Tom Latham

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the retirement of Mr. Daniel Holste, a science teacher at Humboldt High School in Humboldt, Iowa, and to express my appreciation for his dedication and commitment to the youth of Iowa. For the last 39 years, Mr. Holste has contributed his time to educating and enriching the lives of youths. After graduating from Wartburg College, Mr. Holste began teaching in Alta, Iowa, for 2 years and took a year off for graduate studies at Fisk University. He returned to teaching for 3 years in Eddyville, Iowa, until he took a teaching position at Humboldt High School, where he remained for 34 years until his recent retirement. In the classroom, Mr. Holste has taught numerous courses including Chemistry, Advanced/Organic Chemistry, Physics, Geology/Astronomy, Hydrology and several math courses. Mr. Holste has also sponsored the Junior Engineering Technical Society Tests of Engineering Aptitude in Math and Science (JETS-TEAM), Science Bowl, Knowledge Master Open and the Physics Olympics. In 1990, his team earned the Iowa Physics Olympics Team Grand Championship, and his JETS-TEAM has placed as high as second nationally. Mr. Holste has also received a number of awards in recent years. In 2006, he was honored with the Outstanding Youth Leadership Award. In 2007 he received the Fort Dodge District Air Force Association Teacher of the Year Award. This year he also earned the ISEA UniServ Unit 10 ``Distinguished Service to the Association'' Award. Mr. Holste's leadership will be missed, but he leaves a lasting impact on the Humboldt community and everyone he has been involved with. I consider it an honor to represent Mr. Daniel Holste in the United States Congress, and I wish him and his wife, Jean, a long, happy and healthy retirement as they both continue to serve the community through different projects.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the retirement of Mr. Walter Reemstma, a science teacher with Algona Community School District in Algona, Iowa, and to express my appreciation for his dedication and commitment to the youth of Iowa. For the past 41 years, Mr. Reemstma has contributed his time and talents to educating and enriching the lives of youths. Mr. Reemstma graduated from Sioux Falls College in 1967 and took his first job at Melcher-Dallas. In 1970 he took a science teaching position at O.B. Laing Middle School in Algona, where he remained until his retirement. He actually hated science classes while growing up but began to enjoy science during his senior year high school biology class. During his time as a teacher, he especially enjoyed taking Washington, DC, trips with students. In addition to teaching, Mr. Reemstma is the music director at First Presbyterian Church in Algona and the president of the Water's Edge Nature Center Foundation. In all, Mr. Reemstma has helped shape the lives of thousands of students. Mr. Reemstma's leadership will be missed, but he leaves a lasting impact on the Algona community and everyone he has been involved with. I consider it an honor to represent Mr. Walter Reemstma in the United States Congress, and I wish him a long, happy and healthy retirement.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sandy Huang, of Ames, Iowa, one of fifty outstanding U.S. high school students selected to attend the twenty-fifth annual Research Science Institute sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The mission of the Center for Excellence in Education is to nurture young scholars to careers of excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Research Science Institute is a highly competitive six-week program which emphasizes advanced theory and research in mathematics, the sciences, and engineering. Sandy was selected for this program upon scoring in the upper one-percent of those in the U.S. who took the PSAT exam. From June to August 2008, Sandy will learn from distinguished professors and conduct a research project. I commend Sandy Huang for his commitment to leadership in science and technology. He is a future leader of this country of whom Iowa is very proud. I am honored to represent Sandy in the United States Congress and I wish him the best in future endeavors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Kossuth County Fair on its 150th year anniversary, from July 24 to August 3, 2008. The Kossuth County Fair is located in Algona, Iowa and serves the approximate 17,000 residents of the county in North Central Iowa. Throughout many years the Kossuth County Fair has thrived and kept the county together with community fellowship, celebration and camaraderie. I congratulate the Kossuth County Fair on this historic anniversary. It is an honor to represent the past and current members of the county fair board in the United States Congress. I wish the Kossuth County Fair an equally storied future.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Nelson Electric of Ames, Iowa, on celebrating its 100th anniversary and to express my appreciation for their commitment to providing an important service to Iowans in the Central Iowa area. In 1908, Ben Nelson left his job at the Ames Municipal Power Plant and began his own business offering electrical contracting services. He contracted his first jobs by going up and down Main Street in Ames and building a reputation of good service at a fair price. His son Chuck joined the crew, and they worked together for 40 years, including persevering through the Great Depression. Chuck's sons, Paul and Jerry began working at the company in the 1960's and still manage the company today. Jerry's sons, Chris and Matt are now the fourth generation of the family to work at Nelson. Nelson Electric began working on wagons and carts but have kept up on the ever changing electric codes and work in the commercial/industrial design build sector of today, taking on residential and small business projects as well. I commend Nelson Electric of Ames for providing quality and dedicated service to Iowans for over 100 years. It is an honor to represent the Nelson family and all the members of the Nelson Electric crew in the United States Congress, and I wish them continued success in serving their community.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. I appreciate the chairman's work. I sincerely do. We all know that it would not be germane in this bill. That is not the issue. I would ask, would the gentleman entertain a unanimous consent to have this amendment considered today?

Mr. LATHAM. Would the gentleman yield?

Mr. LATHAM. I thank Mr. Wamp for the time. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to voice my support for this important measure, and I want to commend Chairman Edwards and Ranking Member Wamp for their good work on this most important bill. I urge the Members to support the bill. It is so important to all of our veterans of this country. I only talk about this to express real frustration that I have. I want to note that in my hand I have an amendment which I had hoped to offer today, but because of the nature of the rule, I can't. And I wanted to offer this amendment in the interest of people from Iowa and throughout the Midwest who are struggling to put their lives together in the wake of the 500-year Midwest floods. This amendment would have provided emergency money for economic development assistance for restoration of infrastructure, Army Corps of Engineers money to repair levies, SBA disaster loan assistance, Community Planning and Development funds for infrastructure, and additional FEMA disaster relief moneys. Unfortunately, we can't, and I don't want to delay this process. But this bill should be passed before we leave for break. Mr. Chairman, last week I wrote a letter to the Speaker of the House and asked that we finally address, after 7 weeks, the flood disaster throughout the Midwest. I have not heard a response; so obviously we're being ignored. I asked some folks at home to tell me some of their stories, and they have e-mailed me and sent me their messages, and I would like to read a couple of those. The first one actually is a copy I received of an e-mail to Speaker Pelosi, and it reads: ``I cannot believe that you will not bring flood relief legislation to a vote. Now you are going on vacation. Twenty-five thousand homes were lost in the June floods in Iowa alone, and Congress votes to recognize the National Day of the Cowboy instead of passing legislation to help Iowans. ``After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Congress passed emergency supplemental bills nearly immediately, and here we are 7 weeks after the Iowa floods and no additional help! It is no wonder Congress's approval rating is at an all-time low. ``While you're on vacation, please remember the thousands of Iowans who have no homes.'' An e-mail received from a resident of Cedar Rapids. She said: ``My husband volunteers on the weekends and 1 day a week (bless his employer for letting him work 4 10-hour days so he can do flood relief) as a flood site coordinator, which means he moves around from team to team and are sent by our church to help the residents `muck' out their basements, and tear out the walls, insulation, trim, carpet, and get rid of the furnaces and water heaters (and, unfortunately, throw out their life with every personal item that goes on the curbs) . . . ``What are the elected officials in Washington going to do to help? I must be the most naive U.S. citizen who can hardly believe that it takes an act of Congress to have a National Cowboy Day but can go on a recess with clear consciences before coming up with some plan of action for this area and the people . . . ``The Red Cross has moved on and the Salvation Army has come off the streets. FEMA sent trailers, people settled into them, and then they were displaced again when mold was found in the trailers . . . ``These people are not asking for more than what they had, just help putting their lives, families, and homes back together. They need help and support from those they have put their trust in.'' And another e-mail from a lady in Mason City. It says: ``Please continue your fight to have Congress address the disaster needs of the Midwest! The rest of the world seems to have forgotten about our disaster. However, for those of us still fighting it, it's as painful today as it was the day our houses were filled with water. ``My family is just one of many here in Mason City who are homeless . . . ``Our house is significantly damaged; so we can't move back into it. We thought we could, and then 2 weeks ago we discovered the amount of damage was too much. ``We have to elevate it, move it, or destroy it. Our house is a trilevel house where the floors are not on top of each other. The cost of elevating or moving would be more than the value of our home. The only option is to destroy it. ``The house we are currently renting is a house for sale. On any given day, we are 30 to 45 days away from being homeless again. The house has been shown to prospective buyers at least six times since the flood. We are trying to find a house we can rent for a year. It's almost impossible to find something we can afford that's in a safe area and somewhat decent.'' I would hope that the House tomorrow, since we are going to be in session, will finally pass disaster relief for people who are really hurting.

