Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to the life of Max Stauffer, who passed away on March 10, 2017, at the age of 69. Max was a well-respected business leader who owned the beloved Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in Fish Camp, CA, just outside Yosemite National Park.

Max Stauffer was born on June 7, 1947, in Switzerland and immigrated to the United States at the age of three. His father, Rudy and mother Luce, with the help of Max and his brothers, Guido and Bob, first opened the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in 1965. The railroad is a beloved tourist attraction that takes visitors on a four-mile scenic excursion through the Sierra National Forest.

Max oversaw the business for more than 40 years. During his time running the popular tourist stop, Max gained the trust and respect of the community, as well as visitors from all over the United States. Known for his giving spirit, Max dedicated his time to those in need. He never denied a request for donations to charity and ensured the railroad was involved with the Boys and Girls Club, as well as the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Max wanted to make an impact on the public and dedicated much of his time to making a difference in any way he could. For 20 years he held the position of director of the Mountain Area Ski School. He was at one time the president of the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau and a board member for 30 years. An advocate for education, he was a 22-year trustee of the Bass Lake Joint Union School District. Ensuring his time and labor was spent giving back to the people, shows the morale and great character he held.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the great life of my friend Max Stauffer, whose humbleness, compassion, and generosity will be greatly missed. Max's memory will live through his family and friends, and it is my honor to join them in celebrating his impactful life, which will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Theresa Lopez from Madera, California. Theresa was chosen by my office to be March's Heroine of the Month for the 17th Congressional District.

For nearly 10 years, Theresa has served as a veterans service representative at the Madera Veterans Service Office. Theresa understands that our valley veterans and their families deserve the best care and service that they can have because the men and women who have served our Nation's military, members of your family and members of my family, have made sacrifices that we should never, ever forget.

Theresa knows. She's been working with my office since 2008, and I know that she works hard every day to ensure that local veterans are receiving the VA benefits they have earned.

Theresa also does outreach to the Chowchilla State men's prison and the VA community-based clinic in Oakhurst, and she is a member of the county veterans court. She has also served as secretary of the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers since 2012.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the service of Theresa Lopez and her strong commitment to serving valley veterans, for we can never, ever say thank you enough not only for our veterans, but for the good work that Theresa has done.

God bless her, and God bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and career of Mr. Charles Girardi. Mr. Girardi dedicated his life to being an educator and coach to many students, both in his home state of South Dakota as well as Merced and Fresno County. Throughout his life, he left a lasting legacy by teaching and inspiring his students to become positive role models.

Charles Girardi, known to many as Chuck, was born in Delcarbon, Colorado and grew up in Lead, South Dakota. In his youth, Mr. Girardi was an active and gifted athlete. He was an especially talented basketball player, which earned him an athletic scholarship to the University of South Dakota, Vermillion. In 1944, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served in the Pacific until the end of World War II. Mr. Girardi was awarded medals in the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign and World War II Victory for his honorable service. He returned to the University of South Dakota shortly after being honorably discharged in 1946 to continue his studies and play basketball. He later transferred to Fresno State and played basketball for the Bulldogs. Mr. Girardi was also a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.

Mr. Girardi earned his bachelor's degree from Fresno State in 1950 and obtained his master's from Black Hills State College in Spearfish, South Dakota. He returned to Fresno after being encouraged by his former Fresno State coach to return for an opening coaching position. Mr. Girardi taught and coached at Roosevelt High School until 1974, when he began to work as an educator and coach at Merced College. During his career, he touched the lives of many students and took great pride in the accomplishments of his players.

After retiring, Mr. Girardi enjoyed spending time with his family and playing golf. He also spent several months with his wife at their cabin in Black Hills, South Dakota, enjoying the familiar weather and his childhood environment.

