Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Mrs. Sally Falkman, upon the occasion of her retirement from teaching-- an exemplary career that follows 30 years of outstanding service, commitment, inspiration and instruction on behalf of every child who was a student in her classroom.

Mrs. Falkman has dedicated the past 29 years of her professional expertise as a teacher at St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School. Her dedicated focus on shaping, growing and inspiring the minds and hearts of young children never faded or wavered. For 30 years, Mrs. Falkman instructed students in social studies and religion classes, teaching third, fourth and fifth graders, and has done so with grace, compassion and a gentle spirit, capturing the curiousity and imaginations of her students and the admiration of parents and peers.

Mrs. Falkman's exceptional work ethic, excellent rapport with her students and her colleagues and creative and enthusiastic style of teaching consistently captivated the children, guiding them to a platform where learning and discovery flourished. As new and advanced teaching technologies and advancements evolved, Mrs. Falkman regularly learned and embraced every new technique. But the heart of teaching-- the respect, love and confidence that a teacher expresses to her students, will never change, and this vital element in a child's educational experience is the intangible gift that Mrs. Falkman consistently gave to every student.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Mrs. Sally Falkman, for giving true meaning to the words: teacher, mentor, guide and friend. Her chosen vocation of teaching will be forever remembered by her students, their parents, and also by the faculty and staff at St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School, where her excellence, compassion, kindness, gentle nature and true gifts for teaching and inspiring our children will be remembered always and held as a brilliant example for all young teachers to follow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Bob Gries, upon being named the recipient of the 2006 Daniel D. Dauby Award, presented annually by the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center of Cleveland, Ohio.

Since the 1930s, Mr. Gries and his family have been unwavering champions of support and advocacy for individuals and families who are impacted by hearing, speech and deafness issues. His leadership and volunteerism is evidenced throughout our Cleveland community, especially in the outstanding programs, services and awareness campaigns that originate from the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center.

The Gries and Dauby families are connected not only by bloodline, but also by their collective sense of commitment to community involvement. Daniel Dauby, for whom the award is named, was born deaf. His father was Nathan L. Dauby, general manager for the former downtown May Company Department Store, a position he held for nearly 50 years. Mr. Gries is the nephew of Daniel Dauby, and his work serves to keep Daniel's legacy alive and relevant to the thousands of individuals whose challenging world is filled with hope, joy and the potential to soar far above the walls of silence.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor, recognition and gratitude of Mr. Bob Gries, up in being named the Daniel D. Dauby Award recipient. Mr. Gries' unwavering commitment and volunteerism, focused on advancing the services and programs offered at the Cleveland Speech and Hearing Center, continues to have a profound and positive impact on the lives of children, adults and their families who face daily challenges in a hearing world, giving them the practical resources to dream, achieve and succeed. I wish Mr. Gries and his entire family an abundance of health, peace and happiness, today and always.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor, recognition and remembrance of the men and women of our local law enforcement agencies who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and every police officer who braves daily peril in order to protect and safeguard the citizens of our Cleveland community.

The Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society was formed by a dedicated group of police officers and their families, committed to keeping the immense sacrifice and memories of their loved ones forever alive for themselves and for the entire community to honor. Their focus resulted in a striking, black polished granite monument, consisting of gently sloping walls that cover 1,000 square feet and tower six feet above the ground. The monument bears the name, law enforcement agency, and date of death of each of the 158 officers who have died in the line of duty. Every May, the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial brings together hundreds of police officers and their families from throughout greater Cleveland in unity with the general public to recognize and honor the fallen, to celebrate their lives and great contribution,

and to honor those who continue on the noble work of service, safety and assistance.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of the men and women in blue who have paid the ultimate price in protecting the safety of others. We also join in honor and recognition of the family members whose lives were forever altered upon losing a loved one in the line of duty. We extend our deepest gratitude to all police officers, for their commitment, courage and unwavering sense of duty in their vocation of service to others. The individual and collective work of our police officers is framed by integrity, dedication and excellence, serving as a shield of security and hope for every one of us--and their courage and sacrifice will be forever honored and remembered.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and recognize Auxiliary Bishop Richard Lennon and warmly welcome him to Cleveland. Today, Auxiliary Bishop Lennon will be installed as the 10th Bishop of Cleveland.