Mr. LATHAM. Would the gentleman yield?

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Humboldt County Fair on its 150th year anniversary this year, recognized from July 23 to July 27, 2008. The Humboldt County Fair is located in Dakota City, Iowa and serves the approximate 10,000 residents of the county in North Central Iowa. In 1858, the 300 people living in Humboldt County wanted to get together for a social event offering opportunities to display prize produce and compete at the skills of farming. The first Humboldt County Fair was held in Dakota City on October 5, 1858. The best livestock and agricultural products of the county were on display, showcasing the pride and competitive spirit of America as well as prospects for future agricultural prosperity. The town of Springvale, larger than Dakota City, attempted to relocate the fair in 1866. But Charles Bergk, a prominent citizen, offered to donate 15 acres of land, furnish enough lumber to fence the entire tract, and dig a well if the fair was held in Dakota City. And so the fair remained in Dakota City. The fair of 1912 was not a success, and there were fears that the end of the county fair was near. A group of Humboldt's leading citizens organized the Humboldt Get-Together Club and met at MacNamara's Drug Store to discuss the situation. They developed a plan to not only continue the fair but make it bigger and better. Throughout the many years, the Humboldt County Fair has thrived and kept the county together with community fellowship, celebration and camaraderie. I congratulate the Humboldt County Fair on this historic anniversary. It is an honor to represent the past and current members of the county fair board in the United States Congress. I wish the Humboldt County Fair and Humboldt community an equally storied future.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the retirement of Dr. Ron Dunham, a chiropractor at Dunham-Fritz Chiropractic in Marshalltown, Iowa. For 40 years, Dr. Dunham has served Central Iowa as a chiropractor. He became interested in being a chiropractor when he hurt his back doing construction work after he returned from serving in the Army. His attraction to the profession led him to chiropractic college and back to Marshalltown where he has worked ever since. Dr. Dunham is known for being highly dedicated to his patients while having a sense of humor that lifts the spirits in the office each day. Dr. Dunham's practice successfully quadrupled in size during his time as a chiropractor, and the many years of exceptional service to his customers and the town of Marshalltown will be missed. I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in commending Dr. Ron Dunham for his service to Central Iowa. I consider it an honor to represent Dr. Dunham in Congress, and I wish him and his wife Sue, a long, happy and healthy retirement.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Reverend Harold S. Gilleney on the celebration of his 100th birthday on August 4, 2008. Reverend Gilleney was born on August 4, 1908 to William and Ella Gilleney. He had one sister, Vera. In 1942, Reverend Gilleney married Ida Casey, and together they had one child, later welcoming into the family two grandchildren and three great grandchildren. During his lifetime, Reverend Gilleney has lived in many places and served in the Air Force as a Designated Spotter in World War II. He has served in Presbyterian churches in Mountain View, WY, Hanson, NE, Zwingle, IA, Mount Vernon, IA, Ft. Des Moines, IA, Grimes, IA, Westminster Presbyterian in Ottumwa, IA, and Plymouth Congregational Church in Ottumwa. He is still Pastor Emeritus at Westminster Presbyterian in Ottumwa. Reverend Gilleney currently lives at the Eastern Star Masonic Home in Boone, Iowa where he is on the Resident Council. There have been many changes that have occurred during the past one hundred years. Since Reverend Gilleney's birth we have revolutionized air travel and walked on the moon. We have invented the television and the Internet. We have fought in wars overseas, seen the rise and fall of Soviet communism and the birth of new democracies. Reverend Gilleney has lived through eighteen United States Presidents and twenty-four Governors of Iowa. In his lifetime, the population of the United States has more than tripled. I congratulate Reverend Harold S. Gilleney for reaching this milestone of a birthday. I am extremely honored to represent Reverend Gilleney in the United States Congress, and I wish him happiness and health in his future years.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the American Culinary Federation 2008 Central Region Educator of the Year, Robert Anderson of Des Moines Area Community College. Robert is the program chair of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Careers program and Executive Chef at DMACC. He is a certified executive chef and certified culinary educator. Robert is a member of the Honorary Order of the Golden Toque, one of only 99 such chefs in the United States. Robert trained at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and worked in several quality restaurants across the country before joining DMACC to develop the culinary program in 1974. Robert was also selected as DMACC's Distinguished Teacher of the Year in 2000 and is a two-time recipient of the ACF Greater Des Moines Culinary Association Chef of the Year Award. I consider it a great honor to represent Robert Anderson in the United States Congress. The expertise he brings to Central Iowa is certainly valued and I wish Robert the best as he continues serving Iowa and DMACC in the culinary profession.