Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Don E. Hayden for 37 years of teaching with the Clark County School District and a lifetime full of goodwill and service to the residents of Southern Nevada. His commitment to his fellow Nevadans has resulted in the CCSD Board of Trustees in naming and dedicating a new elementary school in his honor.

Don was raised in Palmyra, Missouri and graduated from Palmyra High School in 1942. After high school, Don enlisted with the U.S. Navy where he served 3\1/2\ years as a torpedo man aboard a destroyer in the South Pacific during World War II. After the end of World War II, Don attended college at Weber College in Ogden, Utah. He taught school in McGill, Nevada for 5 years and he then moved to Payette, Idaho where he met his wife, Eldine. After his marriage to Eldine, Don continued his educational pursuits and earned both his Bachelor of Science in Education and his Masters of Education from Colorado State College. In addition to these academic accolades, Don earned his doctoral degree from Mississippi Southern University.

In 1955, Don and Eldine moved to Las Vegas. Don had accepted the position of Principal at John C. Fremont Elementary School. Don would later serve as an Assistant Principal at Hyde Park Junior High School, Principal at Roy W. Martin Junior School and again as Principal at J.D. Smith Junior High School. During his many years of dedicated service as an educator, Don had the honor to open four new middle schools. As an educator, Don is committed to the belief that schools have the responsibility to ensure that each student has the fundamental skills to be successful, active, and independent members of their community. He believes that the education of our children is a collaborative effort between educators, parents, community members, and governmental agencies.

In addition to his many achievements, Don has also been involved with several organizations. He has served as a member for the Parent Teacher Association and as a member of the Board of Managers for the Nevada Congress of PTA. He has held several leadership positions which include serving as the Treasurer for the Secondary Principal's Association, the President of the Las Vegas Masters Club, the Chairman for the Clark County Teachers Credit Union and a member of the Board of Trustees for the First Baptist Church.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Don Hayden for his many outstanding civic achievements and congratulate him and his wife, Eldine and their two children, Patrick and Dawn for the honor that the CCSD has bestowed upon Don with the dedication of a school in his name.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Pamela Clancy who is receiving the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Award.

Pamela has over 20 years experience in the nursing profession and presently serves as director of all Spring Valley Medical/Surgery Nursing Units. In addition to her professional competence, Pamela is a very caring individual and goes above and beyond to help patients feel at home. She is most known around the hospital for helping a couple put on a wedding when the groom became ill and had no way of rescheduling the ceremony. Pamela was also instrumental in the opening of the Joint and Spine Center and has received the service excellence award where she was the star champion employee of the month.

In addition to her professional successes, Pamela is also very active in a number of philanthropic and charitable organizations. She volunteers at her church, Walk for a Cure, March of Dimes, the Spring Valley Hospital Health Fair, and the MDA yard sale as well as health screenings.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Pamela Clancy. Her professional expertise and caring nature have greatly enriched the lives of those in the Las Vegas community. I commend her efforts and commitment and congratulate her on receiving the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Award and applaud her efforts.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

It is an honor to be here to talk about something very critical, I think, to our families and communities across the country.

If you recall, last year this body passed historic legislation providing for protection of our children in light of the abuse of our kids throughout schools across the country. We passed legislation to provide for 24 additional States to do background checks on teachers via FBI background and other means through law enforcement. Unfortunately, 24 States were not allowed to, for many different reasons, and that legislation provided for these background checks. Through my amendment that is being proposed today, close to a million kids that are in the Head Start program will have the same tools available to them that we passed just last year to help kids in K-12.

There is one tragic example. There is one grantee in this country that between 2001 and 2005 did not perform background checks on their employees. They finally did background checks. Out of 660 employees, close to 106 had criminal charges against them, including first degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, domestic abuse, assault, child abuse, DUI, and violent crimes.

Mr. Chairman, my language ensures that Head Start programs will have all the databases containing criminal records available to them to make sure that our parents can feel that their most precious resource, their children, will be safe in the Head Start program.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to Ranking Member McKeon.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friends Bob and Carole Donald for their commitment to serving the community.

