[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 5579-5580]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HANOVER NURSERY 55TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LOU BARLETTA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 2013

  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. John Basar and the 
Hanover Nursery in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, which will celebrate 
its 55th anniversary this year.
   In 1958, John Basar, a Hanover Township native, started taking on 
small landscaping jobs throughout the area while also attending

[[Page 5580]]

classes at Kings College. Initially the operation was small--just Mr. 
Basar, his 1948 Plymouth Coupe, a trailer, and the part-time help of 
his brother and a friend. By 1960, Mr. Basar had purchased a pick-up 
truck and hired two full-time employees but it wasn't until 1961 that 
he decided his business needed a name. He chose ``Hanover Nursery'' as 
a way to honor his hometown. In 1963, Mr. Basar began to secure his 
first commercial landscaping contracts. A topsoil pit was purchased by 
the business in 1970, an asset which became invaluable to the people of 
Wyoming Valley when they fell victim to the Hurricane Agnes flood in 
1972. Mr. Basar and the Hanover Nursery were an important part of the 
storm recovery following this disaster, helping to restore yards for 
families and eventually re-landscaping portions of the neighboring city 
of Wilkes-Barre.
   From the mid 1970s to the present day, Mr. Basar and the Hanover 
Nursery have been responsible for many prominent developments 
throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. The nursery's work can be seen at 
several commercial projects including the Crossing Premium Outlets in 
Tannersville, the community of Sunset Drive in Hanover Township, the 
Wyoming Valley levy raising project and the newly reconditioned River 
Commons area in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
   Outside the Hanover Nursery, Mr. Basar has been a vital figure in 
the Hanover Township community. In 2014, he will celebrate 50 years as 
a member of the local Lions Club where he plays a primary role in the 
organization's Christmas celebration, planting new trees and decorating 
them with lights each Holiday season. He has also been a generous 
patron of the Hanover Township little league.
   Mr. Speaker, for the last 55 years Mr. John Basar and the Hanover 
Nursery have helped beautify Hanover Township and the surrounding 
areas. They played an active role in growing our community. Therefore, 
I commend Mr. Basar and all the Hanover Nursery employees who have been 
integral in the development and beautification of Northeastern 
Pennsylvania.

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