Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate the Modesto Christian High School Varsity Football Team upon winning the California Interscholastic Federation Small Schools State Football Championship on Friday, December 18, 2009. The team will be honored on Thursday, January 7, 2010.

The Modesto Christian High School Varsity Football Team consists of 31 players including: Isaiah Burse, Jose Oseguera, Keaton Engel, Kevin Roya, Damien Bell-White, Nate Sudfeld, Aaron Brown, Dominic Dami, Alec Pearson, David Sielin, Dustin Hayes, Ryn Megee, Raymond Nelson, Nathan Straubinger, Johnny Juvera, Nick Carson, Brandon Baker, Danie Hague, Tyke Andrew, Vince Rovedatti, Cody Daniel, Matt Heinrich, Michael Fahlgren, Steve Rubalcava, Evan Schwartz, Vinny Warda, Jacob Alameda, Josh Lane, Tyler Jamison, Thomas Deshields and Colin Lane. The team was led by Head Coach, Mike Parsons and the rest of the coaching staff: Ron Megee, Andy Strickland, P. Jay Thiriault, Darin Higgins, Steve Gleason, Adam Foster, Mark Dobbins and Noel Alfaro.

The hard work and dedication of the entire team led the Modesto Christian Crusaders to an undefeated season; winning eleven regular season games, three section playoff games and the final championship game with a final 15-0 record. The team not only won all of the games they played, but they dominated their opponents, averaging 45 points per game.

With Modesto Christian Principal Cynthia Jewel and Athletic Director Greg Pearce cheering the team on, the team made their way to the championship game. The game was held at the Home Depot Field in Carson, California against Parker High School of San Diego, California. Parker's football team entered the game with an 11-2 record, and a 45- point scoring average per game.

With Isaiah Burse as quarterback, the Crusaders were able to move the ball quickly throughout the game. However, Parker was able to move the ball equally as well, leading to a nail biter. In the final minutes of the game, the Crusaders were holding on to a 44-40 lead, but Parker was moving the ball quickly down the field. With fourth-and-goal at the two, and 1 minute 40 seconds to play, the Crusaders defense dug deep to hold the Parker offense. The Crusaders were able to pick up a first down, triggering a celebration on their sideline and a final score of 44-40, with Modesto Christian on top.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate the 2009 Modesto Christian High School Football Team upon its achievements and upon becoming the California Interscholastic Federation Small Schools State Football Champions. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing the entire team and coaching staff congratulations on its many accomplishments this season.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Stell Manfredi upon his retirement as the Madera County Administrative Officer. Mr. Manfredi was honored by the Madera County Board of Supervisors on Saturday, January 30, 2010.

Mr. Stell Manfredi was born in 1945 in Madera, California. He attended St. Joachim's Catholic Grammar School and graduated from Madera High School in 1963. Upon his high school graduation, he attended Fresno City College and California State University, Fresno, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Economics. In 1969, Mr. Manfredi joined the United States Naval Reserve and served in DaNang, Vietnam.

After returning to Madera in 1971, Mr. Manfredi began working for the Madera County Administrative Office. The first three years he served as an Administrative Analyst I and was promoted to Administrative Analyst II. In 1980, he became the Assistant County Administrative Officer, and in 1991 he was named the County Administrative Officer.

In the thirty-eight years of working for the County Administrative Office, Mr. Manfredi has worked on many county projects; including the jail construction, juvenile boot camp, Madera Ranchos water system, juvenile hall, Oakhurst sewer system, the Madera County Government Center and parking facility, the Oakhurst fire and sheriff facility and the central garage facility. The county has grown in population, employees and budget. In 1971, when Mr. Manfredi began with the county, there were 42,600 residents, 375 employees and a sixteen million dollar budget. Today, there are over 151,000 residents, 1,700 employees and a two hundred million dollar budget. Mr. Manfredi has participated in almost two thousand Board of Supervisor meetings, worked under the direction of twenty-one members of the Board of Supervisors and has worked with over one hundred and thirty appointed and elected county department heads. He is currently the second longest serving County Administrative Officer in the State of California, he is the third County Administrative Officer for Madera county. Mr. Manfredi also acted as the Executive Officer of the Local Agency Formation Commission from 1971 until 2000.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Stell Manfredi upon his retirement from Madera County. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Manfredi many years of continued success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Riley Walter upon thirteen years of dedicated service to the Board of Directors of the Central Valley Business Incubator. Mr. Walter was recognized by the Central Valley Business Incubator annual Holiday Party on Thursday, December 10, 2009.

