[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7256]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      IN RECOGNITION OF GAINESVILLE MAYOR GLENN LOCH'S RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL C. BURGESS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 12, 2011

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Mayor Glenn Loch 
of Gainesville, Texas. Mayor Loch has served at different times as both 
a beneficiary and champion of the American dream. In the 1960's, he 
came to Gainesville for the first time with his wife Helen and their 
new baby. They had nothing to their name but a mattress, yet with some 
help from the community and a willingness to work hard, Loch became 
first councilman and eventually Mayor all in the course of ten years. 
He is now the longest tenured mayor in Gainesville history, and in his 
work, endeavors to repay the kindness the community bestowed when he 
was still a stranger to them.
  From the time of his first term in 1974, Gainesville has undergone 
fantastic transformations. The downtown area, dilapidated after the oil 
bust of the 1980's, is now, according to Mr. Loch, ``second to none.'' 
He also kicked off the ``Take Pride in Gainesville'' campaign. This 
campaign seeks to clean up Gainesville both ``trash-wise'' and ``crime-
wise.'' Initiatives in this campaign include redesigned frontage roads 
along both sides of Interstate Highway 35, improving access and traffic 
flow. Loch has continually sought to help Gainesville remain a place 
where people are proud to live, with thriving businesses, jobs that pay 
well, and an involved community of citizens.
  It is this ingenuity that prompted me to partner with Mayor Loch on 
the Pecan Creek Project. I had noticed the flooding problem in that 
area for years, and when Mayor Loch asked me to help him by 
communicating with Congress to appropriate funds for the project, I 
knew it was important that I take part. Since then, construction for 
the drainage project is underway. Additionally, Loch oversaw the 
acquisition of 10,800 acre feet of water rights from Lake Texoma, 
providing Gainesville with enough water for the next fifty years.
  On the threshold of Mayor Loch's retirement, I am pleased to have had 
the chance to speak for a moment about this inspirational man. His 
story, as effectively as anyone's, celebrates the true meaning of the 
American Dream. The American Dream is about taking opportunity by the 
horns. The American Dream is about working tirelessly to make the most 
of that opportunity. Most importantly, however, the American Dream is 
about paying it forward, ensuring that those down the line have the 
chance to do the same. It's about bringing the dream full circle. On 
behalf of the 26th District of Texas, I thank Mayor Loch for his 
service to Gainesville and the citizens of America.

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