Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 796) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. Hope Williams, Jr., the grandson of slaves, the son of a man wrongfully imprisoned, and a civil rights pioneer. This native of rural Fort Motte, South Carolina, was a fixture during the civil rights era in his home state, and his passing on November 21,2005 left a void that will never be filled.

On June 14, 1910, Mr. Williams was born the youngest of 12 children to Hope, Sr., and Adline Gold Williams during the era of Jim Crow laws. He received only a sixth grade education at Julia Peterkin's Lang Syne School because a public school education was not available to him and others similarly situated. Yet he continued to educate himself beyond his formal school years.

While Mr. Williams was still at home, his father was snatched and put on a chain gang for defending himself against the assault of a local white man. With his mother left to care for her large family alone, Mr. Williams stepped up and helped build a new cabin for his family. The house still stands, although battered by time. It remains a testament to Hope Williams' legacy of determination and endurance.

During World War II the boundaries of skin color temporarily diminished as all young men were called to serve. Hope Williams served his country by cultivating cotton on a Calhoun County farm he secured through one of the government's ``Resettlement Administration'' programs. However, racial tensions rose again, and Mr. Williams found himself drawn into the civil rights movement joining the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC. He was involved in organizational meetings with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at Penn Center in Frogmore, South Carolina, and helped mobilize voter registration and participation in Calhoun and Orangeburg counties.

His leadership in the African American community, led Mr. Williams to form the Calhoun County Branch of the NAACP, and he served as its president for 12 years. He focused his efforts on working with South Carolina's first Black Senator since Reconstruction, I. DeQuincey Newman, to improve voter registration and economic development in African American communities.

Mr. Williams defied threats by the Ku Klux Klan and even took on the powerful State Senator Marion Gressette, and continued his voter registration drives. Ultimately Senator Gressette deputized him as a registrar with the power to register people where he met them rather than at the voter registration office. He was then appointed to the Calhoun County Board of Education and Voter Participation. He served in that capacity for many years, and was active in many other community organizations.

His dedication to his faith was equally profound. Mr. Williams joined New Bethany Baptist Church at the age of 14, and remained an active member until his passing. He served as Church Clerk, Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent. He became an Ordained Deacon, and finally served as Chairman of the Deacon Board until he fell ill before departing this life.

Mr. Williams was the patriarch of a wonderful family. His married June Miler in August 1932, and the two had 18 children. Mr. Williams was also the proud grandfather of 56 grandchildren and great- grandfather to another 45. At the time of his passing, he had eight great-great grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, Hope Williams was a stalwart of the civil rights movement. He was instrumental in helping African-American communities in Calhoun County secure their right to vote, and he was among the unsung heroes in South Carolina that pave the way for me to be elected the first African American to Congress from South Carolina since Reconstruction. In fact, he was very active in all my political efforts until his illness. It was a long road, but one made easier by the tremendous work and sacrifice of men and women like Hope Williams. I encourage you to join me in expressing deep gratitude, posthumously, to Mr. Williams, and to issue that this triumph story is enshrined in the hollowed halls of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate one of my constituents and a South Carolina government agency for winning the prestigious 2006 Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Award for their contributions to the arts.

Mr. David Sennema of Columbia, South Carolina has been selected to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. It is hard to have lived in South Carolina in recent years and not have been touched by Mr. Sennema's talent and leadership. In his capacity as the first general manager of the Columbia Music Festival Association, he developed and directed the South Carolina Philharmonic. As the Executive Director of the South Carolina Museum Commission, he was instrumental in planning and developing the South Carolina State Museum. Mr. Sennema also served as the first Executive Director of the South Carolina Arts Commission. His career has taken him around the country to universities and to arts organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts. In his retirement, Mr. Sennema continues to impact the arts in South Carolina by serving on boards and commissions and writing and performing.

The South Carolina Department of Mental Health has been chosen for the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Award in the Government category for its Art of Recovery program. This innovative program enables South Carolinians living with mental illness to exhibit and sell their artwork. More than 350 artists, who receive care from the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, have benefited from Art of Recovery during the five years since its inception. This program has helped erase the stigma of having a mental illness, and provided participants with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in thanking Mr. Sennema and the South Carolina Department of Mental Health for their commitment to the arts. As an individual or an agency, we learn through these Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor Award recipients that art has the power to inspire, to teach and to heal.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 778) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and let me begin by yielding to the gentleman from Alabama.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Spratt for the tremendous work he has done on this budget.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his second inaugural address said: ``The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.''

