[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 18] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 23814-23815] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]CONGRATULATING THE HONORABLE OTHA LEE BIGGS ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT ______ HON. JO BONNER of alabama in the house of representatives Friday, December 8, 2006 Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, it is with a tremendous amount of pride--and personal pleasure--that I rise today to honor one of the most outstanding public servants south Alabama has ever known, the Honorable Otha Lee Biggs, on the occasion of his retirement after serving his beloved Monroe County for over three decades. Mr. Speaker, it was just a few years ago that I stood on the House floor to recognize Judge Biggs for being honored by the Coosa-Alabama River Improvement Association as the recipient of the Dr. R.F. Henry Outstanding Service Award, the highest award this respected organization can give. For over three decades, Judge Biggs has been the leading advocate on behalf of the critical river system that runs throughout southwest Alabama and for the continued funding of necessary maintenance and dredging along this important artery of commerce. Without question--and I would suggest that perhaps without equal-- Judge Biggs deserves our eternal gratitude for a lifetime of public service. His dedication to the people of Monroe County is truly legendary. In 1961, Judge Biggs got his first taste of public service when he served as Clerk of the Monroe County Commission following the death of Mr. L.L. Hendrix, who had served in that capacity for a number of years. He served on the commission for ten years. Even as a young man in high school, Judge Biggs worked in both the County Commission and Probate offices. No one will ever serve Monroe County in the future, in either of these two important positions, who came to the job better trained or more experienced than Judge Biggs. On January 18, 1971, Judge Biggs took the oath of office as Probate Judge and Chairman of the County Commission for the first of what would turn out to be many consecutive six year terms. Immediately following his election to office in 1970, Judge Biggs, along with members of the County Commission, secured commitments from several large-scale corporations and businesses to build, relocate, and expand existing facilities in Monroe County, including Alabama River Pulp, FDR Plastics, Stayfast, Inc., Vanity Fair Intimates, and B & B Cabinet Doors, LLC. At the time--and as a direct result of his tireless work and tremendous leadership as well as the support from everyone else involved in the county's economic development programs--Monroe County led the entire state of Alabama in new job creation. [[Page 23815]] In addition to Monroe County's economic life, Judge Biggs has also been instrumental in helping the area preserve and promote its strong literary and historic heritage. As the birthplace and home of such internationally known writers as Nelle Harper Lee, Truman Capote and Mark Childress, Monroe County has been firmly established as the ``Literary Capital of Alabama.'' For his part, Judge Biggs has done yeoman's work to ensure this reputation extends beyond county and state lines to reach an international audience. Recent publicity has brought a significant increase in the number of tourists to the area. Judge Biggs was also instrumental in the creation of annual performances of the stage adaptation of Miss Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. His work on behalf of the county museum and theater troupe has resulted in the production securing permission to perform on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and at festivals in Great Britain and Israel, as well as a host of other U.S. cities. Mr. Speaker, to list all of Judge Biggs' many accomplishments would take literally an entire volume of the Congressional Record unto itself. That said, no list of ``accomplishments'' would be complete without mentioning three key projects for which Judge Biggs deserves special commendation. First, he has played a lead role in developing the Monroe County Airport into a 6,000 foot runway which gives it the capability of landing almost any size corporate jet. More recently, he has advocated working with the FAA in formulating a long-range plan for airport growth and development. Second, Judge Biggs deserves considerable recognition for his efforts at saving the Old Monroe County Courthouse. Working with a committee established in the late 1980s, Judge Biggs oversaw the efforts to obtain state, federal, and private funds to restore this Alabama landmark to its new-found glory and home to a permanent exhibit of celebrated Monroe County authors. And third, no one in southwest Alabama has been more persistent--or more deserving of credit--for the four-laning of US. Highway 84 from 1- 65 westward to the Mississippi line than Judge Biggs. While Senator Sessions and I, along with Governor Bob Riley, have been pleased to play a small role in getting the initial funding to begin this massive project, the person who has worked over the past several decades to keep this a regional and state priority is none other than Judge Biggs. Judge Biggs served for many years on the board of trustees for the University of South Alabama and fought tirelessly for the interests of thousands of students, faculty members, and staff who have been involved in the life of that institution since its founding in the early 1960s. In addition, he has been an active member of the Monroeville Civitan Club, the Monroe County Cattleman's Association and the Monroe County Conservation Club, to name just a few of the other groups that have benefited from his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I have met few public servants as committed and dedicated to the well-being of their community as Judge Otha Lee Biggs. His tenacity and work ethic are matched only by his kindness and generosity. It goes without saying but I am proud and deeply honored to have developed a strong friendship with him, as did my predecessors, Congressman Jack Edwards and Sonny Callahan. Monroe County and, indeed, all of south Alabama have benefited greatly from his experience and wisdom. He is a true friend to many people, and it is a pleasure for me to ask my colleagues to join me in praising Judge Otha Lee Biggs for his accomplishments and extending thanks for his many efforts over the years on behalf of the citizens of the First Congressional District and the state of Alabama. ____________________