Born on March 26, 1947, in Arlington, Massachusetts, Auxiliary Bishop Lennon attended high school and undergraduate college in Massachusetts before receiving a Masters of Theology degree in Sacramental Theology from St. John's Seminary in 1973. That same year, a age 26, he was ordained a priest.

During his distinguished career with the church, Auxiliary Bishop Lennon has served as parochial vicar of St. Mary of the Nativity Church in Scituate, Massachusetts and held the same position at St. Mary Church in West Quincy, Massachusetts. In 1988, he was named assistant for canonical affairs at the Archdiocese of Boston. Auxiliary Bishop Lennon was ordained Auxiliary Bishop at the Boston Archdiocese in 2001, and went on to become apostolic administrator in 2002. In 2003, he became vicar general and moderator of the curia at the Boston Archdiocese in 2003.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor and distinct pleasure, to welcome Auxiliary Bishop Lennon

to Cleveland. He has dedicated himself to our church, and to the betterment of all mankind. His distinguished record of service speaks volumes, and I look forward to working with him to strengthen our community.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honoring Auxiliary Bishop Lennon and welcoming him to Cleveland as our community's 10th Bishop. Today is a great day for the Catholic Church and the Cleveland community. Auxiliary Bishop Lennon brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, and I ask my Colleagues to join me in sharing in this tremendous day.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman.

It is sad that as we stand on the cusp of the most profound change in our environment the civilized world has ever seen, the actions of a few in Congress can stop desperately overdue action.

The science is clear. This is not a problem of the future. It is happening now. The United Nations has declared that at least 5 million cases of illness and more than 150,000 deaths every year are attributed to global warming. The 2003 European heat wave killed over 20,000 people. The 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the last 15 years. Two consecutive record-breaking hurricane seasons. The problem will not fix itself.

And yet we will not allow a provision in this bill that has no timeline, no specific targets and no commitment. The committee inserted text that merely expressed the sense that we should take action on global warming, but the Rules Committee chose to leave it open to challenge by anyone, and I understand that challenge will be coming on a technicality. So we cannot even say we should be doing something about this.

Just how bad does it have to get?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Anthony Brancatelli, Ward 12 Cleveland Councilman, as he is presented with Villa Montessori's prestigious Guardian Angel Award.

This award is given to a person who has been instrumental in the success of the Villa Montessori Center School. Mr. Brancatelli was the former chief executive of Slavic Village development and played a vital role in finding a space for the school and spearheaded its expansion during its 10 years of existence.

Mr. Brancatelli has always been a pioneer for community development, public safety and education. During his 17 years at the Slavic Village Community Development Corp., Mr. Brancatelli partnered with longtime councilman, Ed Rybka, to reshape and renew the neighborhood. He organized several block clubs on safety and housing issues, with community anchors such as Cleveland Central Catholic High School and with Third Federal Savings and Loan on major investments in the ward. He also brought forward a case to the Cleveland Housing Court in which they sued the owner of 110 severely neglected houses in a racially diverse, working-class neighborhood, since then it has developed into a respectable living area. Mr. Brancatelli was also the executive director of the Broadway Housing area housing coalition, which had renovated over four hundred houses. Under his leadership it was the largest number of renovations done by any community development corporation in Cleveland.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in recognition of Anthony Brancatelli as he rightfully receives the Guardian Angel Award. Mr. Brantacelli's perseverance, dedication, and compassion to the Slavic Village have made him a patriarch and champion for all people in the city of Cleveland.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Ione Biggs, cherished wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and champion of peace and social justice whose remarkable life echoes a call for peace and civil rights within our community and around the world.