Mr. Girardi is survived by his loving children, Cindy, Cathy, Janelle, Guido and Mike, his sister Olga Nelson, and his grandchildren Michael, Stephen, Alexa, Austin, Frank, Xavier, and Sabrina. He was preceded in death by his devoted wife Mary Lou, his brothers George and Joseph, and his parents Giorgio and Angelina. He will be dearly missed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and career of Mr. Chuck Girardi, a truly celebrated and inspirational individual in his community. As an educator and coach in Merced and Fresno County, his commitment to education will be appreciated for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi) very much not only for the focus and the passion that he shows for this very important issue of trying to ensure that we have health care for all Americans, but also for the leadership he has demonstrated over the years. He and I have worked together in California on so many different issues.

The Affordable Care Act, as we know, has provided health care for over 20 million Americans. Since its implementation over 6 years ago, the ACA in my district, which is Fresno, Madera, and Merced Counties, located in the San Joaquin Valley, has decreased the uninsured rate from 22 percent to 11 percent. It is cut in half.

I have a marvelous, wonderful district that I take great pride in representing. It is one of the largest agricultural areas in the country. It has significant wealth, but, sadly, it has significant poverty. It is the combination of those two that make it a place where immigrants have come for decades--immigrants past and immigrants present--to make a better life for themselves.

Mr. Speaker, 19,000 individuals in my district have received financial assistance and have been able to purchase coverage through the Covered California marketplace, and 121,000 individuals in my district are now covered by the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion.

The cuts that are proposed in this Republican proposal would devastate those individuals not only in my district, but in Congressman Garamendi's district and throughout the valley. My Republican colleagues, the five of us from Modesto down to Bakersfield, almost 500,000 people today have insurance coverage that did not have it 6 years ago.

Let me give you some real examples. Tom lives in Fresno, California. He is 57 years old. In 2015, due to a major heart attack, he had to leave his job of 29 years. Tom's health insurance, though, did not lapse because, as a result of the Affordable Care Act, he gained affordable health coverage insurance through the Covered California marketplace. In addition, his family wrote to my office saying that they cannot envision his recovery being a success had it not been for the ACA.

Another one of my constituents, John, who lives in Fresno, told my office that without the ACA, he and his wife would not have been able to afford cancer surgery for his wife. She is now cancer-free. And we know how expensive that can be.

Austin, one of those Americans who volunteered to serve his Nation, a Vietnam veteran who lives in my district, told my office that his wife was paying $830 a month before the Affordable Care Act. Now she can afford health care at $400 a month--cut in half.

Not every story with the ACA is a success story. It is not perfect. There are problems with the act. We should be working on it.

I remember, Congressman Garamendi, when you were the insurance commissioner of California, and one of the areas that you developed a lot of expertise and experience on was how to deal with the insurance industry. Certainly there are improvements that can be made. There are small-business owners in my district who say that the ACA raises costs and does not provide enough insurance options for themselves or their employees. So we need to work together to fix the provisions in the law that drive up the costs and weaken the insurance marketplace.

This month, the American Health Care Act was introduced to repeal and replace the ACA by our Republican colleagues. I do not believe the American Health Care Act is a serious solution to fixing the problems we have in the ACA. The legislation we know would provide less financial help to low-income families and seniors whom we both represent. The American Health Care Act would dramatically change the way we finance Medicaid by shifting from an open-ended reimbursement system to a person allotment or block grant which will cap the amount of money in California that receive Medicaid, and that is dramatic and devastating.

This would force California to choose how to allocate increasingly a smaller number of Medicaid dollars and would decrease the care available to Medicaid beneficiaries which Congressman Garamendi and I care deeply about. Thousands of individuals in the San Joaquin Valley would be impacted.

Additionally, the legislation will not mandate individuals to purchase health insurance. Instead, insurers would be able to attach a 30 percent surcharge--think about that--on individuals who have a lapse in coverage. I don't think that is going to play well in Peoria or in California. So this will provide a disincentive for young and healthy people to buy insurance. It is important to note that in order for the insurance marketplace to work, there needs to be healthy people in the system to help pay for sick people. When the Speaker said that healthy people are subsidizing sick people, well, I am not an insurance expert, but isn't that the way insurance works? Good drivers pay for poor drivers, right? If you don't have a pool, a balanced pool, it doesn't work.

