[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18079]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES, DEDICATION OF THE BLUE RIVER 
                COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS CENTER BUILDING

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                          HON. KAREN McCARTHY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 9, 2004

  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a 
new addition to Metropolitan Community Colleges. On Friday September 
10, 2004, the Metropolitan Community Colleges will officially open the 
Campus Center Building at Blue River Community College. The new two 
story Campus Center Building is adjacent to the Education Center and 
the Western Missouri Public Safety Training Institute. The addition 
houses a lecture hall, student activities offices, food services along 
with the Academic Resource Center that includes library and tutoring 
facilities. The second floor features hi tech classrooms, laboratories 
and faculty offices.
  Since 1969, the Kansas City Metropolitan Community Colleges have been 
governed by an elected Board of Trustees. The six member Board serves 
for six years with jurisdiction over four community colleges and the 
Business and Technology Center encompassing the county of Jackson and 
parts of Cass, Clay and Platte County. In 1997 the Board of Trustees 
deemed that Blue River would be designated a Community College with 
locations in Blue Springs and Independence, Missouri.
  I have been a strong supporter of the Metropolitan Community Colleges 
and the educational opportunities they provide. As Ranking Member of 
the Intelligence Subcommittee for the Homeland Security Committee, I 
previously secured $400,000 in federal funding for first responder 
training at the Western Missouri Regional Police Academy at Blue River 
Community College. Since 9/11 we have become cognizant of the 
importance of well trained first responders for natural disasters and 
threats of terror.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Metropolitan 
Community Colleges for their continued growth with the addition of the 
Campus Center Building at Blue River Community College. The college 
provides a resource that impacts economic growth by educating a work 
force equipped to solve future problems.

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