To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2000 McDonough Street in Joliet, Illinois, as the "John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building".

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2113, legislation in tribute to John Whiteside which names the Joliet post office in his honor. John Whiteside was a citizen

and a local hero from the congressional district that I have the opportunity to represent, a man who touched so many lives through his daily commentary with the Herald News in Joliet, Illinois. John F. Whiteside inspired countless readers through his 34 years of service with the newspaper.

Let me begin by thanking Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis; my friend Mr. Dent of Pennsylvania; my very, very good friend Mr. Davis of Illinois for joining me here on the floor today; and the support of the Government Reform Committee for this legislation, because today the House will be voting on legislation that I along with the entire delegation of Illinois, all 19 Republicans and Democrats, have cosponsored, legislation naming the Joliet post office the John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building. I would note that this post office building is on McDonough Avenue just a few short blocks from the Joliet Herald News offices where he put in so many hours and so many days over the years. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation today.

John Whiteside started his career with the Joliet Herald News in 1971 as a beat reporter and became a true storyteller in 1981 when he started his own personal daily column. Many of his columns focused on the good nature of people, and he especially loved writing about police officers and veterans because he looked to police officers and veterans as his heroes. Readers appreciated his dedication and his advocacy for veterans. John himself was a United States Air Force veteran and wrote thousands of stories about the concerns of local veterans.

One of the biggest veterans accomplishments for John, something he was so proud of and something he invested so much time and personal effort in, was helping organize the honor guard units for military funerals at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery located outside of Joliet at the former Joliet arsenal. Mr. Whiteside's legacy included helping to raise funds that equipped squad cars in Will County with video cameras to help nail drunk drivers. He is also noted for reviving police interest in the unsolved disappearance of Joliet newspaper editor Molly Zelko in 1957.

Mr. Whiteside was a recipient of many awards during his 34-year career with the Herald News in Joliet, Illinois, and some of these awards and recognitions included the Will County Sheriff's Department 2004 lifetime achievement award; Joliet area historical museum war heroes gallery named in John Whiteside's honor; and an Illinois State house resolution in 2004 honoring his long service to the Herald News and the Joliet community, just to name a few.

As a columnist, John knew how to connect with every reader through the emotions he brought to his stories. He brought even more emotion to them when he found out he had melanoma cancer in the fall of 2003. Through his trials and tribulations, he chose to share his cancer story with his readers and gave many other cancer victims empathy and hope in their own troubled times.

On January 22, 2005, John Whiteside lost his battle with cancer, leaving behind his wife, Mary Jane, and his daughter, Shelley. He so enjoyed spending time with his family and will be remembered for the time he spent creating birdhouses out of wood in the basement of his home.

In Mr. Whiteside's very last column, he gave some very valuable advice. He said, ``Live every second of every minute of every hour of every day you are given on this good Earth. Look for the positive. Search for the smile. Seek out the good. It is all around you if you just take the time to recognize it.''

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a few minutes to share John Whiteside's last column with my colleagues. This column, of course, was published after John passed away on the front page of Joliet Herald News. It is entitled, ``Lifelong Dream Ends in Final Column,'' published in the Herald News on January 23, 2005.

``If you're reading this, I have already looked upon the face of God. And I pray that he has nodded his head in a positive way.

``I had a good life. A good wife and daughter. Good friends and good times. A good job.

``But, sure, I have some regrets. I did some wrongs at times, which I hope I have been forgiven for doing. The last months of my life were full of blessings. So many of you prayed for me and wrote of your concern for my health. I had hoped for a miracle, but it wasn't meant to be. I guess I completed my purpose in being in this world.

``In heaven, well, I don't expect pearly gates and streets of gold. But I know I'll find a place full of goodness, compassion, and mercy. There will be no evil. No meanness. No brutal crime and war. No disease and illness. No jealousy and no hatred. No greed. And no politics.

``If I am allowed to enter this place, I believe that I will be united with my lost loved ones, including my dad, Uncle John, Aunt Mary, Grandma and a whole bunch of great uncles and aunts who loved me as a child. I'll see my buddies like Happy Chopp, Dan Stobbe and Ralph Wick.

``As I visualize my role in heaven, maybe God needs a birdhouse builder to construct shelters for his birds which sing lovely songs. I really have enjoyed creating birdhouses. Some of my happiest hours were in my basement workshop cutting and hammering on them.

``But the real love of my life, outside of my wife and daughter, has been this column. From the time I was old enough to dream, I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be a storyteller. And I even thought that God told me as a child that I would be a writer.

``The column gave me an outlet to hook words together and tell you a story on a daily basis. I wrote thousands and remembered most of them. But I couldn't remember the names. I thought that the Lord directed me at times to tell certain tales, which just seemed to fall into my lap. Someone told someone to call John Whiteside because they recognized that as my kind of story.

``Two of my very best friends have been storytellers, too, Marx Gibson and Lonny Cain. Both were mentors as well as buddies.

