Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to honor the late Deputy Robert Paris who was killed in the line of duty on April 12, 2012. Deputy Paris paid the ultimate price, sacrificing his life, while protecting and serving the citizens of Stanislaus County.

Deputy Paris was born in Tracy, California on January 23, 1959 to parents Robert Paris, Sr. and Elizabeth Paris. He graduated from Tracy Joint Union High School in 1977. He attended Delta Community College before entering paramedic school in 1979. He was certified as a Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic in 1980 and worked for Tracy Ambulance and American Medical Response serving the Tracy community. Deputy Paris graduated from Ray Simon Regional Criminal Justice Training Center in 1993.

Deputy Paris began his career with the Stanislaus Sheriff's Department in 1996 as a Level 1 Reserve Officer. He was sworn in full time in 1999. He served in Patrol Operations, Court Services, Contact Cities, the Special Vehicle Off Road Unit/Water Enforcement Team and the Civil Division. Deputy Paris served his community with pride and admiration.

Deputy Paris was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed spending spring and summer days camping and fishing in the Sierras with his friends and family. In the fall, he would travel to the Rockies to go hunting with his father and friends in Colorado before heading to Montana to serve as a hunting guide. He also enjoyed cycling and golfing in his spare time. He became a successful taxidermist for his own enjoyment as well as for others.

Deputy Paris is survived by his parents, Bob and Jane Paris; daughter, Jami Paris and her mother, Janelle Corso; son, Bobby Paris; brother, Eric Paris and his wife Kari; sister, Krista Torpey and her husband Richard; nephews Ryan and Colin Torpey and niece, Lauren Torpey.

Mr. Speaker, the recognition that I am offering today before the House of Representatives for Deputy Robert Paris is small compared to the contributions and impact he had on the lives of so many. He was truly an invaluable member of our community and an outstanding human being. My thoughts are with Deputy Paris' family, the community and the Stanislaus Sheriff's Department as they grieve the loss of this wonderful man.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to honor the late Jane Johnston who passed away unexpectedly on April 13, 2012.

Jane and her identical twin sister, Jean, were born on September 2, 1951 to parents Dennis and Maryellen Tally. The ``Tally twins'' along with their brothers Larry and Chris, were raised in Tracy, California.

Jane and her husband Tom grew up on the same street together in Tracy. They were married on September 10, 1972. Together for nearly 40 years, they raised two daughters, Jill and Laurie. Jane enjoyed being a stay-at-home mother when her daughters were young, and it was during this time that she finished her college education. Jane earned a degree in Communications from California State University, Stanislaus.

The biggest joy in Jane's life was her family, and she loved spending time with her husband, children and four grandchildren. She adored her young grandchildren--all born in the past three years--and eagerly shared pictures and stories about them with her many friends. She loved family traditions, and always made holidays special for her family. Jane loved being busy, and in addition to spending time with her family and working, she enjoyed golfing at Spring Creek Country Club, traveling, reading and writing.

For nearly 20 years, Jane worked at the Stanislaus County Office of Education, most recently as Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services. Jane was an astute judge of character and was quick to recognize potential in others. She was a member of the Association of California School Administrators, the Modesto Rotary, the California and National School Public Relations Organizations, served on the Mocse Supervisory Committee and co-chaired the Stanislaus Teacher of the Year Program.

Jane was an active member at Modesto Covenant Church in Modesto. She reached out to help homeless families through programs including Family Promise and the Salvation Army. Jane was a mentor to many colleagues and young children, who she enjoyed tutoring through the Stanislaus Mentoring Program. She was also instrumental in promoting and implementing the Stanislaus County ``Choose Civility'' initiative.

Jane is survived by her husband Tom; children Jill and her husband Peter Krimmel and Laurie and her husband Jonathan Hansen; grandchildren Cole Krimmel, Logan Hansen, Stella Jane Krimmel and Lucas Hansen; sister Jean Benner; brothers Larry Tally and Chris Tally; and many nieces and nephews.

