Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Gosnold on Cape Cod as the facility celebrates its fortieth year of service to southeastern Massachusetts.

Gosnold on Cape Cod is the largest provider of addiction and mental health services on the Cape and has been helping individuals on the road to recovery since 1972. It has grown since its founding, when it was originally known as the Pocasset Detox Center, and has continuously expanded throughout the years in order to better serve its patients. Two years after it first opened its doors, Gosnold incorporated one of the first residential treatment programs in the country designed exclusively for women, and expanded again in 1996 to treat individuals with mental and emotional disorders in addition to individuals suffering from addiction.

Gosnold has been recognized nationally for its excellence as it has grown. In 1987, Forbes Magazine recognized Gosnold as one of the twelve leading substance abuse treatment programs in the country, and in 1995, the Emerson House Pregnancy Program, Gosnold's residential treatment center for pregnant women and women with children, was selected to be featured on ABC's Nightline. Recently, the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association named Gosnold as the 2010-2011 Mental Health Agency of the Year. These are all such fitting accolades for a center whose employees have worked tirelessly to ensure that patients receive the treatment they need, along with the compassion they deserve.

Focusing on individualized treatment as well as group therapy, twelve-step principles, family involvement, and continuing care, the specialists at the Gosnold center understand that addiction is a chronic disease requiring lifelong management. Gosnold's mission--to excel in addiction and mental health treatment, to serve men, women, and families affected by these illnesses, and to promote lasting recovery--has guided the center since its inception. Surrounded by the restorative and calming qualities of the Cape Cod shoreline, Gosnold has allowed those affected by addiction and mental illness to find peace and stability after turmoil.

Mr. Speaker, it brings me great pride to honor Gosnold on Cape Cod as it celebrates its fortieth year of service to its patients and to Massachusetts. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating the center for its steadfast leadership in the treatment of addiction, and for its dedication to the patients it serves.

Mr. Speaker, I along with my colleague, Mr. Neal, rise today to recognize Mrs. Helen Fressola on her ninetieth birthday.

Born Helen Haluszka on September 14, 1922, Helen has experienced much throughout her ninety years. Raised in Chicopee as one of three siblings, Helen grew up in Western Massachusetts and also often spent time in Cape Cod, which she considered her second home. Helen began work as a branch manager for Springfield Institution Savings Bank as a young woman, and remained there until her retirement. She also worked as a real estate agent for many years, helping families throughout Massachusetts to find the right home. In her spare time, Helen enjoyed ``flipping'' houses--the act of purchasing, remodeling, and then selling old homes--and eventually, she expanded this hobby to include restaurants as well. The many homes and restaurants that she renovated remain scattered throughout western Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Today, Helen's life is dominated by her love of the ocean, and she is an active member of the Hyannis Yacht Club. She has been interested in politics for decades, and recalls attending events on the Cape that were hosted by members of the Kennedy family. She attributes her longevity to staying young at heart, a way of life that Helen has personified. Even at ninety, she enjoys going out to dinner with her friends and visiting her favorite casino, and she still insists on driving herself to every social occasion that she attends. Helen spends much of her time with her ever-expanding family in Massachusetts. She is the proud mother of son Alfred and daughter Carol, grandmother of Joan, and great-grandmother of Shyloe.

Mr. Speaker, we are proud to honor Helen Fressola as she celebrates the joyous occasion of her ninetieth birthday. She is an extraordinary member of our community and her positive spirit is an inspiration to us all. We ask that our colleagues join us in wishing her many more years of health and happiness.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a dedicated public servant from Nantucket, Massachusetts. This year, John Buckey was honored as the Massachusetts High School Principal of the Year.

A lifelong learner himself, John received his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Asbury College and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Education Leadership at Northeastern University. Sixteen years ago, John began his career in education as a Spanish teacher and Chair of the World Language Department at the Lexington School in Lexington, Kentucky. From there, he pursued a Master of Education from Harvard University and began his first--of many--administrative assignments serving as Assistant Principal and then Principal of Littleton High School in Littleton, Massachusetts. Four years ago, he took over as Principal of Nantucket High School during one of the most difficult periods in the high school's history. It was his leadership, along with the help of the school and greater community that Nantucket High School has achieved tremendous growth over this period.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Principal John Buckey on this joyous occasion. He is an extraordinary member of our community and I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating him for this prestigious award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the opening of the new Veterans Outreach Clinic in Plymouth.