``In my last days, cancer changed me. I believe it made me a better man. It brought me closer to my wife and daughter. It made me more compassionate to mankind. It brought me honors from friends, colleagues and people.

``I have no major regrets. I called them, for the most part, like I saw them. But I wasted time when I should have been living every moment to the fullest.

``If I have any advice to pass on to the rest of you, it's all about living. Living every second of every minute of every hour of every day you are given on this good Earth. And don't get caught up in any form of hatred. Hatred, anger, and the negative only feeds upon you and will destroy you. Look for the positive. Search for the smile. Seek out the good. It is all around you if you just take the time to recognize it. And laugh a lot, because laughter is healthy.

``As my storytelling days have ended, now perhaps I have the final chapter of what happened to Molly Zelko. Maybe God will allow me to interview her if she made it upstairs, too.

``But, no, Molly isn't what I consider my best accomplishments. They include helping with the honor guard system at the national cemetery, the Taylor Pirc video camera project, writing veterans' memories and building the police memorial in front of the courthouse.

``But most of all, I like my people stories. Stories about ordinary folks caught up in some form of human drama. My favorite saying was, everyone has a story to tell if you just listen. I believed that all of my journalism life.

``But now it's over. Good-bye, my friends. Thanks for reading my stuff. God bless you all.

``At this time, my only regret is that I can't write a column and share with you what is happening to me right now.

``P.S. I don't have a phone number to accept calls anymore. But maybe I can hear a few prayers coming my way.''

That final column published in the Joliet Herald News on January 23 of this year says so much about John Whiteside, and he wrote it in his own words.

Ladies and gentlemen of this House, I ask again that you join me in honoring and remembering this extraordinary man who touched so many lives in so

many ways and I ask for an ``aye'' vote on H.R. 2113.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, December 15, 2005, at 10 a.m. on pending committee business.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, December 15, 2005, at 10 a.m., for a hearing titled, ``Hurricane Katrina: Who's In Charge of the New Orleans Levees?''.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affaris be authorized to hold an off-the-floor markup during the session on Thursday, December 15, 2005, to consider the nominations of George W. Foresman to be Under Secretary for Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Mary M. Rose to be Member, Merit Systems Protection Board.

Agenda

Nominations

(1) George W. Foresman to be Under Secretary for Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

(2) Mary M. Rose to be Member, Merit Systems Protection Board.

Post Office Naming Bills

(1) S. 1445, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 520 Colorado Avenue in Arriba, CO, as the ``William H. Emery Post Office.''

(2) S. 1792/H.R. 3770, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 205 West Washington Street in Knox, IN, as the ``Grant W. Green Post Office Building.''

(3) S. 1820, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 6110 East 51st Place in Tulsa, OK, as the ``Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office.''

(4) S. 2036, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 320 High Street in Clinton, MA, as the ``Raymond J. Salmon Post Office.''

(5) S. 2064, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 122 South Bill Street in Francesville, IN, as the ``Malcolm Melville `Mac' Lawrence Post Office.''

(6) S. 2089, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1271 North King Street in Honolulu, Oahu, HA, as the ``Hiram L. Fong Post Office Building.''

(7) H.R. 2113, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 2000 McDonough Street in Joliet, IL, as the ``John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building.''

(8) H.R. 2346, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 105 NW Railroad Avenue in Hammond, LA, as the ``John J. Hainkel, Jr. Post Office Building.''

(9) H.R. 2413, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1202 1st Street in Humble, TX, as the ``Lillian McKay Post Office Building.''

(10) H.R. 2630, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1927 Sangamon Avenue in Springfield, IL, as the ``J.M. Dietrich Northeast Annex.''

(11) H.R. 2894, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 102 South Walters Avenue in Hodgenville, KY, as the ``Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Post Office Building.''

(12) H.R. 3256, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 3038 West Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, PA, as the ``Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial Post Office Building.''

(13) H.R. 3368, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 6483 Lincoln Street in Gagetown, MI, as the ``Gagetown Veterans Memorial Post Office.''

(14) H.R. 3439, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 201 North 3rd Street in Smithfield, NC, as the ``Ava Gardner Post Office.''

(15) H.R. 3548, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located on Franklin Avenue in Pearl River, NY, as the ``Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr. Post Office Building.''

(16) H.R. 3703, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 8501 Philatelic Drive in Spring Hill, FL, as the ``Staff Sergeant Michael Schafer Post Office.''

(17) H.R. 3825, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 770 Trumbull Drive in Pittsburgh, PA, the ``Clayton J. Smith Memorial Post Office.''

(18) H.R. 3830, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 130 East Marion Avenue in Punta Gorda, FL, as the ``U.S. Cleveland Post Office Building.''

(19) H.R. 4053, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 545 North Rimsdale Avenue in Covina, CA, as the ``Lillian Kinkella Keil Post Office.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent at the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 15, 2005, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a closed meeting.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2113) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2000 McDonough Street in Joliet, Illinois, as the ``John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2113.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2113 introduced by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) names this Post Office in Joliet, Illinois, as the John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building. All 18 Illinois colleagues of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) have cosponsored this bill, and I am pleased to participate in this bill's consideration today.

