[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 24]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 32651]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE BOURBON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL BAND FOR WINNING CLASS A 
         CHAMPION IN THE BANDS OF AMERICA NATIONAL COMPETITION

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                           HON. BEN CHANDLER

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 16, 2009

  Mr. CHANDLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
accomplishments of a special group of students in my congressional 
district. In November, the Bourbon County High School Marching Colonels 
became Class A champion at the prestigious Bands of America Grand 
Nationals competition for the second year in a row, placing first out 
of 91 marching bands from across the nation. I am proud to be able to 
address the accomplishments of such a talented group of students who 
are more than deserving of our recognition.
  The Bourbon County High School Band, led by directors Eric and Nadine 
Hale and Kevin Akers, has enjoyed great success recently. In addition 
to their national championship--a prize considered to be the most 
prestigious award a marching band can win--they won the Class AAA title 
at the Kentucky Music Educators' Association championship just one week 
earlier. At the national championship, the 80-member band had the honor 
of performing for 25,000 people at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. 
Winning one championship would be quite an accomplishment for any band, 
but that the Bourbon County Band has now won back-to-back national 
titles shows just how talented this group of young men and women is.
  Madam Speaker, the Bourbon County Marching Colonels' unprecedented 
success is truly deserving of praise and recognition. I believe that 
educating our young adults in music and the arts is important in 
continuing to foster our great American culture, and it is with great 
pride that I rise today to acknowledge the successes of these extremely 
talented and accomplished young men and women.

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