[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7] [Senate] [Pages 9067-9068] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO McCREARY COUNTY, KENTUCKY Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a very special part of my home State, the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I am speaking of McCreary County, in the southeastern region of the State. This year, McCreary County celebrates its centennial; according to the McCreary County Museum located in the heart of historic downtown Stearns, KY, the county's birthday was on March 12, 2012. One hundred years ago, Kentucky Governor James B. McCreary signed the legislation creating the county, named after himself, as the 120th and last county of the Bluegrass State, formed out of portions of Wayne, Pulaski and Whitley counties. The people of McCreary County today have upheld the rich traditions and legacy of the hardy Kentuckians who were there for that county's founding 100 years ago. They have exemplified the very best of what southeastern Kentucky has to offer, they have kept [[Page 9068]] Kentucky's history alive, and they represent the future of Kentucky and our Nation. I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in wishing the people of McCreary County the very best as they celebrate their centennial. An article published in the McCreary County Record recently described the events of McCreary County's centennial celebration. I ask unanimous consent that said article appear in the Record. There being no objection, the article was ordered to appear as follows: [From the McCreary County Record, Mar. 15, 2012] Happy Birthday! County Marks 100 Years With Day-Long Celebration (By Janie Slaven) Whitley City.--The past, present, and future converged Monday as McCreary County celebrated its centennial. Festivities centered around the local courthouse, which attracted state and federal dignitaries. Representatives for Governor Steve Beshear and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell read congratulatory letters while State Representative Sara Beth Gregory presented McCreary County Judge-Executive Doug Stephens with a resolution passed by the House on Friday. Judge Stephens opened the ceremony with a prayer. Quoting I Chronicles, he acknowledged that McCreary County has suffered the ``curse of poverty and scourge of drugs'' but asked God to heal our land. The judge went on to praise the endurance and resilience of our citizens, saying that McCreary County is not just a spot on a map but a way of life. ``We have a rich history but we also have a rich future,'' Judge Stephens said. To illustrate that history, the bulk of the ceremony was devoted to ``A Governor's Visit''--the dramatization of namesake Governor James B. McCreary's 1914 visit to Kentucky's latest county--by local historian Sam Perry. Through speeches from the governor (as portrayed by Jimmy Waters), first elected county judge Joseph Williams (Adam Phillips), State Rep. William B. Creekmore (Grady Wilson), and narration from former judge-executive Jimmie W. Greene; the play gave the crowd attending a lesson in who settled the Big South Fork region and what went into forging the new McCreary County from portions of Wayne, Pulaski and Whitley counties. Following the play, Judge Stephens ceremoniously cut the first piece of the county birthday cake (prepared by Yummi Bakery)--which he presented to the oldest citizen in attendance, Fannie Morgan, who turned 100 last November. The second piece went to the youngest citizen, four-year-old Bailey Gilreath. The crowd then gathered into the fiscal courtroom, where county officials debuted the recently refurbished portraits of 14 of McCreary County's 19 judges and judge-executives. Centennial Commission member Shane Gilreath noted that the elite group came from all walks of life. They were attorneys, social workers, farmers, miners, teachers and more. Photographs of Mahan Renfro and Joseph Williams, which had hung in the portrait gallery and have been replaced by paintings, were presented to family members. Maxine Lawson, ``Cookie'' Joe Williams and Debbie Jo Peterson represented three generations of the Williams family. Greene, Renfro's nephew by marriage, joked that he had lobbied for a portrait to represent each of his four terms. Deputy Judge-Executive Andrew Powell and McCreary County Museum director Amy Combs recognized the artists in attendance--including Dorothy Washam, Dale Crabtree, and Nadine Heth--before unveiling two new portraits honoring the last two judge-executives. Judge Stephens's portrait will be hung at a later date, but Blaine Phillips's portrait was hung by his wife, Kathy, and twin brother, Wayne. Before breaking for a luncheon hosted by the McCreary County Historical Society, those attending had the opportunity to view a number of exhibits displayed throughout the courthouse's ground floor. If the morning was devoted to our county's past, the evening focused firmly on the future. After signing a proclamation honoring the county's centennial during Monday's regular fiscal court meeting, Judge Stephens signed another in honor of the Girl Scouts' 100th anniversary. Local troops--assisted by representatives from the Daniel Boone National Forest's Stearns Ranger District (which is celebrating its 75th anniversary)--planted a sugar maple on the courthouse lawn. If you missed Monday's celebration, you have several opportunities to obtain centennial keepsakes. For a limited time, the U.S. Postal Service is offering a postmark commemorating the occasion. Mail order requests for the special cancellations will be available for 30 days beginning March 12. Customers should allow at least a 2-inch-by-4-inch space in the stamp area for the postmark and have postage applied to cards or letters before mailing them--inside another envelope--to: Postmaster, McCreary County Centennial Station, 1387 North Highway 27, Whitley City, KY 42653. The McCreary County Museum is offering a set of 12 historic postcards as well as DVDs of the day's events for $10 each. Call 376-5730 for more information. ____________________