Dennis Kucinich

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Saint Angela Merici School, a recipient of a Federal Blue Ribbon Award. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a program designed to highlight schools which have proven records of academic excellence. These schools have demonstrated a dedication to their student bodies which prepare their students for higher education and life beyond the classroom. Such institutions serve as examples to be emulated in schools across the nation. The Saint Angela Merici School is one of 305 schools in the nation to be awarded the title of a Blue Ribbon school. The school is located in Fairview Park, Ohio and enrolls 520 students from pre-Kindergarten to Eighth grade. The school was founded in 1923, and is a Roman Catholic school in the Saint Angela Merici Parish. The Saint Angela Merici School has a strong academic focus and high standardized test scores that exceed the national average. In 2010, the entire eight grade class was in the top fifteen percentile in reading and mathematics, and a majority of the class placed in the top tenth percentile. The rest of the school scored above the eighty-sixth percentile. The school provides a broad curriculum, with religious studies, world languages, wellness programs and performing arts as well as mathematics, sciences, social studies, English and technology. The vast range of curriculum in the school follows from the goal of the school, to help the students achieve the highest standards of academic excellence. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me recognition of Saint Angela Merici School, a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Honorable Judge Patrick Carroll of the Lakewood Municipal Court, who is being recognized at Recovery Resources' Bronze Key Gala on November 17, 2011. Judge Carroll attended Cleveland State University, and graduated in 1974 with a bachelor's of arts degree, majoring in economics. In 1977, he earned his Juris Doctor degree from CSU's Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and was admitted to the Ohio Bar Association the same year. Following graduation, Judge Carroll served as a law clerk to the 8th District Court of Appeals from 1977 to 1979. He then worked as an assistant county prosecutor for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office from 1979 to 1984, and from 1979 to 1990 worked in private practice. Judge Carroll has been the presiding judge for the Lakewood Municipal Court since 1990, and has been serving in that position for 21 years. During his tenure, Judge Carroll has been a notable advocate of the Community Work Service Program, Alcohol Awareness Program, Expedited Civil Cases Procedure, Housing Court Task Force, nigh Court Sessions and Mediation Task Force. He also supports Recovery Recourses, a nonprofit organization that helps people with mental illness, substance abuse, and other addictions, and for which he is being recognized for his support and work at their Bronze Gala. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the Honorable Judge Patrick Carroll of the Lakewood Municipal Court as he is recognized at the Bronze Key Gala for his support of Recovery Resources.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mrs. Ruby L. Terry as she retires from the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc. (UBF) where she served as the Executive Director for 19 years. Established in 1981, by George W. White, the United Black Fund was the result of the merger of the Negro Community Federation and Blacks Organized for Social Services. The UBF is a non-profit charitable organization that funds more than 80 non-profits annually that serve thousands of poor, Black and other minority children, families and seniors. In addition to funding, UBF provides free of charge of grantsmanship, workshops, and informational forums to the public. The mission statement of the UBF is to acquire, accumulate, and allocate funds to not-for-profits to alleviate suffering, poverty and illiteracy; strengthen the tradition and ethic of giving among African Americans to promote economic self-sufficiency; empower the African American Community through education to reach its highest potential; educate the African American Community to understand the value of re-directing income to build wealth within the African American Community. Prior to becoming UBF's Executive Director in 1992, Mrs. Terry served as the UBF's Board Chair for 15 years. Under her direction, the UBF underwent several changes to become a stronger organization. She created a new board of directors, implemented the first Strategic Plan, and organized new events to increase funds. She began the UBF's annual Anniversary Gala and the UBF/Cleveland Browns Alumni Celebrity Golf Tournament. Additionally, she formed partnerships with many Cleveland organizations including the Cleveland Indians. It was also under Mrs. Terry's leadership that the UBF obtained Federation status with United Way Services of Greater Cleveland, Inc. Mr. Speaker, join me in honoring Mrs. Ruby L. Terry and congratulate her on retiring after decades of serving the African American community of Greater Cleveland.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Kensington Intermediate School, a recipient of a Federal Blue Ribbon Award. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a program designed to highlight schools which have proven records of academic excellence. These schools have demonstrated a dedication to their student bodies which prepare their students for higher education and life beyond the classroom. Such institutions serve as examples to be emulated in schools across the nation. Kensington Intermediate School is one of 305 schools in the nation to be awarded the title of a Blue Ribbon school. It has shown itself to be among this group of elite institutions. In 2010, Kensington was named Excellent with Distinction, which is the Ohio Department of Education's highest award. Last year, the school system ranked 5th in Cleveland Magazine's prestigious Top Ten List of Cleveland Area Schools. Kensington has continued on its path of academic excellence by scoring 96.5% and 92.5% proficiency in the Ohio 5th grade Science and Math Achievement Assessment tests, respectively. The 3rd grade Reading Achievement Assessment score has repeatedly been the highest in the county. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Kensington Intermediate School, a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support a number of provisions in H.R. 2112, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food & Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, such as the vital funding for low-income food assistance programs. I must voice my outrage at language included in this legislation which blatantly ignores and imperils the health of this country's school children. Just days ago, language was inserted into H.R. 2112 which prevents the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from implementing important new school lunch standards that are scheduled to go into effect next year. The language also allows pizza, if it has at least two tablespoons of tomato paste, to be defined as a vegetable. Childhood obesity is a disease effecting 17% children throughout the country. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years and in 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. Nationally subsidized meals at schools have a responsibility to feed our children healthy and nutritious food. The USDA has developed new school nutrition standards and is ready to implement them. Instead, we are allowing these industries to make and keep our children sick, to put them at risk for serious cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis and several types of cancer. The needs of special interest groups are being put ahead of the health needs of children across the country. By including these provisions, we are allowing the salt, potato growers and frozen food industries to continue feeding the childhood obesity epidemic. According to the Institute of Medicine, a typical high school lunch contains around 1,600 milligrams of sodium; this is more than half of the daily recommended amount. One of the largest barriers school nutrition programs face is cost. This is why I have authored a bill that would eliminate the tax deductibility of advertising and marketing of fast food and junk food that targets children. Despite the fact that research shows that marketing and advertising is a primary factor in increasing obesity rates in children, the tax code allows companies to deduct their advertising and marketing costs from tax returns. The government essentially subsidizes childhood obesity. My legislation has the potential to raise billions of dollars to pay for student nutrition programs.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I first met George Condon when I was a copyboy at the Plain Dealer. It was the mid-sixties and the newsroom was a combination of Ben Hecht and Salvadore Dali, where nervous news jockies whipped the keys of their typewriters, men against white space, racing against a looming deadline, frenzied calls of ``boy, boy'' echoing summoning the serfs to duty. Unpretentious and approachable, columnist George Condon would occasionally appear in the midst of the tumult gazing upon the chaos with an amused wisdom about the city room and the city, befriending even a lowly copyboy who confided in him his own dreams of one day being Mayor of Cleveland. While the strong, quick pulse of the city could be felt in the news room, George Condon knew there was a deeper story upon which all news was built. ``There is no satisfactory way to describe a city or to convey its spirit in words,'' he wrote in Cleveland, the Best Kept Secret, ``Facts and statistics, names and dates, prose and poesy all are well- intentioned bids to give flesh and breath to a chunk of real estate, but they hang lifelessly on the skeleton. If there is a way to give life to a city with words, those words must try to renew some of the lives that created the city. In Shakespeare's Henry IV, Glendower proclaimed: I can call spirits from the vasty deep. Hotspur replied: Why, so can I, or so can any man. But will they come when you do call for them?'' Read Cleveland, the Best Kept Secret and George Condon's account of the clash over a hundred years ago between Mark Hanna and Tom Johnson and you will see that when George Condon called the spirits forth, they leaped onto his pages, their lives renewed vividly, dissolving the barriers between past, present . . . and future. For it was in November, 1976, after reading George Condon's account of the struggle between privileged interest and public interest that I made a decision to launch a full-scale campaign to save Johnson's Muny Light from a takeover by the then Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company. A year later, because of the primary impact of his writings on my own life, I asked George Condon to be the master of ceremonies at my inauguration as Mayor of Cleveland. Anyone who read his works could not help but be moved by his ability to bring to life his beloved city and all the characters who populated it. What made George Condon's writings so unique was his power of observation, fused with love and tempered with a non-judgmental humor. He was our Boswell. One of the debates that George Condon played out in his work was the efficacy of the promotional campaign which declared Cleveland to be the ``Best Location in the Nation.'' He thought such a declaration could be off-putting to the visitor. After all, each city has its celebratory aspects. But upon further reflection, we can claim that title, not because we have the biggest buildings, or the grandest stadiums, or the most powerful corporations, or the best freeway system, but because a humble wordsmith named George Condon picked words from heavens and brought a shower of stars upon this community year after year, ennobling us, making us lighter, making us wiser.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Sean S. Ennis, a man who has given so much to serving communities both at home and abroad, as he is inducted to the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame was established by former Governor George V. Voinovich in 1992. It is designed to commemorate servicemen and women whose lives demonstrate a dedication above and beyond the call of duty. The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame seeks to recognize Ohioans who have worn the uniform of this Nation's Armed Forces honorably, and then continue to contribute to their community, state and nation. Mr. Sean S. Ennis is a prime example of the veterans honored by the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. He served with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Since his military service, Mr. Ennis has been an active member of the veteran and Greater Cleveland community. He has been involved with the March of Dimes for over 20 years and volunteers with the Vietnamese Tax Clinic and the Cleveland Airport USO. He is a board member of Honor Flight Cleveland and the Vietnam Veterans of America, Buckeye State Council. Mr. Ennis is the President of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 15 and the Chaplain of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #2533. Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honoring the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame as they induct Mr. Sean S. Ellis, whose life of service has impacted the lives of countless people in Cleveland and around the world.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Cleveland Mediation Center as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. The Mediation Center has provided an essential forum for dialogue and communication which has fostered cooperation and peace within the community. It has proven especially valuable for the city's youth, who often lack the voice to raise their concerns about problems which directly affect them. The Center began as the Community Youth Mediation program in 1981. Focusing on the Near West Side community of Cleveland, this organization became the first grass-roots youth oriented mediation program in the country. The Center provided guidance to thousands of individuals and helped to address issues of truancy, school violence, and cases of abuse and neglect. Two of the programs developed by the Center would go on to be used by both the Juvenile Court and Cleveland Public Schools. Following these successes, the Center was utilized in engaging the city at large. By 1992, it had expanded its youth centered approach to include issues such as neighbor to neighbor mediation and training. Homelessness has also been one of the Center's major concerns, particularly in addressing discrepancies between the city's homeless population and services provided by city agencies. Today, the Cleveland Mediation Center continues their mission of promoting constructive conflict resolution, especially among youth, and strengthening community ties with an emphasis on mediation and mediation training. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the Cleveland Mediation Center in celebrating their important role as facilitators within their communities and enabling fellow citizens to work through their conflicts in peaceful and constructive ways.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor Sister (Sr.) Judith Ann Karam, who is being honored at Care Alliance Health Center's Thanksgiving Dinner on November 12, 2011. A Cleveland native, Sr. Judith Ann joined the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine in 1964. She attended Duquesne University where she received a bachelor of science degree in Pharmacy. She later earned a master's of science in Hospital and Health Services Administration from The Ohio State University. Sr. Judith Ann began her career in the healthcare industry in 1962 as a pharmacy technician. She also worked as a pharmacist and health care administrator. In 1998, Sr. Judith Ann served as Major Superior of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. Today, she serves as the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Sisters of Charity Health System. Throughout her career, Sr. Judith Ann has developed a new joint venture hospital, formed health care partnerships, restructured partnerships, developed conversion foundations, as well as a nursing home serving 22 Catholic religious congregations. In addition to her career, Sr. Judith Ann is an involved member of the health care community. Having served on hospital boards since 1973, Sr. Judith Ann serves on the national board of the Ministering Together and the Governance Committee of the Catholic Health Association and is a fellow of Healthcare Executives in the American College. In the community, Sr. Judith Ann is a board member of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Midlands Business Council in Columbia, South Carolina and University Hospitals Health System in Cleveland, Ohio. She has also served as a Director of Walsh University in Canton, Ohio, Trustee for Columbia HCA Healthcare Corporation, the American Red Cross, Cleveland Chapter and the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization. She is also a member of the Alumni Association of The Ohio State University Health Services Management and Policy Program. Because of her dedication to the field of health care and her community, Sr. Judith Ann has been recognized countless times throughout the past several decades. She was inducted into the Rho Chi Honor Society in 1971, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from The Ohio State University Health Services Management and Policy program in 1998, the 2001 Women of Note Award from Crain's Cleveland Business, and in 2006, the Distinguished Service Medal from Walsh University. Additionally, in 2007, she received the Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice from Pope Benedict the XVI. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Sister Judith Ann Karam as she is recognized by Care Alliance Health Center.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dr. Johan Galtung, who is being honored by the American Muslim Alliance Foundation with the Abdul Ghaffar Khan International Peace-Builder Award. In 1930, Dr. Galtung was born in the city of Oslo, Norway. He received his doctorates in mathematics in 1956 and in sociology the following year. In 1957, Dr. Galtung moved to New York and began teaching at Columbia University in the Sociology Department. He returned to Oslo in 1959 and founded the Peace Research Institute Oslo, where he would serve as director for the following decade. In 1969 he took a position as a professor of peace and conflict research at the University of Oslo. He has since taught at universities around the world and is currently teaching courses in the Human Science Department at Saybrook University. In 1993, Dr. Johan Galtung established the TRANSCEND Network for Conflict Transformation. TRANSCEND encompasses Transcend Peace University, Transcend Media Service, Transcend University Press, Transcend Peace Service, Transcend Research Institute, International Peace Institute and the Journal of Peace Research. Their mission is to bring about a more peaceful world by using action, education and training, dissemination and research to transform conflicts nonviolently, with empathy and creativity, for acceptable and sustainable outcomes. Dr. Galtung's contributions to international peace have earned him the Right Livelihood Award, Bajaj International Award for Promoting Gandhian Values, First Morton Deutsch Conflict Resolution Award, Norwegian Literary Prize Brage, Augsburg Golden Book of Peace, Eric Bye Memorial Prize, Corean Demilitarized Zone Peace Prize and in 1987, the Alternative Nobel Peace Prize. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating Dr. Johan Galtung as he receives the Abdul Ghaffar Khan International Peace-Builder Award from the American Muslim Alliance Foundation.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee as they recognize Korean Veterans on November 11, 2011, Veterans Day. The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 when the North Korean People's Army invaded the Republic of Korea. The Korean War was the first ``hot'' conflict of the Cold War and included historic battles and offensives as well as important technological and medical advances. On July 27, 1953, the United States, North Korea and China signed an armistice. A total of 33,651 U.S. service members died in battle during the Korean War; 27,709 U.S. Army; 4,269 U.S. Marines; 1,198 U.S. Air Force; and 475 U.S. Navy. Seven thousand, one-hundred and forty Service Members became prisoners of war. The Korean War Commemoration Committee's mission is to honor the service and sacrifice of Korean War Veterans, American service members, and their allies who fought heroically to preserve Freedom; to commemorate the key events of the Korean War; and educate the American people about the significance of the Korean War. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee as they pay special tribute to the more than 6.8 million servicemen and women who bravely fought in the Korean War.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and memory of Mrs. Franziska Holzer, a long time and active member of the German-American community in the Greater Cleveland area. Mrs. Holzer was born on April 15, 1927. After World War II, she met her future husband Josef, in Deggendorf, Bavaria. The two were married in 1949 and had a daughter, Ilse. In 1952, the Holzer family immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio. The couple would eventually settle in North Royalton, Ohio, where they enjoyed the rest of their 62 year marriage. Upon settling in the Cleveland area, the Holzers became extremely active in the German-American community. Mr. Holzer would eventually become the Regional President of the National Donauschwaben Organization and led the building of the Donauschwaben Society of Cleveland's German-American Cultural Center at Lenau Park. Much of his success is credited to the support offered by his loving wife, Franziska. I offer my most sincere condolences to her husband, Josef; daughter, Ilse; grandchildren, Lisa, Brian and David; and great-grandchildren, Peter and Alexandra. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the memory of Mrs. Franziska Holzer, her devotion to her family and Cleveland's German-American community will be sorely missed and thoughtfully remembered for years to come.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mr. Walter Beebe, who is being honored at the New York Open Center's 2011 Gala Celebration for his extraordinary vision and service to the New York Open Center and progressive philanthropy. After obtaining a bachelor of arts from Harvard University in 1962, Mr. Beebe earned his bachelor of laws degree in 1965 from Stanford University. Almost immediately after finishing his education, Mr. Beebe began his career with Partner, Jacobs Persinger & Parker in 1966. He was a corporate attorney with the New York law firm until his retirement in 2006. Mr. Beebe is the founder, Board Chair and President of the New York Open Center. He has been a leader in the holistic movement through the work of the Center for nearly 30 years. The Center is a nonprofit holistic learning center that seeks to integrate the intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual elements of life. In addition to his work with as an attorney and with the New York Open Center, Mr. Beebe has been an active philanthropist. He has served on the Board of Directors of several organizations and companies including Westar Institute, Interfaith Center of New York, New Jersey Steel Corporation, Von Roll of America, Inc. and subsidiaries, Bank Street College of Education, Sunbridge College, Near East Foundation and Greyston Foundation. Mr. Beebe was also the co-host for the White House Commission on Alternative Medicine. Mr. Speaker and colleagues please join me in congratulating Mr. Walter Beebe as he is honored by the New York Open Center at their 2011 Gala Celebration on November 10, 2011.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Thomas A. Wilson, a cartoon artist whose character, Ziggy, brought joy to people's lives every day. Mr. Wilson was born on August 1, 1931, in Grant Town, West Virginia and raised in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Army before graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in the mid 1950s. Mr. Wilson began a nearly forty-year career with Cleveland's American Greetings in 1955. He spent time writing romantic greeting cards and comedic greeting cards for the public. Throughout his stay with American Greetings he served in several different executive roles for the creative department. In 1971, Mr. Wilson created the character Ziggy and launched a cartoon series featuring this average American character. Ziggy started off as part of a cartoon illustration collection that had no words. The Universal Press Syndicate worked with Mr. Wilson to put words into the animation and bring Ziggy to life. He worked with the Universal Press Syndicate until he formed Ziggy and Friends. In 1987, Mr. Wilson gave control of his comic strip, Ziggy and Friends, to his son and fellow cartoonist Tom M. Wilson. Ziggy cartoons continue to be published in more than 500 newspapers throughout the country and enjoyed by millions. The Cleveland Museum of Art has honored Mr. Tom A. Wilson by exhibiting his artwork. Mr. Wilson has also had his artwork shown in the Society of Illustrations and the Butler Institute of Art. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the life and achievements of Mr. Tom Albert Wilson. I offer my condolences to his wife, Carol; son, Tom; two daughters, Ava and Julianne; and five grandchildren.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of El Centro de Servicios Sociales Para la Communidad Hispana, a non-profit group that serves the Greater Cleveland community. El Centro is a Hispanic-Latino non-profit advocacy organization whose mission is to enhance the socio-economic status of the greater Lorain County community by providing essential social, educational, cultural and community development services. Children in need are able to keep in contact with El Centro to individually seek solutions to their problems. With the influx of Hispanic-Latino industrial workers to the Lorain County community during the 1970s, the need for social, cultural and educational needs increased. In 1974, El Centro de Servicios Sociales Para la Communidad Hispana was formed in order to address these problems by helping monolingual Spanish speakers transition in an English speaking environment. El Centro also works to prevent, treat and rehabilitate community members with mental and physical health ailments. It also had a few clinics to specifically treat community members afflicted with high blood pressure and diabetes. Although El Centro began as a non-profit that helped only Latino members of the community, recently it has expanded its services to support all members of the community. Recent economic hardships in the State of Ohio have increased the need for community services and El Centro has met that need by serving about 2,000 people. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring El Centro de Servicios Sociales Para la Communidad Hispana.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Cleveland Junior Tamburitzans, a group which has been promoting Croatian arts and culture for more than fifty years. Established in 1959, The Cleveland Junior Tamburitzans are a parent sponsored non-profit group whose members range in age from 5 to 21 years old. The group performs songs and dances to traditional Croatian music in order to celebrate and honor their heritage. The group is currently comprised of more than 100 children who are under the direction of Katarina Lukacevic and Tom Salopek. The Tamburitzans have held concerts in Canada, Croatia, and throughout the United States. The group's purpose is to preserve and celebrate the culture of Croatia. Cleveland's Croatian community is among the most robust in North America. Croatians have played a pivotal role in developing the businesses and industries which helped make Cleveland great. Their presence provided additional diversity to our growing city and members of the Croatian community have made valuable contributions to the area's athletics, arts, and music. In 1949, Cleveland was the first city to bring traditional Croatian song and dance together with the founding of the American-Croatian Singing Association. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition of the Cleveland Junior Tamburitzans, just one of the many bright spots of Cleveland's Croatian community.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and memory of radio D.J. Chuck Collier, a man who entertained Cleveland's country music fans with tunes and colored commentary for decades. Mr. Collier was born on May 6, 1946 in Greenfield and raised in New Vienna, Ohio. He attended New Kenton High School, where he was his class president. During his time at the University of Cincinnati, he began his career in radio with a job at WSRW in Hillsboro, Ohio in 1963. His graduation brought new opportunities, and he began working at WMWN in Wilmington, WONE in Dayton, WSAI in Cincinnati and WCBS in New York. The dedication it took to handle all of these jobs led to Mr. Collier landing a career at WGAR. For forty years Mr. Collier was WGAR's premiere radio personality for country music, adult contemporary music and AM programming. While WGAR has changed its programming over the years, Chuck kept listeners tuning in throughout the changes. In 2005, the Ohio Radio-TV Broadcasters inducted Mr. Collier into their Hall of Fame. His fame over the radio brought him the National Association of Broadcasters' Marconi Award as Large Market Radio Personality of the Year in 2007. In 2009, an especially rewarding year for Mr. Collier, he was inducted into the Country Music Radio Hall of Fame. Mr. Speaker and colleagues please join me in honoring the life and achievements of Mr. Chuck Collier. I offer my condolences to his wife, Joni; daughter, Melanie; son, Jason; and sister, Carolyn Taubenheim.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mrs. Gia Hoa Ryan as she celebrates her 40th anniversary since coming to America from Vietnam in 1971. Born in Vietnam, Mrs. Ryan worked as a secretary and interpreter for the United States during the Vietnam War. She immigrated to the United States in 1971. Since immigrating, Mrs. Ryan has been an active community leader in the Greater Cleveland area. She is a teacher and lecturer of Asian culture, food, and society. She has been active with the Lorain International Festival, and hosted the 1995 Festival which honored Vietnam and the Vietnamese people. Mrs. Ryan also served as the coordinator for the Asian Community Project at Bridgeway from 1997 to 2003. This Project provided mental health care to hundreds of Asian, Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian families. Mrs. Ryan has truly been a leader to Cleveland's Asian community. She started the Asian Women's Support Group in early 1980s. In 1993, she created the Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese. The organization has provided humanitarian services to the people of Vietnam by furnishing scholarships, building houses and schools, providing medical services, educational materials, food and clothing, and raising funds for the poor. She has also founded the Asian Community Mental Health Services as part of the West Side Community Health Center to provide mental health services for Asian families, senior citizens, and young people. Furthermore, in 2005, Mrs. Ryan established the Sai Gon Plaza. The Plaza serves as a community center in Northern Ohio for Asians, immigrants and various community groups. Mrs. Ryan has sponsored forty members of her family who have come from Vietnam and helped them establish homes and businesses. Mrs. Ryan has also served on many community boards including the Lorain County Community Alcoholism Board, various boards in the Detroit-Shoreway area, and the Mayor's Community Relations Board of the City of Cleveland. Most importantly she has raised her two children, Lynda Mia Ryan Shea and Thomas Joseph Ryan. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Mrs. Ryan as she celebrates her 40th anniversary since coming to America. Her advocacy work continues to improve countless lives both in Cleveland and Vietnam.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I spoke yesterday with a very well-known Cleveland talk show host, Mike Trivisonno, who told me he and his listeners, who are many, are concerned that an al Qaeda flag is flying over the courthouse in Benghazi, Libya. It was put there by the same group that we helped to oust the Qadhafi regime. Trivisonno is right. U.S. soldiers died fighting al Qaeda in Afghanistan, but in Libya we enabled al Qaeda to raise their flag? Will al Qaeda now have access to Libya's oil wealth thanks to the U.S.