Mr. Speaker, the recognition that I am offering today before the House of Representatives for Jane Margaret Johnston is small compared to the contributions and impact she had on the lives of so many. She was truly an invaluable member of our community and an outstanding human being.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the hard work of Mr. Billy Powell. Billy has been a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 684 for sixteen years. IBEW 684 represents electrical workers in Stanislaus, Merced, Mariposa, and Tuolumne counties. It organizes electrical workers, works to secure just compensation and working conditions, provides equitable settlements of grievances, and strives to promote cordial relations between members and employers. Billy is currently the local's business manager and has served in that capacity for the past five years. He also serves as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Stanislaus and Merced Building Trades Council.

In addition to his career and leadership in the electrical workers' field, he also supports the electrical workers apprenticeship program by serving as an instructor. Students are educated and trained at the Central Valley Joint Apprenticeship Training Center which is a jointly sponsored organization of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association of Northern California. This five-year comprehensive program delivers a course education, hands-on lab experience, and on-the-job training to prepare graduates to perform at a high level in the electrical industry. The school has taken top honors in the Western States Electrical Contest in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011, a testament no doubt to the hard work of its students and the effective teaching of its instructors.

Billy is also a veteran of our armed forces having served with the United States Navy during the Gulf War. However, his heroism and dedication to our country extends far beyond his years of active duty. He is also committed to providing for our veterans here at home as well. He has employed twenty-five homeless or out of work veterans on projects in the Central Valley and is dedicated to placing even more at future work sites. In addition, he works with Helmets to Hardhats, a national program that trains veterans to transition into skilled, promising construction trade jobs. His efforts to aid our veterans are truly inspiring and I have no doubt that his commitment will assist many more deserving men and women in the future.

It is a great privilege to honor Mr. Billy Powell for his long career and leadership with the IBEW 684, his commitment to the education and training of a new generation of skilled laborers, and his devotion to our district, our country, and our veterans. His benevolence and leadership have truly set a positive example for all to admire and follow. It is an honor to know him, to work with him, and to call him my friend.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to recognize this fine individual for his work and his efforts here today.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding.

I rise today to offer my support for the legislation.

This bill, like so many others that we vote on, is far from perfect. However, I'll support this bill because of many provisions, important provisions for my valley within it.

Mr. Chairman, water is absolutely critical to the economy of the San Joaquin Valley, the valley I love. Without an adequate water supply, agricultural fields go fallow and entire communities can be laid to waste. No one understands this more than myself and my colleague, Mr. Costa, my friend from the valley. We have both fought for water for our entire careers for our people. In fact, just last year, he and I introduced legislation to provide operational flexibility in the implementation of the Endangered Species Act for water deliveries for the Central Valley Project. Unfortunately, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle haven't felt the importance of holding a hearing on that bill.

Titles I and III of this legislation aim to address the flawed regulations that have reduced our vital water deliveries to my friends and neighbors throughout the valley.

I have no reservations in supporting these provisions, and commend my colleagues on the other side for introducing them. I recommend a ``yes'' vote.

When it comes to title II of this bill, which calls for the repeal and replacement of the San Joaquin River Restoration Act, I would like to mention that this was a locally requested and locally championed piece of legislation to end an 18-year lawsuit. Although I had serious reservations when this bill was first introduced, I supported the solution when it came through this House. I will say now that the implementation of this act, as it has been done by the administration, has left a lot to be desired.

I have significant further reservations with the San Joaquin River Restoration program, and it has recently become clear that those views that I expressed during its formation are coming to pass. The restoration is far too costly, and its schedule is advancing in a way that landowners adjacent to the new flows are being damaged.

Despite this, just simply saying we will remove the agreement that has been put in place is not the answer. We don't need to repeal it--we need to repair it--particularly when the only thing a repeal accomplishes is a continuation of a lawsuit that prompted the legislation in the first place.

However, I'd like to make a comment about the process under which this legislation was drafted.

As many of you know, this is my last year as a Member of this body.

This bill, even while I support it, is a perfect example of how dysfunctional this body has become.

This bill will never become law. To be frank, I'm doubtful that it will even be debated in the Senate.

I feel this way because the authors of this bill haven't expressed a serious interest in engaging either me, Congressman Costa or Senator Feinstein in drafting a bipartisan piece of legislation that can pass both chambers of Congress.

It's unfortunate that some continue to exploit the real life challenges facing the folks we have the honor of representing to score a cheap political point.