One last point I want to make: passing the Affordable Care Act, I was here in 2010, and it wasn't pretty. It took 1 year, dozens of committee hearings in several committees, multiple versions of the bill in the House and the Senate, and various revisions of it. We tried to get the Republicans involved. We tried to get them to participate, and we took amendments that they gave. But at some point, they decided that, no, they were going to go it alone or force us to go it alone. I think they are making the same mistake that possibly we made 6 years ago. I think that is sad because I think the American public wants us to work together.

Less than 1 month after introducing their repeal-and-replace bill, which will be before us this week--and, clearly, the replace is still a work in progress--the House is going to pass a bill on a party line vote on Thursday maybe without an updated CBO score. I thought we were going to have transparency, the light of day, know what taxpayers are paying, what they are getting, and what they are not getting. I guess not on Thursday. The CBO scores are how Congress and the public analyzes how legislation would impact States and citizens. But we are not working to get that vital information.

This last week I hosted a healthcare workshop to hear from all of my hospitals, healthcare providers, clinics, doctors, and nurses to ask what they thought of the Affordable Care Act and what we can do to fix the law. What they told me is there are a lot of things we can do to fix the current law to make it better. But they said the healthcare act that is being offered as a repeal and replace is not a solution to providing the much-needed health care we need in the San Joaquin Valley, that we need in California, and that we need in our country.

At the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, we know that working together is how you get things done. On a bipartisan basis, we can make a difference, but not the way we are going. So I think that the gentleman from California's efforts and my efforts as we continue to try to urge common sense to prevail is what we need to do. I will, unfortunately, not be able to vote for this measure on Thursday because it really

is going to negatively impact hundreds and thousands of people in the San Joaquin Valley that will lose their coverage as a result of this repeal and replace.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his passion and his efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Merced County Farm Bureau, an organization that is dedicated to supporting and advocating for Merced County's agriculture industry.

The organization first began as the Merced County Farmers and later became known as the Merced County Farm Bureau in 1917. The high demand for food production during World War I urged the University of California to help in funding farmers around the Central Valley in their efforts to produce agricultural products faster, sending their advisers to local farms in Merced County. On March 7, 1917, the Merced County Farmers, signed a petition requesting a farm advisor from the University of California for Merced County, through the University of California Cooperative Extension program. However, in order to obtain an advisor, the organization needed to become a Farm Bureau first. And so, after changing the name of the organization and complying with necessary requirements to become a farm bureau, the Merced County Farm Bureau had its first meeting on May 17, 1917.

As a result of having an advisor, scientific innovations began to take form in the production of food, dairy, research support and Labor management, and the positive impacts were experienced throughout the county. It began by supporting policies and legislation that protected the natural resources required for the production of agriculture.

As a non-profit organization, the Merced County Farm Bureau contributes to the community by providing scholarship opportunities to the children of farmers who are pursuing higher education. It also provides a program to young adults in Merced County that facilitate professional development and social networking to farmers, ranchers and individuals who work in agriculture between the ages of 18-35. Additionally the Merced County Farm Bureau keeps their farmers and community informed about local agricultural issues as well as state and national legislation through their Merced County Farm Newspaper. Furthermore, the Merced County Farm Bureau hosts local farmers markets to help support farmers around the Central Valley.

Now 100 years after the Merced County Farm Bureau was created, it has become the 6th largest producing agricultural county in California, greatly contributing in the overall economy of our state and making 90% of California's Sweet Potatoes. Thanks to organizations like the Merced County Farm Bureau, the San Joaquin Valley's agriculture industry has become a significant economic contributor to the state.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Merced County Farm Bureau. The last 100 years have been a testament of their strong commitment and continued support of our community and agricultural producers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and career of Mr. Nils Michael ``Mike'' Decker of Fresno. Mike Decker passed away on Tuesday, February 14, 2017 in Fresno, California.

Mike was a wonderful, kind man and a dedicated educator. Mike was born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. His career in education began at St Alphonso's School in Fresno, California followed by Orange Center School in Fresno.

Mike then served 25 years as Principal and Superintendent at Laton Unified School District in Fresno County. In addition, Mike also served on my State Assembly Staff as District Director.

