Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 50th Anniversary of the Hilltop Village Co-operative #4 in Hollis, Queens, NY, and its President, Marc Haken for his strong leadership, dedication and commitment to the Hilltop Village community.

On Sunday, August 15, 1952, the New York Times recognized the opening of this grand cooperative with a front page article. Constructed under the National Housing Act of 1952, Hilltop Village Co-operative #4 was the fourth and final completed section of the 500-unit Hilltop Village, occupying 150 acres of Queens, NY. Hilltop Village Co-op #4 opened in December 1953 with 296 apartments and Joseph Desner as its first president.

Since its completion in 1953, Hilltop Village #4 has emerged as a leader in the local community. Among the major projects the group has spearheaded and accomplished are: the creation of the Hollis branch of the Queens Borough Public Library on 202nd Street and Hillside Avenue, the construction of a Post Office on 197th Street and Hillside Avenue, and the implementation of a new bus route, the Q76, which runs down Francis Lewis Boulevard to the subway terminal at Hillside Avenue and 179th Street. In addition, residents of Hilltop Village were instrumental in the establishment of the Holliswood Jewish Center.

Community involvement has been especially prominent under the dynamic leadership of Marc Haken, who has served as president of the co-op, and has been reelected every three years since 1978. Under Mr. Haken's direction the co-op became a member of civic and community organizations such as the 107th Precinct Council, the Queens Civic Congress, whose co-op committee is chaired by Mr. Haken, and the Friends of Cunningham Park.

The co-op also makes financial contributions to several local charitable organizations including the Queens Women's Center, the Hollis branch of the Queens Borough Public Library, the Jamaica Estates Volunteer Ambulance Corp., the Hatzolah Volunteer Ambulance Corp., the Youth Committee of Community Board #8 and to the 107th Precinct of the New York City Police Department. In addition, the co-op donates roof space for radio antennas to both the Jamaica Estates Volunteer Ambulance Corp and the New York City Police Department. It also provides landscaping services for the center divider of Francis Lewis Boulevard. In Marc Haken's 25 years as president of Hilltop Village Co- operatives, the co-op has expanded its prominent role as a leader in the local community.

I commend Mr. Haken and the Hilltop Villages' Board of Directors-- Michael Rodi, Miriam Null, Bernice Ackerman, Adrienne Bayuk, Steven Kasavana and Miguel Ramos--for their continued dedication and commitment to community service. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me in wishing Marc Haken, the Board of Directors, and the shareholders of Hilltop Co-operatives many more years of success as they celebrate the 50th Anniversary of this wonderful residential community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Shirley Gralla, a life-long supporter of Jewish education around the world, on the dedication of the Shirley Gralla Girls' Elementary School at Be'er Hagolah Institutes in Brooklyn, NY.

As a child in the early 1920s, Shirley Gralla came to America from Eastern Europe in search of the ``American Dream.'' As an adult, she has dedicated her life to making that dream a reality for thousands of Jewish immigrant children. With her husband Milton, Shirley helped transform Be'er Hagolah Institutes into the largest school in the United States designed to attract and educate Jewish children from the former Soviet Union. The Center, which was established in 1979, educates nearly one thousand students from kindergarten through grade 12, and has a policy of turning no child away for financial reasons. In fact, most of the student body receives a full or partial scholarship.

Shirley and Milton have endowed and named schools in Odessa, Ukraine; Kiev, Ukraine; Moscow, Russia, and Jerusalem, Israel. She has initiated a family sponsored endowment of a floor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, for the study of brain disorders. More recently, Shirley helped to create the Brandeis University ``Genesis'' Program, which invites Jewish teens from around the United States to participate in an enriching Judaic and academic experience at the university's campus in Waltham, Massachusetts. For these and other achievements, Shirley Gralla has been named a Fellow at Brandeis University and a Doctor of Humane Letters by Yeshiva University.

When the need for new facilities at the Be'er Hagolah Institutes became obvious ten years ago, Shirley and Milton rose to the challenge.

Together with Joseph Gruss and the Reichmann family of Toronto, they worked to fund the construction of magnificent new accommodations for the children. On May 28, 2003 Shirley Gralla's commitment to the school will be recognized when the girls' elementary school will be dedicated in her name.

I commend Shirley Gralla for her continued dedication to the field of education and her commitment to improving the lives of Jewish immigrant children. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me in congratulating Shirley Gralla on the dedication of the Shirley Gralla Girls' Elementary School at Be'er Hagolah Institutes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 35th Anniversary of Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington and its Chairman, Myron Blumenfeld, for his strong leadership, dedication and commitment in making Port Washington a more beautiful town.

In 1968, Myron and a group of concerned citizens founded Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington with the simple plan to plant a tree by a gas station. Soon, the people of Port Washington began to organize daily for environmental action and Myron's organization slowly grew from a handful of members to a prestigious and influential non- profit action group. Today, Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington boasts more than 2,000 active members who cross political, racial, religious, ethnic and economic divides to preserve and enhance the environment of Port Washington and the surrounding communities.

