[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 16544-16545]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO GAITHERSBURG

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 19, 2005

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to commend the City of Gaithersburg for having recently been 
ranked seventeenth in the Nation on Money Magazine/CNN Money's list of 
``Best Places to Live.''

[[Page 16545]]

  The list ranked cities according to a number of quality-of-life 
criteria, accounting for economic, environmental, educational, and 
cultural factors. Gaithersburg excelled particularly in its access to 
museums and institutions of higher education, its sound environmental 
health, and its low elementary student-to-teacher ratio and crime rate.
  To the 58,000 residents of Gaithersburg, this commendation comes as 
no surprise. Gaithersburg is a strong and vibrant community, blessed 
with an active citizenry and a devoted civic leadership in Mayor Sidney 
Katz, City Manager David Humpton, and its City Council members. The 
area has also benefited from the recent revitalization of the Olde 
Towne residential and commercial district, an endeavor which has 
highlighted the benefits of thoughtful community planning and enhanced 
access to cultural and recreational activities. I am confident that 
Gaithersburg will continue to flourish in the coming years.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the people of the City of 
Gaithersburg in the House of Representatives, and I offer them my 
warmest congratulations on this honor.

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