In addition to his friends and family, Mike was adored by his students. Mike positively influenced the lives of thousands of children with this commitment to education and he helped many young people reach for the stars.

Nils Michael Decker is survived by his wife of 52 years, Diana Decker, his son, Timothy J. Decker, his son, Scott A. Decker and his wife, Maria and his daughter, Katherine Decker. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Michael Hill, Jadyn Garrett, Nicholas Decker and his great granddaughter, Neelia Grace Hill.

Mike's sister, Margo Bellman and his brother Gordon Decker both of Michigan also survive him.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring the life and career of Nils Michael Decker, a hero to his family, a wonderful role model for educators and exemplary father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Charles Hunnicutt for his outstanding work and to congratulate him on his retirement after 45 years of dedicated public service.

Charles began his career with the United States Air Force, honorably serving his country from June 1972 to June 1976. He was then hired to work for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a Criminal Investigations and Collections Officer from 1976 to 1987.

In 1988, Charles joined the Fresno County Department of Social Services and remained there until 2005. That same year, he was offered the position as Fresno County Veterans Service Officer. In 2010, Charles was asked to also serve as the Madera County Veterans Service Officer. Charles has remained with both counties and has served Fresno County Veterans and Madera County Veterans with great passion and honor.

It is with great pleasure that I applaud Charles Hunnicutt for his many years of tireless work on behalf of veterans and our community. His ongoing dedication to public service is extremely commendable.

Mr. Speaker, it should be noted that in addition to his countless gifts to veterans and our community, Charles has been a true champion for my constituents where he serves on my 16th District Veterans Advisory Board and has assisted my staff with service academy nominations. In my office, a majority of our constituent casework involves assisting veterans. These are sensitive cases that can sometimes take a great deal of time to resolve. Charles is someone that my staff and I can always count on to work together on behalf of veterans.

I have personally worked with Charles for over 13 years in my capacity as a Member of Congress and I can proudly call him my friend. In his capacity as Veterans Service Officer, Charles is always available to discuss cases and work together on issues of concern. I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the commitment, dedication and success of Charles Hunnicutt and wish him well as he embarks on new endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend, Jim Pardini of Pardini's Banquet and Catering for being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Central California Restaurant Association--Fresno Chapter. For the past thirty-six years, Pardini's Banquet and Catering has dedicated their facility to providing the utmost exquisite food service to all in the community. Jim is a pillar in the Central Valley, known not only for his success as a restaurateur, but also for his generous and giving spirit.

Jim was born to Albert and Mary Jane Pardini in Santa Cruz, California. The Pardinis would make Fresno their home in 1952. Jim graduated from San Joaquin Memorial High School in 1964 and went on to earn his Bachelor's degree in Social Science from Fresno State in 1968. Following in the hard working footsteps of his father, Jim carried on the family restaurant business started in 1948 by Al. By 1981, Jim and his wife Marie opened Pardini's Banquet and Catering and went on to acquire a Rubio's and four Tony Roma restaurants. Over time, Pardini's Catering has become the well-respected caterer of the Big Fresno Fair, the Fresno Convention Center and Fresno State's Bulldog Stadium.

To further his statewide impact in the restaurant industry, Jim helped to create the restaurant Political Action Committee. Then, as the president of the California Restaurant Association, he aided in developing the Grassroots Program. Jim's accomplishments created new ways for restaurant owners to truly connect with law makers in California.

In addition to his impact on the restaurant industry, Jim has dedicated his time to philanthropy work within the community. He is a longtime supporter of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program and the Boys and Girls Club. In addition, he was presented with the honor of the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Muscular Dystrophy Association. With his many accomplishments thus far, Jim's success was fittingly recognized when he was inducted into the California Restaurant Association Foundation Hall of Fame. Through relentless hard work and dedication, Jim Pardini continues to leave a substantial mark in the restaurant industry and within our community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the lifelong achievements of Jim Pardini. I congratulate Mr. Pardini for this great achievement and ask that you join me in wishing him and his family continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the need for bipartisan and comprehensive immigration reform. I am disappointed by President Trump's actions on immigration during his first 2 months in office. I do not say that lightly, because I want this President to succeed, as I want every President to succeed, because if they succeed, so does our country.