Mr. Riley Walter has served the Fresno community for almost thirty years. For over twenty-five years he has specialized in bankruptcy and reorganization matters, with a particular concentration on agricultural cases, business litigation and emerging businesses. Mr. Walter also volunteers to a number of local organizations, providing his legal expertise.

Mr. Walter is a past president of the Central California Bankruptcy Association and the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He is the past director of the California Bankruptcy Forum and the California Receiver's Forum and is past co-chair of the Agribusiness Committee of the Business Law Section of the California State Bar. Mr. Walter is a certified Business Bankruptcy specialist, accredited by the American Board of Bankruptcy Certification and a Fellow, American College of Bankruptcy, Class XIII.

Mr. Walter is the author of numerous articles on insolvency and bankruptcy. He is frequently requested to speak to business, agriculture and financial groups. For the past five years, he has been named a ``Northern California Super Lawyer.'' Currently, Mr. Walter is a member of the Board for the Central Valley Business Incubator, he is active with the Fresno Business Council and the Lyles Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation as well as other civic and legal organizations.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Riley Walter for his dedicated service to the Central Valley Business Incubator and the greater Fresno area. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Walter many years of continued success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Claude Laval upon his retirement as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Central Valley Business Incubator. Mr. Laval will be honored on Thursday, December 10, 2009.

Mr. Claude Laval was born and raised in Fresno, California. Upon his graduation from Fresno High School, he attended and graduated from Stanford University. After returning to the Central Valley, Mr. Laval had a calling to help develop the greater Fresno area. Mr. Laval established the Claude Laval Corporation over thirty years ago. The company has become a worldwide leader in water technology with a strong reputation for supplying water filtration equipment around the world and leading the company into a range of industrial, commercial and agricultural markets. He currently serves as Chairman of Claude Laval Corporation, while his daughter, Melinda Laval, serves as President.

In addition to his responsibilities with his own business, Mr. Laval has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Central Valley Business Incubator (CVBI) since inception in 1996. The mission of CVBI is to nurture and develop entrepreneurs through an integrated network of incubation and business development partners providing access to comprehensive services aimed at creating sustainable high growth ventures. Under Mr. Laval's leadership, CVBI has created over two thousand five hundred jobs, raised millions of dollars in start-up capital and hundreds of students have completed various entrepreneur training programs offered by the organization.

In March 2007, the Claude Laval Water and Energy Technology (WET) Incubator was established under the CVBI umbrella. The WET Incubator was designed to establish the Central Valley as a world wide leader in water and energy innovation. With almost three years into the project, the WET Incubator houses five on-site members and has been very successful in its endeavors. Finally, Mr. Laval is also serving as the Chair of the International Center for Water Technology (ICWT). ICWT was established to provide education and research to assist in developing innovative solutions and technologies to improve water use efficiency.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Claude Laval for his years of dedicated service to the Central Valley Business Incubator and business and water leadership in the greater Fresno area. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Laval many years of continued success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Reza Assemi upon being awarded with the ``You Get It Award'' by the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce and Image Fresno Coalition. Mr. Assemi will be honored on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 in Fresno, California.

Mr. Reza Assemi was raised in Fresno, California. He attended Bullard High School and California State University, Fresno where he earned a Bachelors degree in Philosophy. After college, he resided in both San Francisco and Los Angeles seeking a viable art community where he could live and work. In

2000, with an idea in mind, Mr. Assemi returned to Fresno with a vision for creating a thriving arts community in downtown Fresno. With his father as a financial partner, Mr. Assemi purchased the former Red Cross Building and in sixteen months the Pearl Building was up and running as a true multi-use building. The Pearl Building now serves as a place for artists to live, work and show their work to the public. It also has a community space with plenty of room to bring in guest artists and show their work without opening the doors to private living spaces.

Shortly after developing the Pearl Building, Mr. Assemi took on a redevelopment project for the Vagabond Motel, also located in downtown Fresno. The building is about a block away from the Pearl Building, making the site perfect for creating a community and helping the area grow. This is also a mixed use project; the site also serves as a commercial space, affordable housing, and artist spaces at market rate rent. Since then, Mr. Assemi has completed one project after another.

In the ten years since moving back to Fresno, Mr. Assemi has brought nearly two hundred residential units to downtown Fresno. His most recent project, the Iron Bird Lofts, was completed December 1, 2009. He has already began looking to his next project, restoring a historic downtown Fresno building to create twenty-three residential lofts. His vision for establishing a viable, economically stable neighborhood and thriving arts community has made Mr. Assemi a pioneer in the downtown development of Fresno.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Reza Assemi for his tremendous contributions to the revitalization of downtown Fresno and upon being awarded the ``You Get It Award.'' Invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Assemi many years of continued success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Nic Fiore. Mr. Fiore passed away on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at the age of 88. A celebration and tribute to the life of Mr. Fiore and his wife, Midge, will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2009, at the Curry Village Pavilion in Yosemite Valley.