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate two Iowans, Linda Bloom and Richard Gaard on being named national high school coaches of the year in their respective sports. Linda Bloom is the Girls' Swimming and Diving coach at Marshalltown High School in Marshalltown, Iowa. She has coached the Bobcats for 22 years and has accumulated a career record of 172-36. She has been named Regional Swim Coach of the Year thirteen times and was the 1993 Iowa State Swimming Coach of the Year. Coach Bloom is the current president of the Iowa Girls and Women's Sports Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. She also coaches the Marshalltown Girls' Golf team. Richard Gaard is the Boys' Golf coach at Decorah High School in Decorah, Iowa. He has coached the Vikings 36 years and has a career record of 333-123-11. His teams have won nine conference, thirteen district, and nine regional championships. Coach Gaard helped establish and is a charter member of the Iowa Golf Coaches Association. In 2007, he was named the Iowa Golf Coaches' Association Coach of the Year and has been named conference coach of the year 10 times. Coach Gaard is also a football and basketball official as well as the head of Decorah High School's DECA Program. I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in congratulating Coach Linda Bloom and Coach Richard Gaard on their coaching success and for making a difference in the lives of Iowa's youth. It is an honor to represent Coach Bloom and Coach Gaard in the United States Congress, and I wish them the best as they continue to provide a positive impact as role models and mentors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, last week I argued on the floor that the House should not leave for its 5-week August break until we pass emergency disaster funding for the Midwest. We have been told by the House and Senate leadership that there simply isn't enough time to get the job done before we leave. I say, Why not? The history of this House is replete with time after time--in hours--passing bills to help for national disasters. Instead, today, we're going to do 38 bills on the floor of the House, things like naming a post office in New York; things like supporting the goals and ideals of National Apple Month and the Apple Crunch; congratulating University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow for winning the Heisman Trophy; congratulating the University of Tennessee for winning the national championship. Isn't it ironic that the Democrat leadership less than 2 weeks ago found time for a 4-day tour of the gulf to pat themselves on the back on disaster aid and don't have time for the Midwest? We should not leave here without passing disaster aid for the Midwest, and anyone who votes for adjournment should be held accountable.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the retirement of Dean Hauge, groundskeeper at Elmwood-Saint Joseph Cemetery in Mason City, Iowa, after serving his community for over 29 years. Dean's father, Morris, was the groundskeeper of Elmwood for 27 years prior to Dean taking over the reigns. His uncles Truman Hauge and Virgil Cox also worked at the cemetery. Dean's groundskeeper job at the 120-acre cemetery included maintaining the property, digging and filling graves, erecting tents and chairs for funerals, and assisting families in locating burial sites and headstones. Dean's big heart and dedicated service has helped many families deal with the unfortunate loss of loved ones over many years. I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in commending Dean for his service to his community and congratulating him on his retirement. I consider it an honor to represent Dean in Congress, and I wish him and his wife Janice a long, happy and healthy retirement.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Barb Riemenschneider for her ten years of volunteer work with the kindergarten class at Page Elementary School in Boone, Iowa, and to express my appreciation for her dedication and commitment to the youth of Iowa. ``Grandma Barb'' has contributed her time and talents to improving children's lives through education and mentoring. Ten years ago when Barb's granddaughter began kindergarten, Barb began volunteering at the school. Every Friday, she has assisted Rosanne Brown's class with number and letter skills, playing board games, and listening to students read. Her willingness to do the little things built trust with the students and created a positive experience. Barb leaves her volunteer job having made a lasting impact on many students, and she will be dearly missed by Rosanne and the children at Page Elementary. I