This is a significant test of our Nation's values, and it is a test that the Republican budget fails. Let us just skip the rhetoric and read the bill. The Republican budget increases the budget deficit, and it explodes our debt. It cuts port security and funds for first responders. It cuts education, cuts health care, and cuts veterans programs. In fact, this budget puts a squeeze on working Americans, and all in exchange for more tax cuts for the wealthiest few.

Democrats offer a clear alternative and new directions. Our budget that Mr. Spratt is putting forward will balance the national budget by the year 2012. It rejects the harmful cuts that Republicans have put forward, and it creates a $150 billion reserve for middle-class tax cuts.

Democrats believe that a stronger America begins at home. It starts with budget priorities that secure families and our borders, strengthens our Nation, and gives hope to those who inherit the products of our labors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary group of students and their dedicated teacher and mentor. They are one of the American Government classes from Wilson High School and will represent the state of South Carolina in the national We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution Mock Congressional Hearing Competition. That event will be held here in Washington, DC during the month of April. Located in Florence, South Carolina, Wilson High School is one of the outstanding public schools I proudly represent in this body.

These young scholars have worked diligently to reach the national finals and through their experiences have gained profound knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and values of our constitutional democracy.

The students are: Jordan Berry, Robert Bonanno, Alyssa Carver, Kevin Cielo, Alexx Diera, Amanda Fan, Jessica Frieson, Carrie Goforth, Meagan Harley, James Howell, David Hubbs, Praveen Jacob, Challis King, Amit Om, Bradley Orr, Louis Palles, Robert Razick, Daniel Schuetz, and Ana Weiland.

In addition, I would like to commend their teacher, Yvonne Rhodes, who deserves much of the credit for the success of the class. This is the third time Mrs. Rhoads has led a team of Wilson High Students to these national competitions. We certainly hope for their continued success. Also worthy of special recognition is Beth DeHart, the state coordinator, and Marsha Burch, the district coordinator, who are among those responsible for implementing the We the People program in my district.

We the People is one of the most extensive educational programs in the country specifically developed to educate young people about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The three-day national competition is modeled after congressional hearings and they consist of oral presentations by the high school students before a panel of judges. The students' testimony is followed by a period of questioning by the simulated congressional committee. The judges probe students for their depth of understanding and ability to apply their constitutional knowledge.

Findings suggest that national finalists are less cynical about politics and public officials and participate in politics at a higher rate than do their peers. Administered by the Center for Civic Education, the We the People program has provided curriculum materials at the upper elementary, middle, and high school levels for more than 26.5 million students nationwide. Members of Congress and our staffs enhance the program by discussing current constitutional issues with students and teachers and by participating in other educational activities. As a former high school history teacher, I am pleased to know that this program provides students with a working knowledge of our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the principles of our democratic government.

The class from Wilson High School is currently conducting research and preparing for the upcoming national competition in Washington, D.C. I wish these young scholars the best of luck at We the People's national finals and I look forward to greeting them when they visit the Capitol.

Mr. Speaker, please join me and my colleagues as we congratulate these young scholars from Wilson High School as they compete in this national civics competition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Orangeburg County, South Carolina upon their receipt of the All-America County Award. This award, the oldest and most prestigious civic award in existence, recognizes communities for their outstanding problem solving efforts through local collaboration. It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge their tremendous achievement.

I would also like to applaud the efforts of the local leaders that have worked so hard and accomplished so much. They include the Orangeburg County Council: John H. Rickenbacker, Harry F. Wimberly, Clyde B. Livingston, Heyward H. Livingston, Johnny Ravenell, and Johnnie Wright, Sr.; the Orangeburg County Administrator: Bill Clark; and the Orangeburg County Development Commission: B. Jeannine Kees, George R. Dean, Joey A. Williamson, Jr., E. J. Ayers, Willie R. Cantey, Barron Driskell, James C. Hunter, Jr., Ken Middleton, Marion F. Moore, Harry Nesmith, Alva Whetsell, Jr., and C. Gregory Robinson.

Community pride has spurred many of the creative ideas leading to Orangeburg County's All-America County Award. This honor is a testament to business, government, and education communities working together for the good of the whole. These partnerships can be seen throughout the county. With this cooperative approach by the entire ``county community,'' improvements have been made to the quality of life for all citizens in the County of Orangeburg. Inventive initiatives have been implemented in the following areas: community development and revitalization, creative funding for public infrastructure, and improvement of the lives of ``at-risk'' children.