Bob and Carole are two individuals who truly exemplify community service and civic involvement. Since moving to Las Vegas, Bob and Carole have donated their time and energy to a variety of causes in our community. Whether it is helping a neighbor or volunteering in the community, Bob and Carole are always willing to lend a hand. Their commitment and service to others have had a positive impact on our community.

Bob has dedicated both his professional life and his personal life to serving others. He served his country in the U.S. Army before becoming a police officer with the Newark Police Department in New Jersey. During his 25 years with the Newark Police Department, Bob served on the foot patrol, the motorcycle unit, as a detective, the head of Narcotics, and as the head of the Tactical Force. As an officer, Bob always placed the safety of others before his own and protected the citizens of Newark with both honor and pride. The Newark Police Department honored Bob on a number of occasions for the leadership, commitment, and sacrifice he demonstrated as a police officer.

Bob retired as a Lieutenant from the Newark Police Department and later moved to Las Vegas. Throughout his years in Las Vegas,

Bob has been incredibly active in the community. When he is not volunteering, he spends his time either hunting or skeet shooting. He is co-founder of the Nellis Skeet Club and has won the Senior Skeet Shooting Championship of Nevada many times in the past several years.

Carole was a professional Flamenco dancer and traveled the world performing with legendary Flamenco dancer, Jose Greco. After retiring from dancing, she opened a hair salon in New Jersey and later opened another salon in Las Vegas. Carole has used her talents to help others. She has volunteered for a number of years at local hospitals, providing haircuts to patients who are too sick to leave the hospital. She is a very warm-hearted person who is not only willing to donate her time and her talents to help others, but actively seeks opportunities to do so.

Bob and Carole have been happily married for over 20 years. Bob has three children Bobby, Stephen, and Diane.

Bob and Carole Donald are outstanding examples of what it means to be community-minded. They are genuine, giving, and kind. They constantly look for ways to contribute to the world around them. Their optimism and enthusiasm for life has made a difference for all who have the privilege of knowing them.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Bob and Carole Donald for their tremendous commitment to the Las Vegas community and to the United States. I wish the Donald's the very best as they continue to set an example of service and civic involvement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend Frank Martin and congratulate him on 30 years of exceptional success as the President and C.E.O. of Martin-Harris Construction.

Frank founded Martin-Harris Construction in 1976 with five associates and a vision. Over 30 years his vision has been realized many times over. Since its inception, Martin-Harris has been granted general contracting licenses in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Utah and currently has over 400 associates generating over $340 million in 2006. Martin-Harris Construction has been recognzed as an industry leader; their accolades include the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Inland Empire Region and the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement Award in Business. They have also been recognized by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties as the Top Contracting firm in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

In addition to Frank's exceptional business success he has made a profound impact on the community through his involvement with numerous community organizations. Frank presently serves on the board of directors of U.S. Bank and Opportunity Village. He is a Life Time Board Member of the AGC, UNLV Foundation, and the CCSN Foundation Board. Frank and his wife, Bonnie, have also hosted the annual Miss Kitty's Jeans to Jewels fundraiser for Opportunity Village since 2001 at their Bitter Root Ranch.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor my friend Frank Martin. His successes in business and philanthropic pursuits are truly commendable and his dedication to community should serve as an example to us all. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend George Filios for his personal and professional successes, he is truly the embodiment of the American Dream.

George came to the United States from Greece in December 1955 and began working in the textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. In 1957, he began work in the construction industry as a painter and carpenter and attended school in the evening to learn English and the Principles of Construction. In 1958 George, in partnership with George Papageorge, founded G & G Construction Company. George took the Oath of Citizenship in May, 1961 and subsequently moved to California. George returned to his native Greece in 1966 where he met his lovely wife, Nitsa Statara.

George established the Filios Construction Company in 1967, specializing in the construction of apartment complexes and subsequently teamed up with Alex Spanos. Following the birth of his first child, Spiridon Filios in 1968, George was offered a management position within A.G. Spanos Companies, thus began a fruitful relationship spanning over thirty years. Soon thereafter, in 1970, George's daughter, Vayia Filios was born. The Filios family relocated to Southern Nevada in 1975 recognizing the booming economy of the region and opportunities it presented to the buildings and construction trades.