-led invasion? Months ago I raised this question about elements of al Qaeda reportedly being involved with so-called rebels. This administration looked the other way. Why? What are we doing? Our international policies are a diversion from our disastrous domestic policies: 14 million unemployed, millions of small businesses at risk, millions of homes at risk, Social Security at risk. Wake up, America. The administration just helped elements of al Qaeda knock off one of the world's leading oil producers. Their flag flies over Benghazi. It's time for us to get out of these foreign adventures and start taking care of things here at home.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Tom Feran, a writer and editor with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who is being honored by the Press Club of Cleveland and inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011. Tom is a longtime Clevelander who graduated from St. Ignatius High School before attending Harvard University. While at Harvard, he was the president and editor of the Harvard Lampoon, the world's longest continually published humor magazine. He graduated from Harvard in 1975. Tom joined the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1982 as the editor for the publication's Sunday magazine. He has since worked as the editor of the Arts&Life section of the paper, a columnist, television critic and is currently working as a writer of PolitiFact columns. In addition to the Plain Dealer, Tom has published articles in Ohio, Cleveland, and DirecTV magazines. He is the author of Ghoulardi: Inside Cleveland TV's Wildest Ride and Cleveland TV Memories. He has also co-authored Six Inches of Partly Cloudy, Big Chuck! and The Buzzard. Tom was recognized by the society of Professional Journalists in 2007 as the Best Columnist in Ohio. In addition to his career, Tom has served as the president of the Television Critics Association of North America for two terms. He is also a member of the Harvard Club of Northeast Ohio. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mr. Tom Feran as the Press Club of Cleveland inducts him into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Bob Schieffer to acknowledge his contribution to broadcasting. He has been a valuable journalist in the broadcasting community for several decades and the host of CBS' ``Face the Nation'' for 20 years. Mr. Schieffer was born on February 25th, 1937 and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. He went to North Side High School and attended Texas Christian University. Upon graduating from TCU, Mr. Schieffer joined the US Air Force where he earned the ranks of captain and information officer. His first reporting job was with the Fort Worth-Star Telegram where he was a police reporter. He has been a journalist for CBS since 1969 and hosted the ``CBS Evening News'' for 23 years. His career covering national politics included assignments with the White House, Pentagon, Department of State, and Congress. During the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections, he served as moderator of the third presidential debates. Mr. Schieffer has also written three books regarding his career in broadcasting. Mr. Schieffer has won six Emmy awards, as well as the National Press Foundation's Broadcaster of the Year Award. He has also been named to the Broadcasting/Cable Hall of Fame. In 2005, Texas Christian University honored him by naming the Schieffer School of Journalism in his honor. Mr. and Mrs. Schleifer currently reside in Washington D.C. and are the parents of two daughters. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the work of Mr. Schieffer and celebrating his countless achievements.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple Incorporated. Mr. Jobs was born February 24, 1955 and graduated from Homestead High School in Cupertino, California. Steve would then attend lectures at Hewlett-Packard Company in Palo Alto, California, where he met future business partner Steve Wozniak. After attending Stanford, Steve was hired by Atari where he created the circuit board for the game ``Breakout.'' Mr. Jobs' invention of the personal computer happened in his family garage, where the company name ``Apple'' stemmed from his favorite fruit and where the technological word byte was also created. His vision included condensing computers to box size and having them introduced into the masses. In order to initiate their new company, Jobs sold his Volkswagen Micro Bus and business partner Steve Wozniak sold his HP scientific calculator to raise funds to begin Apple. Later on in life Steve purchased The Graphics Group which later became Pixar. In 1995 he was executive producer for the Pixar movie ``Toy Story.'' Years later Disney would buy Pixar and Steve would sit on the Disney committee for Disney's Pixar animation business. He was a pioneer and innovator. In August of 2011 Steve resigned as CEO of Apple to concentrate on his health. He died on October 5th, 2011 as the former founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Incorporated. The work Steve accomplished throughout his life was invaluable towards personalizing the computer and paved the way for the future of the technological world. In 2007, Steve was inducted into the California Hall of Fame and was recognized by Forbes as the most powerful person in business. Billions of people have benefited from Mr. Jobs' work which ranges from the Mac computer and iPhone, to the many Disney Pixar films. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me remembering Mr. Steve Jobs as we honor his work and life as an innovator and offer condolences to his family and friends.