Mr. Nic Fiore was born on December 1, 1920, in Montreal, Canada. He was one of 12 children. After serving in the Canadian Army during World War II, he abandoned his dream of becoming a championship European bike racer and taught skiing in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal. In 1947, Mr. Fiore was recruited by Luggi Foeger, then ski school director at Badger Pass. He drove into Yosemite Valley for the first time on December 8, 1947.

Mr. Fiore originally planned on staying only 4 months at the Badger Pass ski area. One ski season became the next and he became more involved in various operations of the park. While teaching skiing in the winter, he worked in the hotels in the park over the summers, including serving as maitre d' of the Ahwahnee Hotel and managing the Glacier Point Lodge and the Wawona Hotel. In 1956, Mr. Fiore was named director of the Badger Pass Ski School, and in 1963 he also began managing Yosemite's five High Sierra camps in the wilderness back country. Mr. Fiore served as the director of the Yosemite's Ski and Snowboard School at Badger Pass ski area for 45 years before assuming the role of ``ski ambassador'' in 2001.

Early in Mr. Fiore's career, he became concerned with the integrity of ski instructors. In the late 1940s, he joined the newly formed California Ski Instructors Association. Through the organization, he advocated for the creation of a national ski instructors association to promote the quality and consistency of instructors. In 1961, the Professional Ski Instructors of America was founded. Mr. Fiore remained vigilant in pushing the national organization to maintain high standards for the certification process of ski instructors. He served as executive director of the western division of the Professional Ski Instructors of America for nearly 30 years. For his tremendous service to Badger Pass Mr. Fiore has received various honors; including the prestigious Charlie Proctor Award in 1986 from the Sierra Chapter of the North American Ski Journalist Association.

While well into his 80s, Mr. Fiore skied nearly every day and taught occasional lessons during the 2003-2004 season. It is estimated that in his 50 years with Badger Pass, Mr. Fiore taught 100,000 guests how to ski. In 2004 Mr. Fiore underwent heart surgery and in May 2009 suffered from a stroke. Mr. Fiore was preceded in death by his wife, Midge. He is survived by his two daughters, Cindy and Nicole, as well as eight grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to posthumously honor Nic Fiore. I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring his life and wishing the best for his family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to posthumously honor the life of Jim ``Trooper'' Taylor. Mr. Taylor passed away on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at the age of seventy-seven surrounded by family at his home in Fresno, California.

Mr. Jim Taylor was born in 1932 in the Ozark Mountains near Mt. Vernon, Missouri to Tom and Anne Taylor. As a young man, his family moved to Sanger, California where he attended Sanger High School. Upon graduating from high school, he attended Reedley College and later joined the United States Navy. Mr. Taylor served four years in the Navy and was Honorably Discharged. After his service to the Navy, he settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. While in San Francisco, Mr. Taylor met and married his life-long companion, Mary Jane.

In 1958, Mr. Taylor began a career in law enforcement. His first assignment was to the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department as a Deputy Sheriff. After two and a half years, he joined the California Highway Patrol and was assigned as a resident officer to the High Desert Country at Ridgecrest. In 1962, he was transferred to Fresno, California. He was assigned to the twelve officer motorcycle squad for approximately four years. After serving many years on the road, Mr. Taylor became the Public Affairs Officer for the Fresno area. As the Public Affairs Officer, he initiated the ``Trooper Taylor Report,'' a daily news report of the areas activities along with road and inclement weather conditions, which was picked up by many local radio channels.

Mr. Taylor was an avid World War II history buff, and read countless books on the subject. He loved the California State University, Fresno Bulldogs and attended football, basketball and softball games each season. He enjoyed traveling around the state following the Bulldogs along side his family and friends. He spent the majority of his time with his family and always looked forward to cooking for family events and Bulldog tailgates.

Mr. Taylor is preceded in death by his mother, father, brother, Leroy Tracy; sisters Ione Gass and Joyce Alfors; and grandson Scott Page. He is survived by his loving wife, Mary Jane; sons and daughter-in-laws, Tracy, Greg and Jeannie, Kevin and Renee, and Patrick; grandchildren, Teri, Darren, Daniel and his wife Alisa, Christopher, Jacob, Kelsi, Debbie and her husband Paul Gress and Dustin Johnson; great- grandchildren, Hayden, Danielle, Austin, Kristen and Seth; brother, Bryan; sisters, Christine and Jennifer and numerous nieces and nephews.