In addition to his professional success, George has also contributed greatly to his community. Following the family's move to southern Nevada, George became very much involved with the St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church. He was intimately involved in long range planning of building Church facilities and in 1978, during his Presidency of the Parish Council, they acquired the land necessary to construct a new Church and community center. George was also very involved with the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where he served as the Administrator of the A.G. Spanos Companies Faculty Award. Furthermore, George has served on the State Contractors Board, from 1981-1984, and as a member of the Clark County Commission Multifamily Council.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor my good friend George Filios. His success in business and philanthropic pursuits is truly commendable and his dedication to the community should serve as an example to us all. Through hard work and determination he has succeeded, thereby truly personifying the American Dream. I thank him for his service to the community and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend Milton I. Schwartz for his generosity and humanitarian efforts on behalf of the entire Las Vegas community.

Milton Schwartz was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. After attending New York University and the Wharton School of Finance, Milton enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving with the Army Signal Corp during World War II. Following his military career, Milton moved to Nevada and became a successful businessman. He was the owner of Checker Cab Company, Vice President of Yellow Cab and Star Cab companies, and owner and operator of Valley Hospital where he served as the chairman of Formula 409. Aside from his contributions to the growth in southern Nevada, Milton has played a large part in the local Jewish community. In 1988, he established the Milton I. Schwartz Hebrew Academy, a Judaic elementary school serving preschool to eighth grade.

As a result of his pursuits, Milton has received a number of accolades, most notably being honored as Republican of the Year by the State of Nevada Republican Men's Club and as Humanitarian of the Year by Goodwill Industries. On May 6, 2007, Milton will be honored with the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson in Pursuit of Excellence Award at a gala in his honor.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor my friend Milton I. Schwartz. His commitment to the Las Vegas community is truly commendable for he has enriched countless lives. I applaud him for his success and wish him the best in future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend Glenn Christenson, who, retired on March 30, 2007, after serving as chief financial officer of Station Casinos for 17 years.

During his time as CFO of Station Casinos, Glenn was instrumental in helping the company dramatically increase its holdings and develop into an important gaming company. When Glenn joined Station Casinos the company held one casino. After 17 years of Glenn's guidance and leadership, the company now holds 16 casinos in southern Nevada and an American Indian casino in northern California.

For his efforts with Station Casinos, Glenn has been recognized as the Top Chief Financial Officer in gaming and lodging the past 2 years by Institutional Investor Magazine. He was also named to the Nevada Society of CPAs Hall of Fame for Business and Industry in 2001 and was recognized as one of the Most Influential Businessmen in southern Nevada by In Business magazine in 2002.

Glenn is very much involved with a number of important civic organizations. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the Board of Directors of the National Center for Responsible Gaming, the Board of Directors of Problem Gaming Consultants, the Board of Trustees of the Nevada Development Authority, the Board of Directors of the Nevada State College, the Board of Directors of Nevada Community Bancorp, and is an advisor to the UNLV Business School.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor my friend Glenn Christenson. His contributions to the Las Vegas business and civic communities are commendable and I wish him the best of luck in his retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Tyler Fuller, a 7- year-old international BMX champion.

Tyler, a two-time Union Cycliste Internationale BMX champion, learned to ride a bike at the age of 2 and began BMX racing at the age of 3. When he was 5 years old, Tyler joined the Redman Yamaha Factory Team and has been racing for them since that time. Tyler has competed in events around the world and his natural ability and dedication to the sport have earned him recognition as one of the top four BMX racers in his age group.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Tyler Fuller. His talent, drive, and passion are commendable and will serve him well. I wish him continued success in his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Joshua Thomas Gallo who has received the rank of Eagle Scout.

Joshua is a very studious and civically minded young man who has accomplished many goals. He has volunteered at food banks and donated blood as part of his civic commitment. Joshua has also recently been accepted to several different colleges to study medicine, thereby demonstrating his academic prowess.

