[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 28065]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING NEIL ARMSTRONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON MOVING INTO THEIR 
                              NEW FACILITY

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                            HON. TIM MAHONEY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 23, 2007

  Mr. MAHONEY of Florida. Madam Speaker, today, Neil Armstrong 
Elementary School in Port Charlotte, Florida is celebrating the first 
day of school for the second time this year. It is my honor to rise 
today to congratulate the resilient and determined staff, students, and 
parents of Neil Armstrong Elementary School as they move into their new 
permanent school facility.
  On August 13, 2004, the school's campus was completely destroyed by 
Hurricane Charley. Immediately following the Hurricane, the students 
attended classes on a split shift arrangement at Liberty Elementary 
School until they moved into a temporary modular school on the grounds 
of Port Charlotte Middle School.
  Today, the students and staff move in to a brand new 112,000 square 
foot school. The newly completed school has been built to Leadership in 
Energy and Environmental Design, LEED, standards, which is a nationally 
accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high 
performance green buildings.
  Neil Armstrong Elementary School is named in honor of the first man 
on the moon, Neil A. Armstrong. A replica of the space suit that he 
wore on his historic lunar voyage will be displayed in the lobby of the 
new school.
  When Neil Armstrong took that first step on the moon, he understood 
the importance of his small step and how it represented the 
determination of mankind. Today, I am pleased to paraphrase Mr. 
Armstrong in recognizing that the first step on the new campus today 
represents a giant leap toward recovery from the ravages of Hurricane 
Charley in Charlotte County.
  On behalf of Florida's 16th Congressional District, I wish the Neil 
Armstrong Elementary School community our congratulations and our best 
wishes for a long and successful future in their new home.

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