Madam Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Jim ``Trooper'' Taylor and wishing the best for his family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to posthumously honor the life of Bette Belle Smith. Mrs. Smith passed away on Sunday, November 29, 2009, at the age of 88.

Bette Belle Anderson was born at her family's home in Modesto, California on January 17, 1921, to Jim and Maysel Anderson. She was born severely pigeon-toed and the doctors recommended that she take ballet lessons to force her feet to turn outward. At the time, the closest dance teachers were in San Francisco. Her parents enrolled her in dance lessons, and drove her to San Francisco two weekends per month. Her father installed a barre at their home so she could practice.

In junior high school, Bette Belle invited a girl with a broken leg to come over to her home and practice ballet. This was the beginning of the Smith's dancing school. With nearly one hundred students, the school outgrew her home; rehearsals were moved to the Elks Hall and Odd Fellows Hall. Recitals were held at Modesto High School, with an occasional small orchestra, thanks to the help of her brother. Her love for the performing arts endured throughout her life.

Mrs. Smith attended Modesto High School, Modesto Junior College and the University of California, Los Angeles. She left UCLA and returned to Modesto to help her parents after they were in a car accident. At this time, World War II was in full force and Mrs. Smith was the first in line to assist. She rolled bandages for the Red Cross, gathered a group of her former dance students to perform for convalescing soldiers at Awahnee Naval Hospital and what was then Hammond General Hospital in Modesto. After the war ended, she married Jean Smith, her longtime boyfriend. He had served in Hawaii and in the Gilbert Islands during the war, and they corresponded with many letters while he was away.

In 1954, Mr. and Mrs. Smith had their first child, Talbot, and thirteen months later she gave birth to twins, Mary and Tim. Being a mom was Mrs. Smith's number one priority, and volunteering was the second. She served on the Enslen Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, the Rainbow Girls Mothers Club and the Girl Scout Advisory Committee. She helped establish a Modesto chapter of American Field Service, an organization devoted to international student education. Mrs. Smith served on the Modesto Junior College foundation board, and volunteered with Omega Nu, The Salvation Army, International Festival and Inter-Faith Ministries. She visited with women from the Redwood Family Center who were recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. For many years she delighted hundreds of children as Mrs. Claus at the McHenry Museum, the Modesto Symphony and Enslen School. Of course, her love of the arts led her to work with the McHenry Museum Guild, serve on the Modesto Symphony board of directors and serve on the Gallo Center's original board of trustees as well as a fund development committee member. For 70 years she was an active member with the Modesto Symphony and was a driving force behind bringing the Gallo Center to Modesto.

At the age of 59, Mrs. Smith went to work. In 1978, a group of investors asked for her assistance in chartering the Modesto Banking Company. She agreed and coordinated sales events to raise capital for the company. Mrs. Smith was named Vice President of Business Development and Community Relations for the Modesto Banking Company, now U.S. Bank. Although she was working full time, Mrs. Smith continued to volunteer and encouraged others to do the same.

Due to the incredible amount of time that she donated to the city of Modesto and her community, Mrs. Smith has received many accolades. In 2000, California Governor Gray Davis named Mrs. Smith ``Outstanding Older Worker of the Year.'' She has also been named the Soroptimist Woman of the Year, United Cerebral Palsy ``Volunteer of the Year'', American Legion ``Man of the Year'' (now called ``Citizen of the Year''), United Way ``Volunteer of the Decade,'' and received the Modesto Junior College Distinguished Alumni Award. United Way has named an award in her memory, the ``Bette Belle Smith Campaigner of the Year'' award and the United Way building has also been named in her honor. In Modesto, Mrs. Smith is simply known as ``Mrs. Modesto.''

Madam Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Bette Belle Smith and wishing the best for her family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Marcella Oberti upon her 100th birthday. A celebration will be held for Mrs. Oberti on her birthday, December 6th.

Mrs. Marcella Oberti was born on December 6, 1909, in San Francisco, California. Her mother was a native San Franciscan and her father was an immigrant from Genoa, Italy. At the age of 5, Mrs. Oberti participated in the 1913 Pan-Pacific Exposition. As a young girl, she attended Montessori Grammar Schools in San Francisco. Upon graduating from high school, she attended the University of California, Berkley, where she majored in English Literature and Language. She graduated from UC Berkley in 1932 and began working for Bank of America in the legal division.