Most recently, Joshua has earned the rank of Eagle Scout from troop 213. For the last 6 months Joshua has prepared himself for this momentous achievement by serving as a Life Scout and he has also earned 21 merit badges in fields such as: emergency preparedness, first aid, citizenship in community, citizenship in nation, citizenship in world, communications and environmental science.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Joshua Thomas Gallo for earning the distinguished rank of Eagle Scout. I honor his hard work and commitment in fulfilling the demanding requirements of this award. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Sandra Lee Thompson for her commitment and dedication to the Las Vegas community and being selected by the Clark County School Board to have an elementary school named in her honor.

Sandra Lee Thompson was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1948 and was one of six children. She attended DeLone Catholic High School and then graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Social Work. She began her career as a reporter in Connecticut, where she met her husband Gary Thompson in 1973. The couple had one daughter, Kelly, who was the pride and joy of her parents. In 1978, Sandra and her husband moved to Las Vegas and began a long career with the Las Vegas Sun Newspaper. Sandra started out working as a copy and features editor and eventually became managing editor. In 1997, she was promoted to Vice President/Associate Editor for the Las Vegas Sun.

While working for the Las Vegas Sun, Sandra was able to incorporate her love for children into her job. She held hands-on workshops for local high school students at the Sun Youth Forum and she routinely lectured in schools around the valley to educate youth on the field of journalism. Sandra spent the last five years of her career focusing on issues relating to children and families. She was the only journalist in the state to write regularly about children and family issues. Her unwavering commitment to families earned her a reputation for being ``the voice of the children'' in Nevada. Sandra's efforts to draw attention to important family issues led to legislative changes in child welfare programs and an increase in the cap on child support payments.

Sandra's commitment to children and the family permeated her life. She was truly dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. In addition to her professional commitment to these issues, she was actively involved in a variety of community organizations and service projects. She focused much of her time in Clark County mentoring students and encouraging them to succeed. She actively participated in projects such as the Las Vegas Sun Camp Fund, Christmas in April, Children's Advocacy Alliance, Clark County Family Court, Raising Nevada and Class! Publications. Additionally, her leadership on the subject of children and family inspired the creation of a scholarship program for Class! Publications and the Mother of the Year Contest.

On August 9th, 2002, Sandra tragically died in an automobile accident. She left a lasting legacy of compassion, service and devotion to children. Her leadership and her steadfast commitment to enriching the lives of others have truly made a difference in Southern Nevada.

Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to honor Sandra Lee Thompson for her profound commitment to children and the family. I am proud that the Clark County School District has chosen to recognize her outstanding contribution to Clark County by naming the Sandra Thompson Elementary School in her honor. I wish the Thompson family and the students, teachers, and administrators at Thompson Elementary the very best as they celebrate the dedication of this special school. I am certain that this educational establishment will live up to the legacy Sandra Thompson has left behind.

Mr. Speaker, the Southern Nevada Readiness Center Act conveys land to the Army National Guard for a readiness center that will provide Guardsmen with access to facilities, technology, and equipment needed to ensure proper training and readiness.

Because the Southern Nevada National Guard's force continues to grow, this new facility is crucial. It will better train and prepare our soldiers on the front lines. The center is the first new construction for the Army National Guard in the Las Vegas valley in more than 10 years. The facility will house communications, engineering and medical Guard units. It will include a 200-person theater-style auditorium, distance-learning classrooms, medical examination rooms, a weight room, locker rooms, multiple arms vaults, a kitchen, and a maintenance bay. Soldiers will be able to prepare both physically and technically for missions. In total, between 300 and 400 Guardsmen will train at the armory on a drill weekend.

The center will not only help ensure Nevada will be prepared in the event of a crisis or a natural disaster, but also would help ensure that Guardsmen are fully trained and ready for any contingency as directed by the National Command Authority.

I commend the National Guard soldiers who volunteer to serve at home and overseas in order to keep our country safe. It is incumbent upon us to provide the proper facilities that will ensure these soldiers are well trained and prepared.

