[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17776]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        CITY OF LATHRUP VILLAGE

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                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 10, 2003

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
commemorating the City of Lathrup Village, MI, on the 50th anniversary 
of its incorporation as a city. As the city celebrates this auspicious 
occasion, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the ways in which 
Lathrup Village's past shapes its future.
  The history of Lathrup Village dates back to 1923, when Louise 
Lathrup Kelley acquired 1,000 acres in what was then Southfield 
Township. Originally called Lathrup Townsite, the area followed Mrs. 
Kelley's unique development plans. Unlike most other cities, which 
develop in a haphazard, chaotic pattern of initial settlement followed 
by gradual and disorderly expansion, Lathrup Village was, from the very 
beginning, a planned community. Mrs. Kelley sought to balance the 
desire for development with the needs of the residents who would 
eventually live there. To this end, she reserved space for parks and 
planned the streets to provide access to all parts of the city and the 
larger metropolitan region. Under Mrs. Kelley's plans, which were quite 
progressive for the time, all houses were to be made of high quality 
brick, stone or masonry, and garages were required to be attached to 
the homes. From these initial plans, a beautifully ordered community 
grew into a charming city of just over 4,200 residents.
  The residents' desire to maintain the atmosphere of a village was 
reflected in their decision to keep the name Lathrup Village even after 
it incorporated as a city in 1953. For many of its residents, Lathrup 
Village is synonymous with close community, friendly neighbors, and 
cozy convenience.
  In the half century since Lathrup Village incorporated, its leaders 
and its residents have upheld the original intention of Mrs. Kelley's 
plans: to build a pleasant place to live. In the past 50 years, the 
City of Lathrup Village has lived up to that mission. Mr. Speaker, I 
commend the leadership of the City of Lathrup Village and its citizens 
who have indeed progressed with the times and maintained the values of 
a friendly, close-knit community.

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