Bill Posey

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. House of Representatives unexpectedly lost a true public servant this week. My Chief of Staff, George Cecala, served with me from the day I was sworn into office on January 3, 2009, until his life was cut short earlier this week, suffering from a heart attack at the young age of 49.

George was a loving husband and father and leaves behind his wife Jennifer, whom he cherished and their daughter Genny who was the joy of his life. He also leaves a record of remarkable and sacrificial service to this institution and to the people of Florida's Space and Treasure Coasts.

Whether it is Kennedy Space Center, Patrick Space Force Base, Port Canaveral or our beautiful beaches, citrus groves or improvements to our highways or airports, George had a hand in it.

I saw both gentle care and dogged tenacity as George worked tirelessly against what seemed insurmountable odds to secure the safe return of abducted children from a war-torn region of the world to their grieving mothers.

To those who worked with George he was always encouraging. When someone was troubled or struggling, George was always there to offer a word of encouragement.

George was always attentive to the needs of those around him--the colleague sitting beside him, the visitor who just walked in the office door, the intern looking for that first job on the Hill, or the constituent on the other end of the line, calling the office to tell George how to fix Washington. George always went out of his way to serve others--the hallmark of a public servant.

He loved his Lord and Savior. He loved his church. He filled our office with stories of delight over Genny's latest achievements and her excitement over life's joys. And, he loved his community, even running for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates.

The House of Representatives is a better place because of George Cecala. George will be deeply missed.

Mr. Speaker, December 8, 2024, marks the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the ``Town'' of Sebastian, which was followed by the re-incorporation of the ``City'' of Sebastian in 1925, the same year Indian River County was created by the Florida Legislature. During a meeting on December 8, 1924, at 7:30 p.m., eighty-two of the 105 registered voters were present and voted on motions to incorporate the proposed corporate limits as outlined in the meeting notice, selecting the name of the new municipal corporation as the ``Town of Sebastian'', creating the official seal for town business, and electing the mayor, five aldermen, a clerk, and marshal.

The town took its name from the St. Sebastian River, which was named for the martyred Roman Christian, who was martyred by the Emperor Diocletian around 288 A.D. The Roman Catholic Church canonized Sebastian in 374, and he has been named the patron saint of archers, athletes, migrants, and pin-makers. Beginning in the 1880s, the community was named New Haven after Thomas New, a retired Methodist minister who moved from Michigan. Mr. New worked to establish the community's first post office and served as the first postmaster. This was the first post office between Melbourne and Fort Pierce.

However, long before European and 19th-century settlers arrived in the area, the indigenous Ais Indians lived on the east coast of Florida between Cape Canaveral and Jupiter for hundreds and possibly thousands of years. The Ais were hunter-gatherers and caught fish, turtles, and shellfish in the St. Sebastian River, Indian River Lagoon, and the Atlantic Ocean, and picked sabal palm berries and other fruit in the area. The Spanish even referred to the Indian River Lagoon as Rio de Ais because the Lagoon was so important to the tribe for food and transportation.

One of the most significant events to happen to Sebastian was the arrival of the Florida East Coast Railway in de 1893 to 94. Another major change was the intensity by which commercial fishing started in 1895 after a disastrous freeze in 1894. By the end of 1895, nearly 104,000 pounds of fish were shipped from Sebastian, mostly to New York, Richmond, and New Orleans. Sebastian residents also grew truck crops such as beans, winter vegetables, and pineapples. Resident Paul Kroegel worked to protect local pelicans from being killed for their feathers which were used in the hat industry, which ultimately led to President Theodore Roosevelt creating the first migratory bird refuge in the United States on Pelican Island in 1903.

In the early 20th century, Sebastian, like the rest of the nation, suffered during the Great Depression, but World War II and the postwar era brought immense change. The Mackle Brothers, a developer based in Miami, which later became General Development Corporation, bought land throughout Florida for planned communities in rural parts of the state, including 1,345 acres in Sebastian in 1957 to develop Sebastian Highlands.

By the 2000 census, Sebastian became the most populous city in Indian River County, and by 2023, the population had grown to 26,825. Besides having the distinction of being the home of Pelican Island, Sebastian has been named a Millenium City and a Tree City USA. The city has a strong retirement community, with 35 percent of the population 65 or older. Almost 21 percent of the jobs are in health care and social assistance, 18 percent in retail, and 12 percent in accommodations and food service. Sebastian has a median household income of nearly $73,000, and almost 30 percent of residents 25 or older hold a bachelor's degree or other advanced degree. The city also possesses first-class schools, roads, health care and recreation facilities.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Centennial of Sebastian. Here's to 100 more years of memories and community.

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, May 11, 2024, thousands of residents from across Central Florida will gather at the Cocoa Beach Pier in Cocoa Beach, Florida, to take part in the Thirteenth Annual ``Footprints in the Sand'' Cocoa Beach Kidney Walk. Katie and I have joined others in our community in participating since the first walk was organized in 2012 by Rich Salick, Bill Hahn and volunteers with the Florida Affiliate of the National Kidney Foundation.

The ``Footprints in the Sand'' Kidney Walk brings our community together to show our love and concern. So many of us have family, friends and loved ones that are afflicted by kidney disease, and they need our strength and support. The road ahead is not easy for them, but as the kidney walk demonstrates, they do not have to travel that path alone.

The National Kidney Foundation of Florida, its supporters and activists have made a significant difference in people's lives. They not only raise awareness about this disease, but they have helped push for much needed changes in our laws and new innovations to give patients more treatment options and a better quality of life. This year organizers of the kidney walk will recognize organ donors and their families for giving the precious gift of life so that others could receive a second chance and continue with their lives.

Those recognized include:

Dawn Futch honoring Michael-Gene Futch, Paola Solis honoring Amishadai Solis, Nancy Velazquez honoring Pedro Batista, Monica Beyrooti honoring Seth Anthony Beyrooti, Giselle Rivera honoring Sean Bridges Rivera, Pat Brown honoring Michael Brown, Mary Carpenter honoring Shawn Carpenter, Kayla Carroll Lopez honoring Keegin Carroll, Leslia Collins honoring Jose Collins, Diana Couch honoring Linda Couch, Laura Dawkins honoring Brooke Dawkins, Shebna Dorsey honoring Andrew Dorsey, Jen Eden honoring Blake Eden, Annmarie Wong-Allen honoring Chadale ``CJ'' Grey, Cheryl Harrington honoring Brenton Lee Harrington, Siena Monroe honoring Jacob Emery Monroe, Jasmin Persaud honoring Anand Persaud, Donna Ramirez honoring Corey Ramirez, Tammy Lee honoring Dylan Rowe, Amber Shillingford honoring Brad Shillingford, Lucille Timms honoring Crystal Simmons, Tonnia Bennett honoring Tekeya Smith, Shereese Thompson honoring Deja Thompson, Traci Tracy honoring Zoe Tracy, Ellen Tuech honoring Geoffrey ``Geoff'' Wasden, Sheryl Walker honoring Donald Walker, Jr., Carol LoBianco honoring Stacie Ann Wheeler and Cathy Woodall honoring Shawn Woodall.

I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the strong will of these caring families, their loved ones and all those who have joined the effort and worked tirelessly to raise awareness about kidney disease.