[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17619]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF JIM HOLDEN

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate 
the life of Jim Holden, a resident of Franklin, Venango County, 
Pennsylvania.
  An outdoor enthusiast who tirelessly promoted recreation and tourism 
in Pennsylvania, Jim passed away on November 9 at the age of 73.
  As cofounder of the Allegheny Valley Trails Association, Jim was 
instrumental in the Rails-to-Trails movement, an effort in the early 
1990s to rehabilitate abandoned railways into multipurpose recreational 
trails for the public to access and enjoy.
  Franklin's newspaper stated the following upon Jim's passing:

       Largely unrealized were how Holden's efforts impacted the 
     overall economy of a region hard-hit over the years by the 
     loss of blue collar manufacturing jobs that once made the oil 
     region one of the most prosperous in all the country. His 
     passing will leave some mighty big hiking boots to fill.

  Jim Holden knew that our region's recreational resources could be 
better utilized to the benefit of the community and its economy. He 
spent his life making this vision a reality.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with Jim Holden and his family. He 
surely did leave big boots to fill but also an enduring legacy for us 
to cherish.

                          ____________________