Revitalization and community development have also been achieved in all 17 municipalities. This economic development achievement reflects 100 percent participation of local areas, including the following: Orangeburg, Livingston, North, Neeses, Woodford, Norway, Branchville, Santee, Rowesville, Springfield, Holly Hill, Eutawville, Bowman, Cordova, Cope, Vance, and Elloree.

Funding through the Penny Sales Tax Capital Project has provided critical infrastructure investment in road construction, water and wastewater facilities, and other important areas such as parks and recreational projects. The original penny tax in 1998 funded 116 projects across the county, totaling $53 million in investment. The renewal in 2004 provides investment funds for 108 projects totaling $71 million.

Creative youth and outreach projects such as Healing Species, a 3rd grade curriculum, which uses neglected and abused dogs in crime prevention seminars, have improved the lives of ``at-risk'' children county-wide. Created by Orangeburg County, the program is now being replicated nationally. The Youth Enhancement Summit is another successful community collaboration. Partnering with the County, South Carolina State University, and the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, the initiative brings children's service agencies across the entire county together to improve their overall effectiveness.

Additionally, Orangeburg County's Community of Character effort is a collaborative initiative to partner with all segments of the community such as education, business, industry, family, faith, government, media, and civic. It establishes a community culture that encourages, recognizes, and rewards good character. Orangeburg County is one of only two counties in South Carolina, and 28 counties nationwide who have passed character resolutions.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in commending Orangeburg County for its well-deserved distinction as All-America County. Orangeburg County continues to make great strides in education, economic growth, and community development. Its dedicated citizens work everyday to create new promise. I am proud to represent them in this body and of their hard work and vision.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a man who has embraced God's admonition to ``do unto others as you would have them do unto you'' as his personal motto. Samuel J. Tenenbaum has been honored as the United Way of the Midlands' Humanitarian of the Year, and I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition.

Sam and I have been friends longer than I would like to remember. He has always been a loyal supporter and constant advisor, whether I seek his advice or not. He and his wife Inez are dear friends and true kindred spirits. So when the news images of the devastation in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina spurred me to call on Columbia Mayor Bob Coble to initiate an effort in South Carolina to welcome those displaced by this enormous tragedy, we both immediately asked Sam to lead the operation that became known as South Carolina--S.C.--Cares.

Under Sam's leadership, S.C. Cares became the model for an effective response to a natural disaster. He assembled thousands of volunteers, every service provider imaginable, and public and private sector organizations to be housed at a community center to provide a one-stop- shop to meet each and every need of our guests from the gulf coast. Sam's adherence to the golden rule meant our guests would stay in hotel rooms not shelters. He provided them with dignity, sustenance, and many times his own personal emotional or financial support. Sam worked around the clock, not because he had to, but because he couldn't sleep until he knew the needs of all our guests were met. Sam was the heart and soul of S.C. Cares, and he embodies the enormity of the compassion this community has to offer.

Although the S.C. Cares center closed its doors nearly 3 months ago, Sam is still involved with the gulf coast guests that remain in the Midlands. He is also taking the experience of S.C. Cares, and transforming it into an ongoing effort to address homelessness in South Carolina's capitol city. Sam knows that if our community could show such compassion for strangers from the gulf coast, we can extend the same graciousness to those who are homeless in our town. He is working with Mayor Coble to create an operation similar to the S.C. Cares center for Columbia's homeless that would provide social services, medical services, counseling, job training, and other programs in a one-stop-shop setting. Access to services and the support of a community can go a long way to transforming those who have been forgotten back into productive citizens. Sam's compassion is as limitless as his vision.

After working 33 years in his family's business, Chatham Steel Corporation, Sam retired in 2000 and dedicated himself to his community. Currently he serves on 19 boards and commissions, which demonstrate the diversity of his passions. His love of his faith manifests in his membership of the governing boards of the Columbia Jewish Federation and the Anti-Defamation League of B'Nai B'Rith, Southeast

Region. His devotion to animals is exemplified in his service as the development chair for Pet Project. His dedication to education is clear from his membership on the Allen University Presidential Advisory Board and Junior Achievement. His commitment to social causes runs the gamut from his chairmanship of the Alston Wilkes Foundation and membership on Habitat for Humanity's board. And these only touch the surface of his many current associations, and the 50 previous boards and commissions on which he has served.

Sam's list of awards is just as impressive. Back in 1978, the Columbia Record recognized him as one of 10 for the Future. Obviously that prophecy has been fulfilled. He has won numerous awards for his contributions to the arts, for his philanthropy, and for his community service. Governor Dick Riley bestowed South Carolina's highest honor, the Order of the Palmetto, on Sam in 1985. More than two decades later, Sam is continuing his life-long dedication to his community and its people.

