George Radanovich

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I am joined today with Congressmen Jim Costa and Devin Nunes to honor the life of Larry Shehadey for his dedication to his family, business and community. Mr. Shehadey passed away on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at the age of one hundred and two. The life of Mr. Shehadey will be honored on Thursday, October 15, 2009 in Fresno, California. Larry Shehadey was born on July 2, 1907 to Lebanese immigrants Salem and Sadie. He was raised in the foothills of Northern California. He never missed a day of school, although he did walk or ride his horse five miles one-way to get to school. His family moved to San Francisco, where he graduated from Polytechnic High and excelled in athletics. Upon graduating from high school, he became a salesman in San Francisco and married Elayne. In 1951, Mr. Shehadey bought a controlling interest in Producer's Dairy and moved his family to Fresno, California. When he became involved with Producer's, the company was one of over seventy dairies in the Fresno area; however, through creative marketing Producer's became the top dairy in just three years. He was innovative and always looking for a better way to do things. He developed his own vertical integration system to make production more efficient. He also started his own herd and added acreage to grow alfalfa to feed his herd. His two sons, John and Richard, became part of the family business. Growing up during the depression, his goal was always to provide well for his family and to leave a legacy for them. He was also very involved in our community. Mr. Shehadey was generous in giving and donated to Fresno hospitals, Fresno City College and possibly his largest contribution was to California State University, Fresno. He donated to CSU Fresno through his support of the Craig School of Business, the Jordan College of Agricultural Science and Technology and the athletics department. He was honored by CSU Fresno when they named a clock tower after him. After sixty-three years of marriage, Mrs. Shehadey passed away. Mr. Shehadey is survived by his two sons, John and his wife Mary, and Richard and his wife Sue; eight grandchildren, eighteen great grandchildren and two nephews. Madam Speaker, we rise today to posthumously honor Larry Shehadey. I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring his life and wishing the best for his family.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Junior League of Fresno upon 50 years of community service to Fresno County. The Junior League of Fresno will celebrate their 50th anniversary on Saturday, October 10, 2009, in Fresno, California. In 1948, the Service League of Fresno was established and in 1959 it was accepted into the Association of Junior Leagues International, Incorporated, and became the Junior League of Fresno. The organization was created as a way for women to promote volunteerism, develop the potential of women and to improve the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Each year the Junior League of Fresno with hundreds of active and sustaining members, contributes over 20,000 hours of volunteer service toward community efforts. Over the years the league has successfully met the needs of many in the community. The league members research, develop, manage and support projects with community partners in the Fresno region where current needs are unmet and existing resources are minimal. Trained volunteers are matched with specific community needs, which has led to successful partnerships with many organizations such as Break the Barriers, Children's Hospital Central California, the Discovery Center, Firefighters Creating Memories, Fresno Art Museum, Marjoree Mason Center, and the Sanctuary Youth Center. By educating, training and creating a hands-on experience for the volunteers, the Junior League of Fresno has contributed over 1 million hours of service in the community and has raised over $3 million for community projects for children, health care issues, social services, education, women's issues, and cultural arts. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Junior League of Fresno for 50 years of service to the Fresno community. I encourage my colleagues to join me in wishing the league many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Break the Barriers upon celebrating its 25th anniversary. The organization's anniversary will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 21, 2009, in Fresno, CA. Ken and Carnie Mullen, Ice Capades performers, had two daughters, Deby and Kathy. Deby was a phenomenal athlete, and at the age of ten began taking gymnastics at the Fresno Gymnastics Club. By the time Deby was sixteen, she had become a regional, state and national gymnastics champion. Kathy also excelled in gymnastics. Although she was born with Down Syndrome, she was able to emulate Deby and competed in the Special Olympics. Deby was beginning to look toward international competition when her gymnastics dreams were cut short by a devastating ankle injury. The injury did not stop her love for the sport. Inspired by her sister Kathy, Deby recognized her calling and began to coach adults who had different physical, neurological and mental abilities. Deby married Steve Hergenrader, a former New York Yankees baseball player. The couple worked on Steve's grandfather's 20-acre grape vineyard and started a club called, The Tri-City Olympiads. Eventually, they created the Fresno District Special Olympics Gymnastics Program. Deby and Steve moved away from the family vineyard and found a house that was large enough to house a dance studio inside and gymnastics equipment in the back yard, including old bed mattresses, a trampoline, balance beam, and a vaulting horse with a spring board. This new enterprise was Gymnastics by Deby. After many years of working with people with various abilities, Deby began to recognize that the barriers that separate one person's ability from another is the lack of opportunity to do anything in common together. Through Deby and Steve's integrated sports and performing arts classes, the students found common ground. The students began learning from one another and all of the students were successful. Without any advertising, the combined classes grew to include 200 children from the age of 3 through adult. A survey conducted of local dance studios, gyms, self-defense classes and baton twirling studios determined that there were no successful programs that integrated students of various abilities. With this knowledge, student's parents helped to form a board of directors and Break the Barriers was created. The organization was officially incorporated as a nonprofit in October 1985, with the mission to ``Break all barriers experienced by people with different abilities.'' In 1987 the performing group, the Barrier Breakers, was established. The team is a combination of performers, each with amazing abilities, and range in age from 6 to adult. There are currently 58 performers on the team and they perform around the world. There are over 3,000 students that participate in the programs including aquatics, dance, gymnastics, martial arts and sign language. Break the Barriers also provides a buddy program, day camps and health and fitness classes. The programs are made up of students from eight different school districts. Today at Break the Barriers Steve and Deby, along with their children Jared and Tyler, continue to be dedicated to their original purpose; to break down barriers through a common purpose. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Break the Barriers on 25 years of breaking all barriers and allowing people with different abilities to perform together. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Break the Barriers many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Phillip Malik. Mr. Malik passed away on October 8, 2009, at the age of 94. His life was remembered by friends and family on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. Phillip Malik was born January 1, 1915, in a region of Iran known as Urmia, in the small village of Gengachi. His father was a leader in the village, which was being pursued by marauders with intentions of persecuting all villagers based on their Christian beliefs. They would eventually end their journey in Habbaniya near Baghdad, Iraq. As a young man he survived the Assyrian Genocide and was a manager of the British Officers Club in Baghdad. Mr. Malik set his eyes on the United States, and in 1953 he settled in Chicago, Illinois. Five months later his wife, Maria, and their five children joined him in the United States. They did not like the cold of Chicago, and with a short visit to San Francisco, California, they decided to head west. When he first moved to California's Central Valley, Mr. Malik worked as a janitor. In 1954, Mr. Malik purchased a 20-acre almond ranch in Keyes, California and later moved to a 40-acre almond and walnut ranch in Ceres. In the late 1950's he began a job selling Airstream trailers. Many years later he started his own mobile-home dealership and eventually branched out into real-estate development and farming. Today, several projects in the greater Modesto area are due to Mr. Malik's work. Mr. Malik worked 7 days a week; never wanting to rely on others to take care of his family. He believed in helping others, and sponsored 67 extended family members, and assisted about 400 people in immigrating to the United States. Mr. Malik was preceded in death by two children; Gina Marie and Don, as well as his wife of 65 years, Maria. He is survived by two daughters, Diane Pedota and Linda Glynn; three sons, Ron Malik, Bob Malik and Philip Malik Jr.; eight grandchildren and seven great- grandchildren. Madam Speaker, I rise today to posthumously honor Phillip Malik. I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring his life and wishing the best for his family.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, we are standing on the precipice of a major shift in this country's history. In less than a year, the Obama administration, working with the Pelosi Congress, has recklessly spent taxpayer funds to expand government to a level never before seen in history. The government is now more involved in our lives than I think any of us could have imagined. The result has been double-digit unemployment for the first time since the early 1980s. And now we are going to vote on whether the government should take over the Nation's health care system at a cost of $1.3 trillion and up to 5.5 million jobs. Despite all this, the leadership of this Congress has chosen to ignore the will of the people and say, America, you are wrong. We know what's best for you. Well, this bill is not what the American people want, and it certainly is not what the doctor ordered for health care improvement.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Robert Wample upon his retirement as the director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center and the chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at California State University, Fresno. Dr. Wample was honored on September 19, 2009 at a fundraising event for the Robert L. Wample Viticulture and Enology Endowment Fund in support of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. Dr. Wample served in the United States Marine Corps from 1962 until 1966. Upon separating from the military, he began his college education. In 1971, he graduated cum laude from the University of Idaho with a Bachelors of Science degree in Botany. While attending college he worked as a Research Technician for the United States Department of Agriculture at the Forest Service research center in Idaho. Dr. Wample continued his education at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he earned his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology. His teaching career began while in Calgary; while completing his Ph.D. he was a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University. After earning his Ph.D., Dr. Wample served as a Postgraduate Scholar for the National Research Council of Canada. In 1976, he moved to southern California to take an Associate Professor of Botany position with California State University, Fullerton. After two years, he moved to Washington State University where he was an Associate Professor of Horticulture and Assistant Horticulturist for nine years. In 1993, he became a Professor, Horticulturist and Viticulturist for the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Washington State University. In 2000, Dr. Wample found his way to California State University, Fresno. Over the past nine years, he has served as the Julio Gallo Chair and Director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center, as well as the Chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology. Prior to Dr. Wample joining CSU Fresno, the viticulture and enology had been operating independently of each other for fifty years. Under his leadership, the two programs were merged together to become the first California State University to combine the two research and academic programs. The merge has had great success, including the recognition of CSU Fresno as a global agricultural education prominence. Further, during Dr. Wample's tenure, the program has raised well over five hundred thousand dollars in industry funding for the research programs. Dr. Wample has served on a number of committees for the departments and colleges he has worked in. He has served on the Washington State Animal Damage Control Advisory Board, the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Leadership Selection Committee, the W-130/WRCC-17, organizing committee for the International Symposium on Nitrogen in Grapes and Wine, the National Grapevine Importation Program and he served as the co-chairman of the committee for the International Symposium on Wine Grape Irrigation. He is also involved with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society of Plant Physiology, American Society of Horticulture Science, American Society of Enology and Viticulture and the Northwest Chapter of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture. Dr. Wample's civic and community membership includes Rotary International, Prosser Wine and Food Fair Committee, Advisor to the Prosser Economic Development Association and United Good Neighbors. Dr. Wample has been involved with, and led numerous research projects, including research on specific physiological responses of a plant and agricultural advancements in machinery and irrigation. He has spoken at many seminars and given many presentations. Dr. Wample is published in well over two hundred journals, books, magazines, reports, abstracts, papers and publications. For his activities, inside the university and the community, Dr. Wample has been widely honored. He has been honored by the American Society of Enology and Viticulture, the International Symposium of Nitrogen in Grapes and Wine, the Second International Symposium on Climate Viticulture, International Conference on Crop Productivity and the National Research Council of Canada. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Dr. Robert Wample upon his retirement from California State University, Fresno. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Dr. Wample many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Oakdale Irrigation District upon celebrating its 100th anniversary. In 1853 miners built a small diversion dam off of the Stanislaus River, upstream from Knight's Ferry, and began digging a canal along the right bank of the river to their gravel works in Knight's Ferry. In the late 1850s, David Locke built a flour mill at Knight's Ferry. The mill was destroyed by a flood in 1862, but was rebuilt by David Tulloch in 1866. Charles Tulloch, David's son, assumed management of the mill and purchased the miner's canal and water rights so he could extend the canal and sell the water to irrigate six thousand acres near Oakdale and Valley Home. In 1887, the Wright Irrigation Act was approved by the California State Legislature and signed into law, giving water districts eminent domain rights, authority to issue bonds and to tax properties for the construction, maintenance and operations of irrigation works. In 1890, the Oakdale Irrigation Company began to work on an eleven mile long canal near Knight's Ferry. A few years later the Stanislaus Power and Water Company, headed by Mr. Tulloch, took over the irrigation company works. In 1909, Oakdale citizens held a town hall meeting to demand their own irrigation system; the land was surveyed and the district boundaries were established. With this completed, the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors authorized an election in Oakdale; the people voted 849 to 27 to create the Oakdale Irrigation District. On November 1, 1909, the Oakdale Irrigation District, OID, was formally established. In 1910, the OID partnered with the South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) to jointly purchase the ``Tulloch System'' for six hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The two districts agreed on equal water rights, totaling over nine hundred second-feet of natural flow diversion. Since 1912, the OID and the SSJID have jointly constructed five dams on the Stanislaus River. The first was Goodwin Dam constructed at a cost of $325,000. The Melones Dam was completed in 1926, providing 112,500 acre-feet of water storage. Completed in 1957, the Tri-Dam project, including the Donnells, Beardsley and Tulloch Dams, added 230,400 acre-feet of storage capacity to the watershed and a combined power generation capacity of eighty-one thousand kilowatts. Along with these storage facilities the OID built approximately three hundred and fifty miles of canals and laterals to supply water to users throughout the district. Completed in 1984, the Sand Bar Hydroelectric powerhouse added over sixteen thousand kilowatts of power for the district. In 2004, the OID launched a major Water Resource Plan to study means to repair, rebuild, and modernize the old and outdated system. The plan's overall goal was to protect the OID's water rights while enhancing the system and improving services. The Plan has led to major rehabilitation efforts that continue today. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate the Oakdale Irrigation District on 100 years of development and service within its region. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing the Oakdale Irrigation District many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Phillip Short for his dedication to his family and community. Mr. Short passed away on Sunday, September 27, 2009 at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California. Mr. Short was seventy-three years old. Phillip Short was born and raised in Hughson, California and graduated from Hughson High School. He attended the University of California, Berkley where he played football and majored in engineering. After college, he returned to Hughson and began growing walnuts and almonds along the Tuolumne River for over fifty years. Mr. Short began his political activity within his community in 1967, when he joined the Hughson Elementary School Board. He served on the board for ten years. In August, 1977 Mr. Short was appointed to the Turlock Irrigation District Board of Directors. He was elected to serve on the TID board for eight consecutive four-year terms; serving over thirty-two years. During his tenure he dealt with droughts, floods, environmental rules and the expansion of the TID electricity system between south Modesto and northern Merced County. His position with TID allowed him to oversee recreation at Don Pedro Reservoir on the Tuolumne River. Over the years, Mr. Short was also a member of the California Walnut Commission and the Federal Walnut Control Board. He served as a chairman of the export and research committees of the California Walnut Marketing Board and served as president of the Association of California Water Agencies from 1993 to 1995. In addition, Mr. Short served our nation as a United States Marine Corp reservist. Mr. Short is survived by his wife, Kay, and five children. Madam Speaker, I rise today to posthumously honor Phillip Short. I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Short's life and wishing the best for his family.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. I realize that my friends in the majority like to trumpet the support of the drinking water title of the bill by the American Municipal Water Association, yet I want to provide my colleagues with the rest of the story. The AMWA is just a sliver of the regulated universe covered by this bill. There are three other groups that are much larger in terms of the number of facilities and people served. While the AMWA members claim to serve 125 million Americans, the American Water Works Association serves 180 million customers and 4,700 utilities. The National Association of Water Companies, or the NAWC, represents 22 million customers, and the National Rural Water Association represents 25,000 utilities. None of these associations has proclaimed their support for this entire bill. In my own State, the town of Modesto, and the Modesto Irrigation District, an AWWA member contacted me to express its concerns about the citizen suit provisions and the weak information protection and penalty provisions in this bill. They were also very concerned about the expense of the mandates that would be placed on them by this legislation. I want to remind my colleagues that drinking water treatment can be complex and is closely constrained by Safe Water Drinking Act regulations, production demands and customer affordability. Evaluating changes to water treatment must be thoughtful, must be technically transparent and fully consider all the alternatives available to the water system, as set out by the system operators and local officials, not some bureaucrat who is unsure what they are doing. I would have hoped that a problem-solving rather than politically motivated bill would be before us to address this matter. Because there isn't, I urge defeat of this bill.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, The Wall Street Journal ran an editorial on the Speaker's health care bill entitled ``The Worst Bill Ever,'' an understatement, to say the least. To quote The Wall Street Journal: ``Mrs. Pelosi's handiwork ranks with the Smoot-Hawley tariff and FDR's National Industrial Recovery Act as among the worst bills Congress has ever seriously contemplated.'' Let's make no mistake, the Democrats' government takeover of the health care industry is an attempt to finish what FDR and the Progressives could not, a cradle-to-grave omnipotent government. It will extend the recession just as surely as FDR's programs prolonged the Great Depression. The middle class and small businesses will bear the brunt of government's takeover of 16 percent of our economy to the tune of almost $730 billion in new taxes and an additional $1.2 trillion in new spending. One thing is for sure, Mr. Speaker, America is getting sick, sick of this Congress' government-knows-best attitude.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and honor both Kristine Walter and Darren Rose for their past and present role in Leadership Fresno. Kristine Walter is the current chairman of this worthy, community-building organization, and Darren Rose was elected the incoming chairman beginning in July 2010. The Leadership Fresno Steering Committee is comprised of alumni from previous Leadership Fresno classes. Kristine was president of Class 21, and Darren, District Director for California's 19th Congressional District, is in Class 23. Leadership Fresno has provided a place for community leaders to learn more about Fresno, network with other community-focused and concerned citizens, and offered innovative ways to work together to improve and change the greater Fresno area for the better. The vision and leadership provided by this noteworthy organization is influential and effective in building communities in Fresno. Each year, Leadership Fresno coordinates a two-day retreat in August and continues building into the leadership class all year through the completion of the program the following June. The program includes seminars and projects, all leading to the improvement of community problems and concerns. I am proud of the work done in the Fresno area by Kristine Walter in her capacity as chairman of the Leadership Fresno steering committee, and I am excited to see the work that Darren Rose will implement in the coming year. Please join me in congratulating both of these exemplary community leaders.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to the closed rule and passage of H.R. 2442, the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Expansion Act of 2009. My opposition to H.R. 2442 is not due to the projects authorized in the legislation--they are meritorious projects, worthy of consideration by this body. However, the San Francisco Bay area is not the only area in California that needs additional water. Only 2 hours away from San Francisco, California's Central Valley is literally dying of dehydration and yet this Congress has ignored every plea for help from the people of the valley and those of us who are fortunate enough to represent that region. The San Joaquin Valley is the fruit-basket of the Nation, producing over half of the fruits and vegetables consumed in America. Ninety-nine percent of all almonds and walnuts are produced in the Central Valley, while over 90 percent of tomatoes, pistachios, plums and strawberries are produced in the State of California. However, without water for the farmers the whole Nation suffers. Without California's agriculture production, there is a significant national security risk--we would be forced to import foreign produce that does not meet the same quality and food safety standards that California produce does. Because of radical environmentalists and the actions of Federal agencies based on unreliable and questionable science, the San Joaquin Valley is now suffering from a man-made drought. Hundreds of thousands of acre feet of water that was formerly delivered to the farmers in the Central Valley are being sent to the ocean in an attempt to protect a 3-inch minnow, the Delta Smelt. Ironically, while the restrictions on pumping are doing nothing to stop the declining numbers of Delta Smelt, they are significantly contributing to the declining number of farmers and jobs in the San Joaquin Valley. Farmers must come before fish. I offered two amendments to this bill which would have assured that the urgent needs of the San Joaquin Valley are met, through the Two Gates project in the delta and temporarily waiving the Endangered Species Act to increase delta water deliveries for storage in the San Joaquin Valley. Neither of my amendments would have authorized the spending of taxpayer dollars. Once again the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives denied these amendments, denying relief to the ravaged San Joaquin Valley. Time and time again during this Congress my valley colleagues and I have offered bills and amendments to address the government created drought in the San Joaquin Valley and time and time again we have been denied the courtesy of a simple legislative hearing, let alone a markup or vote. After so many attempts to save California agriculture, I am left with no alternative but to believe that the Democrat leadership of this Congress, under direction from environmentalists, is bent on destroying the largest economic engine in California. There is always a lot of talk about special interests controlling policy decisions in Congress, and I would be remiss not to say that the elite environmental community is one of the largest and currently most influential special interests around. They have worked very hard and spent a lot of money to ensure that a 3-inch fish has more rights than the farmers and farm workers in my district. To me, and any American with an ounce of common sense, that action is absolutely unconscionable, but apparently not to the majority of Congress. The water crisis in California must be addressed in a holistic manner and while I am more than happy to sit down with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to work on long term solutions to California's aged water infrastructure system, the people of the valley need help now. Therefore, I am opposing this bill because it contains $38 million worth of projects that benefit the San Francisco Bay area while denying projects that would not cost any taxpayer dollars and would benefit the distressed San Joaquin Valley. Mr. Speaker, for these reasons I oppose both the rule and the passage of H.R. 2442 and urge my colleagues to join me.