S10130 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 30, 2008 

Service located at 2523 7th Avenue East 

in North Saint Paul, Minnesota, as the 

‘‘Mayor William ‘Bill’ Sandberg Post 

Office Building,’’ was ordered to a third 

reading, read the third time, and 

passed. 

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KENNETH PETER ZEBROWSKI 

POST OFFICE BUILDING 

The bill (H.R. 6199) to designate the 

facility of the United States Postal 

Service located at 245 North Main 

Street in New City, New York, as the 

‘‘Kenneth Peter Zebrowski Post Office 

Building,’’ was ordered to a third reading, read the third time, and passed. 

f 

MURPHY A. TANNEHILL POST 

OFFICE BUILDING 

The bill (H.R. 3511) to designate the 

facility of the United States Postal 

Service located at 2150 East Hardtner 

Drive in Urania, Louisiana, as the 

‘‘Murphy A. Tannehill Post Office 

Building,’’ was ordered to a third reading, read the third time, and passed. 

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COMMENDING BARTER THEATRE 

Mr. WEBB. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the Senate 

proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 416, which was received from the House. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the concurrent resolution by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 416) 

commending the Barter Theatre on the occasion of its 75th anniversary. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the concurrent 

resolution. 

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise 

today in support of a resolution honoring a longstanding landmark of Virginia’s southwest, Barter Theatre. Located in Abingdon, VA, Barter Theatre 

first opened in June of 1933 and remains open to this day, having never 

closed its doors in its 75 years of history. 

The roots of Barter Theatre are 

found in what it calls ‘‘a unique beginning,’’ during a time in our Nation’s 

history when many Americans, including Virginians, were focused on financial woes. It was the Great Depression, 

and a young man named Robert 

Porterfield was inspired by providing 

theater tickets to the many and not 

just to those who could afford them. It 

was the idea of bartering goods for 

services that served as the foundation 

for this successful endeavor and earned 

Porterfield’s theater its name. 

By trading goods for theater tickets, 

Porterfield was able to fill the seats of 

his theater. The price of admission was 

40 cents, but if you had no money to 

spare, you could bring the equivalent 

in produce. Whether it was vegetables, 

dairy products, or a chicken, if it was 

worth 40 cents, it was worth entrance. 

The idea of bartering goods for services 

is by no means a unique idea, but it is 

an idea that allowed many Virginians 

the opportunity to enjoy the arts. The 

idea of trading ‘‘ham for Hamlet,’’ as 

Barter Theatre calls it, was a success, 

a success that allowed the theater to 

endure to today. 

In 1946, the Virginia General Assembly designated Barter Theatre as the 

State Theatre of Virginia, the first theater in the Commonwealth of Virginia 

to receive this distinction, and rightly 

so. The excellence of Barter reaches far 

beyond the lengthy list of famous actors who have graced its stage throughout its years and touches more on its 

efforts to enrich and enhance the culture of our Commonwealth. 

The impact of this historic theater 

does not go unnoticed in southwest 

Virginia, as it has continually aimed to 

increase levels of artistic development 

in the region. Each year, Barter Theatre’s Appalachian Festival of Plays and 

Playwrights showcases and honors Appalachian history and culture for all to 

see upon its stage. I also want to recognize the efforts of Barter Theatre as 

they continue educational outreach 

programs to Virginia’s youth. Several 

programs, such as the Young Playwrights Festival, the Internet Distance 

Learning Program, the Student Matinee Program, and the theatre’s touring company, are in place and continue 

to foster creativity through playwrighting and theatrical performances. 

I must note that Barter Theatre remains true to its humble beginnings 

and pays homage to its history. At 

least one performance a year celebrates the Barter heritage by accepting 

donations for an area food bank as the 

price of admission. An endeavor rooted 

in the ideals of community continues 

to give back to that community today. 

I am pleased by the passage of H. 

Con. Res. 416, and I thank my colleagues in joining me in support of this 

resolution. 

Mr. WEBB. I ask unanimous consent 

that the resolution be agreed to, the 

preamble be agreed to, the motion to 

reconsider be laid upon the table, and 

that any statements relating to the 

resolution be printed in the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The concurrent resolution (H. Con. 

Res. 416) was agreed to. 

The preamble was agreed to. 

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CELEBRATE SAFE COMMUNITIES 

Mr. WEBB. I ask unanimous consent 

that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of 

S. Res. 662 and the Senate proceed to 

its immediate consideration. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The clerk will report the resolution 

by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A resolution (S. Res. 662) raising the 

awareness of the need for crime prevention 

in communities across the country and designating the week of October 2, 2008, through 

October 4, 2008, as ‘‘Celebrate Safe Communities’’ week. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the resolution. 

Mr. WEBB. I ask unanimous consent 

that the resolution be agreed to, the 

preamble be agreed to, the motions to 

reconsider be laid upon the table, with 

no intervening action or debate, and 

any statements related to the resolution be printed in the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The resolution (S. Res. 662) was 

agreed to. 

The preamble was agreed to. 

The resolution, with its preamble, 

reads as follows: 

S. RES. 662 

Whereas communities across the country 

face localized increases in violence and other 

crime; 

Whereas local law enforcement and community partnerships are an effective tool for 

preventing crime and addressing the fear of 

crime; 

Whereas the National Sheriffs’ Association 

(NSA) and the National Crime Prevention 

Council (NCPC) are leading national resources that provide community safety and 

crime prevention tools tested and valued by 

local law enforcement agencies and communities nationwide; 

Whereas the NSA and the NCPC have 

joined together to create the ‘‘Celebrate Safe 

Communities’’ initiative in partnership with 

the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of 

Justice Programs, Department of Justice; 

Whereas Celebrate Safe Communities will 

be launched the 1st week of October 2008 to 

help kick off recognition of October as Crime 

Prevention Month; 

Whereas Celebrate Safe Communities is designed to help local communities highlight 

the importance of residents and law enforcement working together to keep communities 

safe places to live, learn, work, and play; 

Whereas Celebrate Safe Communities will 

enhance the public awareness of vital crime 

prevention and safety messages and motivate Americans of all ages to learn what 

they can do to stay safe from crime; 

Whereas Celebrate Safe Communities will 

help promote year-round support for locally 

based and law enforcement-led community 

safety initiatives that help keep families, 

neighborhoods, schools, and businesses safe 

from crime; and 

Whereas the week of October 2, 2008, 

through October 4, 2008, is an appropriate 

week to designate as ‘‘Celebrate Safe Communities’’ week: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) designates the week of October 2, 2008, 

through October 4, 2008, as ‘‘Celebrate Safe 

Communities’’ week; 

(2) commends the efforts of the thousands 

of local law enforcement agencies and their 

countless community partners who are educating and engaging residents of all ages in 

the fight against crime; 

(3) asks communities across the country to 

consider how the Celebrate Safe Communities initiative can help them highlight 

local successes in the fight against crime; 

and 

(4) encourages the National Sheriffs’ Association and the National Crime Prevention 

Council to continue to promote, during Celebrate Safe Communities week and yearround, individual and collective action in 

collaboration with law enforcement and 

other supporting local agencies to reduce 

crime and build safer communities throughout the United States. 


wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with SENATE