But the President's comments and actions to implement policies that don't hold up American values has me feeling very uneasy. To say the least, his erratic statements made on domestic and foreign policy, that he has either taken back or corrected, demonstrates a lack of diplomatic experience. For example, issuing an executive order to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border is not a real solution to fixing our broken immigration system. It does little, if anything, to improve our national security, and it would only hurt trade relations with Mexico, which would have a very serious economic impact not only on American exporters, but especially California's agriculture industry.

Additionally, the Trump administration's directives to deport undocumented immigrants, regardless of how long they have lived here and the contributions they have made to our society, is a strong example of the President's implementing policy that not only is flawed from a human rights perspective, but it is going to have a negative impact on our economy as well.

President Trump is forcing over 11 million individuals who have lived in the United States for decades deeper into the shadows of our communities. They are scared to go to work, scared to go to school, and scared to live their lives. California's agriculture industry relies heavily on a workforce of individuals who are undocumented and work every single day to accomplish the American Dream for themselves and their families. These individuals are not only contributing to the agriculture industry, but they are also students, entrepreneurs, and businessowners.

Furthermore, implementing an executive order to ban travel to the United States is not the American way. As many people in my district are aware, President Trump's first travel ban prohibited a 12-year-old girl, Eman, and her U.S. citizen father from coming home to the United States, and his order put them in harm's way while they waited in Djibouti.

Last month, a Federal appeals court ruled to block that executive order travel ban. Four weeks ago, father and daughter finally came back to Los Banos to rejoin their family.

Our President and his team had to go back to the drawing board, as we know, to issue a new executive order. And just last night, his second executive order to ban travel was blocked.

The Trump administration claims that the flawed executive orders are:

One, a vital measure for protecting national security;

Two, work to improve the vetting process; and

Three, that the United States has a right to vet people who are entering the country and keep people out who are doing us harm.

I agree that we need to work together to protect national security. The Federal Government is obligated to keep our country safe and vet people who enter this country. And guess what? Thorough and rigorous vetting policies are already in place, and they have been going back to the Bush administration ever since 9/11. That is nothing new. My office receives casework on a weekly basis regarding visas that are being extremely vetted and individuals who are waiting for years to get the proper visa to come to this country. That is extreme vetting.

I strongly encourage the President to work with us in Congress and implement a policy that actually strengthens our national security, upholds our national security, and upholds our American values that we all cherish. Working together on a bipartisan basis, we can fix our Nation's broken immigration system. Working together, we can make important investments in our infrastructure, and we should. Working together, we can reform our tax system so it is simple and fair. Working together, we can negotiate a farm bill that provides benefits for all Americans. Working together, we can fix the Affordable Care Act.

Clearly, in regards to the ACA, my Republican friends have decided to go at it alone. That is too bad.

I stand ready to work with the President on a bipartisan basis on all of the above, but the President must reach out. I sincerely want our President to do well because that is what is in the best interest of our country, as I want every American President to do well. But it will not happen. It will not happen, my colleagues, my friends, unless we work together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the twenty-ninth anniversary of the pogroms against people of Armenian descent in Sumgait, Azerbaijan.

In late February of 1988 the Armenian people of Nagomo Karabakh, more commonly known by its people and descendants as Artsakh, rose up in peaceful protest to demand their right to self-determination. This courageous call for equality and human dignity was met with murderous riots beginning on February 27, 1988 which lasted for three days. Scores of Armenians were killed, hundreds were wounded, and thousands were forced to leave their homes and livelihoods behind.

Undeterred by this oppression, the Armenian community and its dedication to democratic self-determination sparked a movement that finally helped bring an end to the dictatorship of the Soviet Union. The courage demonstrated by the people of Artsakh in demanding their rights even after all of the adversity is admirable and should never be forgotten.

