Gregorio Sablan

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield at this time 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy), the chair of the Subcommittee on Healthy Families.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3353, the bill I introduced to improve the effectiveness of the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program in the Northern Mariana Islands and in American Samoa. I want to thank Chairman John Conyers, Chairman Bobby Scott, and their staff for their help in bringing this bill to the House floor. I also want to thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for their support for my bill under a suspension of the rules. Approval of H.R. 3353 would further our national policy to support a broad range of activities carried out by State and territorial governments to prevent and control crime, as well as to improve their criminal justice systems. Program funds are allocated using a formula that provides a minimum amount for each jurisdiction to accomplish these goals. The sole exceptions are the Northern Marianas and American Samoa, which are funded as the equivalent of a single jurisdiction despite that these two are two separate jurisdictions with entirely separate local governments, and each of those governments has responsibility for the same basic criminal justice system as any other State or territory. In the Northern Mariana Islands, this includes a system of district, superior, and supreme courts, a probation system, a prison for long- term incarceration, a juvenile detention facility, and programs to assist the victims of crimes. This is the same range of activities as is found in any other jurisdiction in America. Yet, as currently structured, the Byrne JAG Program only provides one-third of the base level of support for these activities that is provided everywhere else in our country. H.R. 3353 rectifies that difference. The result will be a more robust criminal justice system. For example, law enforcement officers have described to me the lack of resources or outdated equipment they possess for many years. In particular, one Captain explained that, ``[p]atrol vehicles are breaking down faster than we can get them out of the auto shops.'' It is my hope that law enforcement officers in Saipan, Tinian and Rota can have the necessary resources to carry out their duties without having to worry about what they do not have when they respond to a shooting, a robbery, or a domestic violence dispute. Adequately providing for our law enforcement officers is one example of improving our criminal justice system. Since its inception in 1988, the Byrne JAG Program has supported law enforcement officers, corrections and community corrections programs, crime victim initiatives, and prosecution and court programs in all States and Territories, but not to the same degree. H.R. 3353 will finally bridge that gap for the Northern Marianas and for American Samoa, helping to create safer and more just communities for all. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 3353.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1055, a bill to grant the Congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. The grant of the Congressional gold medal to this very distinguished ``Go for Broke'' unit is well deserved and the award is long overdue. The unit is the most decorated military unit in our Nation's history. In World War II this was known as the ``Purple Heart Battalion.'' I must admit that I have a personal attachment to the ``Go for Broke'' unit. Company E, 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, is now stationed in the Northern Mariana Islands and I was once a member. A further point of pride is that Echo Company was once under the command of the distinguished Senator from Hawaii, Senator Daniel K. Inouye. I support passage of S. 1055 and I say again that the grant of the Congressional gold medal to the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team is long overdue and well deserved. I encourage my colleagues to support S. 1055 and I thank Senator Barbara Boxer for bringing this legislation forth.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, as early as the tiempon Hapones, the Japanese times, in the Marianas our local women began to train as nurses. Nursing was one of the few professions open to women. But the realities of the work meant that only those whose hearts, minds and bodies were strong could meet the arduous challenges and discipline required. World War II opened the door wider. With thousands of military and civilian casualties littering our islands, the U.S. forces had to recruit nurses from the local population. After the war, the Navy, then the civilian administration, set up the hospitals and clinics; and these facilities, too, demanded nursing staff. Training was made available at a series of schools through Micronesia, raising the skills of our native nurses. From 1944 to 1978, some 250 of our local people found work in nursing. We, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, salute these nurses and thank them for their professionalism, courage and service. Madam Speaker, to begin the story of the pioneer, native nurses of the Northern Mariana Islands, one must go back to the late 1930s and early 1940s, to the tiempon Hapones or Japanese times in the Marianas. In those days nursing was one of the few professions open to our local women and so attracted attention. But the realities of the work meant that only those whose hearts, minds, and bodies were strong could meet the arduous challenges and strict discipline required. It is believed that Mrs. Rosa Blanco Camacho, now almost ninety, is the only one of these pre-war nurses alive today. World War II changed everything. The Marianas were the site of some of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific. After the invasion, the island of Saipan was a wasteland, littered with thousands of military and civilian casualties. Makeshift field hospitals were hastily erected, and young native women--and men--were quickly enlisted to assist military medical personnel in caring for the wounded and dying. On-the- job field training for these native nurses and corpsmen was the order of the day. Besides the challenge of learning how to take care of the wounded, these native recruits faced a more basic obstacle: they had to learn how to communicate in English. Few American servicemen spoke or understood Japanese, and few, if any, knew the native Chamorro or Carolinian languages. They faced tasks unlike anything they had seen before; and the hours were grueling. From Monday to Sunday the nurses worked on at the hospital sites. Only on Sundays were they packed onto trucks and allowed to return to spend time with their families and the rest of the civilian population, which had been gathered up by the military and encamped at Camp Susupe. When the war ended in 1945, the U.S. Navy built a permanent hospital on Maturana Hill, Saipan, where the native nurses were employed and which served both the military and civilian population. The Navy also built a leprosarium on Tinian with three native nurses. The U.S. also began to offer more formal training for the nurses from the Northern Marianas. Some of those from Saipan and Rota were sent to the U.S. Naval Hospital School of Nursing in Guam. When this training facility closed in 1952, those nurses who were in the middle of their studies were sent to the Trust Territory School of Nursing in Chuuk. Later, that school was relocated to Pohnpei, then to Palau, and then in the late 1960s to Saipan. The final move was to the Marshall Islands in 1986. Despite these frequent moves, over the years the Trust Territory School of Nursing graduated many students from all the Trust Territory districts, including the Marianas District. When the U.S. Department of the Interior assumed administration of the Northern Mariana Islands in 1962, the U.S. Navy closed its hospital on Maturana Hill and the native nurses who worked at the aging naval hospital gladly transferred to the brand new Dr. Torres Hospital on As Terlaje Hill on Saipan. Dr. Torres Hospital was a civilian-run, eighty- four bed inpatient and outpatient care facility where nurses could, with seniority and patience, develop a specialized practice, in surgery or obstetrics for example. The population in the Northern Mariana Islands was growing now and there was a corresponding growth in the demand for nurses. Health centers on Tinian and Rota had been built and were expanding. And public health dispensaries were opened in some villages on Saipan, all of them staffed by nurses. Nursing remained one of the few professions open to women. It still had its attractions: a regular salary, the status that the nurse's uniform conveyed. But at its heart nursing also remained--and remains-- grueling work that demanded strength of mind and body, an attention to detail and self-discipline. We, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, appreciate and salute the following nurses, who served from 1944 to 1978, for their professionalism, courage, and service: Dolores Reyes Agulto, Joaquin Santos Aguon, Jesus Castro Aldan, Jose Palacios Aldan, Josepha Castro Aldan, Merced Deleon Guerrero Aldan, Vicente Matagolai Aldan, Estefania Rabauliman Amirez, Dionisia Taitano Apatang, Lucia Villagomez Arizapa, Elena Camacho Arriola, Jesus Saimon Arriola, Magdalena Demapan Arriola, Maria Kokure Arriola, Maria Benavente Atalig, Maria Hocog Atalig, Rosina Ayuyu Atalig, Rosario Imamura Atlaig, Rosario Cabrera Attao, Teresita San Nicolas Attao, Rosa Litulumar Ayuyu, Carmen Nekai Babauta, Maria Lizama Babauta, Roberto San Nicolas Babauta, Urbano Crisostimo Babauta, Teresita Atalig Barcinas, Lucia Castro Barcinas, Sylvia Barcinas, Felisa Chargualaf Basa, Trinidad Arriola Benavente, Maria Attao Bermudes, Maria Pura Tagabuel Billy, Olympia Selepeo Borja, Petra Hoashi Borja; Rosita San Nicolas Borja, Alejandro Reyes Cabrera, Ana Torres Cabrera, Angelica Muna Cabrera, Anita Torres Cabrera, Herminia Pangelinan Cabrera, Jose Manibusan Cabrera, Magdalena Brel Cabrera, Maria Duenas Cabrera, Dela Cruz Cabrera, Victorina Bias Cabrera, Salomae Hocog Calvo, Dolores Benavente Camacho, Estefania Flores Camacho, Fermina Mendiola Camacho, Lucia Leon Guerrero Camacho, Namiko Ketebengang Camacho, Rita Duenas Camacho, Rosa Ada Camacho, Rosa Blanco Camacho, Ana Songsong Castro, Carmen Moses Castro, Daniel Pangelinan Castro, Loretta Mesngon Castro, Maria Manibusan Castro, Ruth Albert Castro, Taeko Elizabeth Kumangai Castro, Antonia Taimanao Celis, Maria Muna Celis, Rita Sablan Celis, Antonio Santos Cepeda, Juan Cruz Cepeda, Rosa Manibusan Cepeda, Ana Maria Gogue Charfauros; Ramona Seman Chong, Carmen Attao Concepcion, Irminia Benavente Cox, Conrado Deleon Guerrero Crisostomo, Ana Kokure Dela Cruz, Jesus Ogo Dela Cruz, Francisco Palacios Deleon Guerrero, Gustav Acosta Deleon Guerrero, Mariana Camacho Deleon Guerrero, Anunciasion Cruz Demapan, Justina Rdiall Demapan, Luis Cepeda Demapan, Micaela Sablan Demapan, Juanita Duenas Diaz, Maria Mendiola Diaz, Elisa Maratita Dim, Elizabeth Naputi Dudley, Ines Cruz Duenas, Margarita Attao Duenas, Monica Camacho Duenas, Estefania Atalig Dumale, Luis Osomai Elameto, Amania Mechaet Elidechedong, Vicenta Lizama Evangelista, Mary Farley, Rosa Tenorio Fejeran, Rosa Maliti Fejeran, Rita Castro Flawau, Lorenza Mendiola Garcia, Ramon Guerrero, Vicente Guerrero, Maria Esteves Halstead, Carmen Wesley Hamilton, Hasmid Haro; Ana Ogo Hocog, Felisisima Ada Hocog, Maria Ayuyu Hocog, Guadalupe Reyes Hofschneider, Maria Manibusan Igibara, Andres Taisacan Igisaiar, Lucia Seman Iriarte, Carmina Weilbacher Jack, Berthilia Camacho John, Ensel John, Engracia Aldan Johnson, Carmen Olopai Kaipat, Damiana Olkeriil Kaipat, Diego Litulumar Kaipat, Isaac Borja Kaipat, Natividad Dela Cruz Kaneshi, Ana Igisaiar Kileleman, Neiar Kolios, Violet Laird, Consolacion Limes Laniyo, Lourdes Olopai Laniyo, Mariano Repeki Laniyo, Maria Taitano Lieto, Teresita Pialur Limes, Hermana Ling, Daniel Mettao Lisua, Dionicio Mendiola Lizama; Joaquin Reyes Lizama, Juana Hocog Lizama, Maria Ada Lizama, Soledad Mesngon Lizama, Vicente Lizama, Carmen Mendiola Lizama-Torres, Susana Rogopes Macaranas, Vivian Nee Adamson Malmstrom, Magdalena Sablan Manahane, Milagro Hocog Manglona, Magdalena Manglona Manglona, Delfina Villagomez Manibusan, Donicia Rasiang Marciano-Hosono, Francisco Acosta Masga, Maria Cruz Masga, Nathania Maui, Martha Muna Mendiola, Bernadita Reyes Mercado, Juan Itibus Mettao, Likiak Kun Mongkeya, Lorenza Ilo Mongkeya, Carmen Santos Muna, Isidro Camacho Muna; Vicenta Santos Muna, Jose Naog, Isidro Nekai, Rosa San Nicolas Norita, Dominina Fitial Olopai, Gregoria Fitial Omar, Elizabeth Atalig Paeda, Maria Indalecio Palacios, Maria Taman Palacios, Milagro Sablan Palacios, Rita Taman Palacios, Dolores Cepeda Pangelinan, Jose Basa Pangelinan, Juan Basa Pangelinan, Magdalena Terlaje Pangelinan, Maria Aldan Pangelinan, Maxima Cruz Pangelinan, Paul William Perry, Rafaela Odoshi Perry, Maria Toves Quitugua, Remedio Naog Quitugua, Viviana Osomai Rabauliman, Casimira Manglona Ramos, Lourdes Maliti Rangamar, Dolores Cruz Rasa, Consolacion Sablan Rasiang, Fuana Remeliik; Angelina Sablan Reyes, Joaquina Pangelinan Reyes, Rosario Taman Rios, Maria Borja Roberto, Angela Muleta Romolor, Pedro San Nicolas Rosario, Rosa Benavente Royal, Takeshi Aloka Royal, Juan Satur Ruben, Vicente Faibar Rubuenog, Ana Ayuyu Sablan, Daniel Magofna Sablan, Dolores Reyes Sablan, Margarita Mendiola Sablan, Olympia Reyes Sablan, Ramona Cabrera Sablan, Rita Diaz Sablan, Rosalia Tenorio Sablan, Fidelia Sablan Salas, Margarita Villagomez Salas, Rosa Manibusan Salas, Isabel Manibusan San Nicolas, Juana Manibusan San Nicolas; Dolores Apatang Santos, Isabel Esteves Santos, Maria Camacho Santos, Maria Arriola Santos, Maria Luisa Duenas Santos, Martha Cabrera Santos, Carlos Rapagau Satur, Esteban Nepaial Satur, Guillermo Litulumar Saures, Lourdes Mettao Saures, Maria Benavente Sedmik, Antonia Rabauliman Seman, Isabel Jones Seman, Margarita Benavente Seman, John Frank Skilling, Teresita Wabol Skilling, Cresencia Maratita Songao, Francisco Maratita Songao, Mary Grace Lejjena Songsong, Maria Asuncion Stoll, Carmen Maratita Suzuki, Margarita Somol Tagabuel, Gisina Songao Taimanao, Gloria Ramos Taimanao, Marcelina Atalig Taitano, Sabina Rivera Taro; Lino Pangelinan Tenorio, Maria Hattori Tenorio, Natividad Cruz Tenorio, Rita Sablan Tenorio, Soledad Takai Tenorio, Elena Litulumar Teregeyo, Enriquetta Peter Teregeyo, Maria Reyes Thompson, Dirruchei Terry Tmakiung, Jovita Blanco Tomokane, Francisco Ada Torres, Maria Jones Torres, Elizabeth Sablan Torres-Untalan, Rita Songao Toves, Sophia Olopai Towai, Consolacion Faisao Tudela, Margarita Cabrera Tudela, Remedio Bermudes Tudela, Maria Salii Udui, Isabel Camacho Villagomez, Margarita Aquininog Villagomez, Josepha Arriola Weilbacher, Donicia Pialur Ythemar, Paul Joseph Ythemar.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to David Mangarero Sablan, who has served the Northern Mariana Islands with honor and distinction as a business leader, a community leader, and in numerous appointed positions for both the Commonwealth and the Federal Government. Mr. Sablan is of the generation born during Japanese times. But it was the coming of the Americans that coincided with his rise to leadership. At the age of 13, he was already chief telephone operator for the American military government, and by 30 in charge of Atkins Kroll company expansions throughout Micronesia, selling automobiles, insurance, and shipping services. In government service, David Sablan was designated by President Ronald Reagan to serve on the Northern Mariana Islands Commission on Federal Laws and by governors of our Commonwealth as head of the Planning and Budget Office. His commitment to the community is evidenced in his work with the Chamber, the Rotary, Make-a-Wish, and Boy Scouts of America. The Northern Mariana Islands salute David Mangarero Sablan. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to David Mangarero Sablan, who has served the Northern Mariana Islands with honor and distinction as a business leader, a community leader, and in numerous appointed positions for both the Commonwealth and United States governments. The son of Elias Parong and Carmen Mangarero Sablan, David was born in Garapan, Saipan on April 2, 1932, during the Japanese occupation of the Northern Mariana Islands. He attended the Japanese public elementary school from 1937 to 1944, when his life was disrupted by the invasion of American forces. David's family, along with much of the native Chamorro and Carolinian population of Saipan, fled to caves in the hills for protection from artillery bombardment and the battles being waged across the island. The family lived packed in a cave with 50 other civilians for three weeks with only sugarcane to eat. Once the fighting ended in September 1944, the twelve-year-old David was hired to be a messenger for the Supply Department of the United States Naval Civil Affairs. Barely a year later the teenager became chief telephone operator for the military government. And the young David got back to school, attending the Navy Dependent School on Saipan until it closed in 1951, then moving to Guam to complete his education at George Washington High School. David's first private-sector employment was with the Atkins Kroll group in Guam, where he was hired as a traffic clerk in the steamship department in 1952. He subsequently worked in the company's merchandising department and automotive department, rising to be sales manager. In 1961, David was hired by Bank of Hawaii as a loan administrator and was eventually appointed assistant branch manager of the bank's Guam office. In 1965, Atkins Kroll offered David a challenge that would lead to his return home: establish an Atkins Kroll operations base in Saipan with jurisdictional responsibilities for the Micronesian market. David successfully established the company's Saipan office, later branded as Microl Corporation in Saipan, and led the company's growth through the acquisition of exclusive Toyota distribution rights for Saipan, Guam, and Micronesia, and the further diversification of the company's business to include insurance and shipping. David remained with Atkins Kroll/Microl Corporation until 1979, when he accepted a job as an economic consultant to the Commonwealth legislature. In 1982, the Commonwealth governor appointed him Special Assistant for Planning and Budget. Later that year, David was tapped once again to return to Microl Corporation, where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer until 1986, when he retired after a total of 31 years of service. Also in 1986, David was designated by President Ronald Reagan to serve on the Northern Mariana Islands Commission on Federal Laws. After leaving Atkins Kroll/Microl, David moved to Modesto, California and established his own trading company to serve the Micronesian market. In 1990, the newly-elected governor of the Commonwealth appointed David to head the Planning and Budget Office, where he served until 1993, when he was hired to run a subsidiary of Tan Holdings Corporation, one of the largest privately-owned companies in the Asia- Pacific Region. David continues to represent Tan Holdings as the president of Century Insurance Company, Century Tours, and Century Travel; the vice-president of CTSI Logistics, Asia-Pacific Airlines, and Cosmos Distributing; and the vice-chairman of the board of Asia Pacific Hotels. Since 1968, David has also been a leader of the Commonwealth's tourism industry. He was a founder, president, and part owner of Pacific Micronesia Corporation, which owned the Saipan Beach Inter- Continental Hotel; a founder, president, and part owner of Tasi Tours and Transportation; a board member of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, and a long-time board member of the Marianas Visitors Authority. David's commitment to the development of the regional economies and