[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8983]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              HONORING LOCAL LEGACIES PROJECT PARTICIPANTS

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                         HON. VERNON J. EHLERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 23, 2000

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the Local Legacies project 
that has served as the focal point of this year's Library of Congress 
Bicentennial celebration. Last year, each Member of Congress was asked 
to submit audio, visual, or textual documentation for at least one 
significant cultural heritage that has been important to his or her 
district, serving as a record for future generations. This 
documentation will be permanently housed in the collections of the 
Library's American Folklife Center. This evening, Members of Congress 
and Local Legacies project participants from across the country will 
gather in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building to celebrate 
the completion of this magnificent collection of historical material.
  I am proud to have participated in the Local Legacies project and 
personally thank volunteers Kathy Kuhn and Eileen Schwarz-Duty, who 
deserve an enormous amount of credit for gathering and compiling the 
Local Legacies project for the Third District of Michigan. Kathy and 
Eileen coordinated the massive effort of documenting The Festival of 
the Arts: The Nation's Largest All-Volunteer Arts Festival. This 
Festival is a three-day celebration of the arts held the first full 
weekend of June in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first festival 
was held in 1970 and has grown considerably over the years. In 1998, 
20,000 volunteers helped showcase the work of several thousand artists, 
dancers, musicians, poets, and other performers. Festival is also known 
for its wide variety of food booths set up by non-profit organizations 
that highlight various ethnic themes and culinary specialities. 
Festival hats, water bottles, beanie babies, posters, programs, pins, 
and a video are just a few of the many items that were submitted on 
behalf of the Third District. Because of the passion these two 
individuals have for Festival, the Library of Congress has received the 
best possible representation to what our major West Michigan event is 
all about.
  I encourage everyone to take a moment to explore the Local Legacies 
materials that have been submitted for inclusion in the Library's 
collection. All information regarding Local Legacies, including a 
complete project listing, can be accessed through the Library's 
Bicentennial Web site at: http://www.loc.gov/bicentennial.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to applaud the efforts of 
volunteers from across the country who have helped in the bicentennial 
celebration of America's oldest federal cultural institution, the 
Library of Congress. Thanks to their work and care in preserving the 
past, the cultural heritage of our nation will be preserved.




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