Congressional Art Competition Winner
Dear Friend,
This week I announced that Jay Williams, a Senior at Wooddale High School, is the winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition and his inspiring artwork, “The Rhythm of Memphis,” will represent the 9th District at the U.S. Capitol for the next year.
9th District Winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition
MLGW Energy Efficiency Program
Cottonwood Head Start Center
Law Week 2013
Cleaborn Pointe
MCS/SCS Scholars Dinner 2013
East High School
Mid-South Transplant Foundation
Congressional Report
Grant Announcements
9th District Winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition
On Tuesday I announced that Jay Williams, 17 -- a Senior at Wooddale High School -- was selected as the winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition. The artwork, entitled “The Rhythm of Memphis” will be hung in the Cannon Tunnel in the U.S. Capitol for one year. Jay Williams’ artwork embodies the culture of Memphis. His piece, which is a collage of drawn Memphis scenes that include Rudy Williams, an Orpheum logo, a Beale Street sign and the downtown trolley, demonstrates how amazing and accomplished some of our young artists are throughout our city. I was proud to select Jay Williams as the winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition.
MLGW Energy Efficiency Program
Yesterday the City of Memphis and Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) celebrated the success of an energy efficiency grant program that has helped weatherize nearly 900 homes and contributed to participants reducing electric bills by an average of 14 percent. The Memphis Energy Efficiency & Block Grant Program, administered by Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division since 2010, was awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which I was happy to support on the House floor. Of the $6.76 million allocated, MLGW received $5 million to launch a homeowner weatherization program, programmable thermostats program and perform commercial audits with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
More than 6,700 applications were received for the weatherization program, and over 1,500 homeowners received weatherization measures or had up to two programmable thermostats installed in their homes. In 140 analyzed homes, there was a 14 percent average reduction in electric bills and a 17 percent average reduction in natural gas bills. The block grant also generated opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses, which received 75 percent of the contract dollars awarded during the course of the three-and-a-half year program. Mayor A C Wharton also participated in program. We both discussed how we work together to help Memphis and how important teamwork is -- just like with the Grizzlies.
Cottonwood Head Start Center
On Monday I joined with six Hutchison School seniors to visit the Cottonwood Head Start Center on Cottonwood Road. The Hutchison students delivered 180 goodie bags, one for each student in the nine classrooms. The bags contained outdoor toys, teddy bears, Grizzlies flags, pom poms, pencils and toothbrushes. The event was organized by Steve O’Dell, a teacher at Hutchison, who was able to secure the donated gifts from local businesses and organizations. The Seniors’ goal was to inspire the girls in the lower high school grades to carry on the tradition and visit a different center each year.
Law Week 2013
Law Week in Memphis is held annually in conjunction with the nationally recognized Law Day on May 1. Law Day is an opportunity for all Americans to celebrate our legal system, a critical aspect of our democratic form of government. Across the country, Americans participate in thousands of activities to deepen our understanding of the role of law in our society. Memphis is no different. Each year the legal community in the Memphis area plans Law Week programs designed to educate our community about the law, legal processes, and legal rights. On Monday I spoke at the Naturalization Ceremony at The Cannon Center which was co-sponsored by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, and all of the district court judges were present. New citizens were sworn in during this truly moving ceremony.
Cleaborn Pointe
On Tuesday I spoke at the Cleaborn Pointe at Heritage Landing Ceremony/Senior Building Grand Opening. The creation of the Cleaborn Pointe complex was made possible by a 2009 Hope VI Revitalization Grant that I was happy to support. I attended the demolition ceremony of Cleaborn Homes with HUD Assistant Secretary Rafael Bostick in June 2010. Robert Lipscomb, Director of Housing and Community Development, has been instrumental in developing projects like this in our city. He has done an outstanding job on this project and the several other HOPE projects in Memphis.
MCS/SCS Scholars Dinner 2013
Last night I spoke at the Memphis City Schools/Shelby County Schools Scholars Dinner 2013 at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn. The dinner, which featured former Sen. Bill Frist as guest speaker, was held to celebrate the valedictorians and salutatorians of the Unified School District that includes all high schools in both Memphis and Shelby County. A total of 94 students were honored. Half of the students will be attending colleges in Tennessee and receiving Tennessee Lottery scholarships. I urged those who are leaving Memphis to return to our city after getting their education because they are the future kings and queens of Memphis. In my remarks, I told them how Civil Rights pioneer Maxine Smith left Memphis to get her education due to racism – she attended Spelman College and Middlebury College – in the 1950s but how she came back home to make a difference in our community through her work and leadership in the Civil Rights Movement. Education and Civil Rights go together, and she helped pave the path on which many are travelling today.
East High School
On Wednesday I spoke at an Advanced Placement U.S. Government class at East High School about my work as a Congressman and my personal philosophy on Congressional Representation. Curt Rakestraw, an outstanding teacher at East High School, invited me. I discussed the importance of pursuing a higher education. As a State Senator, I fought for nearly twenty years to establish the Tennessee Lottery to give Tennessee students an opportunity to receive a college education without having to incur huge student loan debt or spend precious study time working to pay their way through school. It is gratifying that tens of thousands of students have benefited from my efforts to provide Tennesseans with access to affordable, quality, post-secondary education. Learn more about the lottery scholarship program here: https://www.tn.gov/collegepays/mon_college/scholarships.htm
Mid-South Transplant Foundation
Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc. is the federally designated organ procurement organization serving Western Tennessee, Eastern Arkansas and Northern Mississippi. The group’s mission is to improve the quality of life through excellence in the process of organ and tissue donation and transplantation, and to create a proactive alliance between members of the community that will increase the donation of organs and tissue for transplantation. Click here to learn more about this important group.
Congressional Report
Several weeks ago I recorded another segment of my cable show, “Congressional Report.” Members of my staff -- District Director Marzie Thomas, Deputy District Director Willie “Hank” Henry, and Deputy District Director Beanie Self – joined me to talk about how my office works to help and serve 9th District constituents. We also discussed a number of other important issues including Civil Rights. A former show I had taped with Civil Rights icon Maxine Smith was featured this past week and will run until Sunday. After Sunday, this month’s Congressional Report will continue to air. Click here to see the show.
Grant Announcements
I regularly release a list of grant announcements from federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and others. These federal funding opportunities are available to faith-based and neighborhood associations, nonprofits and other community organizations in the 9th district. The announcements are updated regularly on my website.
Wishing you a happy and safe weekend, and Go Grizzlies!
As always, I remain,
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress