Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friends Sam and Lois Ruvolo as they celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

Sam and Lois met in Cleveland, Ohio, the city they were both born and raised. After a chance meeting at the local community center, where Lois was a secretary, they were married six months later at the Holy Name Church on August 11, 1956.

After serving in the United States Army from 1950-1952, Sam taught school and coached football at the high school, college, and pro levels for 32 years. In 1988, Sam and Lois both decided to retire. They sold their residence in California and traveled the United States, Canada, and Mexico in their motor home, finally settling in Henderson, Nevada in 1991 at the insistence of Sam's brother Pat.

Sam is active with the Knights of Columbus, and the American Legion, serving as Commander of Post 40 in Henderson, State Commander of Nevada, and most recently as the Alternate National Executive Committee member. He has also been reappointed to serve on the Governor's Committee of the Southern Nevada Veterans Cemetery.

Lois is active with the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, volunteers at the St. Viator Church, and is an auxiliary member of the American Legion's Unit 40.

Of all their accomplishments, Sam and Lois are most proud of their four children, Margaret Mary Janshen, Joseph Robert, Thomas Joseph, and John Salvatore. They also love and enjoy their seven grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize two wonderful people who I have known for many years on their coming wedding anniversary and also for their service to the community of Southern Nevada. I wish them many more joyful years of marriage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Dan Hyde for his outstanding service to Southern Nevada by coordinating the City of Las Vegas Alternative Fuel Program, which received the 2006 National Innovation Award.

Dan was raised in San Diego, California. He attended and graduated from Clairemont High School in 1967. He then attended San Diego Mesa College; soon afterwards he transferred and continued his studies at San Diego State University. In 1993, while working as the Fleet Manager at the University of California San Diego, he took the Fleet Manager position with the City of Las, Vegas. Dan has been the coordinator for the Las Vegas Regional Clean Cites Coalition (LVRCCC) since its inception in 1993, and has been the Executive Director of the LVRCCC since 2000.

The City of Las Vegas' Alternative Fuel Program has been a passion of Dan's since taking the Fleet Manager position. Due to Dan's efforts, the City of Las Vegas is emerging as a leader that has, and is developing an American fuels culture with compressed natural gas, biodiesel, and hydrogen power that is predominantly derived from domestically produced energy sources.

Dan is active in the community and serves on various committees including Chairman of the Regional Transportation Commission's Citizens Advisory Committee, mentor in the National School to Careers Program, the City of Henderson's Senior's Advisory Committee, the Clark County Air Quality Forum and Technical Advisory Sub-Committee, the City of Las Vegas' Air Quality Team, volunteering for the Radio Reading Service with KNPR-FM radio, and is a participant in the PAL Mentoring Program in which his labors resulted in three high school students becoming full time employees.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Dan Hyde on the floor of the House. I commend him for his contributions to the City of Las Vegas and thank him for his continued service to the residents of Southern Nevada.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Daniel Edmondson for his outstanding volunteer work and being awarded the 2006 Prudential Spirit of Community Award.

Daniel, an eighth-grader at Silvestri Junior High School in Las Vegas, has been teaching Taekwondo karate classes to young children for the past eight years. Daniel started taking Taekwondo lessons when he was just six years old. As a young child, he was so taken with the sport that he wanted to share it with others.

In order to become a junior instructor, Daniel had to train for two years, log 350 hours of volunteer service at the Taekwondo studio, and pass both physical and written tests. Daniel now leads classes, mentors young students, and helps them prepare for tournament competitions. Over the last several years,

Daniel has taught more that 150 youths not only the physical techniques of Taekwondo, but also self-discipline, confidence, respect, and integrity.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Daniel Edmondson for his volunteer activities. His being recognized at the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is truly a great accomplishment. I applaud his efforts and wish him the best with his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Martin L. Taggart as he retires from a distinguished career as a coach and an educator at Moapa Valley High School.

Marty Taggart grew up in Afton, Wyoming. He graduated from Southern Utah University with a major in Physical Science and Health and minors in both Math and Botany. During college, Taggart played 4 years of football and spent his summers as a forest ranger.

Marty has been a beloved teacher in Moapa Valley for the past 35 years. When he began his career, Moapa Valley High School served all of the students in Moapa Valley from Kindergarten through 12th Grade. Marty spent the first 13 years of his career teaching junior high school math, science and physical education. However, he has spent the majority of his career teaching at the high-school level. In addition to math, science and physical education, Taggart has taught health, careers, and weight training while at Moapa Valley High School.