consider it an honor to represent Barbara Riemenschneider in the United States Congress, and I wish her the best in her future endeavors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Humboldt Public Library on its 100th year anniversary. The Humboldt Public Library serves over 4,500 residents of Humboldt, Iowa as well as a number of residents of the surrounding areas in Humboldt County. In 1908, the city of Humboldt completed its public library with the assistance of an Andrew Carnegie grant. From 1912 to 1963, Mrs. Nellie Pinney served 51 years as the longest serving librarian. At the time of her retirement, the library was circulating 3,500 books a year. Forty- five years later, the Humboldt library has expanded its circulation to 85,000 items to better serve the diverse interests of its citizens and the advanced technology of modern times. Throughout the many years the Humboldt Public Library staff has thrived to meet the needs of the people in the area by providing excellent information, educational resources and encouraging citizens to read. I congratulate the Humboldt Public Library on this historic anniversary. It is an honor to represent Library Director Nikki Ehlers, the library board of trustees, and all of the Humboldt Library staff in the United States Congress, and I wish the Humboldt Public Library continued success well into the future.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the retirement of Chief Administrative Officer of Winneshiek Medical Center, Allan Atkinson, and to express my appreciation for his dedication and commitment to the medical center and Northeast Iowa. For 25 years, Allan has worked in healthcare administration, spending the last ten years at Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah, Iowa. His long-term vision and teamwork approach has helped WMC grow and improve tremendously by offering an expanded range of services, experiencing a five-fold patient increase, and undertaking a $17 million expansion and renovation project. With his many years of experience in healthcare administration, Allan brought valuable knowledge and ideas to the table and credits the hospital's Board of Trustees for being such a great team. Their group effort has generated more quality healthcare options to Northeast Iowa, and I offer Allan and the Board my utmost congratulations and thanks. I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in commending Allan Atkinson for his service to WMC and Northeast Iowa. I consider it an honor to represent Allan in Congress, and I wish him a long, happy and healthy retirement.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of two young citizens, Alison Chambers and Ellie Savery, in rescuing two boys in West Lake Okoboji in Iowa. On Tuesday, July 15, at 1:30 p.m., Alison and Ellie noticed two swimmers calling for help in the choppy waters of West Lake Okoboji. The young women, trained lifeguards and swimmers on the Fort Dodge, Iowa High School team, reacted immediately and swam 25 yards out to the stranded swimmers. Moments later, the young women returned the two boys safely back to the dock. Many of the bystanders praised Ellie and Alison for their heroic rescue after they got out of the water. The diligent effort of these young women is a testament to the bravery and compassion of Iowans; willing to do whatever is necessary for a neighbor in need. I commend them for their heroism and cooperation. I am honored to represent both of them in the United States Congress, and wish each of them health and happiness in the future.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Peggy Bang of Mason City, Iowa, on being named the 2007-08 Higher Ed Art Educator of the Year by Art Educators of Iowa. Peggy is celebrating her 35th year as an art educator, the last 23 of which have been spent at North Iowa Area Community College, NIACC, in Mason City, where she is the current visual arts instructor. After spending the early years of her career teaching elementary art, Peggy earned an MS from Bank Street College in cooperation with Parson School of Design in New York. Peggy, who was a founding member of the MacNider Art Museum foundation, has been a board member of the museum for the past 21 years and is the current Vice President. She also played an important role in the restoration of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Stockman House in Mason City and was the first coordinator for the statewide Youth Art Month. Over the years, Peggy has contributed greatly to her community through her involvement in art, inspiring many students along the way. I am honored to represent Peggy Bang in Congress, and I wish her the very best as she continues to serve as a mentor and role model to the students and instructors at NIACC and the Mason City community.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I wish to make the following disclosure in accordance with the new Republican Earmark Transparency Standards requiring Members to place a statement in the Congressional Record prior to a floor vote on a bill that includes earmarks they have requested, describing how the funds will be spent and justifying the use of federal taxpayer funds. Requesting Member: Congressman Tom Latham. Bill Number: H.R. 6599, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Account: MilCon, Air National Guard. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Iowa Air National Guard. Address of Requesting Entity: 7700 NW Beaver Drive, Johnston, Iowa 50131. Description of Request: Appropriation of $5.6 million for the construction of a new Vehicle Maintenance Facility and remodeling of the existing Communications Facility located at the 133rd Test Squadron in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Updating facilities at the 133rd Test Squadron is of the utmost importance and highest priority for the Iowa National Guard. This project is approved on the U.S. Air Force Future Year Defense Plan (FYDP), and has been assigned the number HEMT039066. The facility is significantly short of space due to the expansion of the unit's mission, manning and resources. Since it is the only unit designated to test future Command and Control (C2) projects for the U.S. Air Force, the performance of the 133rd Test Squadron is vital to Air Force missions. A detailed financial plan based on form DD 1391 required by the Department of Defense for military construction projects follows.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dale Morse for his longtime service to the International Lions Club. Dale has been a member of the Rippey, Iowa Lions Club for 40 years. The International Lions Club is a volunteer organization which works together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world, including an end to preventable blindness, cleaning local parks and providing essential supplies to victims of natural disasters. Dale's dedication to his community and fulfilling the objectives of the Iowa Lions Club has made a lasting impact on those around him. Although Dale is no longer able to regularly attend meetings, his Lions Club membership remains active, and his community remains grateful for his service and continued participation. I consider it an honor to represent Dale Morse in the United States Congress, and I wish him the very best in his future.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the collective effort of citizens and officials in Hamilton, Boone and Webster Counties in rescuing two gentlemen from the flooded Boone River in Iowa. On Monday, June 9, at 2:45 p.m., Charlie Davis noticed two men floating down the Boone River. He quickly dialed 911 on his cellular phone and got through to the Hamilton County Dispatch Center. He relayed the message but got disconnected because he was in a limited cellular signal area. When Charlie redialed 911, this time he was connected to the Webster County Dispatch Center. As a result, Fire and Rescue Departments in Kramer, Stratford, Stanhope and Webster City, the Boone County Search and Rescue Team, Hamilton County Conservation staff, Hamilton County Chief Deputy Scott McConnell, First Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Mercy AirLife helicopters, pilot Ralph Storm, and others were all on the scene to help. As the two men floated down the river, rescue crews set up on the Stagecoach Road Bridge waiting for the men to float to them. After waiting for a period of time, Ralph Storm flew his spray plane up and down the river until he spotted them. Once spotted, the Boone Rescue Team; Brian Pontius and Dallas Wingate, were notified to put their boat in the river and then retrieved the brothers from the water at 3:50 p.m. The diligent team effort of all involved in this rescue effort is a testament to the bravery and compassion of Iowans; willing to do whatever is necessary for a neighbor in need. I commend all those involved for their heroism and cooperation. I am honored to represent each of them in the United States Congress, and wish each of them health and happiness in the future.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the retirement of Winnebago Industries Chief Executive Bruce Hertzke, and to express my appreciation for his dedication and commitment to his company and employees. For over 36 years, Bruce dedicated his time and talents to Winnebago Industries. A native of Lakota, Iowa, Bruce graduated with an associate degree in accounting and business management from Iowa Lakes Community College. He began as a line worker at Winnebago in 1971, and for the past 10 years, he served as the chief executive and chairman of one of the industry's largest and most successful RV manufacturing firms. With his many years of service to the company, Bruce provided a wealth of knowledge and experience to the RV industry. Bruce leaves Winnebago Industries, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary on February 12, 2008, in strong financial standing, providing a source of economic strength and security for the surrounding community. I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in commending Bruce Hertzke for his service to Winnebago Industries and the employees he served. I consider it an honor to represent Bruce in Congress, and I wish him and his wife, Jan, a long, happy and healthy retirement.