Mrs. Biggs began blazing trails early on. Every inroad she created was lined with grace, integrity, and courage. One of first women police officers hired in the city of Cleveland, Mrs. Biggs worked in the Juvenile Division where she guided and assisted women and children for more than 10 years. Disenchanted with the rampant sexism and racism that permeated the Police Division at that time, Mrs. Biggs transferred to the Cleveland Municipal Court in 1955, where she worked diligently until her retirement in 1986. Her husband of 53 years, the late Keith D. Biggs, their son, Keith, and daughter, Gladys, were central to her life. Beyond her commitment to family and work, Mrs. Biggs' unrelenting activism, focused on peace, minority rights, and women's rights, played a vital role in elevating the hearts and minds of the public and its leaders, at home and abroad. She marched in support of Cleveland Mayor Carl B. Stokes and marched in opposition of the Vietnam war. In 1995, Mrs. Biggs organized a local delegation to attend the International Women's Conference in Beijing. She was an active leader in Nine to Five, supported Cleveland Working Women, WomenSpace, League of Women Voters, the ACLU, SpeakOut for Affirmative Action and numerous other social justice organizations. Mrs. Biggs attended national and international peace conferences, including disarmament and human rights summits in Sweden, Kenya, and the former Soviet Union.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor, gratitude, and remembrance of Mrs. Ione Biggs, who lived life with great joy, energy, passion, and in tireless advocacy on behalf of others. A certain grace illuminated her life, and the endless measure of her kindness and her dignified defiance will exist forever within the hearts of those who knew her well, especially her family and friends. Mrs. Biggs' legacy of peace transcends borders and time, lending light and hope to those who still live without justice, and to those who continue her march--from the steps of Public Square in Cleveland, Ohio, to the steps of the City Square in Nairobi, Kenya, and her journey will be remembered always.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the Czech Cultural Center of Sokol Greater Cleveland, as we join them in celebration of the grand opening of the Czech Museum and Library, housed within the historic Bohemian National Hall in Cleveland's North Broadway neighborhood.

The Czech Museum and Library is part of the colorful weave in Cleveland's vibrant fabric of cultural diversity, and is visible in the strength, beauty and grace of the Bohemian National Hall. This historic treasure was built in 1897 by Czech immigrants whose quest for freedom and the opportunity for a better life for their families led them to America. Drawn to the booming industrial growth along the Great Lakes, thousands of Czech immigrants settled throughout the neighborhoods of Cleveland, grateful for their new beginning, yet never forgetting their country of origin. Their collective vision, focused on preserving and passing along tradition, heritage, language and culture, has allowed every new generation of Czech Americans to understand and celebrate the priceless traditions of their beloved Czech homeland.

The exhibits on display at the Czech Museum include artifacts and archives that reflect the history of the Broadway neighborhood, the history of the Bohemian National Hall, and the history of the Sokol Greater Cleveland organization. The numerous struggles and triumphs that outline the history of the Cleveland Czech community will also reflect among the exhibits at the Czech Museum and Library.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of the leaders and members, past and present, of the Czech Cultural Center of Sokol of Greater Cleveland, upon the joyous occasion of the grand opening of the Czech Museum and Library. This monument of cultural preservation transcends time and distance, preserving and promoting the ancient cultural and historical traditions of Czech heritage, spanning oceans and borders--a permanent bridge of family, culture and history--from Cleveland, Ohio to the Czech Republic.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in tribute and recognition of Barbara Boyd, dedicated public servant, civic activist, community leader and devoted wife and mother, as she is being honored by the Community Living Hope United Methodist Church of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, for her unwavering focus, energy and work on behalf of improving the quality of life for all members of our community.

Ms. Boyd was born and raised in Cleveland, and graduated from Glenville High School. With a focus on higher education, Ms. Boyd graduated from St. Paul's College in Virginia, then moved back home to Cleveland where she worked as an educator in the Cleveland Public Schools. She began her tenure as a public servant in 1983, when she became the first African American elected to Cleveland Heights City Council. In 1992, Ms. Boyd was elected as the first African American Mayor in the history of Cleveland Heights.