Our veterans in the South Shore of Massachusetts have long been calling for a local veterans' medical center of their own. After many years of working toward achieving this goal, the Department of Veterans Affairs' regional office in Boston was proud to announce that they would be opening a new Veterans Outreach Clinic in the Town of Plymouth. For the first time, veterans in the Plymouth area will no longer need to travel to Cape Cod, Brockton, or Boston in order to receive care. In particular, this new addition to the VA Boston Healthcare system will make a tremendous difference to those unable to seek medical care due to limited mobility or transportation resources. As approximately 40,000 veterans live in Plymouth County alone, the new Veterans Outreach Clinic will go a long way towards providing the quality care that our veterans deserve without overburdening them with long travel.

When the Veterans Outreach Clinic opens next spring, it will already have the capacity to care for up to six hundred patients. A doctor, a nurse, an LPN, and a medical assistant will be on hand five days a week to treat veterans and to assist them with the various challenges that they may face. It is essential that we do not forget the sacrifices that our veteran population has made for our country. We must continue to care for these men and women once they return home, and ensuring access to medical services is a necessary facet of the long-term care that our veterans deserve.

Mr. Speaker, it brings me great pride to recognize the opening of the new Veterans Outreach Clinic in Plymouth. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the importance of this new facility, and of the valuable role that it will play in the lives of many local veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the rededication of American Legion Post 40 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, honoring PFC Edward Ribiero.

In the spring of 2010, heavy rains caused Little West Pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts to overflow, flooding American Legion Post 40. The flooding occurred not long after renovations had been completed on the Post and caused damage. The damage was so extensive that the entire building needed to be demolished. The Post's members began construction on a new, larger building in the hope of funding some construction costs by renting out their function room and gaining new members.

Even when faced with such adversity and loss, the members of American Legion Post 40 persevered. They remained committed to pushing forward the reconstruction of a new building, and did not falter. Such determination is a testament to the character and integrity of the men and women who have defended our nation both past and present, and to Post members who undertook this project.

The role of American Legion Posts cannot be understated. They remain sacred places for our veterans, playing a vital role in helping reintegrate our servicemen and women into society, especially those recently returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. That is why the rebuilding of American Legion Post 40 is such a great accomplishment. The members of the Post realized the important need for veterans to have a support community and they remained committed to ensuring that Plymouth had that in the new Post.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the members of American Legion Post 40 for their hard work and determination. I am certain Post 40 will serve the community for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the first annual Stand Down event at Cape Cod Academy.

On August 11, 2012, at its Stand Down event, Cape Cod Academy in Osterville will open its doors to local veterans and will provide these men and women with a variety of services and support. The term ``stand down'' originated as a military term, designating that a combat unit was temporarily moved away from the front lines for rest and rehabilitation. The tradition of hosting service-oriented events for veterans, and giving them the ``Stand Down'' name, originated in the United States after the Civil War, when returning soldiers were offered food and medical treatment in the towns they passed on their long journeys home. Modern Stand Down events have evolved as an opportunity to provide needed services to local veterans.

The Stand Down event at Cape Cod Academy will provide services--such as general health screenings and dental care, benefits assistance, registry of motor vehicles services, the availability of clergy, and free clothing and hygiene items--in a safe and welcoming environment. Most of the volunteers at this event will be Cape Cod Academy students. It is truly admirable that these young people are ready and willing to give their time on a Saturday afternoon to honor our local veterans.

As more than thirty thousand veterans call Cape Cod home, it is crucial that we offer assistance to the men and women who have served our nation. Cape Cod Academy, its students, and its faculty have truly done the community a great service by planning and hosting this event. I look forward to seeing the Academy's success as it continues this newly-annual tradition in the future.