Although he has been an incredibly committed educator, perhaps his most memorable contributions to Moapa Valley High School are those he made while coaching football and wrestling. Coach Taggart founded the wrestling program in Moapa Valley and has been the driving force behind its expansion and success over the past 31 years. He has also spent the past 33 years coaching football at Moapa Valley High School. Both teams have been very competitive and enjoyed many successes as a result of Coach Taggart's dedicated leadership.

As a coach and as an educator, Marty Taggart has been devoted to helping his students grow and succeed. He has emphasized discipline and hard work as a way for every person to achieve at the height of their ability. In doing so, he has made a profound impact on his students, his colleagues and the community as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Marty Taggart. The commitment he has shown to both the academic and athletic programs at Moapa Valley High School has truly enriched countless lives. I applaud Marty's years of service to the school and surrounding community and I wish him the very best for an enjoyable retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend Bob Fisher, who will begin his 13th year as President and CEO of the Nevada Broadcasters Association in August of this year.

Bob has been the driving force behind recording oral history video interviews with Nevada's pioneer radio and television broadcasters to be preserved for future generations. For the past 12 years, Bob has hosted a weekly public affairs radio program called ``Observations'' that airs on 17 stations. In addition, he has hosted a weekly public affairs television program, also named ``Observations'', that airs on four Northern Nevada stations. ``Observations'' is Nevada's most listened-to public affairs radio program.

Over the course of his long and distinguished career as a broadcaster, Bob has earned a number of accolades. He has earned three American Advertising Federation ADDY Awards for his broadcasting work, as well as Electronic Media Awards in 2000, 2001, and 2002.

Bob's service to the community extends beyond radio and television broadcasts. Currently, Bob serves as the State Coordinator and Chairman of the Nevada AMBER Alert Review Committee. He is a member of the Nevada Homeland Security Commission and serves as Rural Taskforce Chairman. He is also a member of the Nevada BRAC Commission, and a former President of the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations (NASBA). Furthermore, Bob is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor my friend Bob Fisher. Bob has been a tireless advocate for the broadcasters in the State of Nevada and has built a very respectable relationship between the broadcasters and our State and Federal Governments. I wish him the best as he continues his leadership of the Nevada Broadcasters Association.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Walter Lloyd Bell, one of the founding fathers of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Known to his family and friends as Lloyd, he passed away on Saturday, July 15, 2006, at the age of 80.

After serving his country in the Navy during World War II, Lloyd returned to Las Vegas and began his career in law enforcement at the Clark County Sheriff's Office. In 1955, at the age of 29, Lloyd became the youngest person to become County Undersheriff. Three years later, he graduated from the FBI Academy, the first member of the department to do so.

Lloyd served on the Nevada Gaming Control Board from 1961 until 1963, when he rejoined the law enforcement community. In 1968, he served on the committee that created the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department by uniting the Las Vegas Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff's Office.

Lloyd retired from the Sheriff's Office in 1973 and moved on to the private sector, owning 13 shoe stores and a beauty salon. The ambition and dedication that allowed Lloyd to make such a positive impact on the law enforcement community in Las Vegas made him a successful business owner, as well.

Lloyd was a devoted husband and a proud father who enjoyed spending time with his family. He and his wife Patricia raised two daughters, Ashley Bell and Courtney Bell Vincent.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Lloyd Bell for his accomplishments and his law enforcement service. I thank him for his participation in the ambitious task of creating the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and I applaud his long record of distinguished service. He has truly had a great impact on the safety and well-being of the Las Vegas community, and he will be greatly missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dale Antonich, who is retiring after 33 years of service with the National Park Service.

Dale began his career with the National Park Service as a seasonal park ranger at the Grand Canyon in 1972. For the next four years, Dale held a variety of seasonal laborer, park technician and ranger jobs. His seasonal employment included assignments in the Grand Canyon, Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA) and Death Valley National Park. In 1977, he accepted a full-time career position as a park technician at Golden Gate National Park. Dale accepted a promotion in 1981 as a park ranger in the Santa Monica Mountains NRA. In 1984, Dale moved from the Santa Monica Mountains NRA to the Grand Teton National Park, accepting a promotion to law enforcement specialist park ranger. In 1986, Dale was selected for the Chief Ranger position at Death Valley National Park. He became the Chief Ranger at Lake Mead NRA in 1991, a position he held for the remainder of his career.

Over the course of his 33 year career, Dale has received a number of awards: the Commendation for a Rescue at Grand Canyon, and the Member of Unit Citation for Rescue at Lake Mead in 1974; he received the Commendation for Rescue performed at Golden Gate National Park in 1978; the Sustained Superior Performance Award in 1984; and the U.S. Department of the Interior Award for Rescue in 1991. Dale also received the highest award that can be bestowed upon a ranger by his peers, the Henry Yount Award. He received this award in 1999 from then-Vice President Al Gore.

Dale has dedicated his professional career to the mission of the National Parks Service. He has committed his life to the resources, park visitors, park staff and our partners. He has provided leadership in the development and management of emerging operations, and the professionalization of ranger positions within the National Park System.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Dale Antonich for his years spent the National Park Service. Dale's experience, commitment, contributions and dedication to his job will be surely missed. I wish him the best with his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Colonel John F. Groom, who passed away on Tuesday, July 11, 2006. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on August 8, 2006.

John was originally from Rochester, NY where he attended Brockport State University earning a bachelor's degree. He later attended Syracuse Law School but received his law degree from Western Law School in San Diego after he retired from the military.

Col. Groom had a long and distinguished career with the United States Air Force, highlighted by his command of the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team at Nellis Air Force Base in 1962 and service as an airstrike adviser to Army General William Westmoreland in Vietnam. Col. Groom was in training during World War II, and flew B-29s during the Korean War. In 1965, Col. Groom served as director of inland airstrikes under an effort code-named Tiger Hound. Later, he attended the National War College at Fort McNair in Washington, DC. He went on to become the last commander of Wheelus Air Base in Tripoli, Libya, before it closed in 1970. Col. Groom was a key player in the evacuation of Tripoli and was responsible for getting American citizens out of the city following the coup d'Etat led by Moammar Kadafi in 1970.

John spent the last fifteen years of his life living in Las Vegas. John leaves behind his wife Barbara, sons John Jr. and Tom, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker I am proud to honor the life of Col. John F. Groom. His service to this country is admirable and shows that he was truly a patriot. He will surely be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend, Michael Murphy, for his service as Clark County Coroner and recognition as the 2006 Clark County Director of the Year.

Before embarking on a law enforcement career, Michael earned a doctorate in Business Administration from California Pacific University. He began his service career in Kansas City, Kansas as a police officer, and after moving to Nevada, Michael became a captain with the Boulder City Police Department. He later served as the Chief of Police for nine years with the City of Mesquite Police Department. He then moved on to the position of Commander at the City of Las Vegas Department of Detention and Enforcement, and was quickly promoted to Deputy Chief.

In addition to his law enforcement service, Michael takes the time to share his expertise with others as a guest lecturer and instructor, including speaking to law enforcement agencies in Russia, China, and Azerbaijan.

Currently, as Clark County Coroner, Michael uses his thirty years of experience to manage programs, staff, and policy objectives, among other things. Michael is intrigued by the science of his office, despite his lack of scientific training. Since his appointment as Coroner in May of 2003, he has led the coroner's office in establishing a Cold Case Unit, which has since closed an amazing 29 cases. He also served for six months as acting Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice Services until a new director was found. Despite the long and taxing hours required by his position, he finds his work as Coroner to be one of the most fulfilling jobs he's had.

In June of 2006, during the Clark County Employee Service Awards, where the unwavering efforts of those who serve the public and efficiently spend taxpayer dollars are recognized, Michael's innovation and hard work earned him the title of ``Director of the Year.''

Of all that Michael has to be proud of, his family tops the list. His 26-year-old son, Brandon, and his daughter-in-law, Megan, are expecting their first daughter, to be named Caitlin, in August.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Michael Murphy for his outstanding service as Clark County Coroner. I congratulate him on being named Clark County Director of the Year, and commend his dedication to law enforcement in Nevada. Michael is a very good friend and serves as a role model for us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Walter Cuchine for earning the Distinguished Nevadan Award, the most prestigious award given by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents. The award recognizes the achievements of those who have contributed to the cultural, scientific, or social advancement of Nevada.

Walter has helped to preserve the history of Nevada, especially Hawthorne, Lovelock, Ely, Fallon, and Lincoln County, as a Humanist-in- Residence, sponsored by the Nevada Humanities Committee. His experience studying Nevada's environment and history helped him to become the Director of the Bristlecone Convention Center in Ely, and since 1993 he has served as the Eureka County Facilities Director, where he is responsible for programming at the Eureka Opera House and the Eureka Sentinel Museum. Through his position with Eureka County and as Humanist-in-Residence, Walter works with the Rural Presenters Network, the Nevada Commission on Tourism, and other organizations to encourage numerous groups to visit Eureka and enjoy its history and cultural sites.

Walter's passion for Nevada's history has also led him to become one of the foremost collectors of contemporary Nevada art and the owner of a book collection featuring Nevada-related works. Last summer, the Nevada Historical Society presented an exhibit featuring his art collection, which broke all of the society's previous attendance records.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate Walter Cuchine, winner of the Distinguished Nevadan Award and supporter of Nevada's historic and cultural needs. His fundraising efforts and foundation of the Emerald Society have made a tremendous impact on the Las Vegas community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Leonard Goodall for earning the Distinguished Nevadan Award, the most prestigious award given by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents. The award recognizes the achievements of those who have contributed to the cultural, scientific, or social advancement of Nevada.

Leonard has a long history of service in education. He began his career as a professor at Arizona State University in 1962. He moved on to become Vice Chancellor of the University of Illinois-Chicago and then Chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Leonard moved to Las Vegas in 1979, where he served as University of Nevada, Las Vegas President and as a professor of Public Administration. Since his retirement, Leonard has served on the Nevada System of Higher Education's Retirement Plan Alternatives Committee.

Leonard has also had an impressive career as a writer, authoring or co-authoring eight books and countless articles on economics, government, and public administration. After his experiences living and working in Las Vegas, he co-authored ``Nevada Government and Politics: Conservatism in an Open Society'' and ``Reinventing the System: Higher Education in Nevada.''

Leonard has also been active in the community. He has served on the board of local chapters of numerous organizations, including the American Red Cross, the American Society for Public Administration, the Nevada Development Authority, and the Boulder Dam Council of Boy Scouts. He aided in the foundation of the Commercial Bank of Nevada, currently serving as its chairman of the board of directors, and he was appointed by the Clark County Commission to serve as the chairman of the Community Growth Task Force, a position he currently holds.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Leonard Goodall, a role model to the community and accurately named Distinguished Nevadan. His dedication to educating our future leaders and his passion for community service are truly admirable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Kevin Page for earning the Distinguished Nevadan Award, the most prestigious award given by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents. The award recognizes the achievements of those who have contributed to the cultural, scientific, or social advancement of Nevada.

Kevin has had an impressive academic career, graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a bachelor's degree in finance in 1986 and an MBA one year later. He continued his involvement with UNLV through 2005 as a member of the Alumni Board, and served as board president for three of those years.

As a founding member of the Police and Fire Emerald Society of Nevada, he has been committed to helping children and youth succeed, caring for families in need, and honoring fallen heroes. From 2001 to 2004, he led Run for Heroes in raising scholarship money for the families of fallen law enforcement members and fire fighters, and helped shift some of that fundraising to the Golf for Heroes program in 2004.

Kevin's interest in helping students goes beyond the families of law enforcement and fire officials. Through his Kiwanis Club membership, he has raised more scholarship money for high school Key Clubs and to support Clark County School District Varsity Quiz programs.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate Kevin Page, winner of the Distinguished Nevadan Award and dedicated volunteer. His fundraising efforts and foundation of the Emerald Society have made a tremendous impact on the Las Vegas community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Marie Stever Daly McMillan for earning the Distinguished Nevadan Award, the most prestigious award given by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents. The award recognizes achievements of those who have contributed to the cultural, scientific, or social advancement of Nevada.

In 1957, Marie and her husband, Duke Daly, moved to Nevada to work at the Nevada Test Site during the pioneering nuclear testing era, and developed and implemented protocols for the management of classified documents. Her work in this capacity was vital, as the nuclear information had to be kept secret, but still available to the scientists working on the projects.