Ms. Boyd's husband, Robert Boyd, and her daughter, Janine Boyd, continue to be the center of her life, with everything else radiating outward from there. With the great support of her family, she decided to continue her tenure of public service and run for state office. She was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1993 and served until 2000 due to term limits. During her tenure in the House, Ms. Boyd focused her energy and expertise on committees that encompassed the support and empowerment of children, youth, families and the elderly. She was awarded the 2000 Legislator of the Year Award, for her work on alcohol and drug assistance and prevention; the Black Women's History Award in 1992, the Alzheimer's Award in 2000 and was named the ``Official of the Year'' by the Ohio Patrolmen Benevolent Association in 1989.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor of Barbara Boyd, as we join with the Community of Living Hope United Methodist Church in recognition of her professional excellence and devoted public service focused on uplifting our entire Cleveland community into the light of hope and possibility.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in tribute and recognition of Arnold R. Pinkney, dedicated family man, successful businessman, community activist, dedicated volunteer and friend and mentor to many, as he is being honored by the Community of Living Hope United Methodist Church of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

Mr. Pinkney was born and raised in Youngstown and graduated from the Youngstown Public Schools. His quest for higher education led him to Michigan, where he graduated from Albion College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History. His personal integrity, strong self-motivation and unwavering dedication has guided him his whole life. During college, he was elected to ``Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities,'' was President of the Independent Men's Union, and was a member of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association Team for Baseball and Basketball.

The focus on hard work and giving back to others continues to frame Mr. Pinkney's life. He is the Chairman of Pinkney-Perry Insurance Agency, a 41-year-old business located in Cleveland. He is also Senior Consultant and CEO of Betpin & Associates, a consulting firm established by his wife of 45 years, Betty Thompson Pinkney. His dedication to his wife and daughter, Traci Lynne Pinkney, extends outward into the community, where his spirit of volunteerism, leadership and energy continues to empower and support numerous local civic, educational, political and business agencies, including the Urban League, 100 Black Men, Inc., Cleveland Musical Arts Association, University Circle Incorporated, and the Race for Success, Inc.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join us in honor of Arnold R. Pinkney, as we join with the Community of Living Hope United Methodist Church in recognition of his dedicated service and contribution focused on family, faith and community. Mr. Pinkney's numerous contributions within the private and public sector continues to strengthen the well being of our entire Cleveland community.

Mr. Speaker, I made the attached remarks regarding the Avian Flu on May 11, 2006.

You're on your own.

This has been the credo for the Administration's approach to health care and it summarizes their approach to Avian Flu. The Implementation Plan gives a little guidance to state and local governments and businesses and then wishes them luck.

First, there is the leadership vacuum. The plan calls for HHS to coordinate the medical response but calls for Homeland Security to coordinate federal operations and resources. A bipartisan report out of the Senate, released in April, found that the Department has lagged in fixing the problems that plagued its atrocious response to Hurricane Katrina. It found that major structural reforms were necessary and that little has changed in the Department so far. So we can expect Homeland Security to adopt a similar motto to the one they adopted last Summer: you're on your own.

What's more is that the plan has been called the mother of all unfunded mandates. While 7.1 billion dollars for avian flu preparedness is a step in the right direction, it is simply not enough. Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, called the budget ``completely unrealistic.'' A big part of the reason it is insufficient is that it has to make up for years of steady erosion of the public health infrastructure due to lack of funding. In fact, Dr. Redlener points out the need for 5 billion dollars just for ``staffs, equipment and supplies, and general resiliency.'' Yet the vast majority of the Administration's funding is going toward the anti-viral and vaccine stockpile.

This plan, therefore, gives us inadequate leadership and inadequate funding, which leaves the clear impression that we truly will be on our own in a pandemic. And a crisis is precisely the time we need to look out for each other the most.

However, we can be assured that everyone is not left to their own devices.