John Whiteside was a long time opinion writer for the Joliet Herald News. Upon graduation from Northern Illinois University in 1971, he was hired by the Herald News which was the only newspaper he ever worked for.

For the first decade of his career, he worked as a beat and general assignment reporter. But in 1981, he began writing a daily column in the paper each weekday that became beloved by Joliet residents.

Mr. Whiteside wrote the vast majority of his columns on local matters. The most frequent and passionate topics on which he opined were matters of importance to community veterans and law enforcement officials. An Air Force veteran himself, Whiteside correctly viewed all of our Nation's military service veterans as American heroes.

He, likewise, had tremendous respect for police officers, once championing an attempt to raise funds for a police memorial in Joliet, among other efforts. For his eloquent advocacy over many years, it appears safe to say his subjects admired him, too.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, after battling cancer for 18 months, John Whiteside passed away on January 22, 2005. He was 61 years old. Days after he died, the front page of the Sunday Herald News carried one final John Whiteside column. It was a posthumous article full of life's lessons that he had written in anticipation of his death. It was a touching end to a meaningful career that was cut short by a struggle with cancer.

His struggle was all the more touching because Whiteside had shared tales of his battle with melanoma with his readers from October 2003 through his passing in January 2005. On a personal note, my own father- in-law passed away from that same disease in January of this year, so I have some understanding of what Mr. Whiteside and his family went through. My sympathies go out to his family.

Mr. Speaker, John Whiteside was indeed a memorable resident of Joliet. Readers of the Herald News have spent a few moments with John every Monday through Friday for nearly a quarter of a century. For these reasons, it is fitting that the House would pass this bill to name a post office in his honor in his hometown of Joliet. I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 2113.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) for his work on H.R. 2113.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding me this time and the ranking member for their support.

And today I request the House approve the naming of a post office in my district after Vincent Palladino. Vincent, who passed away last December, was the president of the National Association of Postal Supervisors for 12 years, ending in 2004. He was also a native of Staten Island, New York, in my district.

Vincent was kind-hearted, compassionate, outgoing, and had an unquenchable thirst for helping his friends and neighbors. Vincent made his community a better place to live and touched the lives of those around him. And although his professional obligations carried him far and wide, his heart was always in Staten Island.

He began his career as a letter carrier in the Rosebank Post Office in 1962. He held numerous supervisory positions in Staten Island, including station manager of the Rosebank Post Office and operations manager for all Staten Island post offices. In 1986, he was elected secretary of the National Association of Postal Supervisors, which represents more than 35,000 active and retired supervisors, managers, and postmasters who work for or who retired from the United States Postal Service. In 1992, he was elected president of NAPS and held that post for 12 years.

Vincent brought his life lessons learned on the streets of Rosebank and Arlington to that position and was a strong advocate for all those postal workers he led. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those postal workers for the job they do every day. I know Vincent would stand up and correct me if I failed to mention them and how much he appreciated, like we all do, their work. I would also like to thank Vincent's family, especially his children, Anthony, Nicholas, Regina, Renee, and Mary Lou, for their support of this fine man.

Born in 1935, Vincent also served his country in the Armed Forces, that is, in the United States Air Force, from 1955 to 1959. Today we honor Vincent's lifetime hard work and achievement by asking the House to approve the measure to rename the Rosebank Post Office in his honor, where he got his start. And might I add, he also happened to be my family's letter carrier in the early 1960s when he started.

I would like to thank the fellow members of the New York delegation

for their unanimous support of this legislation and all those who have cosponsored the bill. Like many American success stories, and Vincent Palladino was one of them, he never forgot where he came from. He may have lived his last years in Arlington, Virginia, but his heart and his family will always be in Staten Island.

I thank the Members for their support.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2183) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 567 Tompkins Avenue in Staten Island, New York, as the ``Vincent Palladino Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2183 honors the late president of the National Association of Postal Supervisors, Vincent Palladino. Palladino passed away unexpectedly at his home in nearby Arlington, Virginia, at the age of 69 in December 2004. He was a native of Staten Island, New York, which is in the district of the distinguished sponsor of H.R. 2183 and my good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella). I congratulate the gentleman for offering this important measure.

After serving his Nation in the Air Force, Palladino began his lifelong career in and around the United States Postal Service. He started working as a letter carrier in Staten Island in 1960. He was later promoted to foreman of mails and then station manager in 1970. Last August, Vincent Palladino was elected to his seventh consecutive 2-year term as president of the postal supervisors association. NAPS is an organization that represents more than 35,000 first-line postal supervisors who work in facilities where employees process and deliver the mail.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear he was a knowledgeable, empathetic and effective leader and advocate in the postal community, and that is why this post office naming in his honor is so appropriate. I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 2113.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from the State of New York (Mr. Fossella), the author of H.R. 2183.

(Mr. FOSSELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I urge support from all Members for this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.