Among the major projects the group has spearheaded are: protecting drinking water, building waterfront trails, contributing thousands of dollars to the Port Washington Board of Education to fund projects which helps students to learn about our ecosystem, planning the Main Street Park and Town Dock, and of course, planting hundreds of trees throughout Port Washington.

As the founder and chairman of Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, Myron Blumenfeld has consistently displayed his lifelong passion and spirit to improve our environment and our quality of life. A graduate of Syracuse University with a Masters Degree in Business from New York University, Myron was vice president of Bloomingdales for 34 years where he routinely answered his phone with ``Save Hempstead Harbor''. Myron's commitment to the environment was quickly recognized by then Governor Cuomo who appointed Myron as Chairman of the Long Island Parks Commission. As Chairman, Myron initiated the first Long Island Parks environmental education program. Myron also served as Chair of the Sierra Club's Atlantic Chapter and formed the Sierra Club's first Long Island Chapter. In addition, Myron served on the boards of the Environmental Planning Lobby and American Friends of Neot Kedumin. In November of 2002, Myron and the Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington received the well deserved Environmental Advocates of New York State Award.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent such an exceptional individual and commend Myron Blumenfeld for his dedication to preserving and working for the beautification of Port Washington. On May 18, 2003, Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington will recognize Myron's important contributions at its 35th Annual Gala. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me in wishing Myron Blumenfeld and the Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington many more years of success as they celebrate their 35th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 35th Anniversary of Residents for a More Beautifid Port Washington and its Chairman, Myron Blumenfeld, for his strong leadership, dedication and commitment in making Port Washington a more beautiful town.

In 1968, Myron and a group of concerned citizens founded Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington with the simple plan to plant a tree by a gas station. Soon, the people of Port Washington began to organize daily for environmental action and Myron's organization slowly grew from a handful of members to a prestigious and influential non- profit action group. Today, Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington boasts more than 2,000 active members who cross political, racial, religious, ethnic and economic divides to preserve and enhance the environment of Port Washington and the surrounding communities.

Among the major projects the group has spearheaded are: protecting drinking water, building waterfront trails, contributing thousands of dollars to the Port Washington Board of Education to fund projects which helps students to learn about our ecosystem, planning the Main Street Park and Town Dock, and of course, planting hundreds of trees throughout Port Washington.

As the founder and chairman of Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, Myron Blumenfeld has consistently displayed his lifelong passion and spirit to improve our environment and our quality of life. A graduate of Syracuse University with a Masters D6gree in Business from New York University, Myron was vice president of Bloomingdales for 34 years where he routinely answered his phone with ``Save Hempstead Harbor.'' Myron's commitment to the environment was quickly recognized by then Governor Cuomo who appointed Myron as Chairman of the Long Island Parks Commission. As Chairman, Myron initiated the first Long Island Parks environmental education program. Myron also served as Chair of the Sierra Club's Atlantic Chapter and formed the Sierra Club's first Long Island Chapter. In addition, Myron served on the boards of the Environmental Planning Lobby and American Friends of Neot Kedumin. In November of 2002, Myron and the Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington received the well deserved Environmental Advocates of New York State Award.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent such an exceptional individual and commend Myron Blumenfeld for his dedication to preserving and working for the beautification of Port Washington. On May 18, 2003, Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington will recognize Myron's important contributions at its 35th Annual Gala. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to please join me in wishing Myron Blumenfeld and the Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington many more years of success as they celebrate their 35th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to call to the attention of the House Mr. Edward J. McElroy, an extraordinary federal employee--a person who would typically be referred to in this chamber as a bureaucrat. Indeed, he is one, the interim director of the Department of Justice's new Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New York. But in my community in New York, we don't think of him as a bureaucrat, or as a cog in the impersonal and vast machinery of the federal government. In Queens, Ed McElroy is a hero.

About 3 weeks ago I called him after discovering that a young man in my community, Mohammad Sarfaraz Hussain, was on the verge of being deported. Now eighteen, this young man came to New York from Pakistan when he was a seven year old little boy, to be with his mother as she died in the hospital. Only a few short years later, his father died of a heart attack leaving him an orphan.

Despite these tragedies, Mohammad thrived in Queens. Living with his aunt and uncle, and with the support of his siblings and cousins, his school and his friends, Mohammad has grown to be the kind of young man all of us hope our society produces: decent, modest and responsible, a varsity basketball player with a crowd of friends and a bright future ahead of him.

But in February, after reporting to immigration officials in New York under the special registration program implemented after 9/11 to screen male aliens from high-risk states, Mohammad was told that he was in our country illegally and that our federal government would seek his deportation. He was supposed to appear before a federal judge today.

A terrible tragedy was unfolding, a young man, an orphan, who since he was in second grade had only known life in America, was only weeks away from being sent to Pakistan, where he had no family and knew no one.

Mr. Speaker, this scenario is not what we had in mind when the special screening procedures were put in place. The new screening policy makes a lot of sense for the security of our nation, it made no sense when applied in this case. The most threatening thing about Mohammad Hussain is his jump shot.