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Richard Kuckenbecker upon being named by the Madera District Chamber of Commerce as a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree. Mr. Kuckenbecker will be recognized on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at the Fifth Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards and Installation Dinner. Richard Kuckenbecker was born in Sanger, California. At the age of five, he began to spend time in his father's business, Kuckenbecker Tractor Company. As a young man, he would assist by sweeping the floors, cleaning the lavatory and completing tasks that needed to be done around the shop. Upon graduating from high school, Mr. Kuckenbecker attended Fresno State, where he played baseball. Just shy of completing his Bachelor's Degree, he left school and returned to the family business. Mr. Kuckenbecker was twenty-one years old when he took over Kuckenbecker Tractor Company, he was the youngest tractor dealer in the nation. During college he met Lynn Bashian, and in May 1964 they were married and promptly moved to Madera from Fresno. Kuckenbecker Trucking Company has been in the family for sixty-five years. Since Mr. Kuckenbecker took the reigns the business has changed locations and expanded to include a dealership in Fresno in 1982. Mr. Kuckenbecker has always been dedicated to his community. He is a founding member and President of the Madera County Ag Boosters, serves on the board of the California State University, Fresno Ag One. He is a member of the Far West Equipment Dealers Association, National Association of Farm Equipment Dealers, Ford Motor Company Dealer Council, Madera Historical Society. Mr. Kuckenbecker served as a judge for the Fresno Bee Excellence in Business award. He has also won the Madera District Fair Blue Ribbon award. For his civic duty, he served on the Madera Planning Commission. For all that he has done for the community, Mr. Kuckenbecker was selected as the first Madera District Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Person of the Year. He has received the Fresno County Farm Bureau Distinguished Service award and the Fresno Bee Excellence in Business Award for Agriculture. Mr. Kuckenbecker and his wife Lynn have three children and five grandchildren, with another grandchild on the way. He continues to own and operate Kuckenbecker Trucking Company in Madera and Fresno. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Richard Kuckenbecker upon being honored as the Madera Chamber of Commerce 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Kuckenbecker many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Tom and Dave Schoettler upon being named by the Madera District Chamber of Commerce as a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees. They will be recognized on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at the Fifth Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards and Installation Dinner. Tom was born in Glendale, California and Dave was born in Fresno, California to Hal and Loretta Schoettler. They are two of six children; they were business partners, allies and friends. They both attended Madera High School and participated in athletics; Tom graduated in 1950 and Dave graduated in 1951. During high school Tom began working for his father at Schoettler Tire; this is where he met his future wife, Ila. He joined the United States Navy after high school and was stationed at Camp Pendleton. Tom was recognized with the Honor Man of Unit Award while in the Navy. He served as a Dental Technician and considered a dental career; however when he exited the Navy, his father needed him at the store. Tom went back to work at Schoettler Tire and is still working there today. After high school, Dave attended the University of California, Berkley. He received a Bachelor' Degree in Business and was a member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Dave married his wife, Dwynn and he entered the United States Air Force. He served as Captain of the B- 47 Bomber squadron. Dave and Dwynn were stationed in Homestead, Florida. Upon fulfilling his duty with the Air Force, he returned to central California to own and operate a tire business in Coalinga and on the central coast. In 1974 Tom and Dave became partners in Schoettler Tire of Madera. The business, currently in the third generation on family partnership, has changed locations a few times but it is still family owned and operated. Dave and Tom operated Schoettler Tire for thirty-four years focusing on the values that were instilled in them by their father: integrity, honesty and loyalty. These values led Schoettler Tire to not only be the largest tire company in the area, but a leader in the industry for excellence in customer service. Tom and Dave have been active in the community. Tom is a member of the American Legion, Italian American Club, St. Joachim's Church, Boy Scouts and the Knights of Columbus, where he served as Grand Knight. For his service he has been recognized by Heartland Opportunity. Dave served on the National Board of Tire Companies, was a member of Madera Elks, served as President of Phi Kappa Tau and was an alumnus of UC Berkley. Schoettler Tire actively supports and is a member of the Madera Chamber of Commerce and has received numerous awards in the tire industry for sales and customer service. Beyond the time that both men have given to the community, they have also both been financially generous to many local clubs and organizations. Tom and Ila have been married for fifty-six years. They have five sons, twenty grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Dave and Dwynn had been married for fifty years when Dave passed away in 2008. They have two sons, a daughter and six grandchildren. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Tom and Dave Schoettler upon being honored as the Madera Chamber of Commerce 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Tom and Dave's family many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Sheryl Berry upon being named by the Madera District Chamber of Commerce as a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree. Mrs. Berry was recognized on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at the Fifth Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards and Installation Dinner. Sheryl Berry was born at Dearborn Hospital in Madera, California to Bob and Merrill Howe. During her childhood she was surrounded by her brothers and cousins. Work and community service began at a young age for Mrs. Berry. At five years old, she became a member of Camp Fire and she had her first job at the age of eight, licking postage stamps at the family-owned business, TECO. She graduated from Madera Union High School and attended Fresno State. Mrs. Berry has dedicated her entire life to family, career and community. As a worker for the family business, TECO, she became known for her high business standards, strong sense of loyalty to the customers and further creating a highly successful business. After forty years, Mrs. Berry retired from managing the business, allowing her to spend even more time in the community and with her family. The Camp Fire experience was a lasting commitment for Mrs. Berry. She continued with the organization through her high school years. In 1971 she became an active member of Algeria Guild for Children's Hospital Central California, where she served as treasurer, secretary and president in 1976. She remains an active member of the guild and recently received her thirty-five year pin. As her children were growing up, they became involved with 4-H and Mrs. Berry was right along with them, as the boys began their own beef cattle projects. She served as the project leader for eighteen years in the areas of citizenship, cultural exchange, outdoor camping and sewing. Mrs. Berry also served as the 4-H Co-Camp Director for ten years. In 1985 Mrs. Berry became involved with the Madera County Historical Society, where she is the current president and has maintained that position for ten years. Through her involvement with the Historical Society, she became involved with the Madera Method Wagon Train. She has traveled trails with the Wagon Train through the Madera County foothills, to Stockton, California and to Houston, Texas. For her community activities, Mrs. Berry has received multiple awards and honors including, the 1987 4-H ``Outstanding Community Club Leader,'' Madera District Fair 1988 ``Homemaker of the Year,'' California State University, Fresno Ag One ``Women in Agriculture, Common Thread Award'' in 2000 and the Madera County Historical Society ``Presidential Fume Award'' in 2005. Mrs. Berry has a life long history of working to create a better community in Madera. Mrs. Berry has been married to Randy for thirty-three years. She has four sons and eleven grandchildren. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Sheryl Berry upon being honored with the Madera Chamber of Commerce 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mrs. Berry many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, Mr. Costa and I rise today to commend and congratulate David Borunda upon being named the ``2009 Businessman of the Year'' by the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Borunda will be recognized at the 21st Annual Central California Business Expo, to be held in Fresno, California on Friday, August 7, 2009. Mr. Borunda has been treating his customers to, as he describes, ``Mexican food with a passion'' in Fresno since he established Plaza Ventana in 1977. Plaza Ventana remains one of the most awarded restaurants in Fresno and enjoys the distinction of receiving the ``Best of Fresno'' award by Fresno Magazine and receiving ``The Central Valley's People's Choice Award'' awarded to Mr. Borunda by the Fresno Bee. With two locations in Fresno, Plaza Ventana offers an extensive menu and is considered one of the top Mexican restaurants in the Central Valley by residents and visitors alike. Mr. Borunda is one of the founding members of the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and he has served on the board of directors since the chamber was founded during a meeting in his restaurant at the original Plaza Ventana location in 1983. He has been very active in the community serving on the board of the California Restaurant Association of Fresno and as a member of the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Toastmasters. Mr. Borunda's steadfast commitment to the community has set an example for other business owners to follow. Through years of hard work and dedication, Mr. Borunda's investment in his business makes him worthy of this esteemed recognition. He has managed to stand alone as a family-run and operated business among many competitors and continues to put his customers first. It is for those reasons that we take great pride and honor in joining the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in recognizing David Borunda as ``2009 Businessman of the Year'' and we invite our colleagues to join in wishing Mr. Borunda much continued success and prosperity. Mr. Costa and I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Borunda many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Mike Purl upon being named by the Madera District Chamber of Commerce as a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree. Mr. Purl was recognized on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at the Fifth Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards and Installation Dinner. Mike Purl was born and raised in Madera, California. He graduated from Madera Union High School and earned his Bachelor's Degree in Communications from Fresno State. During his college years, he began to work at KFSN channel 30, the local ABC affiliate and had a part-time job in radio. Mr. Purl continued to work for KFSN for ten years as a producer and director of news programs. In 1984, he took over the family business, Purl's Sheet Metal, and has been managing the company since that time. Mr. Purl has always been an active member in the community. He was involved with many activities that involved his children, including the Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scouts, Future Farmers of America and 4-H. He is also involved with the Kiwanis Club of Madera, where he served as president from 1989 to 1990. Mr. Purl served on the board for Campfire USA, is involved with the Madera County Historical Society, Madera Method Wagon Train, Children's Hospital Central California, Madera Community Hospital and Madera County Arts Council. Madera has always been home to Mr. Purl and his family. He loves the small town feel that Madera has still today. Mr. Purl and his wife, Mickie, have three daughters, one son and seven grandchildren. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Mike Purl upon being honored as the Madera Chamber of Commerce 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Purl many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Kenneth ``Kenny'' Taylor upon being named by the Madera District Chamber of Commerce as a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award, Memorial Honoree. The life of Mr. Taylor will be honored on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at the Fifth Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards and Installation Dinner. Mr. Kenny Taylor was born at Dearborn Hospital in Madera, California, to Minnie and Marie Taylor. He graduated from Madera High School in 1968. He attended Fresno City College, and in 1970 joined the family business, Taylor Insurance; he later bought the company from his father. Throughout his career he was a trusted and respected professional. Mr. Taylor treated his business and customers with unquestionable integrity. Mr. Taylor was proud of his community and Madera High School. He was a member of Saint Joachim's Church, the 20/30 Club, Exchange Club, Kiwanis Club, Madera Babe Ruth, Madera Elks Lodge, Fresno/Madera Basque Club, and Madera Golf and Country Club. While active with the Exchange Club, Mr. Taylor created the ``Boy of the Month Award'' to recognize the all-around achievement of senior high school students in Madera. When the Exchange Club closed its doors, Mr. Taylor joined the Kiwanis Club and brought the award with him; he funded the program out of his own pocket. He attended as many Madera High sporting events as possible; he coached baseball and played golf. Once, Mr. Taylor attended a Madera High cross country meet and realized many of the athletes did not have proper shoes. Without a word, or attention brought to the situation, those athletes had new shoes provided to them at no cost. That was the kind of person he was. Madam Speaker, I rise today to posthumously honor the life of Kenny Taylor upon being named the Madera Chamber of Commerce 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Memorial Honoree. I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Taylor's life and best wishes for his family.