[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 3] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 3417] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO FORMER MICHIGAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE BEVERLEY A. BODEM ______ HON. BART STUPAK of michigan in the house of representatives Tuesday, March 2, 1999 Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute today to Beverly Bodem, a former representative to the Michigan House of Representatives from the 106th Representative District, which is comprised of four counties in my congressional district. First elected to the House in 1990, Bev Bodem has just concluded her service in that body because of the Michigan term limits law. This law was enacted at the will of the voters of Michigan, but I have to confess that in this case I believe the law has turned a hard-working and well-respected public servant out of office. Bev Bodem was known especially for her constituent service and for paying attention to the people in her northern Michigan district. These efforts cut across party lines, and Bev was willing to work arm and arm with me on issues that affected the people she was elected to serve. One of the issues which she successfully tackled was the problem faced by resort operators and other tourism-based industries in her district, a district which straddles the northern tip of Lower Michigan to touch both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, Because the state's school year began before Labor Day, resorts, restaurants and other tourism businesses lost much of the summer help. Students themselves had to leave good summer jobs before the official end of the tourist season. Bev worked hard to adjust the school year to begin after Labor Day, benefitting employers, employees, and the many guests and visitors to our beautiful state. Bev Bodem has been involved in her district and her community in many ways outside of her elected office. Such organizations as the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Alpena, the Thunder Bay Arts Council, the Alpena Lions Club, the Alpena General Hospital Auxiliary and the League of Women Voters have benefited from her willingness to serve and work for the betterment of her community. Bev, her husband Dennis and daughter Jennifer, a school teacher, always presented a living picture of a warm, friendly and proud family of public service to all northern Michigan. Bev always demonstrated the ``best'' of politics by working hard for all the people of her district, and she did so with a warm, friendly smile on her face. It was obvious she enjoyed her legislative career, and her constituents, enjoyed having her as their representative. The people of northern Michigan will miss Bev Bodem as the state representative, and I will miss working with her. ____________________