On November 4, 2005 during a House Government Reform Committee hearing on Avian Flu Preparedness, HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt responded to my questioning by saying that he would not be issuing a compulsory license for the anti-viral drug, Tamiflu. He also declared that he was in negotiations with Roche, manufacturer of Tamiflu, over the cost of the drug being purchased for the national stockpile. On one hand, Secretary Leavitt has a Congressional mandate to stockpile enough Tamiflu for 25% of the nation. On the other hand, he withdrew the threat of compulsory licensing, even if Roche tries to price gouge. In so doing, Leavitt undercut his own negotiating power and effectively surrendered control of price to Roche.

On November 10, six days after the hearing, the New York Times reported that Roche announced what they would be charging developed countries for Tamiflu: 15 Euros, or about 19 dollars for a course of treatment. Wondering how the price negotiations between HHS and Roche went, my office recently asked HHS what they were paying for Tamiflu for the stockpile. The asking price of 15 Euros, or 19 dollars. Even with the bulk purchasing power of 810 million pills, HHS did not bother to get a better deal than the asking price.

Lest you get the impression that this price is fair, allow me to point out that Roche did not sink a dime into research on the drug. They simply license it from its inventor, Gilead Sciences. That means there is no need to recoup research costs. Furthermore, we know it can be sold for a profit for much less. Cipla, a generics manufacturer in India, for example, is selling Tamiflu for only 12 dollars. That is 36 percent less than what the Federal Government is paying. If we paid Cipla's price instead of Roche's, we would save over a half a billion dollars. I bet local health agencies and hospitals could save a lot of lives with that kind of money. Think of what we could do with a half billion dollars--we could reduce the deficit, put teachers in classrooms, invest in renewable energy, provide health care to some of the uninsured, brace ourselves for the effects of climate change.

Those that stand to gain from inflated prices for pandemic pharmaceuticals are doing well. Roche's sales for the first quarter of 2006 are up 22 percent to 7.7 billion dollars. Gilead Sciences, the company that originally developed Tamiflu and continues to receive royalties on its sales, outperformed RBC Capital Markets estimate of 350 million dollars in Tamiflu Sales by 163 million dollars.

In essence, we are telling state and local governments that there's not enough money to fund things like medical personnel and equipment while we're giving away bags of money to the already incredibly profitable pharmaceutical industry. In other words, you're on your own, unless you're big Pharma.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the leaders and members, past and present, of Zion Chapel Missionary Baptist Church of Cleveland, Ohio, as they celebrate forty years of faith, guidance and support, embracing citizens of all ages within our Cleveland community and far beyond.

Zion Chapel Missionary Baptist Church was founded in the spring of 1966, when a small group of devoted Christians met at the home of Reverend and Mrs. Rudy York and decided that an organized mission of faith and service was needed in the neighborhood. On Monday, May 2, 1966, the Church was officially established and the Reverend Robert M. Berry was called upon to lead as the first Pastor.

Reverend Berry guided the early days of the church with commitment and compassion. When he became ill, Reverend Thomas Shearer served as interim pastor, and did so with great care and dedication. In June of 1969, Reverend George O. Stewart was called to serve as Pastor. For 37 years, Reverend Stewart has led this congregation with grace, energy and steadfast faith in the resilience and goodness of the human heart, raising lives into the light of self-awareness, forgiveness and service to others. Reverend Stewart's kind heart and charismatic demeanor inspires thousands of churchgoers every week. His dynamic leadership is reflected in faith-based initiatives for families, children and teens; is evidenced within a congregation that continues to flourish; and is visible in structural expansions that include a new fellowship hall, new parking lots and new residential properties.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of every member and leader, past and present, of the Zion Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, as they celebrate 40 years of faith, hope and healing. The guidance and compassion offered here serves to strengthen the lives of countless families and individuals, and offers light and hope along Lee Road and horizons beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of James A. Tucciarone, upon his retirement that follows an exemplary, thirty-six year career with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), throughout Ohio, Michigan and Illinois.