Sadly however, authoritarian leaders in Azerbaijan continue to this day to aggravate efforts by the Organization for Security Co-operation in Europe Minsk Group to achieve lasting peace in Artsakh and the surrounding region. On February 25, 2017, just a few days ago, the ceasefire along the line of contact was breached resulting in several casualties. This aggression is completely unacceptable and further hurts efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to this conflict.

On behalf of the thousands of Armenian Americans living in my congressional district I ask my colleagues to stand with the people of Artsakh in remembering the lives lost during this tragic conflict. May their memory serve as a reminder for each and every one of us to continue advocating for human rights and democratic freedoms around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Mr. M. Wayne Hutton. After more than 30 years of serving in law enforcement, Mr. Hutton is retiring as Supervising District Attorney Investigator in Merced. Mr. Hutton's service to the community has earned him recognition among law enforcement officials throughout the San Joaquin Valley and California. He has undoubtedly paved a legacy in public service within our community.

Mr. Hutton's career is characterized by a strong work ethic and a passion for justice. Mr. Hutton began his law enforcement career as a Special Agent in the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations. During his time as a Special Agent, Mr. Hutton was honored and awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal, four Achievement Medals, and the National Defense Medal. He then went on to serve as a Deputy Sheriff in the Merced County Sheriff's Department. He received a Sheriff's Commendation for implementing the first Citizen's Law Enforcement Academy as well as his display of tactical action during a suicide attempt by a citizen. Mr. Hutton also received recognition for his work in the area of domestic violence and was praised by the Senate of the State of California.

Mr. Hutton later served as an Investigator for the District Attorney in Merced County. During his tenure, Mr. Hutton has conducted numerous felony investigations and other high profile major white collar fraud cases. Due to his outstanding work, he was then promoted to Supervising Investigator. Mr. Hutton wrote the Policy and Procedures Manual for the Bureau of Investigation and conducted numerous embezzlement and white collar crime investigations, which included a case that involved a record $1.4 million loss.

Mr. Hutton's decision to become an adjunct instructor at Merced College is another example of his devoted service to the community. Mr. Hutton taught the next generation of law enforcement the skills necessary to write reports and do complete criminal investigations. He has instructed over 300 cadets in the State of California's Peace Officer Standards and Training approved Reserve Peace Officer Training Courses.

Many are saddened by Mr. Hutton's retirement, but his achievements and years of service will not be forgotten. He has been a part of the law enforcement community for 31 years, and it is my hope that his career will inspire others to follow in his footsteps.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the career and achievement of Mr. M. Wayne Hutton. Mr. Hutton has proven to be an inspiring and hardworking individual for Merced County, and I am confident he will continue to demonstrate his passion for public service in the next chapter of his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Fresnan Paul Kalinian, a philanthropic and award winning filmmaker known especially for his documentary on Armenian-American William Saroyan.

Paul Kalinian was born in Beirut, Lebanon on February 14, 1932, but spent the majority of his childhood in Damascus, Syria. At age 14, he discovered his passion for photography and began learning the skill at the Photo Gulbenk Studio in Damascus. Four years later, he returned to Beirut, opening his first photography studio, Photo Paul in 1961. In 1964, he moved to Canada, then to the United States to further pursue a future in photography and filmmaking. Attending the New York Institute of Photography, Paul received degrees in Photography and Motion Picture Production in 1967. That same year, he returned to Beirut to marry his longtime sweetheart, Araxie Deuvletian. They immigrated to the United States and were blessed with twins: a son Harold and a daughter Susie, making Fresno, California their permanent home, the birthplace of his childhood hero William Saroyan.

In 1972, Paul opened his second studio, Paul's Photography Studio, in Fresno, California. Throughout the years, he photographed countless people from all walks of life, from politicians and generals, to models, musicians and clergy leaders. His works have been published in over a dozen books, and numerous newspapers and magazines, and have been displayed in over a dozen different locations such as government buildings, museums, schools and libraries.