business communities is similarly extensive. He was a long-time member and director of the Guam Chamber of Commerce; a long-time member, three-time president, and current board member of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce; and a long-time member of the Commonwealth's Strategic Economic Development Council. David is also a former member of the Rotary Club of Guam, a former president of the Guam Chapter of the Navy League of the United States, a founder and current member of the Rotary Club of Saipan, a director of the Make-A-Wish Foundation for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, state chairman for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, and district chairman for the Boy Scouts of America. His deep commitment to the Commonwealth and Guam communities has been recognized repeatedly over the years. Mr. Sablan has been named the Saipan Chamber of Commerce Businessperson of the Year, the Guam Business Executive of the Year, and the Rotary Club of Saipan Citizen of the Year. David and his wife of 27 years, Rita C. Sablan, are the parents of five children: David Jr., Victoria, Patricia, Stephen, and Deanna.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, Senora Escolastica Tudela Cabrera, more popularly and lovingly known as Tan Esco, is an icon to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands for her enduring entrepreneurial spirit and tenacity in overcoming adversity. Born on February 10, 1930, Tan Esco grew up during the difficult days of the Japanese Administration of the Northern Mariana Islands. Her father had to leave his young family and go to Palau, working in the phosphate mines there to earn money for his family back home in Saipan. Tan Esco attended a private, Catholic school, but later had to transfer to a Japanese school, where Chamorro and Carolinian children were taught the Japanese language and customs. Tan Esco remembered her Japanese teachers for their harsh manner in dealing with errant students and for the corporal punishment, which they meted out unsparingly. Despite such treatment, Tan Esco excelled at school. She was among the top ten in her class and was even put in charge of classes, when the teacher was summoned away. The attitude of the Japanese Administration towards the local Chamorros and Carolinians hardened even farther, Tan Esco recalls, with the onset of World War II. And when American forces invaded Saipan, the Japanese military treated the local people almost as if they, too, were the enemy. Tan Esco hid in a small cave with over 40 natives for 19 days, while gunfire and bombs raged around them night and day. It was a nightmare for the 14-year-old Escolastica; and the memories of the war remain fresh to this day, memories she hopes no one in her family will ever have to experience. After the war ended, Tan Esco worked hard to help her family rebuild their lives. With the knowledge of hairdressing she learned from an American lady and $500 borrowed from her father, Tan Esco opened Saipan's first beauty shop in the village of Susupe. The budding entrepreneur was only 19 years of age. Then her business interests grew. Within a few short years, she expanded into retail, becoming the first post-war shopkeeper to sell shoes and clothing. Tan Esco and her husband, the late Gregorio Camacho Cabrera or Tun Guru, next opened a gasoline station, began manufacturing charcoal, processing tapioca, and much to everyone's delight dishing up dessert at Saipan's first soft- serve ice cream shop. Tan Esco's lasting legacy to her island community, however, and the business that would even make her name abroad, was the bakery. She did not even know how to make bread, when she started. But with a little advice from her mother to get things going, and lots of help from the rest of the family, Escolastica plunged into baking. As always, Tun Goru was there by her side, nurturing his wife's enthusiasms and executing the business plans that she never seemed to run out of. The two would wake at 2 a.m. to bake and prepare food. They sold their goods from their snackmobile to the several hundred hungry students at Mt. Carmel School and Hopwood Junior High, who in those days had no school cafeteria. Tan Esco and Tun Goru also had a snack shop at the Saipan airport, which they would open when flights were arriving or departing. They baked 500 loaves of bread daily, delivering it Tanapag and San Roque in the north, often running out because of demand, but always assuring customers there would be more fresh bread tomorrow. And in the midst of all this activity, Tan Esco and Tun Goru managed to raise a family--13 children in all, who themselves quickly learned the lessons of hard work and sacrifice needed to ensure the survival of the family. All the children's tasks were either directly or indirectly related to running the family business, Escolastica's Enterprises. Admired for her work ethic and drive to succeed, Tan Esco also became involved in local politics and civic organizations. She was