In 1938, Mrs. Oberti married Frank Oberti and they moved to Madera, California. It was a large transition for her; adjusting from a large city life to rural country life. She became active in the community, joining various clubs and organizations. Mr. Oberti and his brothers were busy developing the Oberti Olive Company, which became Madera's largest industry at that time. The small company grew to include 220 acres, processing over 120 tons of olives per day.

Mr. and Mrs. Oberti have two children: Carla and Philip. Mr. Oberti passed away in 1984. Mrs. Oberti leads a busy life visiting San Francisco, playing bridge with friends, spending time with her family, friends and cat. She spends much of her time with Carla and her husband, Bill, Philip and his wife, Klina, her five grandchildren and her six great-grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring Marcella Oberti upon her 100th birthday.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to make today's votes on the House floor due to a family illness. Had I been present I would have voted as follows: ``No'' on rollcall vote No. 978, the Adjournment Resolution, H. Con. Res. 223; ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 979, on ordering the previous question on H. Res. 973 for consideration of a same day rule; ``no'' on rollcall No. 980, on the adoption of H. Res. 973, for consideration of a same day rule; and ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 981, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 160, Honoring the American Kennel Club on its 125th Anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to make today's votes on the House floor due to a family illness. Had I been present I would have voted as follows:

``Nay'' on rollcall vote No. 982, on ordering the previous question on the rule providing consideration for H.R. 3326, H.J. Res. 64, H.R. 4314, and H.R. 2847.

``No'' on rollcall vote No. 983, on the adoption of H. Res. 976, the rule for consideration for H.R. 3326, H.J. Res. 64, H.R. 4314, and H.R. 2847.

``Yea'' on rollcall vote No. 984, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 905, recognizing the 70th anniversary of the retirement of Justice Louis D. Brandeis from the United States Supreme Court.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to make today's votes on the House floor due to a family illness. Had I been present I would have voted as follows:

``Yea'' on rollcall vote No. 985, on the motion to concur in the Senate Amendment with a House Amendment to H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2010.

``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 986, to suspend the rules and adopt H.R. 1110, the PHONE Act of 2009.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to make today's votes on the House floor due to a family illness. Had I been present I would have voted as follows:

``Present'' on rollcall vote No. 987, on the Quorum call.

``No'' on rollcall vote No. 988, the motion to adopt H.R. 4314, to permit continued financing of government operations which is done by increasing the national debt limit.

``Yes'' on rollcall vote No. 989, to suspend the rules and adopt H.R. 3714, the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to make today's votes on the House floor due to a family illness. Had I been present I would have voted as follows:

``No'' on rollcall vote No. 991, on the motion to adopt H.R. 2847, the Jobs for Main Street Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Mike Nury upon being honored with the ``Lifetime Achievement Award'' at the 2009 San Joaquin Winegrowers Association 7th Annual San Joaquin Valley Wine & Grape Industry Forum. The luncheon will be held in Fresno, California on Friday, November 20, 2009.

Mr. Mike Nury came to the United States in November 1945 to attend American International University in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1946 he was drafted into the United States Army and served during the Korean War. Upon completion of his military career, he arrived in California and attended the University of California, Berkley. He later transferred to the University of California, Davis where he earned a bachelor of science and master of science degree in food science in 1952. In 1953, Mr. Nury started his career with Vie-Del Company, a Fresno, California based winery, as a research chemist. His role at the winery had a tremendous impact on the company, as well as the industry as a whole. He played a major role in developing an improved method of concentrating grape flavors by adjusting the temperature and time used to concentrate the grapes. The outcomes were significant. The new concentrate had no ethanol, which was important for those unable to metabolize ethanol, thus eliminating ethanol taxes on the original concentrate. It also weighed less, reducing shipping costs, and the new concentrate made it possible to add wine flavor to more products.

In 1972, Mr. Nury was named President of the Vie-Del, and in 1990 the Nury family purchased the controlling interest in Vie-Del from Joseph E. Seagram & Sons. Since then, the company has continued to grow, producing millions of gallons of concentrate per year. Mr. Nury has served as president and owner, and after his semi-retirement, he served as chairman of the board. His family has also taken an interest in the wine industry. Two of his three daughters, Dianne and Roxanne, have spent many years with the company and his brother, Fred, taught Enology at California State University, Fresno and later worked for Seagram in the Bay Area. Mr. Nury is only one of three winemakers to have served as president of the Wine Institute and the American Society of Enology and Viticulture. He has also played an active role with the Fresno Rotary for over thirty-five years, served as a member of the Fresno Community Hospital Foundation Board and Chairman of the Finance Committee.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Mike Nury upon being honored with the ``Lifetime Achievement Award.'' I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Nury many years of continued success.