Mr. Speaker, I invite you and my colleagues to join me in applauding Samuel Tenenbaum for his lifetime of service. As my father, a fundamentalist minister, once counseled me, ``the world would much rather see a sermon than to hear one.'' Sam has been providing a living example of the Golden Rule his entire life, and his recognition as the Humanitarian of the Year is just another affirmation of his leadership and compassion.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 678) and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a former professional colleague and dear personal friend Harriet G. Simpson. Mrs. Simpson is a dedicated educator and devoted community activist, who is being honored Sunday, December 18, 2005 by the Charleston, South Carolina community and her home church, Mt. Zion AME.

I came to know Mrs. Simpson when I took my first job out of college as a Social Studies teacher in the Charleston, South Carolina public school system. She was one of the leaders in that school system who recognized my leadership potential at an early stage in my development. She became a mentor and one of my most ardent supporters.

Throughout her life, Mrs. Simpson has dedicated herself to the betterment of her community, and has received numerous recognitions for her work. They include, Delta Woman of the Year by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Public Service Award from the Alpha Chi Pi Omega Sorority, and the Omega Service Award by the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Also, Arabian Court No. 128 recognized Mrs. Simpson as Outstanding Female Community Worker, and she was a semi-finalist for the Certificate of Achievement as a Role Model from the National Council of Negro Women. She has also been recognized for her achievements by the South Carolina State Senate, and the Moja Arts Festival bestowed upon her an Award for Contribution to Education. Former Charleston Mayor Palmer Gilliard gave Mrs. Simpson the ``Key to the City,'' and Channel 5 Television Station inducted her into its Hall of Fame.

Mrs. Simpson's dedication to her community has manifested itself through her love of education and her deep and abiding religious faith. She has been nominated for as Teacher of the Year at C.A. Brown High School, where I had the privilege of working with her for three years, and received the Human Relations

Award from the South Carolina Education Association. She was named Woman of the Year by her home Church Mt. Zion AME in 1987 and 1991. The Charleston Area Women's Missionary Society also chose Mrs. Simpson for their Outstanding Service Award.

Mrs. Simpson continues to make significant contributions to her community. She established the Harriet F. Simpson Scholarship Fund to help deserving students get a college education. She continues to support students while they are in college with financial help, letters of comfort, and small gifts, and helps them find jobs. She was a founding member of the Moja Arts Festival Committee, and has donated artifacts to the Avery Institute. Although she isn't a wealthy woman, Mrs. Simpson contributes generously to the National Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and to Alzheimer's research. And she continues a ministry of calling and writing the sick and shut-in from her church and those that have moved away from Charleston.

Mrs. Simpson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Allen University, and a Masters degree in Education and Guidance from South Carolina State University, and did post-graduate work at North Carolina Central University. Mrs. Simpson has been a devoted wife for 55 years, and is the proud mother of two children. Her family is blessed with two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She is a loving friend and caring sister, aunt and godmother.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in thanking Harriet G. Simpson for her lifetime of devotion to education and her community. She is a shining example of how one person can make a tremendous difference an entire community. I commend Mrs. Simpson for her significant contributions and thank her church family at Mt. Zion AME Church for recognizing her.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated public servant who has served the residents of Marion, South Carolina ably for more than 30 years. Mayor Bobby Gerald is a product of Marion County, and is a lifelong resident of the community he serves. His tremendous impact on his hometown reflects his enduring commitment to the city and its people.

Bobby Gerald has served a remarkable 20 years as Mayor of the City of Marion. His success in the political arena is no surprise given his talent as a businessman. At the tender age of 16, Bobby began selling cars for Neil Padgett Motors. After graduating from Marion High School, he joined the sales staff full time and went on to win every salesmanship award given by Ford Motor Company. His natural abilities and good business sense led him to become the General Manager and Executive Vice President of Earl Collins Ford Motor Company in 1967, just seven years after his high school graduation. In 1980, Bobby purchased the business, which he still runs successfully today.

Yet being a successful businessman was not enough for Bobby Gerald. He also felt a duty to serve his community, and in April 1975 he was appointed to the Marion County Board of Commissioners. He first won elective office in January 1977 as a member of the Marion County Council, where he served as Vice Chairman. Two years later, Bobby became Chairman of Marion County Council, a capacity in which he served until June 1982. At that time he was appointed by the Marion County Delegation to serve on the South Carolina State Highway Commission. In June 1985, he resigned that appointment after being elected the Mayor of the City of Marion, a position he has held ever since.