Successful functioning of Congress and the resulting successful resolution of the problems afflicting this nation will require the participation of both Republicans and Democrats.

We cannot function individually; we must function in concert to solve the challenges facing us today.

I think we not only can do better, but we must do better, if we're going to accomplish what we were sent here to do.

Only efforts like that will truly solve the complex problems facing us today.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and the deepest respect that I ask you to join me in honoring one of the Central Valley's most distinguished citizens, Mayor Jim Ridenour, as he ends his successful tenure as the Mayor of Modesto, California.

Mayor Ridenour epitomizes what is best about Modesto and has shown a selfless commitment to his community. A life-long resident of Modesto, Mayor Ridenour had a successful business career in the ambulance industry. He served five terms as Chairman of the California Ambulance Association, and received many awards and honors from the association and state legislators. He also served as a reserve deputy sheriff for Stanislaus and Santa Barbara counties.

During his eight years in office, Mayor Ridenour has shown a tireless commitment to help Modesto enrich and empower its citizens, families, businesses and schools. He has shown leadership in encouraging regional cooperation on important issues through initiatives such as the ``Mayor's Working Group'' which brings together the nine Mayors of Stanislaus County to share information and work together on central issues such as transportation. With the City Council's diligent work, he has provided leadership in consistently developing a balanced budget and in doing so has put Modesto in a far better financial position than many other cities in the surrounding area.

Mayor Ridenour has strived to make local government more user- friendly and accessible to the citizens of Modesto. He created a web- based citizen action center where citizens can report problems, ask questions and track responses and response times. He has also made applications for citizens' advisory committees available online. Mayor Ridenour has made an effort to make local government more transparent by developing a comprehensive Salary & Compensation webpage where the public can view Councilmembers' pay, Charter Officer contracts and pay, Department Director pay as well as all salary schedules and job descriptions as well as labor contracts. He has always been described as a man of the people.

Mayor Ridenour assumed an important leadership role as the President of the League of California Cities in 2010, a critical time for California's cities. As President and in his subsequent service as a member of the League's executive committee, Mayor Ridenour proved to be a powerful player in the fight for redevelopment and California's future.

Mayor Ridenour is married to his beautiful wife Renee for forty years and together they have three children and numerous grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating my good friend, Mayor Jim Ridenour and the Ridenour family as he celebrates his successful service as Modesto's Mayor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lisa Mantarro Moore for being honored by the Ceres Chamber of Commerce with its Citizen of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award. Lisa, also a valued member of my staff, has long been a tireless advocate for the city of Ceres, California, and its surrounding communities, and I am honored to pay tribute to her achievement today.

A lifelong resident of Ceres, Lisa's public service career began when she was elected as a student body officer at Ceres High School. After graduating from the California State University, Stanislaus, Lisa started her career with the U.S. House of Representatives as an aide to Congressman Gary Condit. For the past twenty years, she has served the constituents of California's 18th Congressional District as a Field Representative and a District Director, and currently, as my Deputy Chief of Staff. Lisa's leadership and skill have truly made a difference in the lives of those she has helped.

Lisa has long been a leader in the Ceres community. From 2001 to 2005, Lisa served the city as a councilmember as well as Vice Mayor. She has also served as an officer on the Ceres Street Faire Committee for the past ten years. In addition, she worked to form the Ceres Youth Commission, helped lead campaigns for passage of school bonds in Measures J and U as well as the Measure H half-cent sales tax for public safety. Further, she serves on the board at the Ceres Whitmore Mansion and on the Sam Vaughn and Mae Hensley Junior High School Site Councils.

In addition to her leadership in Ceres, Lisa is also a strong advocate for women. She is a longtime member of Soroptimist International of Ceres, which serves to better the lives of women and girls both locally and around the world. She was also instrumental in the development of the Stanislaus County Family Justice Center and serves on its Board of Directors.

It is my great privilege to honor Lisa Mantarro Moore on being recognized as the Ceres Chamber of Commerce's Citizen of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. She is certainly most deserving of this high acknowledgement. Her dedication to the city of Ceres and her passion for public service has truly made a difference in bettering her community. It is a true pleasure to have her on my staff and as my personal friend. Please join me in recognizing her work and her lifelong achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Richard Mahacek in the event of his retirement after four decades of service with Merced County and the University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension.

