[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8385]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO THE CITY OF NORCO'S 85TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 8, 2008

  Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to 
an exceptional town in my congressional district. The town of Norco, 
California, was dedicated on May 13, 1923. Founded by a dynamic 
entrepreneur, Rex B. Clark, and funded by his wife Grace Scripps Clark, 
daughter of powerful newspaper mogul James Scripps. This 15-square-mile 
community of Norco began as a California agricultural powerhouse and 
today is known as ``Horse Town U.S.A.'' Clark's original concept was to 
develop a community of ``go-getters'' whereby a man could live and feed 
his family off the land. With a town motto of ``Acres of Neighbors,'' 
the dream was wildly successful as Norco brand tomatoes, grapes, 
berries, lettuce, chickens, and other produce were sent all over the 
United States.
  A chance discovery of hot mineral water in 1926 led Rex Clark to yet 
another dream: The Norconian Resort Supreme--a 700-acre masterpiece 
that opened to worldwide acclaim on February 2, 1929, complete with 60-
acre manmade lake, magnificent golf course, Lake Casino, hotel, spa, 
separate chauffeurs' quarters and the only Southern California AAU 
Qualifying outdoor pool until the 1932 Olympic games. Hollywood flocked 
to the resort and stars such as Clark Gable, Norma Shearer, Buster 
Keaton and Joan Crawford were regular visitors at what may well have 
been the finest resort of its kind on the west coast. MGM and Fox 
Studios held company picnics on the site as did Disney Studios who held 
a famous party in 1938 to commemorate the success of ``Snow White and 
the Seven Dwarfs''.
  On May 20, 1928, the lavish swimming and diving pools opened to greet 
the 1928 USA Men and Women's Olympic Swimming and Diving Team. Swimmer 
Cecily Cuhna highlighted the day with setting a world record. If a 
swimmer or diver participated in the 1928, 1932 or 1936 Olympics those 
athletes competed, trained or exhibited at the Norconian Resort.
  Many more memorable events and activities occurred in the coming 
years and in the most unlikely of places: the poultry town of Norco. On 
December 8, 1941, the depression-weary resort became one of the 
preeminent naval hospitals in the Nation and at its peak in 1945 
serviced 5,000 wounded, sick and battle-weary sailors and marines. The 
first patients were casualties of the infamous Pearl Harbor attack and 
recuperated in the exquisite hotel rooms. The Naval Hospital quickly 
set the standard in a number of areas which included the treatment of 
polio, use of penicillin to conquer malaria and tuberculosis, and the 
development of prosthetics and occupational therapy.
  Norco was also the birthplace of wheelchair basketball on the wheels 
of the fabulous ``Rolling Devils.'' The stars, who once were guests of 
the former Norconian Resort, turned out ``for the boys''; Gary Cooper, 
Abbott and Costello, The Three Stooges, Marlene Dietrich, Jack Benny, 
Bob Hope and dozens of other stars entertained wounded heroes from 
battles in the Pacific. Eleanor Roosevelt was also a visitor, as was 
Helen Keller, and ball club owner Bill Veeck, a wounded marine, guided 
his Cleveland Indians to a World Series Championship from a hospital 
bed in Norco.
  Norco citizens rallied behind the war effort with record bond sales 
and patriotism on many occasions raising thousands of dollars more than 
cities ten times larger in size and population. After World War II and 
Korea, Norco once again became an agricultural powerhouse, but, with 
the closing of the Naval Hospital in 1957, the entire area went into an 
economic tailspin. However, in 1963 a long forgotten real estate agent 
scrawled the words ``Horse Property for Sale'' on a piece of white 
butcher paper and very quickly Norco became the home to horse lovers. 
Incorporated in December of 1964 to protect its ``rural lifestyle,'' 
Norco is home to a community fiercely devoted to the equestrian 
lifestyle with large properties, extensive open space and a horse trail 
on every street--120 miles of horse trails to be exact.
  Over the weekend of May 9, 10, and 11, 2008, Norconians will remember 
their past and celebrate a truly unique Southern California Equestrian 
lifestyle. It is an honor to represent the town of Norco in Congress 
and I congratulate the town and residents on 85 years of service to 
their country and community.

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