As Mayor of Marion, Bobby Gerald has led his city through difficult plant closures and the decline in tobacco farming. Yet his community has embraced its rich history and small town charm and become a tourist destination. Main Street has been revitalized with many family-owned antique shops and quaint boutiques, and a National Register Historic District has preserved and protected many of the homes, churches and other structures. I am proud to have worked with Bobby on the preservation of the old Marion High School, which is a crown jewel of this community.

In addition to his elected and appointed positions, Bobby Gerald has also been very active in community organizations. He is a member of the Jaycees, Mullins Rotary Club, Civitans, the Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments, and the S.C. Automobile Dealers Association. He has held several leadership positions within these organizations at the local and state levels. He has won numerous awards and citations including the American Hometown Leadership Award in 1999, the Public Service Award in 1996, the Marion Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award in 1995, and the Historic Marion Revitalization Association Board of Directors Award in 1995.

Bobby is in partnership with a lovely wife, Frances, and the couple has three children

and three grandchildren. They are members of the Marion Baptist Church.

Mr. Speaker, on November 21, 2005 I will sponsor a luncheon in Mayor Bobby Gerald's honor to say thanks for his many years of public service and personal friendship, and I ask you and my colleagues to join me in commending this longtime friend for his business acumen and dedicated commitment to public service. He is a natural leader, who has made extraordinary contributions to the City of Marion and the State of South Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a decorated war veteran and committed community activist. Lt. Colonel Albert B. Guess says his greatest ambition is ``the utilization of his resources, knowledge and experiences to promote the well being and welfare of others.'' I believe he has achieved this goal in every facet of his life.

Albert B. Guess was born in Santee, South Carolina to farming parents. As a young man, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943, serving for 3 years until his discharge as a Corporal. Colonel Guess used the G.I. Bill to attend South Carolina State University, and joined the college's ROTC program. His early life on the farm led him to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture, and upon graduation he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.

After college, Colonel Guess taught agriculture, mathematics and science at Barr Street High School in Lancaster, South Carolina. At the same time, he served as the Director of the area veterans and adult farm program that taught hands-on farming practices and management.

Colonel Guess was recalled to the Army in May 1951, where he served another 20 years. His military career took him to New Guinea, the Phillipine Islands, Japan, Korea, Alaska, and he served 2 tours in Vietnam. He earned many awards and decorations for meritorious actions and service including the Combat Infantryman's Badge. Colonel officially retired from active duty in June 1971 as a Lt. Colonel.

After leaving the military, Colonel Guess returned to South Carolina and his wife's hometown of Marion. There he became very active in the community, and that is how I first met him. He served as President of the Marion County Branch of the NAACP, and was instrumental in negotiating the majority-minority single member districts for the Marion City Council and the Marion County Council. He also led numerous voter registration and voter participation drives.

Colonel Guess has also been very active in Marion School District One. He has served as a hearing officer helping to represent the interest of parents and children in the district. He has been deeply involved in ensuring that the

schools in the district are top quality, and was instrumental in the building of the new Marion High School. Colonel Guess served on the steering committee for a bond referendum to pay for the construction of a new intermediate school and additions to Easterling Primary and Johnakin Middle School.

He has still found time to serve on the Marion County Economic Development Board, the Marion County United Way, and to direct the Marion-Dillon County Mental Retardation Program. Colonel Guess is currently the Chairman of the Marion County Red Cross.

He and his wife, the former Reba General are members of St. Phillips United Methodist Church The couple has 2 children, Ronald Richardson of Marion and Rita James of Charlotte, North Carolina, and four grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, on November 21, 2005 I will sponsor a Luncheon in honor of Lt. Colonel Albert Guess and I ask you and my colleagues to join me in commending this longtime friend and mentor for exceeding his life's ambition to serve others. He has served his family, his community, and his country with extraordinary dedication, and has been a positive impact on countless lives along the way.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a guiding light in Columbia, South Carolina that will be deeply missed. Charlie Mae Mays Harrison Cromartie passed away on Sunday, November 6, 2005, but her legacy will remain with us forever.

Charlie Mae Cromartie was born in Greenwood County, South Carolina to John Henry and Myrtle Harrison Mays. She was the niece of renowned educator, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays. She was educated at Bettis Academy and earned her RN degree with a concentration in psychiatric nursing from South Carolina State Hospital and the Columbia Hospital School of Nursing. She served as Head Evening Nurse at the Columbia Hospital School from 1961 to 1970, and was the owner and manager of Cromartie Enterprises from 1977 to 1996.