the first woman ever to serve on the municipal council of Saipan. She held key positions in the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, with the Saipan Farmer's Market Association, the Micronesian Arts and Crafts Association, the PTA committees of Mt. Carmel School, the Kristo Rai Church parish council, the Vocational Education State Advisory Council and other organizations. She participated in the White House Conference on Aging. And in 1991, Tan Esco accepted the honor of being the first woman grand marshal in Saipan's Liberation Day parade and festivities. Today, Tan Esco enjoys her days in full retirement, having handed over the reins of the business to her youngest daughter. Tan Esco reached the milestone of 80 years of life earlier this year. Her years of work have left her as vigorous and she could easily pass for a woman of 60. Tan Esco says she can hardly believe that she has lived for eight decades, marveling that time has flown so fast. Her husband Tun Goru passed away in 2006, but their 13 children, and many grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were on hand to celebrate Tan Esco's 80th birthday. Biba, Tan Esco, and dangkulo na si Yuus Maase. You are a living lesson to the younger generations of the Northern Mariana Islands. God bless.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor a woman of the Northern Mariana Islands for her enduring entrepreneurial spirit--Senora Escolastica Tudela Cabrera, more popularly known as ``Tan Esco.'' Born in 1930, Tan Esco grew up in difficult times during the Japanese administration and, as a teen, witnessed the atrocities of World War II in the battle for the Northern Mariana Islands. After the war, still just a girl, Tan Esco opened Saipan's first beauty shop. She then expanded into retail, selling clothes and shoes. She and her husband, the late Gregorio Camacho Cabrera, started a gasoline station, began manufacturing charcoal and tapioca, and opened Saipan's first ice cream shop. Tan Esco's true legacy, however, will forever be her bakery. People from all over the Marianas and from across the Pacific know and love the local Chamorro treats offered at Esco's, including bibingka, rosko, apigigi, and pan tuba. The people of the Northern Mariana Islands honor the many contributions Escolastica's Enterprises has made to our community. Perhaps her greatest contribution is Tan Esco's work ethic, her drive to succeed--a shining example to us all.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) may be recognized on the legislative day of Wednesday, September 22, 2010, to offer the resolution that he noticed on Thursday, September 16, 2010, without further notice under clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 2:30 p.m. on Monday next, and further, when the House adjourns on that day, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, for morning-hour debate.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1564) commending and congratulating Michigan Technological University on the occasion of its 125th anniversary.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 1564 into the Record.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my good friend the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak).

Mr. SABLAN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1564, which celebrates Michigan Technological University for 125 years of leadership and service in higher education. Michigan Technological University was originally chartered as the Michigan School of Mines in 1885 and was later renamed the Michigan College of Mining and Technology. The college was founded in response to the needs of the copper industry in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In 1964, as the school continued to expand its academic programs and student body, it became Michigan Technological University. Michigan Tech students and alumni hail from all 50 States and from over 100 countries. It offers 110 majors in 56 fields of study, and 83 percent of its students graduate in the high-demand fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. With over 7,000 students seeking baccalaureate, master and doctoral degrees and a budget of $55 million for applied research expenditures, the school has furnished vital resources for education, expertise and innovation to the State of Michigan and the Great Lakes region. Michigan Tech boasts several innovative programs to help their students prepare for careers in their chosen fields. One of these is known as the Enterprise Program. Founded in 2000, the Enterprise Program allows teams of students from different disciplines to work together to function as a professional company. Participating students work with local industry leaders to solve real-world problems, including the research and development of new technologies. Several programs have gone on to receive Federal grants and win international design competitions. Such programs, in addition to earning a ``high research university'' designation from