In 1971, Mr. Tucciarone began his career as an FAA air traffic controller at the Akron-Canton control tower, and later served as Manager of the Akron Municipal Air Traffic Control Tower, Akron-Canton Air Traffic Control Tower and the Columbus Air Traffic Control Tower. He was called upon to serve as Manager of the Cleveland Center, and as Sectional Supervisor of the Operations Branch at the Great Lakes Regional Office in Des Plaines, IL. Mr. Tucciarone also worked as Assistant Air Traffic Manager at Cleveland and Detroit Metro Towers, and also at the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center. In every place he worked, Mr. Tucciarone's integrity, expertise and focus on flight safety never wavered.

Mr. Tucciarone's boundless enthusiasm, energy, kind heart and steadfast integrity frame both his personal and professional life. Aside from his numerous accomplishments in the field of aviation, Mr. Tucciarone is an active member of his community. He is a member of the Board of Directors and Advisory Board for ``Kids in Flight, `` a non- profit organization whose mission is to use aviation as a tool of empowerment for seriously ill children and their families. He is a member of numerous civic agencies and also volunteers his time coaching and umpiring youth basketball and softball teams.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor, recognition and gratitude of Mr. James A. Tucciarone, upon his retirement from the FAA that follows thirty-six years of outstanding service and accomplishment. His dedication, expertise, leadership, and energy, focused on excellence and safety in aviation, also extends outward into the community, where he offers his time and talent to children and their families who struggle daily with illness, uplifting their lives to a place where hopes and dreams take flight. I wish Mr. Tucciarone and his family an abundance of health, peace and happiness as his journey begins from here.

Mr. Speaker, the Dow Jones will hit a record and the Nation's economists will be doing their hosannas, but who profits when factories and businesses are closed in the United States and cheap goods made by no-rights, no-benefits, low-wage Chinese workers flood our markets?

We have an $804 billion trade deficit. Hello?

Since 1982, $4.5 trillion in assets have been transferred from American to foreign owners. Hello?

Wall Street thumps their golden tub for the Wal-Marts and the cigarette-peddling Altrias while record numbers of Americans are laid off, file bankruptcy, lose their homes, their health care benefits, their retirement and savings, and in some cases, their families. Why do we celebrate Wall Street when Wall Street does not celebrate Main Street?

Wall Street makes a killing while gas prices soar, health care costs skyrocket, and food prices increase. We need a new way to measure our economy, as in how many people are working at good-paying jobs and have job security, and how many have health and retirement benefits.

Let us create economic progress for all in America, not just for a privileged few.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Charlotte Crews, upon her retirement as center director of the Barton Center of Lakewood, whose dedication and devotion to the residents of the Barton Center has brought joy and energy to their lives for more than two decades.

Mrs. Crews began volunteering at the Barton Center nearly 21 years ago. Though busy with family and her own job at a local insurance company, Mrs. Crews made time to prepare meals, and she also utilized her creative theatrical talent and experience by writing and directing countless performances and shows at the center. Her husband, Curt, was program director at the time, and she also volunteered as his assistant. In 1995, she was offered the position of center director. As center director for 11 years, Mrs. Crews went above and beyond the usual call of duty. Her care and compassion for the elderly and disabled residents of the center was equally matched by her energetic drive and dedication that focused on enriching their lives.

Mrs. Crews worked overtime to cook dinner for more than 100 people for the monthly dinner show. She set the menu, shopped, cooked and served the food. She also continued to channel her talents by writing, producing and directing the annual staff show. Additionally, she created a small grocery called the Corner Store, located in the building, for residents unable to leave the center. Mrs. Crews added a computer to the center, created several new programs for residents, and initiated a successful fundraising plan, known as the Annual Campaign. Moreover, Mrs. Crews' approachable demeanor and great sense of humor easily drew others to her, and her presence brightened the spirits of residents, staff and volunteers.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor, recognition and gratitude to Charlotte Crews, for her unwavering dedication, generous heart, expansive talent and true sense of giving that has framed her presence at the Barton Center for the past 21 years. Her achievements are numerous, yet her most significant accomplishment is the love and compassion that she shared with the most frail citizens of our society--bringing them joy, great care and hope, and the foundation of friendship that Mrs. Crews created has raised the lives of every resident at Barton Center, and has strengthened our entire community.