Richard began his youth development career in 1975 in the California Counties of Sonoma, Napa and San Benito as a 4-H Assistant implementing youth programs. Richard then moved on to Merced County where he became responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of 4-H educational programs as the 4-H Youth Development Advisor. He has continued in this assignment for over 35 years. In 2005, he also assumed the role of Merced County Director for all Cooperative Extension programs.

In addition to his work with Merced County, Richard became the California statewide 4-H contact for Mechanical Science/Engineering project areas beginning in 1995. Richard's involvement and direction for the Mechanical Sciences and Engineering projects stems from his interest, degrees and credentials in Industrial Arts and Technology. His curiosity in technology was fostered in his youth by participating in electrical, woodworking and safety projects as a 4-H member in Sonoma County. His work over the years has included development of curriculum and activities in science processes, robotics, computers, GIS/GPS, bio-security, and environmental issues such as watersheds and wildlife habitats. He has provided numerous workshops and training sessions on science processes, inquiry and experiential learning as implemented through various 4-H curricula locally, statewide and nationally.

Richard has partnered with other groups to extend technology programs including the California Girls Collaborative, Challenger Learning Centers, Merced County Office of Education, the California Division of Recycling, 4-H/Military Kids program, Society of Women Engineers, 21st Century Community Learning Centers and state supported after school programs. He serves on the executive board of the Challenger Learning Center of the San Joaquin Valley and is a member of the California Industrial and Technology Education Association and the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association.

Richard has been married to his beautiful wife Susan for over 32 years. Together they have three grown children. Their son Mark works for an office of education working in computer networking and technology support and his wife Marissa is a teacher in Planada. Paul is a mechanical engineer who is working on an ocean acidification research project in the South of France and his wife Lindsay is an

Accountant. Their daughter Anne is a mechanical engineer who is working on a Masters program in Mechatronics.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Mr. Richard Mahacek for his years of dedication to the 4-H students and program.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Sandy Hopp in the event of her retirement from Stanislaus County.

Sandy Hopp has been an employee of the County of Stanislaus since January 2003. She was recruited to work as a Field Representative for Supervisor Jeff Grover, a position she held for eight years. She is currently the Field Representative to Supervisor Terry Withrow, representing Supervisorial District Three. After being hired, she quickly increased in responsibilities and exhibited a great skill in working with people in all walks of life. She is often the eyes, ears and voice of her elected Supervisor, and represents the Supervisor in venues such as the Salida Municipal Advisory Committee, the Weed and Seed Project and other community meetings and organizations.

Mrs. Hopp has a tremendous understanding of government operations and serves as an outstanding interface between the Supervisors' Office, County departments, the community and various state and federal organizations. In her role, Mrs. Hopp quickly developed a passion for the area of legislative and governmental affairs. She was selected as a liaison to a French delegation visiting Stanislaus County, she serves as the coordinator of Government Day for the elite Leadership Modesto program and she was a coordinator of the San Joaquin Valley Regional Association of California Counties Supervisors Association Annual Meeting.

Mrs. Hopp is an outstanding liaison with the offices of local, state and federal elected officials. A personal highlight of mine is when Stanislaus County officials visit Washington, D.C. to present projects and priorities. Mrs. Hopp coordinates extremely complex schedules for maximum efficiency of the trip and also serves as an outstanding liaison to Congressional offices. Visiting with Mrs. Hopp on these trips is always a highlight for my staff and for me personally.

Mrs. Hopp has a personal commitment to excellence and a strong faith which is central to whom she is as a person and to her service to her family, church and community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Mrs. Sandy Hopp for her many years of dedication to the County of Stanislaus.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend, Richard Robinson in the event of his retirement after seven dedicated years of service as Chief Executive Officer of Stanislaus County.

Rick was appointed Stanislaus County Chief Executive Officer in September 2004. In this position, under the director of the Board of Supervisors, Rick oversees all aspects of Stanislaus County government, which includes 26 County departments, a $900 million operating budget and over 3,600 employees.