Mr. Speaker, it brings me great pride to recognize the first annual Stand Down event at Cape Cod Academy. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the students and faculty who have worked to bring this event to life, and the importance that this event will have to the Cape Cod community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jim Pinkham and Mark Flaherty, the two honorees at this year's ``Thanks Labor'' Day Cookout in Lakeville, Massachusetts.

Mr. Pinkham and Mr. Flaherty are the President and Secretary/ Treasurer, respectively, of the Plymouth-Bristol Central Labor Council, which represents union members living and working in Plymouth and Bristol County in Massachusetts. It is not an overstatement to say that they have dedicated their lives to protecting the rights of workers and ensuring that the hardworking people of Plymouth and Bristol County are adequately represented in their unions.

Mr. Pinkham is a lifelong member of the Utility Workers Union of America Local 369 and a former Boston Edison employee. Mr. Flaherty is a member of the Boston and Carmen's Union and has been involved with union activities throughout his tenure as an MBTA employee. As leaders of the Plymouth-Bristol Central Labor Council, Mr. Pinkham and Mr. Flaherty represent nurses, teachers, electrical utility workers, law enforcement and public safety personnel, construction workers, public sector employees, and other working men and women of Massachusetts. Throughout their careers as union representatives, they have worked with companies to bring more jobs to the state, ensuring that the jobs brought are ones that come with fair wages and working conditions. They have also walked picket lines, worked voter registration tables, and organized educational campaigns, all civic activities with great importance for our communities. Their efforts strengthen Massachusetts' economy and workforce, and they are an essential part of the Commonwealth's effort to make the state a better place to live and work.

Labor union representatives play a critical role in Massachusetts, ensuring that wages and benefits are fair and that working conditions are safe for the hardworking individuals who drive our economy. Our sincere recognition is due to the men and women who ensure that these unions run smoothly and successfully, as they often remain unsung heroes in our society. As longtime advocates of the workers of southeastern Massachusetts, Mr. Pinkham and Mr. Flaherty are highly deserving of the honor that is being bestowed upon them.

Mr. Speaker, it brings me great pride to recognize Jim Pinkham and Mark Flaherty, this year's honorees at the ``Thanks Labor'' Day Cookout. I am proud to call them friends and I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing these two individuals who have worked so hard to represent the workers of southeastern Massachusetts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 125th annual meeting of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, a professional organization representing over 330 cranberry growers throughout Massachusetts.

Established in 1888 to standardize the 100 pound barrel, the measure with which cranberries are sold, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, CCCGA, is one of the oldest farmer organizations in the country. Since its creation, the CCCGA has stayed true to its original goal--to support and promote the interests of Massachusetts cranberry growers.

To execute its mission, the CCCGA's professional staff continuously sponsors professional development seminars for growers, assists growers in regulatory compliance, provides resources for environmental sustainability, and supports community and professional outreach activities. Through investments of over $500,000 dollars in studies and research efforts to improve the efficiency of cranberry farmers as well as to promote environmentally compatible farming techniques, the CCCGA promotes the sustainable success of the Massachusetts cranberry grower.

Cranberries are synonymous with Massachusetts and the significance of the Commonwealth's cranberry industry is illustrated by the revenues generated in 2012, which exceeded $120 million and the roughly 5,000 workers employed in the industry. In addition to supporting large, commercial enterprises, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association provides assistance to small, family owned and operated businesses. Approximately seventy percent of CCCGA businesses are family owned and operated, and some have been continuously run by the same family for as many as five generations.