the Carnegie Foundation, speak to Michigan Tech's commitment to institutional excellence. Michigan Tech students also enjoy a number of extracurricular activities. The campus has over 200 student organizations, a Division I men's hockey team and 12 Division II varsity sports teams. The college's women's basketball team has made the NCAA Division II Elite Eight each of the past 2 years. The graduates of Michigan Tech have long benefited the State of Michigan and the Nation and persistently advance economic development and entrepreneurship in their communities. Once again, I express my support for House Resolution 1564 and congratulate Michigan Technological University on its 125th year anniversary. I thank Representative Stupak for bringing this resolution forward. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I also urge the support of H. Res. 1611. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), a leader in education for all students, including Hispanic students.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1611, which encourages establishment of the week of September 19 as National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week. Hispanic-Serving Institutions are degree-granting institutions of higher education with a student population that is at least one-quarter Hispanic. In 1990, there were only 137 recognized Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Today, there are 268 such institutions, educating nearly half of all Hispanic college and university students nationwide. Overall, Hispanic students are more likely than their peers to face multiple obstacles in their access to, and completion of, higher education. They are less likely than their white peers to complete their bachelor's degrees due to issues such as poverty, immigration status, language barriers, family responsibilities, and the demands of part-time employment. Hispanic-Serving Institutions play a crucial role in addressing these issues and obstacles by providing the support services necessary to help their students focus on and complete their degrees. Hispanic-Serving Institutions provide opportunities for their students to get involved in campus and community leadership activities, and also work to prepare students for careers in a 21st century workforce by expanding the ranks of Hispanics in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Recently, the nonprofit organization Excelencia in Education began a national initiative known as Ensuring America's Future By Increasing Latino College Completion. This initiative aims to focus attention on serving Hispanic students by organizations, institutions, and policymakers, to delineate degree completion goals, and encourage Federal, State, and institutional policies which promote the success of Hispanic students. The initiative also aligns with President Obama's goal to increase our Nation's degree attainment by 2020. Over 50 organizations have partnered with Excelencia to support the campaign, including groups such as the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the Alliance for Excellent Education, and the National Governors Association. According to the United States Census, only 19 percent of Hispanics in the United States had earned an associate's degree or higher in 2008. In comparison, 59 percent of Asians, 39 percent of whites, and 28 percent of African Americans had earned an associate's or higher in the same year. A report by Excelencia states that 5.5 million Latinos will have to earn college degrees between now and 2020 in order for the United States to reach the Obama administration's degree completion goal. That means 3.3 million more Latinos will have to complete college than are currently projected. Our Nation's Hispanic-Serving Institutions will help us lead the way to greater access to and completion of higher education for all of America's students. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this important resolution and join me in recognizing the week of September 19 as the 2010 National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week and honoring the important contributions these institutions make to the education of our students. I thank my good friend Representative Grijalva for his leadership in bringing this important resolution forward. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 1611 into the Record.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1611) expressing support for designation of the week beginning September 19, 2010, as ``National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week''.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, at this time I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished gentlewoman from California, Madam Ambassador Watson.