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of an Armenian Genocide survivor, Mrs. Melena Boghosian. She passed away at her home in Fresno, California at the age of one hundred and three. A fifty-five year resident of Fresno, California, Mrs. Boghosian was known around the community for her amazing survival story during the First World War, when the Ottoman Turks massacred an estimated 1.5 million Armenians. Born in Erzurum Turkey, she fled her home as a young child after her parents and siblings were murdered, in an attempt by the Ottoman Empire to eliminate any Armenian presence in the area. Missionaries took young Melena to an orphanage in Syria where she lived for several years. During her stay at the orphanage, Melena began corresponding with her future husband Avedis Gegaregian. At the age of sixteen, she left the orphanage and married Avedis in Beirut, Lebanon. Shortly after they were married, the two traveled by ship to the United States and immigrated through Ellis Island in New York City. Avedis and Melena settled in Camden, New Jersey until Avedis' death in the mid-1950's. After the death of her first husband, Melena moved to the Central Valley of California, to be closer to family and friends. While living in Fresno, she worked in alterations at Berkeley's Department Store. She later met, and married, her second husband, Nooregan Boghosian, and they lived together until his death. Melena was an active member of the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church and a life long member of the Armenian Relief Society. She is survived by her daughter Jessy Shahbazian. Madam Speaker, I stand today to honor the extraordinary life of Mrs. Melena Boghosian. I invite my colleagues to join me in this tribute to this incredible woman, and hope that her legacy lives on for future generations.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Ross Thornton upon being named by the Madera District Chamber of Commerce as a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree. Mr. Thornton will be recognized on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at the Fifth Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards and Installation Dinner. Ross Thornton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In May 1964, Mr. Thornton moved to Madera, California to become the voice behind the mic at KHOT radio, a local radio station. In 1967, he went to work for CalFarm Insurance, and two years later made a career change into the medical supply business. In 1986, Mr. Thornton moved back into the insurance profession with Foster and Parker Insurance; where he still works today. Mr. Thornton has had a very successful career in the insurance industry. He was named ``Trustee of the Year'' in 2001 and ``Agent of the Year'' in 2003 by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. He is as successful in his commitment to the community as he is in his profession. Mr. Thornton is a long time member of the Madera Chamber of Commerce, where he has served on several committees, including the Ambassador Corps and the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast Committee. He has been a member of the Madera Sunrise Rotary for twenty-nine years and has maintained perfect attendance. He is the past-president of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where he also served on the board from 1986 through 1996. Mr. Thornton served on the Board of Directors of Madera Community Hospital from 1988 through 1994. He served for nine years with Valley Public Television Board, a seventeen year board member of the Darin Camarena Health Clinics, served as a Trustee of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors at the state level and is past-president of the Fresno area Chapter. He is a current member of the Madera Elks, President of the Board of Directors for Sherman Thomas Charter School and Vice-President of Valley West Christian Center Board of Directors. For twenty-five years, he has served as a Speech Judge for the Madera Scholastic Decathlon. Mr. Thornton was appointed to the Planning Commission for the City of Madera and continues to serve in this civic capacity. For his dedicated service to the community, Mr. Thornton has been honored by being named the 1998-99 Citizen of the Year by the Madera Elks and the Madera Hispanic Chamber's Businessman of the Year in 1998. Mr. Thornton has three sons and three grandchildren. His mother, Alberta, is ninety-six years old and lives with him and his wife Barbara, who has a son, a daughter and four grandchildren. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Ross Thornton upon being honored as the Madera Chamber of Commerce 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Thornton many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay honor and respect to one of my friends and heroes, Mr. Nic Fiore, who lived a full 88 years of life, and passed away on June 16, 2009 from pneumonia. Nic was a legendary ski instructor and community leader who taught nearly 140,000 people to ski at Yosemite's Badger Pass Ski Area. Nic served in several different capacities in Yosemite for 57 years after first coming to Yosemite in 1947 from his hometown in Montreal, Canada. Nic originally came to Yosemite for one season but fell in love with the crowned jewel of America's national parks and stayed for the rest of his life, building community, friendship, and family in the area. He is survived by his daughters, Cindy and Nicole, and eight grandchildren. In describing his experience moving to Yosemite from Canada in 1947, Nic said, ``I had never been in love, but the feeling hit me like a ton of bricks. Like a bolt of lightning. Right then and there, down deep, in the corner of my heart, I said to myself, `I doubt you'll ever leave this place.' And I never have.'' In 1956, Nic was named director of the Yosemite Ski School, and in 1963 he was appointed director of the Yosemite High Sierra Camps. During this time, Nic also managed the Wawona and Glacier Point hotels among other concession facilities. Many of the aspects of Yosemite and Badger Pass Ski Area that are most beloved by myself and families everywhere who have the privilege to visit and enjoy Yosemite National Park can be attributed to Nic's legacy. Nic was a visionary in making the Badger Pass Ski Area the family-oriented teaching ski facility that it is today by preserving old skiing tradition. I can attest to what Nic's Yosemite colleagues have said about Nic's generosity of heart, his ability to make everyone who met him feel as though they were his best friend, and his mastery of Yosemite. Nic had a special ability to share his passion and enthusiasm for skiing, and recreation with generations of visitors to Yosemite as well as the permanent Yosemite community. The list of Nic's accomplishments is long. In 2006, Nic was chosen by the Yosemite Fund as their person of the year, and was designated as ``Yosemite's Ambassador-at-Large.'' In January 