Aside from having a passion for photography, Paul had a dream of one day being able to photograph internationally renowned Armenian-American Pulitzer Prize and Oscar winner, William Saroyan. After 12 years of chasing this dream, Paul was finally able to capture portraits of the famous writer and playwright on March 26, 1976. One such characteristic portrait was selected by the United States and Soviet Union Postal Services, among 400 other photographs, to be used for their Commemorative Postal Stamps. This was the first time in history that an individual was selected as a humanitarian symbol of peace and friendship between two superpower nations. First-day-issue ceremonies took place simultaneously on May 22, 1991 in Fresno, California and in Yerevan, Armenia.

After William Saroyan's death in 1981, Paul created a 22 minute presentation of Saroyan's portraits, along with his narration ``How I shot Saroyan,'' which was shown over 100 times in various cities, and televised on public stations. In light of the positive response, Paul and his daughter, Dr. Susie Kalinian, decided to collaborate and create a documentary film about Saroyan's life and works, narrated by another famous Fresnan whom Kalinian admires and respects, television and motion picture star, actor Mike Connors. Entitled William Saroyan; The Man The Writer, the film was written and directed by Paul and produced by his daughter. It is a symbol of Paul's admiration for Saroyan as one of the greatest writers of our time. The film was created to preserve and present Saroyan's works, recognize his dual cultural heritage, and spread his message of peace and hope around the world. The film, a labor of love, won numerous awards of recognition, including six international film festival awards and a Gold Award for Best Documentary Film among 12 competing nations. The film premiered on April 9, 1991 in Fresno at the William Saroyan Theatre. Today, over one million people have seen the film in more than 60 cities in 19 countries around the world. This film not only pays tribute to Saroyan, but pays tribute to Armenians and Fresno, California.

Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating a man who has dedicated his life to preserving American and Armenian culture through the art of photography and film. It is both fitting and appropriate that we recognize Paul Kalinian for his educational and philanthropic contributions to his community, his country, and our world. I join Paul's family in wishing him health and happiness for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the State Center Community College District's Wall of Honor within the Fresno African American Historical and Cultural Museum in celebration of its 20 year anniversary. As we celebrate Black History Month, it is important to note this important part of the museum which has highlighted successes in the African American community throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

The African American Historical and Cultural Museum was the creation of Jack Kelley, the first African American police sergeant in Fresno. Passionate about black history, Jack wanted to create a place where people could go to recognize and enjoy black history throughout our Valley. Jack and former State Center Community College District chancellor, Dr. Bill F. Stewart, coined the idea of creating a Wall of Honor within the museum, where exceptional African American leaders affiliated with the State Center Community College District could be recognized. Since 1996, the Wall of Honor has served as a platform to highlight the success of notable African Americans in our community. Each year, a committee of local leaders accepts nominations for the Wall of Honor and selects the inductees. Those inducted into the Wall of Honor must have attended, worked or served the State Center Community College District.

The Wall of Honor acts as a representation of the triumphs African Americans in the State Center Community College District have achieved. It will serve as a place for where the brilliance, accomplishments, and strength of our black community leaders will be honored. It is my great pleasure to honor the Wall of Honor for a successful 20 years. I also commemorate the services of all the staff of the museum and the State Center Community College District who have worked hard to educate our community and preserve our Valley's African American History. I send my best wishes for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Joe Williams, who passed away on February 8, 2017 at the age of 79. Joe was a loving husband, father and grandfather, who dedicated much of his life to public service. He was a leader in the community, eventually becoming the first African-American elected to the Fresno City Council in 1977. Joe was a friend to many, a mentor, and trailblazer. His presence in the community will truly be missed.

Joe Williams was born on May 8, 1937 in Biloxi, Mississippi to Brooke Lee Starks and Charlie Williams. At the age of nine, his parents, along with Joe, his brother, George, and his sister, Audrey, moved to Fresno, California. He attended Edison High School and enlisted in the United States Army upon graduation in 1956. After his service, Joe enrolled in Fresno City College. He would go on to earn a scholarship to play football at Fresno State, where he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Welfare.

