February 26, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 35 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session
All in House sectionPrev8 of 100Next
RECOGNIZING THE LEGACY OF MATHEW HALL LUMBER; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 35
(House of Representatives - February 26, 2019)
Text available as:
Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Pages H2107-H2108] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] RECOGNIZING THE LEGACY OF MATHEW HALL LUMBER The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer) for 5 minutes. Mr. EMMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the legacy of Mathew Hall Lumber, which has been operating in downtown St. Cloud, Minnesota, for 130 years. Mathew Hall Lumber has been a fixture in the community and a backbone of the local economy. Maintaining a business is not an easy task. It involves blood, sweat, and tears to sustain the test of time. However, with that comes joy and fulfillment, something that generation after generation of the Hall family knows all about. One of the reasons why St. Cloud and the great State of Minnesota are so incredible is because of hardworking people like the Hall family. By maintaining their business in St. Cloud, they brought commerce, jobs, and a great product to our community. As Simonson Lumber purchases this historic company and the Hall family transitions into a new chapter, I speak for all of central Minnesota when I say thank you to the Hall family for your great contribution to our State and our community. Honoring Steve Taylor, A Great Minnesota Public Servant Mr. EMMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Sherburne County Administrator Steve Taylor. As Steve prepares to retire from his 30-year career, he leaves with the reputation for providing the highest level of customer service. During his time with Sherburne County and Carver County before that, Steve has served Minnesota's Sixth District with distinction. As a fellow public servant, I commend Steve for committing his life's work to serving others. His dedication and leadership will be hard to replace. The employees who had the pleasure of working with and learning from Steve will keep the good work going, but, certainly, his dependable presence will be missed. His efforts toward expanding Sherburne County's government center by adding extra courtrooms, more security, and much-needed space will be enjoyed by generations to come. Thank you, Steve, and congratulations on an amazing career in public service. I wish you a long and happy retirement. Honoring the Legacy of Steve Gilmer Mr. EMMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Steve Gilmer, who has retired after serving 45 years as the CEO of the State Bank of Delano, Minnesota. Steve retired leaving an incredible legacy. He cultivated a family out of his employees and built an environment based on humor, trust, and excellence, inspiring all those around him to be the best they could possibly be. As a resident of Delano, I can say from experience that Steve led by example and took the time to know and care for the customers who walked through the door of his bank. Most in the community knew Steve through his role as a volunteer, the volunteer treasurer of the Fourth of July Celebration Committee for over 40 years. Delano is home to Minnesota's largest Fourth of July parade, and Steve's service to that committee displayed his dedication to our community. Thank you for all you have done for the Delano community, Steve. Enjoy your retirement with your family and friends. You deserve it. Celebrating the Minnesota Central Region Small Business Development Center Mr. EMMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Minnesota Central Region Small Business Development Center for being named the Minnesota Small Business Development Center of Excellence. Located at St. Cloud State University, the Central Small Business Development Center provides free consulting services and assistance to those starting a small business. The center services the majority of my district, counties such as Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright. My constituents have benefited greatly from the services provided and the numerous business workshops focusing on educating local businesses and entrepreneurs on how to improve their new business. Special recognition goes to the current director, Barry Kirchoff, who came to the center in 2006 with an extensive background in business and economic development. Today, their success continues because of Barry's commitment to helping address the needs of the local small business community. His hard work is evident. Congratulations and thank you to Barry and the staff of the Minnesota Central Region Small Business Development Center. Central Minnesota is lucky to have you. Recognizing the Achievements of the Waconia HERO Coalition Mr. EMMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of the Waconia HERO Coalition. ``HERO'' stands for their mission, which is to ``Help, Empower, and Respect Others.'' This community task force based in my district undertook the mission in 2010 to reduce and prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs by youth through education, engagement, and policy change. What started as a group of parents, educators, and community leaders joining forces to address bullying in [[Page H2108]] schools quickly became a task force tackling substance abuse. In 2014, the Waconia HERO Coalition was awarded the Drug Free Community Support Grant, providing $625,000 of funding over 5 years. Today I want to congratulate them for receiving a continuation to that grant, which reaffirms the incredible work this task force has already done and will be doing and serves as encouragement to keep working towards solutions to youth substance abuse. ____________________
All in House sectionPrev8 of 100Next