[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12086]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING LINCOLN, NEBRASKA MAYOR DON WESELY

 Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. President, I rise today to honor 
Mayor Don Wesely of Lincoln, Nebraska who on this day will relinquish 
his duties as leader of this great city in order to spend more time 
with his three children. After serving the Lincoln community for the 
past 25 years as mayor and a member of the Nebraska legislature, I 
believe Mayor Wesely has more than earned the opportunity.
  Don Wesely began his career in public service in 1978 at the tender 
age of 24, when he became the third youngest person ever to serve in 
the unicameral legislature. While serving the 26th legislative district 
of northeast Lincoln for 20 years, Don sponsored or cosponsored over 
300 initiatives that eventually became State law. His accomplishments 
as the chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee for 14 years 
have had a lasting effect on the State of Nebraska and his focus on 
those most in need has inspired his colleagues and constituents. When 
Don retired from the legislature in 1998, he was the eighth longest 
serving State senator in Nebraska history and he was only 44 years old.
  As mayor, Don Wesely presided over the city during troubled economic 
times, but managed to leave the city on solid financial footing for his 
successors. Mayor Wesely is a strong supporter of the largest 
infrastructure project in the city's history the Antelope Valley 
Project and I can attest to his persistent advocacy of Federal 
assistance for all aspects of the project, including flood control, 
transportation improvements, and community development. Mayor Wesely 
was also instrumental in crafting a unique and historic public-private 
partnership that resulted in the baseball-softball complex that is now 
the home of the minor league Lincoln Salt Dogs baseball team. And in a 
true measurement of his success in office, Mayor Wesely was a tireless 
promoter of private investment in the Lincoln area. During his last 2 
years in office, over 10,000 new jobs were created.
  I had the pleasure and honor of working with Don Wesely both when I 
was Governor of Nebraska and now during my time in the United States 
Senate, so I can say with conviction that he has served Lincoln and the 
State with distinction. I am proud to call Don Wesely a friend, and I 
join the Senate and all Nebraskans in wishing he and his children 
Sarah, Amanda, and Andrew all the best as they begin an exciting new 
chapter in their lives.

                          ____________________