The importance of the resources provided to sustain the success of such hard-working growers cannot be overstated. Through its continued support, the CCCGA is working to ensure that Massachusetts cranberry farmers can adapt to environmental changes, that they survive urbanization, and that they continue to experience success and growth into the future.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating the 125th annual meeting of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association. May the CCCGA continue to fulfill its mission and be a strong, viable supporter of Massachusetts cranberry growers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the arrival of a delegation from Shichigahama, Japan, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

This August, the Town of Plymouth will be welcoming individuals from its sister city, the Town of Shichigahama in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, for a week-long stay. This visit is particularly special to the people of the two towns, as it is the first opportunity that they have had to reconnect since the devastating earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Shichigahama's community and surrounding region in 2011. For nearly twenty-two years, Plymouth and Shichigahama have shared this unique status as sister cities, an appropriate relationship as the two cities have many commonalities. They both are coastal towns that are surrounded by beautiful scenery with similar industries and population statistics. The people of Plymouth and Shichigahama have long taken in each others' high school students on exchange trips, and they have supported each other during times of tragedy. In particular, the Town of Plymouth organized a number of fundraising events in order to aid Shichigahama following the 2011 tsunami. The deep bond that these two towns share is a prime example of how distance, variance in language, and cultural differences can all be overcome in the interest of shared human experience and unity.

Mr. Speaker, it brings me great joy to recognize the arrival of a delegation from Shichigahama, Japan, to its sister city of Plymouth. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the significance of this visit, in welcoming our friends from Plymouth's sister city to the United States, and in wishing the delegation a pleasant stay.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Against the Tide, a competitive race benefitting the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, MBCC, an organization dedicated to ending breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and second leading cause of death for women. Studies estimate that in 2012, breast cancer will claim the lives of over 39,000 women in the United States. Statistics also show that approximately 1 in 8 women born today will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.

The citizens of my home state of Massachusetts have been severely impacted by breast cancer. Our state has the highest incident rate of breast cancer in the United States, affecting 139.5 per 100,000 women in Massachusetts, as compared to a national average of 121.9 per 100,000 women. Additionally, the highest incident rates of breast cancer are within the counties of Dukes, Nantucket and Barnstable, which are all located in my district.

The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, the MBCC, was founded in 1991 to combat breast cancer. The organization challenges the commercialization and exploitation of breast cancer by corporations which stand to profit from the disease and those companies whose products contain carcinogens linked to breast cancer. Its mission to combat cancer through prevention has led the MBCC to advocate the investigation of environmental links to breast cancer, to dispel misconceptions about the realities of breast cancer, and to reject the concept of breast cancer as a chronic disease.

Through the funds raised by the Against the Tide race, the MBCC has been able to continue its cause to combat breast cancer. 2012 is the twentieth consecutive year the MBCC will hold this popular race, which unites people of all ages and backgrounds in a common fight against breast cancer.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in applauding the efforts of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition to fight this devastating epidemic and wish them the best of luck for a successful race.

I would like to thank Congressman Rahall for organizing this morning-hour on prescription drug abuse. I would also like to thank Chairman Rogers for his work as well as Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, Congressman Steve Lynch, and all Members with the Prescription Drug Abuse Caucus.

Prescription drug abuse is defined now as an epidemic in this country, and the cost of this epidemic is more than $70 billion a year. This is by no means just a criminal issue, and that's where the stigma sometimes makes this issue more difficult. It is, indeed, a public health issue, and for this reason Congress needs to step in.

Painkillers account for the country's fastest growing area of drug abuse, which is ahead of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Throughout my 12-year career as a Norfolk County district attorney in Massachusetts, the susceptibility of new users, particularly of teenagers, to these drugs has been a recurring theme. As district attorney, I have seen in concrete terms that this scourge goes across every social and economic boundary that exists.

I have seen law enforcement officials, while on duty and who were involved in automobile accidents, take these painkillers, become addicted and actually go out with their guns and rob--armed robbery-- banks and other institutions in order to just try and feed their habits. I've seen real estate professionals get involved and go to open houses just to search medicine cabinets in order to fulfill their habits. I have also seen young people begin addictions and abuses of prescription drugs from their families' medicine cabinets, finding that later on they cannot afford their habits, and move to a cheaper, purer form of heroin.

I've seen the public health effects of this as well. I've seen the HIV disease spread to people. I've seen 14-year-old girls with hepatitis C as a result of trying to deal with this scourge that is an epidemic around our country.