Faced with severe financial challenges during the current economic crisis, Rick led an effort to develop a multi-year framework around which the County budget functions, a strategy which enables the County to address both current and future year budget shortfalls in a systematic and proactive manner. During his career with Stanislaus County, he also led many efforts aimed at strengthening the County health care safety net, including successful initiatives to attain the Federally Qualified Health Care Facility Designation in the County's health clinic system, a multi-year effort to retain the County Residency Program, and the sale and transition of the Stanislaus Behavior Health Center to private Ownership.

Prior to his appointment with Stanislaus County, Rick had, since 1991, held the position of Chief Administrator with Tehama County. Rick started his local government career in 1982 as an Accountant for the Tehama County Auditor-Controller's Office. In 1986, he was elected Auditor-Controller and ran unopposed for a second four-year term in 1990.

Rick currently serves on several local committees, including the Community Hospice Board of Directors, the Governing Board of Doctors Medical Center, Stanislaus Workforce Alliance Board of Directors and the Valley First Credit Union Supervisory Committee. Rick was recently honored by the Stanislaus County Equal Rights Commission as a recipient of the 2011 Annual Dale Butler Equal Rights Award for exemplary service in equal employment opportunity matters and leadership in promoting equal rights.

Rick was an honors graduate of California State University, Chico, earning his degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. He is a lifetime selection to Beta Gamma Sigma, a national scholastic honor society for business graduates. Rick has been married to his beautiful wife Kathy for 37 years. They have 4 children and 8 grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring my good friend, Mr. Richard Robinson for his years of dedication to the County of Stanislaus.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in support of this important legislation that will ensure that regulations governing the businesses in our communities are fair and reasonable.

H.R. 3010 will provide a number of benefits for businesses in our communities, while also protecting public health and safety. It ensures greater transparency in the regulatory process and greater scrutiny of the economic effect of regulation.

We all know how regulations are implemented can have a significant impact on our communities. For example, in my home district, there is a utility company that owns a percentage of a power plant in New Mexico that is subject to a standard on regional haze. The state of New Mexico put together a plan to retrofit this power plant and others within the state to meet the clean air standards using one type of technology. In the meantime, the EPA also put together a plan to meet the exact same standard. However, EPA's plan uses a different kind of technology to meet this standard, one that costs ten times more. If this rule gets published, this plant will be required to use EPA's plan, ultimately costing each of my constituents up to 700 dollars over the life of this project to achieve the exact same standard that New Mexico's plan meets.

Under H.R. 3010, nonsensical requirements like this cannot be made, because it forces the agency to use the least costly alternative to meeting a standard.

While I do have significant concerns with how this bill is paid for, the importance of ensuring that regulations provide more benefit than burden to our citizens leads me to ultimately support it. However, should this bill pass the House today and the Senate consider it, I ask that the Senate change the pay for and ensure that no voters are disenfranchised in return for greater transparency in the regulatory process.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and ensure a more common sense, transparent and fair regulatory process.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to recognize a dedicated and gifted athlete on his 60th birthday, Ted Trambley.

In commemoration of his birthday, I want to honor him and his achievements as an exceptional cyclist, culminating this year with a truly inspired race to the top of Mount Haleakala in Hawaii this summer in record time.

Born in 1951, Ted Trambley grew up in Pleasant Hill, California and graduated College Park High School in 1969 and California State University, Hayward in 1975 where he was a gymnast and avid cyclist. It was in college that cycling became one of his true passions in life and he began a career in racing that has spanned over four decades.

Ted has belonged to several racing clubs over the years, including the Diablo Wheelman, Strada Sempre Duro, and his current club, Taleo.

Of the many races he has finished over his career, one of his most memorable was the Davis Double Century, a 200 mile race in a single day. In 1974, early in his career and at the height of his competitive peak, he was barely edged out of the lead and finished second. He continued this race annually for four years.

He also participated in the Death Ride through the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, racing 129 miles and climbing over 15,000 feet of elevation. A race not for the faint of heart.

Since 1986, Ted has been competing in the annual Mt. Diablo Mountain Challenge, a 10.8 mile race climbing 3,249 feet, where he regularly finishes among the fastest and at the very top of his age group. Drawing between 800 and 1,100 riders each year, this is one of the premier races in the San Francisco Bay Area.