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Tom Beres, a reporter for Cleveland's WKYC, who is being honored by the Press Club of Cleveland and inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011. Tom was born and raised Ashtabula, Ohio. He graduated from Westlake High School and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in broadcast journalism from Northwestern University. During his last year at Northwestern, Tom worked as a radio correspondent covering Watergate for WMAQ in Chicago. Before returning to his hometown of Cleveland, Tom worked as an anchor/reporter for WDTN and WLWD TV in Dayton, Ohio for four years. He has been working for WKYC in Cleveland since July 1979 and is the longest tenured reporter with one station in the City of Cleveland. He worked for many years as a general assignment reporter before being promoted to senior political reporter in May of 1998. Throughout his career Tom has garnered several awards including the Best Broadcast Writing award from the Ohio Associated Press in 1984 and three local Emmys. His 1989 Emmy for Investigative Reporting was for his coverage of ticket abuse by Cleveland police officers. In addition to his storied career with WKYC, for the past eight years Tom has hosted the political discussion show, Between the Lines. He has moderated countless local and state wide political debates. Tom is on the Board of Directors for the local chapter of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Camp Ho Mita Koda, a camp for diabetic children. He has also served on the boards of the Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating WKYC's Mr. Tom Beres as the Press Club of Cleveland inducts him into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Bob Paynter, who is being honored by the Press Club of Cleveland and inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011. Bob was born and raised in Kirkwood, Missouri. He attended the University of Missouri--Columbia School of Journalism and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1975. He first worked for the Akron Beacon Journal from 1981 to 1985 on crime, parole policies and political corruption. During his first period with the Journal he wrote a number of stories that helped free a man wrongly convicted of a child-murder case and led indirectly to conviction of the real killer. Bob left the Greater Cleveland area and worked as a general assignment and projects reporter for The Dallas Morning News during 1986. He covered local courts and government and investigating the effects of lead pollution on inner-city children. Bob returned to Ohio working for the Akron Beacon Journal in January 1987. He worked as an investigative reporter and editor with the newspaper for the next 13 years. He covered topics such as campaign-finance abuses, failed drug- enforcement policies, illegal awarding of county sewer contracts, wrongful conviction of college student for date rape and evolution of race relations in the Akron area. In December of 1999 Bob began working for The Cleveland Plain Dealer as a projects editor and investigative reporter. During his 9 years with the Plain Dealer, Bob wrote on misconduct by the Parma police and the priests of the Cleveland Diocese and the ``Cold-Blooded Liar'' series. He is now the principal of Investigative Communications, LLC. Throughout his career, Bob has been the recipient of some of journalism's most prestigious awards. As a result of his work on race relations in Akron Bob was awarded a Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for Public Service. He received Worth Bingham and Sigma Delta Chi awards because of his work on the Ohio legislature's ``Pay to Play'' system and American Society of Newspaper Editors Local Watchdog Award while he was with the Plain Dealer. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating Mr. Bob Paynter as the Press Club of Cleveland inducts him into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Phillip Morris, a columnist with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who is being honored by the Press Club of Cleveland and inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Phillip attended Ohio Wesleyan University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. After graduating in 1987, he began working as a police and courts reporter for the Dayton Daily News. He would eventually work as an editorial writer for the paper. In October of 1990, Phillip joined the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Editorial page. His responsibilities included editorial coverage of Cleveland city government, Ohio state government, the state and federal penal systems, education and children's issues. In 1995, Phillip began writing a weekly column for the Plain Dealer's Forum page and continued to do so for eleven years. In April of 2007, he became a metro columnist and gained national recognition in this role. Currently, Phillip is working as a Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan; he will return to the Plain Dealer in the spring of 2012. Despite being at the Plain Dealer for less than twenty years, Phillip has garnered local and national recognition based on his work on criminal justice issues. He has been awarded a National Association of Black Journalists award, a National Headliner Award and has been a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize twice. He is also a finalist for a second Association of Black Journalists award this year. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mr. Phillip Morris as the Press Club of Cleveland inducts him into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.