After graduating, Joe began his career with the Fresno County Welfare Department. In 1968, he went to work for the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC), as the Director of the Fresno County Head Start Commission, where he would go on to work for 26 years. After two years, Joe was named Executive Director of Fresno EOC. He was the longest tenured Executive Director, serving in that role from 1970 to 1993. During his tenure, Fresno EOC expanded its budget from $1.8 million to $37 million, with 35 programs to provide services to 130,00 low income families annually. With the help of over 670 staff members, Fresno EOC was able to implement many programs including Palm Village family homeless shelter, open the first rural health clinic in Fresno County, and start a Meals on Wheels program for seniors. A sanctuary program for homeless youth was also established and named in his honor upon Joe's retirement. Under his leadership, Fresno EOC became a model for similar programs across the nation.

In 1977, Joe was elected to the Fresno City Council, making him the first African American elected to the council. He served two terms between 1977 and 1985. Joe was voted as Mayor Pro-Tem from 1984-1985.

In 1994, Joe joined Richard Heath and Associates, a privately owned company that aims to provide energy efficiency programs for underserved communities, serving as the CEO until 2005 and serving as board president through 2016. Along with his lifelong friends James Hendricks and Dr. James Aldredge, Joe formed HAW-Fifty Six, which provides services and housing in West Fresno. HAW- Fifty Six developed the Edison HAW Plaza and the first phase of a multi-family apartment complex in West Fresno, in collaboration with the Fresno Housing Authority. Joe volunteered his time, serving on numerous boards, including Community Medical Center Board of Trustees, California State University, Fresno Foundation Board and the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.

Joe is survived by his wife of 40 years Laura, their children Michael and his wife Sonya, Winston, and Terri, his brother George, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the life and service of Joe Williams. He will be remembered for the selfless way in which he lived his life, always looking to help those in the community who were in need. I join his family in honoring his life, love for his community, and service to his country. He will be greatly missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and career of Mr. Larry Pistoresi, Jr., one of Chowchilla's finest residents and public servants, and an exceptional leader of his community. Throughout his life, Mr. Pistoresi, Jr. strived to support and enrich the people of Chowchilla. His selflessness and devotion to family, church, and community have undoubtedly left the world a better place.

Larry Pistoresi, Jr. was born and raised as a 4th generation native of Chowchilla, in Madera County. In his youth, Mr. Pistoresi was an active and accomplished athlete, having played on both the football and golf teams at Chowchilla Union High School until his graduation in 1959. Mr. Pistoresi attended college at Santa Clara University and The University of Washington and later served in the United States Army after dedicating himself to his college ROTC program. Mr. Pistoresi was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 1967, where he was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

Mr. Pistoresi returned to Chowchilla after his discharge and worked at Pistoresi Chevrolet Oldsmobile with his father, Larry Pistoresi, Sr., grandfather, Pete, and uncle, Monte, as a car salesman. Something of a sales maverick, he consistently proved that nothing was too big or small to make a favorable deal for his clients. Mr. Pistoresi then set his sights on real estate development, and proceeded to undertake a transformative plan for the Chowchilla area by devoting more than ten years of his life to plan the construction of the Greenhills Estates neighborhood, which nearly doubled the Chowchilla city limit. He also led the effort to establish the Pheasant Run Golf Course, which provides an excellent communal space for the many people seeking new recreational outlets.

Beyond his professional commitments, Mr. Pistoresi was involved in a host of public service engagements, including sitting on the Chowchilla Elementary School Board, serving multiple terms as a Chowchilla City Councilman, and served as Mayor of Chowchilla from 1975 through 76.

Larry Pistoresi, Jr. joins his father, Larry Pistoresi, Sr., and his mother, Bettie Pistoresi, and is survived by his stepmother Velma Pistoresi, stepbrothers Jerry and Kent Danieli, his wife of 47 years Linda Pistoresi, his daughter Laura Pistoresi, his son Daniel Pistoresi and wife Frances and son Bradley Pistoresi. He also leaves behind his loving grandchildren Samuel, Jackson, Noah, Stella and Micah, and countless friends and colleagues. His patriotism, altruism, and infectious personality will be deeply missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and career of Mr. Larry Pistoresi, Jr., illustrious and decorated role model for the people of Chowchilla, and an exemplary family man and friend. His life personifies the anecdote that sometimes a small pond needs a big fish to grow wider.