In addition to her very successful career, Mrs. Cromartie was also active in her community and church. She was the Mother of the Church at Bishops' Memorial A.M.E. Church, where she had been a member for more than 50 years. Mrs. Cromartie had served as the church Treasurer for more than 40 years and was a member of the Trustee Board, Missionary Society, and the Building Fund.

In the community, Mrs. Cromartie served as a poll manager in Ward 9 at Allen-Benedict Court for many years. She had served as PTA President at Waverly Elementary, Carver Elementary, W.A. Perry Middle and C.A. Johnson High schools. She was also a school advocate for the Richland County Board of Education. Her other memberships included the March of Dimes, the League of Women Voters, and she was Past Illustrious Commandress of Daughters of Isis, Cairo Temple #125.

Mrs. Cromartie had been recognized for her community work with a key to the City of Columbia and induction into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1987, Columbia Mayor Patton Adams chose Mrs. Cromartie as one of several Columbians to be sketched for a picture presented to Pope John Paul II during his visit to Columbia that now hangs in the Vatican.

Mrs. Cromartie was married to E. W. Cromartie, Sr. for 43 years. The couple has two children, E. W. Cromartie, III and Ernestine Cromartie Moody, and four grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in celebrating the life of a devoted wife, mother, Christian and community activist. Charlie Mae Cromartie made a lasting impression on the City of Columbia and all those who had the pleasure of knowing her.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to pay tribute today to the extraordinary pastor of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church of Marion, South Carolina. For more than 40 years of dedicated service and compassionate leadership, Reverend Dr. Henry McGill, Jr. has served his parishioners and community with great respect and dignity. He has spent decades reaching out to those in need of strengthened faith and fellowship.

Reverend McGill grew up the son of a deacon and quickly incorporated strong values and understanding of others in his everyday life. His education started in a one-room schoolhouse in Lake City, South Carolina. He went on from that meager beginning to achieve degrees in social studies and divinity at Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina. He heard and heeded the call to the ministry at an early age and focused his life on the teachings of peace and cooperation among all people. Reverend McGill's expertise on theology has also earned him positions among some of the most prestigious public service boards, as well as university and ministerial committees. He continues to be a devout advocate of the church in sharing his thoughts on fairness and finding the good in every person. Because of his widely-honored achievements in academia and religious education the Manhattan School of Theology in New York awarded him an honorary degree.

A successful businessman, Reverend McGill owned the funeral home founded by his father-in-law, Henry L. Jackson, for many years. He has since passed the family business, Jackson & McGill Funeral Home Service, to the third generation of owners.

I am pleased to join the parishioners of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church and so many other

grateful members of the community in thanking Reverend McGill for always searching to find what is best for his church, his community and his state. He continues to respond to the needs of the less fortunate and putting education at the forefront of his message. His saying, ``Everyone is someone special,'' embodies his considerate and personal nature.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in paying tribute to Reverend Dr. Henry McGill, Jr. He is special to the people of his church and community, and I wish him good luck and Godspeed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the South Lynches Fire Department and to recognize their 50 years of service to the South Carolina counties of Florence and Williamsburg. Chartered as the Lake City Rural Fire Department on January 27, 1955, they started with only one tanker. Today, they have 19 vehicles with which a full time staff and 125 volunteers provide fire and rescue services to the 250 square mile area that encompasses the South Lynches Fire District.

The original directors of the department in 1955 were S. Keels Brockington, Sr., H. Raymond Askins, Sr., Roy Rogers, J.P. Grimsley, L.W. McDaniel, Joe Tucker, and Walter Moody. Within 10 years, the department had completed a permanent home and secured a second tanker. The department changed its name in the middle 1970s to the Lower Florence County Fire Department as it had expanded its coverage beyond the Lake City area. In 1982, residents created the South Lynches Fire District establishing the area that the department currently services.

The South Lynches Fire Department today operates out of six locations within the district. The original station, in Lake City, is still operational. Station 2 ``Coward'' was built in 1971. Station 3 ``Camp Branch'' was built in 1979, Station 4 ``Cades'' in 1979, Station 5 ``Leo-Camerontown'' in 1979, and Station 6 ``Scranton'' in 1990.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me today in honoring the South Lynches Fire Department as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. I thank each and every member of the Department for their service over the last 50 years and wish them great success and Godspeed in the future.