In Massachusetts alone, 1.7 people every day die of an opiate- derivative overdose. In 2010, the National Institute of Drug Abuse showed that 2.7 percent of eighth-graders, 7.7 percent of 10th-graders, and 8 percent of 12th-graders abused Vicodin. Over 2 percent of eighth- graders, almost 5 percent of 10th-graders, and over 5 percent of 12th- graders abused OxyContin for nonmedical purposes at least once in the year prior to that survey. This is why I've introduced the Stop Tampering of Prescription Pills Act, the STOPP Act of 2012, with Chairman Rogers, Congresswoman Bono Mack, and my other colleagues.

Currently, tamper-resistant mechanisms are in use for some drugs, but this bill is the first of its kind Federal legislation to put a clear pathway for others to come to market. The process outlined in the bill applies both to brand name and generic drugs, both to time-release and to immediate-release pills. Initially, we will incentivize the use of these tamper-resistant processes. Then, in time, they'll be required. This bill is not a silver bullet by any stretch of the imagination, but

it is a very important piece in preventing new users from abusing painkillers and safeguarding against overdose. Just as seatbelts and airbags in cars cannot prevent all car accidents, tamper-resistant formulations will not prevent all instances of drug abuse, but it is a necessary tool in protecting vulnerable populations like the adolescents I have spoken about.

With this bill, we're also preparing for the potential onslaught of pure hydrocodone pills. These are currently being developed, and without proper physical and pharmaceutical barriers in place to prevent the tampering of these painkillers, this potential advent of pure hydrocodone will dramatically increase the already alarming rates of abuse and addiction. The bill would mandate the tamper resistance of these pills, as well as many others.

These pills provide great relief for many Americans in terms of extreme pain, but we must do something about another type of pain, a terminal pain, a pain that family members and loved ones feel when they have lost someone to the disease that results in this type of addiction.

I encourage all my colleagues in the House to cosponsor H.R. 6160, and further encourage the development of these tamper-resistant mechanisms. It's not a silver bullet, but it's an important first step.

I thank the gentleman for yielding the time.

I don't have a lot of time to watch television these days. But I think most of us have seen on television a commercial comes up time and time again. It's a commercial with beautiful coastal scenes in it, telling people, Come to Louisiana, Come to Mississippi, Come to Florida, Come to the coast. And I looked at that. And I said, That's great marketing. At the end of the commercial, I was surprised to see it was sponsored by BP. Now why was that sponsored by BP? It was sponsored by BP because of Deepwater Horizon and the damage that that did.

And this bill is just another attempt at giving Big Oil a handout, putting oil companies and their profits above both the American taxpayers and American treasures.

Now my district includes the south shore of Massachusetts, the Cape, the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket and the south coast. We're a maritime community, one that respects the ocean and one that has prospered from its resources.

This bill would threaten our shores, our marine life, and the industries that rely upon them by opening up the waters of the east coast from Maine to South Carolina for quote-unquote ``required oil and gases.''

Now I ask my colleagues, is this necessary? Why put hundreds of miles of ocean waters and the livelihoods of our fishing and tourism industries at risk when our Nation's oil imports are already down to their lowest level in nearly two decades, and production is up?

Now in the spirit of compromise, I would like to offer a suggestion that will help the oil companies increase their profits. And that would be this: Let's defeat this bill, and the oil companies won't have to spend all that money paying for TV commercials to lure people to areas that are our Nation's treasures because they've been damaged.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum on its twentieth anniversary.

For the past two decades, the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum has been providing Cape Cod residents and visitors with a glimpse into the life that President Kennedy and his family led on the Cape. Founded in 1992 by the Hyannis Chamber of Commerce, the Museum has since served as a favorite Main Street destination in the town, showcasing rare photographs and family artifacts that reflect the laid-back summer vacations enjoyed by the Kennedys on the beaches of Hyannis. Guests of the museum are greeted with a bronze statue of the President just outside the main entrance, pensively walking along a sandy beach, which calls to mind the President once saying that ``the Cape is the one place I can think and be alone.'' Once inside, the main gallery houses photos from family albums and clips from home movies. These images, of the Kennedys relaxing on the beach and enjoying time with their friends, could come from the album of any American family. Even though the Kennedys' other home was the White House at the time that many of these pictures were taken, the Kennedy Hyannis Museum's display accurately portrays the truly down-to-earth family that the Kennedys were.