But the story has a happy ending Mr. Speaker because in New York, the federal government is lucky enough to have Ed McElroy making decisions about the enforcement of immigration laws.

Instead of ducking his head, instead of hiding behind rules and regulations to avoid making a decision, Ed McElroy did the kind of job we all hope our federal employees will do. He investigated, he looked deeper, he performed due diligence, he protected the interests of the United States and most importantly, he did the right thing.

After taking all the steps necessary to ensure that America's interests were met first, Ed McElroy notified me that he had reviewed Mr. Hussain's case would exercise prosecutorial discretion in not removing him from the United States.

Mr. Speaker, there is a lot to be proud of in a case like this. There is, of course, Mohammad Hussain, a young man like millions of others who has come to this country in tragic circumstances and has come to know, love and live the American dream.

And, making the continuation of this American story possible is a federal employee, a bureaucrat. A hero named Ed McElroy who understands that his responsibility as a guardian of our nation's borders and laws is not just the implementation of regulations, but the use of judgement in the pursuit of justice.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to call the House's attention to the great job Ed McElroy has done, and I know the whole House will join me in thanking him for his service, which is a credit to the entire United States government.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to pay tribute to a great man who has dedicated much of his life to improving relations between Taiwan and the United States. Dr. Lyushun Shen has served as Deputy Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) for the past four years and will be leaving Washington soon to accept a new challenge as Director General of TECRO in Geneva. At his new post, he will be working on, among other things, finally bringing Taiwan into its rightful place as a member of the World Health Organization, a development I strongly support.

As the Deputy Representative of TECRO, Dr. Shen has carried out many responsibilities ranging from interacting with Members of Congress to serving as a senior liaison with the large and vibrant Taiwanese community in the United States. As almost all of our colleagues know, TECRO--Taiwan's unofficial embassy here in Washington--and its employees are devoted to making certain the United States and Taiwan work closely on matters of mutual concern and importance in the areas of trade, investment, commerce, culture and security.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Shen is an old Washington hand. He is presently serving his third tour of duty in Washington, where he previously was Director of TECRO's Public Affairs Division from 1994 to 1996, as well as a Staff Consultant for Congressional Liaison from 1982 to 1986. In between his postings in Washington, Dr. Shen remained focused on U.S.- Taiwan relations. From 1996 to 1999 he was Director General, Department of North American Affairs at Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and from 1991 to 1993 he headed the Kansas City office of the Coordination Council for North American Affairs, TECRO's predecessor organization. This important position gave Dr. Shen a firsthand perspective on America's heartland, which oftentimes offers a different perspective than Washington.

Dr. Shen's professional experience has been built on a strong academic foundation. Dr. Shen received both his master's degree in international relations and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. While working in Kansas City, he was a visiting professor of international relations at the University of Kansas.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Shen has developed many friendships and a wealth of goodwill on Capitol Hill. He has served as a trusted resource of information regarding Taiwan and Cross Straight relations. Many fellow members of this body have been fortunate to have traveled to Taiwan with Dr. Shen.

Mr. Speaker, I am certain that our colleagues will join me in extending our best wishes to my good friend Lyushun as he takes up his new assignment. We also hope that he will be able to make his way back to Washington in the future. In the meantime, we expect many great things from this tireless advocate for Taiwan's interests. He is indeed an important asset for the 22 million people on Taiwan.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to pay tribute to the four brave Chaplains of the U.S.S. Dorchester who sacrificed their lives in order to save those of others.

On February 3, 1943, a German U-boat off the coast of Greenland sank the U.S.S. Dorchester, carrying approximately nine hundred American servicemen. A torpedo struck the Dorchester mid-ship, killing hundreds instantly, and sending those still alive into confusion and terror. As the Dorchester began to sink it became clear to many on board that the situation was becoming increasingly dire. Unable to signal for help, or call nearby ships due to security reasons, the U.S.S. Dorchester faced disaster on its own.

It was in spite of such confusion that George L. Fox, Clark V. Poling, Alexander Goode, and John P. Washington, the four chaplains of the U.S.S. Dorchester calmly worked to bring order to the catastrophe. Distributing life jackets with composure, the chaplains--one Catholic, one Jewish, and two Protestant--worked together to save the lives of many American servicemen. They did this at the cost of their own lives, giving the final four life jackets to needy American soldiers. Linked arm in arm, praying to the one God to whom they all served, they sank with the Dorchester, leaving America eternally in debt to their gratitude.

The inspirational service, and dedication of these four courageous chaplains saved many American lives in the frigid waters of the Atlantic. Their story continues to be one of inspiration to many religious communities throughout America. Furthermore, their willingness to stand together, linked arm in arm, disregarding religious boundaries can be viewed as a true testament to the beauty of religious freedom--a moral value that the United States of America has incessantly fought to protect.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues of the House of Representatives to join with me to honor George L. Fox, Clark V. Poling, Alexander Goode, and John P. Washington, the four courageous chaplains of the U.S.S. Dorchester.