I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working in a bipartisan, bicameral manner in support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak on this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend Dr. Ruth Johnson, president of the Clark County School District Board of School Trustees, and congratulate her on behalf of the Clark County School District for receiving the Distinguished Support of Music Education Award.

The VH1 Save the Music Foundation has selected the Clark County School District Board of School Trustees as this year's recipient of their Third Annual School Board Award for Distinguished Support of Music Education. Clark County is an exemplary school district to which others can look as model for music education. The Board of School Trustees, presided over by Ruth Johnson, is the only school board in the United States to receive this award by VH1 Save the Music Foundation. The Clark County School District Board of Trustees are dedicated to providing a certified, qualified music teacher for each school, as well as funding after school music programs, text books, and music supplies.

For the past 10 years, Ruth has served on the Clark County School District Board of Trustees, where her leadership has greatly contributed to the development of music education in the Clark County School District. Furthermore, Ruth Johnson has committed the efforts of the Board of School Trustees to go above and beyond to achieve excellence in music education.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor my friend Dr. Johnson and the Clark County School District Board of Trustees. Her dedication in enriching the educational experience of the Clark County students is commendable and I congratulate her for being honored by VHI Save the Music. I wish Dr. Johnson continued success as she serves as president of the Clark County School Board of Trustees.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Delores ``Dee Dee'' Terrano and congratulate her for her well-deserved recognition of her work with the United States Postal Service.

Dee Dee began her career with the United States Postal Service in 1984 as a distribution clerk. After showing extraordinary capability and exemplary leadership skills, she was promoted to Manager of Consumer Affairs/Claims for the Nevada-Sierra District. Under Dee Dee's leadership the Nevada-Sierra district was the top-ranked office in the country for processing customer claims. Dee Dee worked tirelessly with the Nevada Congressional Delegation for the Nevada-Sierra District as a representative of postal issues. In this post, she was knowledgeable and very capable at her job. However, what distinguishes Dee Dee is the care and sensitivity she showed towards the needs of my constituent and my staff. Moreover, Dee Dee was also selected to work on the inaugural team that developed the first national call center for the Postal Service.

Dee Dee currently serves as Emergency Preparedness Manager, the job which Dee Dee sees as extremely important to Nevada and she is excited to have the opportunity to gain knowledge. In this role she has distinguished herself by developing and executing evacuation drills in Las Vegas and Reno.

Over the course of her long and distinguished career, Dee Dee has received numerous accolades; including, a Postmaster General Award for Automation Readability Leadership, two national communication awards, a national best practice award, and an outstanding merit award for media and communication.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Dee Dee Terrano. Her dedication to the USPS is commendable and I wish her continued success with her future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jeff Henderson for his extraordinary accomplishments in the culinary field and for his success with his new book.

Jeff Henderson's life is an inspirational story of overcoming great odds and achieving one's dreams. Growing up in South Central Los Angeles and San Diego, Jeff had a run in with the law where he served almost a decade in federal prison. He did not discover his passion for cooking until doing kitchen duty. Jeff began his new found passion as a dishwasher and worked his way to the top as a Chef for restaurants such as L'Escale and the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Marina Del Rey, California. He later became the Sous-Chef at the Hotel Bel-Air and at L'Ermitage Hotel.

In 2000, Jeff made history as the first African American to be named Chef de Cuisine at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The American Food and Wine Tasting Federation honored him in 2001 as the ``Las Vegas Chef of the Year''. Black Enterprise magazine has also honored him as one of the top African-American chefs. While he is currently employed at Cafe Bellagio as Executive Chef, he also serves as a public speaker and motivator to provide inspiration for troubled youths.

Jeff's greatest accomplishment has come from his book entitled, ``Cooked: From the Streets to the Stove, From Cocaine to Foie Gras''. Since its March 2007 release, his book is now a New York Times Best Seller after just three weeks. His story has gained national attention with appearances on the Today Show and Oprah. There are even talks to star in his own reality show and to produce his life story in a motion picture starring Will Smith.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor the hard work and accomplishments of Chef Jeff Henderson. He has set a fine example for everyone to achieve their dreams with dedication. I wish him luck in all his future endeavors.