The Museum is also famous in the Hyannis area for hosting many special exhibits and lecture series. The now-sold-out series, Mrs. Kennedy and Me, opened this past June, and details what it was like to be a secret service agent during the Kennedy presidency. Jackie Kennedy--Life on Cape Cod is another special exhibit that the Museum launched this summer, achieving great critical success. As the Museum showcases such an important aspect of our local and national history, it continues to thrive, and it remains a celebrated destination in downtown Hyannis.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum on its twentieth anniversary. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Museum for its many years of success, and in applauding it for preserving this important era of Cape Cod's history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Captain Daniel Burbank of Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, on his successful completion of Expedition 29/30 to the International Space Station (ISS).

Captain Burbank has a long and distinguished career in service to our nation. He received his commission from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1985 and served with the Coast Guard until 1996, when he was recognized for his elite abilities and selected by NASA for its space program. Following several years of training, he flew on a twelve-day mission on the Space Shuttle Atlantis in September 2000, during which he and his fellow astronauts successfully prepared the ISS for the arrival of its first permanent crew. Captain Burbank again flew to the International Space Station on Atlantis in September of 2006, this time assisting in the installment of new solar arrays to provide the ISS with one quarter of the station's electrical power, and performing unprecedented robotics activity using the Shuttle and ISS robotic arms. His third and most recent venture to the International Space Station launched on November 13, 2011. After 165 days in space, of which 163 days were spent in research, Captain Burbank safely and successfully returned home this past May.

As a result of his outstanding service, Captain Burbank has been the recipient of several awards and special honors. In particular, he has received a NASA Exceptional Service Medal, two NASA Space Flight Medals, two Defense Superior Service medals, and two Coast Guard Commendation Medals. He was also awarded the Orville Wright Achievement Award by the Order of Daedalians as the top naval flight training graduate during the period of January 1 to June 30, 1988, as well as that year's Texas Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Achievement Award as the top Coast Guard Graduate on flight training. Such a long list of awards and accolades certainly are indicative of the level of service that Captain Burbank has given to our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Captain Daniel Burbank on the completion of Expedition 29/30 to the International Space Station, as well as for his long and outstanding career of service. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating him on his successful flight, in applauding his noteworthy career, and in welcoming him home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gertrude Knowlton of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, who celebrated her 100th birthday this year.

Gertrude was born on January 13, 1912. The youngest of four children, she grew up in the greater Boston area. She lived and raised her family there, eventually relocating to Southborough. In 1990, she moved to Martha's Vineyard with her daughter and has lived on the island ever since. There, Gertrude enjoys displaying her watercolor paintings in local fairs, as well as reading new bestsellers as soon as they arrive in the local library. Even as a centenarian, she has maintained a very active and busy life on the Vineyard.

Born just months before the Titanic sank and Fenway Park opened, Gertrude's story is truly a living history of major American events. She has lived through two world wars, Prohibition and the Depression, the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement. She recalls seeing five- cent silent movies and attending big-band concerts led by Guy Lombardo and Rudy Valee. She remembers being voted ``best dancer'' in high school and of dressing in the flapper style of the 1920s as a teenager. During World War II, she worked at a drugstore lunch counter in Milford. Gertrude grew up in a time before automobiles or airplanes were commonplace and before most people had landlines or radios in their homes, but lived to see a man walk on the moon and the establishment of instant worldwide connectivity through the Internet.

Gertrude raised six children--five of her own as well as a teenage girl who she took in--and has seen her family grow by four generations. She has three surviving children, thirteen grandchildren, twenty-eight great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. Gertrude believes that the secret to living to the age of 100 is always to have a good attitude toward life, and I couldn't agree more.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Gertrude Knowlton as she celebrates this joyous occasion. She is an extraordinary member of our

community and I ask that my colleagues join me in wishing her many more years of health and happiness.