[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16228]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



               DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA--AN ALL AMERICA CITY

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                         HON. E. CLAY SHAW, JR.

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2001

  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the city of 
Delray Beach, Florida, ``The Village By The Sea,'' for being one of the 
ten cities selected by the National Civic League for the 2001 All 
America City Awards.
  The All America City Award is America's oldest and most prestigious 
community recognition award. It recognizes exemplary grassroots 
community problem-solving and is given to communities that 
cooperatively tackle challenges and achieve results.
  To qualify as a contender for this competitive Award an application 
is submitted that illustrates how three community projects were made 
possible by the efforts of volunteers, government officials, and 
businesses. The three successful initiatives of Delray Beach were: (1) 
the Youth Enrichment Vocational Program, which teaches skills and 
creates opportunities for high-risk youth; (2) the Community Neighbors 
Helping, which provides elderly minority citizens with food, clothing, 
and services that they could not otherwise receive; and (3) the Village 
Academy, a deregulated public school which provides an environment to 
address the needs of at-risk grade-school students. All of these 
programs have assisted the countless Delray Beach citizens both young 
and old with opportunities for a better future.
  What makes each of these programs unique and warrants our attention 
is that through public and private cohesive efforts the residents of 
Delray Beach have, through their own initiative, created specific 
programs that address specific challenges that individuals in their 
community face. Public and private, resources are used to create these 
programs. A balance is created between individuals and organizations 
which makes these programs all the more better because everyone has 
contributed.
  Thanks to the Mayor, the City Commissioners, the City Manager, the 
City workers, and community organizations, churches, businesses and 
residents, the City of Delray Beach is once again an All America City. 
It is an accomplishment to be named once, but being named twice is a 
true distinction, which serves as an inspiration to every city in the 
State of Florida and sets a standard of civic responsibility that 
serves as a reminder to us all that the effort always counts.

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