2009, Nic was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame, an enshrinement award presented by the Sportsmen's Exposition. To be considered for this considerable award, nominees must have inspired thousands of Californians to take part in the great outdoors and must have taken part in an overriding range of adventures. I personally cannot think of a more qualified individual to fit that description than Nic. Nic held the position of executive director of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) Western Divison. He was recognized as the ``Most Valuable Ski Instructor'' of PSIA in 1971. Nic also received the ``Charlie Proctor Award'' in 1986, which honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of skiing in Northern California and Nevada. It is the highest award given by the Sierra Chapter of the North American Ski Journalists Association. Additionally, in 1987, Fiore was nominated for the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame, as well as received the ``Outstanding Contributions to the Sport of Skiing'' award. In addition to all of these accomplishments, Nic was also an author, writing a best selling book, ``So You Want to Ski'' along with a newspaper column titled ``Ski Tips by Nic Fiore.'' Again, Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of my friend and Yosemite community builder Mr. Yosemite, Mr. Nic Fiore. Nic will be missed by many. His legacy in the Yosemite community will live on, as will his passion and enthusiasm for the sport of skiing.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, if the need to reform our health care system wasn't so serious, the Democrat government takeover of health care might actually be humorous. It's laughable that their idea of ``cost-cutting reform'' is a bill that will increase the Federal deficit by $239 billion over 10 years and includes a $1.3 trillion spending increase. Only in Washington, D.C., does cutting costs mean spending more money. America's small businesses, including our Nation's farmers, are going to be hit the hardest by this huge expansion of government through billions of dollars in new taxes and mandates, and yet the bill doesn't even address the seasonal workforce that farmers rely on to harvest their crops. Once again, small business and rural America are swept under the rug and forgotten, but not before they get a huge tax bill. The bottom line is that the Democrats' public option is a sneaky plan to take over private health care. Mr. Speaker, get me a doctor. The idea of government taking over health care is enough to make you sick.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Albert ``Al'' Cosyns upon being honored as the Madera Chamber of Commerce 2009 Senior Farmer of the Year. Mr. Cosyns was recognized at the annual Senior Farmer Dinner on Thursday, July 23, 2009. Mr. Al Cosyns was born on March 12, 1925 in Southern California. After farming in Orange County, California for sixteen years, he decided to head north. He hitched his bean harvester to his truck and made his way over the Grapevine, finding his home in the heart of California, Madera. For fifty years, Mr. Cosyns has raised a variety of crops and has been finding ways to adapt to the new cropping patterns necessary to the longevity of a farming operation. Over the years they have farmed almonds, alfalfa, black-eyed beans, lima beans, barley, cotton, corn, grapes, wheat, safflower, soybeans, oats, sugar beets and sudan. Today, the Cosyns Farm is currently located on 2500 acres; with almonds and grapes at the heart of the operation. Mr. Cosyns' priorities have always been his ranch, his family and his community. Mr. Cosyns has always been active in the farming community and has served on a number of boards, including the Bonita Soil Conservation Board, the Sugar Beet Board and he has been a member of the Madera County Farm Bureau for forty-five years. He has also served as a 4-H Youth Advisor and is a supporter of the 4-H and Future Farmers of America Livestock Auction at the Madera and Chowchilla Fairs. Mr. Cosyns is the co-founder of the Madera Agricultural Youth Association (MAYA), an organization that supports youth in agriculture and provides scholarships to students entering college and pursuing a degree in a field related to agriculture. There are now four generations of the Cosyns family in Madera and Mr. Cosyns enjoys passing his knowledge and joy of agriculture on to the newest generation, his great- grandchildren. Mr. Cosyns along with his sons, Allan and Rick, and his grandchildren, continue the farming tradition with their strong leadership in the community. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate Albert Cosyns upon being named the Madera Chamber of Commerce 2009 Senior Farmer of the Year. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Cosyns many years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the devastating job losses in my district in California. This Congress, with the help of the Obama administration, has taken away 40,000 jobs and almost $1 billion of income from the great San Joaquin Valley in California in a foolish attempt to protect a 3-inch fish. The valley's unemployment now is at 20 percent, with some towns as high as 40 percent. Yet, the mere flick of a switch on the pumps in the delta will restore 40,000 jobs at no cost to the government. In addition to this careless disregard for the farmers in my district, the Democrat leadership is now ramming through a $1.2 trillion health care reform measure that will eliminate 4.7 million jobs, small business jobs, and subject farmers to $500 billion in new taxes. And let's not forget the $846 billion national energy tax that will result in a 2.3 million job loss and cause the price of everything on the family farm to dramatically increase. Mr. Speaker, where are the jobs? The Democrats are giving them to the little fishies in the San Francisco Bay delta. Go figure.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Chairman, I am using this opportunity to speak for the amendment that was previous because I was not able to get out of committee to come down for the debate. I want to rise in support of the Cardoza amendment. As you are well aware, California is in the midst of a devastating manmade drought. Any action to alleviate the drought faced by the San Joaquin Valley is needed. Facilitating transfers of water from areas of California that have water to spare and sending it to the wetlands in the San Joaquin Valley is a good start, but we must have increased pumping out of the Delta. I would like to commend my colleagues Mr. Cardoza, Mr. Costa and Mr. Nunes for their hard work and for their efforts in offering solutions to the drought in California. In the meantime, temporary solutions such as the Two Gates and the Canal Intertie projects are necessary to keep farmers in the San Joaquin Valley farming. These projects must be constructed and online by this fall in order to provide any relief to this terrible drought. The only way to keep the State of California strong is to change the water infrastructure. The California water system cannot continue as it is. If there are no changes, we will continue to see escalating unemployment rates of over 40 percent and the depletion of the agriculture industry.