Although her work to preserve the confidentiality of nuclear secrets was important, her aviation career is what she is best known for. In 1978, Marie learned that the U.S. Aeronautic Association was looking for pilots to break records in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Wright brothers' flight. She decided not to break a record, but to set a new one. On December 16, 1978, she set her first record for speed between two cities. Over the next 10 years, Marie set hundreds more, and she currently holds 656 aviation records.

In addition to setting records, Marie has served as the U.S. Delegate to numerous Federation Aeronautique International Conferences, and she has won many awards and honors. She served as a flight instructor for over 25 years, where she taught people, from teenagers and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officers, how to fly. She also served for 10 years as Clark County Department of Aviation public information representative to McCarran Airport, where she had the opportunity to teach schoolchildren about aviation careers.

Dedicated to encouraging young women to pursue careers in aviation and technical fields, Marie has developed a local ``Wings'' program as a part of the Girl Scouts. She also has devoted countless hours and her plane to carry medical personnel and supplies to Mexico and, through Wings for Direct Relief, transported supplies to California so they could be shipped to South America.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate Marie McMillan, winner of the Distinguished Nevadan Award and aviation pioneer. I commend her dedication to the community, which exemplifies her strong character, innovation, leadership, and service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend Alison Kasner for her dedication to education and for her outstanding service to southern Nevada.

Alison has served as the principal of Helen J. Stewart School for the past 5 years and is retiring this summer from a distinguished career with the Clark County School District. She began teaching school in southern Nevada at the age of 20. During her career, Alison served the school district in a variety of capacities. She has taught elementary through high school age students and also served as a transitional counselor before becoming principal at Helen J. Stewart School

Although Alison Kasner has devoted a great deal of her life to education, what is perhaps most impressive about her is her dedication to special needs students. Helen J. Stewart School is a very special school within the Clark County School District that serves the educational needs of students between the ages of 6 and 22 who have significant mental and developmental challenges. The school's mission is to provide an education specifically tailored to the needs of its students so that all students have the opportunity to reach optimum development and become as self-sufficient as possible.

Alison first became acquainted with Stewart School and its mission after visiting the campus on a field trip her freshman year of high school. As a result of that experience, Alison volunteered at Helen J. Stewart throughout high school and remained involved with the school throughout her career. Since becoming principal of the school, Alison has served her students and her colleagues with vision, determination and a commitment to achieving excellence. Her compassion for others, her desire to serve and her enthusiasm for special education has made an indelible impact on our community.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Alison Kasner for her service as an educator and for her dedication to special needs students. Although she will certainly be missed at Helen J. Stewart School, I know that she will continue to contribute her time, talent, and perspective in ways that will benefit and enrich the world around her. I wish Alison the very best in her retirement and in all her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend for more than 20 years, Charles ``Charlie'' Leavitt. Charlie will be retiring from a career in general engineering contracting on August 15, 2006.

Charlie was born on ``the old Stewart Ranch'' in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 24, 1942. His class of 1960 was Rancho High School's first graduating class. After graduation, he worked as a parking attendant for many of the hotel and casinos up and down the Las Vegas Strip, including the Stardust Hotel and the Dunes Hotel and Casino, which is now the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. He then went to work on the Virgin River Gorge Project as an engineer. This project provides a transportation route from Las Vegas, through Arizona, and into Utah.

In 1974, Charlie joined the Warrants Division of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and served until 1979. He then went to the Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino as a doorman and parking attendant. After running the front of that hotel for many years, he, along with his brother and nephews, moved to the Tropicana Hotel to help with their failing parking situation.

After marrying the love of his life Margaret ``Peggy'' on March 16, 1984, he started his own excavation company called Charles K. Leavitt Excavation in 1987, now known as CLK Incorporated. CKL Inc. serves the Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City areas.

Charlie is very active in the community, serving in the Sunrise Rotary, and has served in many leadership positions in the Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is an avid and accomplished golfer, and has won the Boulder City Men's Club Tournament.

His greatest accomplishment is being the proud father of his four sons Michael Glen, Christopher Keoni, Glen Kaimi, and Charles Kelley. He also loves his daughters-in-law, Leanna and Rebecca. However, his greatest joy comes from spending time with his six grand-children Tommy (19), Connor (8), Garret (6), Olivia (4), Rory (3), Wyatt (2), and one on the way Delaney, who will be born in August.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Charles Leavitt on the floor of the House. I commend him for his contributions to southern Nevada and congratulate him on his retirement.