These races are just a sample of his long and storied career, but it was this year, in 2011, at the Cycle to the Sun in Hawaii, on the island of Maui, that Ted Trambley truly demonstrated the strength and endurance that has defined his character for so many years.

This race is one of the most difficult bike races in the world, climbing over 10,000 feet of elevation and travelling over 36 miles while its gradient sometimes reaches 18%. As a comparison, the famed Mont Ventou in the

Tour de France is only a 5,336 foot climb over 13.6 miles.

Ted Trambley won his age group with a time of 3 hours, 43 minutes, and 39 seconds and finished 35th overall. A tremendous achievement, he should be proud knowing he has conquered the sun.

He has mentioned retirement from the racing circuit, but I truly doubt that he will hang up his cleats. It is near impossible to give up a lifelong passion.

Although he has accomplished these amazing feats of athletic endurance over four decades of training and dedication, he could not have done so without the tireless support of his wife, Mary Ann, and his two sons, Sean and Kyle.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring a truly remarkable athlete, husband, and father, Ted Trambley.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to recognize a faithful and tireless volunteer in the Atwater community, Connie Corvelo.

Connie grew up in the Visalia area on her family dairy in Goshen where her parents, Joseph Pereira and Balvina Orique Pereira, were dairy farmers dating back to 1935. Connie's father immigrated to the United States from the Azores Islands and her mother was born in California. She attended schools in Goshen and graduated from Mt. Whitney High School in Visalia in 1955.

Connie married her loving husband George Corvelo in 1988. George farmed and Connie worked for the Merced Sun Star as an Administrative Assistant to the General Manager for 10 years. Connie and George purchased ``Out to Lunch'' in 1993 and started a catering business. As Atwater Chamber members, Connie and George have catered meals for organizations, reunions, birthdays and many other events. Connie and George retired from the restaurant business in 2000 but have continued their catering company to this day. Their catering company was named Business of the Year in 2004-2005 by the Atwater Chamber of Commerce.

Shortly thereafter, Connie embarked on a cookbook writing adventure. Her first cookbook, titled My Portuguese Mother's Kitchen, was published in 2010. Her second cookbook, Out to Lunch: Memories and Recipes, has recently been released.

Connie is an active member of the Atwater community. George and Connie have been members of the Atwater-Winton Lions club for many years. In 2006, as a member of the Atwater Women's Club, Connie volunteered to share her prized chicken salad recipe and expertise as a fundraiser for the restoration of the clubhouse and yard. Within a few years, this spirit of volunteerism has spread throughout the community and the historic building has been painted, fenced, landscaped, air conditioned and much more. Connie and George continue to help with the salad event twice a year. It is this selfless volunteerism that has earned Connie the Atwater Women's Club Volunteer of the Year Award.

Connie has three children whom she adores spending time with. Her son, Dr. Jon Nunes, is a scientist with Roche and is married to Kelly Tanner Nunes. They have two daughters, Jordan and Julie. Connie's daughter, Annemarie Nunes Cousino, lives with her husband Richard ``Rick'' Cousino in Maryland. Rick recently retired from the United States Air Force after serving as Crew Chief for many years on Air Force One. They have two children, Gabrielle and Zachary. Connie's third child, Allison Nunes, is a meeting and event planner for an international company in Phoenix.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me, and the Atwater Women's Club, in honoring a truly wonderful member of the Atwater community, Connie Corvelo.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join the members of Soroptimist International of Modesto in celebration of the club's 75th Anniversary. It is my privilege to honor this organization that has for so many years remained committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential, realize aspirations, and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide.

Soroptimist International of Modesto was chartered November 28, 1936 with 120 members. It has since grown to an organization of dedicated members committed to volunteer service. For seventy-five years, SI of Modesto has worked tirelessly to improve the lives and status of women and girls locally and around the world. Its members strive daily to uphold the organization's values of human rights for all, global peace and international goodwill, advancing women's potential, integrity and democratic decision making, and promoting volunteerism, diversity, and friendship. Through regular meetings featuring guest speakers and programs, the members are able to network, collaborate on ideas, and stay informed on the various issues affecting women throughout the world.