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I consume. I rise today in support of House Resolution 1480, which congratulates the University of Southern California's men's tennis team, the Trojans, for winning the 2010 NCAA championship. For the second year in a row, the number five seed USC Trojans triumphed over their opponents after another amazing performance and season that ended with a 25-3 record. Despite losing their first two doubles matches, the Trojans fought back in singles matches en route to their 4-2 championship victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, this year's number two seed. Recording victories in their singles matches were Robert Farah and Steve Johnson, with Daniel Nguyen and Peter Lucassen helping to cement the win. For his phenomenal efforts on the court, Nguyen was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. This victory is USC head coach Peter Smith's second national championship and the second time the USC Trojans have captured back-to- back championships--their first during their 1993 and 1994 seasons. Amazingly, this is the team's 18th national championship. Given their dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence, the USC men's tennis team has rightfully earned this latest championship title. Madam Speaker, once again I express my support for House Resolution 1480 and congratulate the University of Southern California men's tennis team, Coach Smith on his outstanding achievements with the team, and each of the Trojan men's tennis team players on this extraordinary NCAA victory. I want to thank Representative Watson for introducing this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 1480 into the Record.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, in the Northern Mariana Islands, as in the rest of America, baseball is the national pastime. And no single person in our islands' history did more to establish and maintain the sport of baseball than Francisco M. Palacios. Yet he did it without playing a single game. The American military brought baseball to our islands during World War II. Along with the rifles and planes came gloves, bats, and balls for the soldiers' recreation. Schoolboys and young men on our islands picked up the game naturally from the military. Then play became formalized. Teams were organized around neighborhoods, and the first league was formed in 1953. As a young man, Palacios would walk the 3 miles to Garapan to watch the Sunday afternoon games. He wanted to play but didn't have the skill to make the starting nine of his district team in Chalan Kanoa. So, sitting on the bench in the dugout, Palacios decided to contribute by becoming the scorekeeper. He learned the art of scorekeeping from a Navy man stationed on Saipan, and a look at Palacios' score sheets reveals a military preciseness and meticulousness. The system he used was invented a hundred years ago earlier by American Henry Chadwick, who is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Soon after becoming his team's scorekeeper, Palacios began keeping score for the entire league, and he remained the official scorekeeper for every baseball league on Saipan until his retirement in 2006--a span of six decades. Palacios, called ``Tan'ko'' in our vernacular language, raised over a dozen children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But he always made time for his duties as scorekeeper. Without a scorekeeper, there is no game; without a record keeper, there are no records. And baseball, more than any other game, depends on its records. The box score preserves a game for all time no matter when or where it's played. Season records give us a way of comparing players, even those who never played against each other. The records connect the past to the present. Thanks to Tan'ko, Saipan was the only island in all of Micronesia that maintained yearly statistics, season after season. Thanks to Tan'ko's dedication as a volunteer, baseball grew. Frank Palacios was there to help when Little League was first organized in 1973. Since then, teams from the Northern Mariana Islands have been frequent contestants at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania; at the Junior League World Series in Taylor, Michigan; at the Senior League World Series in Bangor, Maine; and at the Big League World Series in Easley, South Carolina. Players from Saipan have gone to play college baseball in the mainland. In 1994, the Commonwealth legislature recognized Tan'ko's contributions by renaming it's only regulation baseball field Francisco M. Palacios Field. In 2007, Palacios co-authored the book ``Saipan Baseball: From the Beginning,'' which included all the individual and team records from the inception of the Saipan Major League in 1982. Francisco M. Palacios has been voted into the CNMI Sports Hall of Fame. When his name came up for selection, there was no argument. He was selected unanimously. Tan'ko provided the solid, steady foundation for baseball to become Saipan's favorite pastime. And he did it all, not by hitting home runs or striking out batters; he accomplished it with his calm, dependable presence, sure knowledge, and selfless devotion. That is why he came to be a legend in his own time, in his own way, on his own island.