sesquicentennial Community Party, and the many other 
events that have been planned for the celebration of the anniversary. 
On behalf of the entire United States Senate, I wish the City of Grand 
Rapids a happy 150th birthday.

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