Among the organization's top priorities is a devotion to supporting service projects in our community, throughout the Nation, and worldwide in such areas as education, environment, health, human rights and status of women, international goodwill, and social and economic development. Over the years, the club has worked collaboratively with other Soroptimist groups on various projects to serve the residents of our community. These projects include the Medical Outreach Mobile, the ``Live Your Dream'' event for young girls, the Soroptimist Community Christmas Tree, the Youth Literacy Program, Modesto Junior College's Soroptimist Youth Learning Center, and the Salvation Army homeless shelter medical assistance project.

The organization has also provided monetary support, service, and volunteer time to such community organizations as Memorial Hospital, the McHenry Mansion, Interfaith Ministries, Haven Women's Center, Girl Scouts of America, and Foothill Horizon Outdoor Education, and many other important programs. The club also strives to ensure that women have access to equal education by providing cash awards for scholarships and recognition programs; thus, taking important steps to assist women in their professional careers and personal lives.

It is truly an honor to have a local chapter located in California's 18th Congressional District, whose efforts have made a positive impact on the community and in the lives that its services have touched. Its members truly exemplify benevolence and set a high level of excellence for all to admire and follow. It is a pleasure to represent Soroptimist International of Modesto in Congress and to pay tribute to their seventy-five years of service and success.

Mr. Speaker, it is with the greatest respect that I rise today to recognize my good friend, Richard Hawthorne, in the event of his retirement as Police Chief for the City of Atwater.

Richard was raised in the community of Atwater. He graduated from Atwater High School and received his Associates of Arts degree from Merced College. Richard earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fresno Pacific University. However disregarding his education achievements, he always says that his most important accomplishments are his marriage to his beautiful wife Debbie for 33 years and the welcoming of his two beautiful daughters into the world, Lyndsay and Amanda.

Richard began his law enforcement career in 1976 as Deputy Sheriff for Merced County. He remained with the Merced County Sheriff Department until 1979 when he was hired on as a Police Officer with the City of Atwater. He worked his way through the ranks until he was promoted to Chief of Police in 2003. He served selflessly until his retirement on October 1, 2011. Richard is a man that loved his job and the men and women that worked for him. A great example of his dedication to his officers is the reasoning behind his retirement. He is retiring early so that there is additional money in the budget to keep more patrol officers in their jobs during this difficult economic time. This is just one example how Richard is always putting others in front of him.

Richard takes an active role in his local community in addition to his commitments as Police Chief. Richard is also dedicated to future members of law enforcement, as he is also a part-time Criminal Justice Instructor at Merced College. He is a member and Past President of the Atwater Rotary Club, Board Member of the Atwater Police Activities League, Chairman of the Drug and Alcohol Committee of Merced County, President of ACAUSE (Atwater Community Advocates United for a Safe Environment), Member of the Atwater Police Officers Association, California Chiefs of Police Association, Merced Area Crime Stoppers, National Chief's Police Association and the Nationwide ``Invest in Kids'' Coalition.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring my good friend, Mr. Richard Hawthorne, for his leadership, dedication, and outstanding service to our community and the Atwater Police Department.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Don Riding in the event of his retirement after 39 dedicated years of service with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Mr. Riding was appointed to the Officer in Charge position at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Fresno in September 2003. Prior to this, he had served as Officer in Charge of the Fresno INS Suboffice since May 1984. In his previous capacity, he supervised the enforcement and benefits function of the INS in Central California. These operations included the processing of applications for benefits such as permanent residents and naturalization, investigation of criminal and administrative violations, as well as the detention and removal of violators of immigration laws.

Mr. Riding began his career with INS in 1972 as an Immigration Inspector in El Paso, Texas. He transferred to Baltimore, Maryland in 1975 as a Criminal Investigator. In 1980, he was promoted to the position of Course Developer and Instructor at the Immigration Officer Academy in Glynco, Georgia with a focus on Examinations. In 1982, Mr. Riding was promoted to the position of Port Director of Laredo, Texas. This job supervised the inspection of persons entering the United States at one of the largest land border ports of entry. He held this position until he was transferred to Fresno as Officer in Charge in 1984.

Prior to beginning his career with INS, Mr. Riding spent two years in the United States Army and two years on a church mission trip to Brazil. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brigham Young University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in law enforcement in 1972. He is married to Donna Bright of Baltimore and has five children and four grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Mr. Don Riding for his years of dedication to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.