[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8426-8427]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    45TH ANNIVERSARY OF CAN DO, INC

 Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to 
recognize a driving economic force in Hazleton, PA. CAN DO, Inc., 
Community Area New Development Organization, has served the Greater 
Hazleton area with economic development initiatives since its founding 
in 1956.
  With the decline of the coal mining industry in the 1950s, Hazleton 
suffered terrible unemployment and low community morale, and several 
members of the community took it upon themselves to reverse the high-
unemployment trend in the region. With that, Dr. Edgar L. Dessen and a 
group of community leaders formed CAN DO. CAN DO's initial purpose was 
to raise money to turn around the difficult time that the community was 
experiencing.
  With its tremendous fundraising efforts, CAN DO raised almost 
$750,000, which was enough to purchase land for the development of an 
industrial park. In less than a year, Valmont Industrial Park was 
completed, providing an outstanding facility for businesses to call 
home. General Foam Company was the first firm to occupy the space and 
created 100 new jobs. This was just the beginning of the great work 
that CAN DO would do.
  Many years and several facilities later, CAN DO has revitalized 
Greater Hazleton in many ways. The dedication of the leadership in CAN 
DO is phenomenal, and it is without a doubt that they have changed the 
lives of many Northeastern Pennsylvania residents. When economic times 
were tough in the 1950s, CAN DO displayed the courage and initiative to 
revitalize their community.

[[Page 8427]]

  As they celebrate their 45th anniversary I would like to congratulate 
them with the following resolution:

       Whereas CAN DO is an economic development agency serving 
     Greater Hazleton in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and,
       Whereas CAN DO was founded in 1956 as a grass-roots 
     movement to attract new industries to Greater Hazleton as the 
     anthracite coal industry failed, and,
       Whereas CAN DO has created four industrial parts--Valmont 
     Industrial Park, Humboldt Industrial Park, McAdoo Industrial 
     and the CAN DO Corporate Center, and,
       Whereas CAN DO has been responsible for more than 280 
     development projects, and,
       Whereas CAN DO has been responsible for the creation of 
     more than 11,000 current jobs in Greater Hazleton, and
       Whereas CAN DO has been responsible for the creation of a 
     tax base worth millions of dollars, and,
       Whereas CAN DO has been recognized nationally for the 
     quality of their work in the field of economic development, 
     and
       Whereas CAN DO has worked cooperatively with other 
     governing and volunteer bodies to improve the general quality 
     of life for every man, woman, and child in and around Greater 
     Hazleton, and,
       Whereas CAN DO is this year celebrating its 45th 
     anniversary,
       Therefore, be it declared that CAN DO is to be 
     congratulated for reaching such an important milestone in its 
     long, distinguished history, and
       Be it declared that CAN DO is to be commended for 
     performing such meritorious service in the area of economic 
     development.

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