September 19, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1553 

A TRIBUTE TO JEANETTE 

THORSBAKKEN 

HON. TOM LATHAM OF IOWA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

recognize and congratulate Jeanette 

Thorsbakken on the recent celebration of her 

100th birthday. Jeanette celebrated a century 

of life yesterday, September 18th, 2012. 

Our world has changed a great deal during 

the course of Jeanette’s life. Since her birth, 

we have revolutionized air travel and walked 

on the moon. We have invented the television, 

cellular phones and the internet. We have 

fought in wars overseas, seen the rise and fall 

of Soviet communism and witnessed the birth 

of new democracies. Jeanette has lived 

through eighteen United States Presidents and 

twenty-two Governors of Iowa. In her lifetime, 

the population of the United States has more 

than tripled. 

Today, Jeanette resides in Story City, Iowa 

where she likes to spend her time playing solitaire on the computer and assembling jigsaw 

puzzles. Jeanette also greatly enjoys visits 

with her family and sharing stories of the 

many changes she has witnessed in her life. 

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to represent Jeanette in the United States Congress and it is 

my pleasure to wish her a very happy 100th 

birthday. I invite my colleagues in the House 

to join me in congratulating Ms. Thorsbakken 

on reaching this incredible milestone, and 

wishing her even more health and happiness 

in the years to come. 

f 

CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AND THE FIRST ANNUAL VIVA BREVARD FESTIVAL 

HON. BILL POSEY OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, on September 

15th families and businesses across the nation will begin observing National Hispanic 

Heritage Month in order to recognize the many 

outstanding contributions to our nation that are 

made by Americans of Hispanic descent. One 

celebration taking place in the City of Palm 

Bay, Florida, will be the First Annual Viva 

Brevard festival. 

Al Dı ́a Today along with local businesses, 

non-profit organizations, and residents of 

Brevard County will gather together on Saturday October 13, 2012, near the Ted Whitlock 

Community Center in Palm Bay Regional Park 

to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month 

with a day full of great Latin American cuisine, 

culture and entertainment. 

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month we 

also honor Hispanic Americans for their strong 

tradition of service in our Armed Forces. 

These proud patriots have fought in every war 

since our founding, and many have earned the 

Medal of Honor for their courage. 

Hispanic service men and women have 

shown their love for the United States by answering the call to serve, and we owe them 

and their families a tremendous debt of gratitude. Their patriotism and valor have added to 

the character and strength of our nation. 

The first Hispanic American to serve in the 

U.S. Congress represented Florida. Joseph 

Marion Herna ́ndez was born in St. Augustine 

when Florida was a Spanish colony. In 1822 

when Florida became a U.S. Territory, 

Herna ́ndez transferred his allegiance to the 

United States and was elected a Delegate to 

the U.S. House of Representatives serving in 

our nation’s Seventeenth Congress. He also 

served as a brigadier general and was the 

presiding officer of Florida’s Territorial House 

of Representatives. 

There have been many Hispanic Americans 

with notable achievements in science and 

medicine. The first Hispanic American Astronaut, Franklin Chang-Dı ́az of Costa Rican descent, earned his doctorate in applied physics 

from MIT and flew an astounding seven Shuttle Missions. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa was the 

first Hispanic female in space, flying four Shuttle missions. 

Hispanic Americans have been awarded the 

Nobel Prize for Physics and Medicine, the 

Medal of Honor; have won the Pulitzer, Oscar 

and Tony Awards, achieved sports fame, and 

have been inducted into the Rock and Roll 

Hall of Fame. 

National Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the spirit and accomplishments of Hispanic Americans everywhere 

and events like the Viva Brevard festival provide an opportunity to share and experience 

the diversity of cultures from Latin American 

countries and bring us all closer together as a 

community. 

f 

HONORING CONGRESSMAN JERRY 

COSTELLO 

SPEECH OF

HON. RUSS CARNAHAN OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 12, 2012 

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today 

in recognition of my colleague and Illinois 

neighbor Congressman JERRY F. COSTELLO for 

his tireless efforts in representing part of the 

St. Louis metro area in Southern Illinois. 

His 24 years in the House of Representatives have been distinguished by his exceptional ability to achieve and selfless resolve to 

advance our nation and our bi-state region. 

JERRY’s civic work began well before his 

tenure in Congress. This was apparent even 

in college, where his eagerness to serve the 

community he called home led him to divide 

time between his studies and a job as a full 

time law enforcement officer. He chose to follow this path after college, and his ingenuity 

and knowledge of the regional court system 

made him prominent throughout Illinois. His 

devotion, practicality, and unwavering focus on 

his community would see his election as chief 

executive of one of Illinois’ largest counties 

and eventual rise to Congress. 

His career has been marked by leadership 

and consistent achievement, particularly in the 

field of transportation, where his record is as 

extensive as it is impressive. In 2005, he took 

the lead role to secure $150 million for a new 

Mississippi River bridge as part of one of the 

biggest earmarks in U.S. history because of its 

classification as a project of national significance. He brought MetroLink to Southern Illinois, a new transportation network that has 

improved infrastructure and simultaneously 

boosted and connected the regional economy. 

I have been proud to serve alongside Congressman COSTELLO on the Transportation 

and Infrastructure Committee and the Science 

Committee and I know all his colleagues on 

both sides of the aisle will deeply miss his 

leadership and knowledge. Furthermore, his 

constituents will miss his devotion to improving 

their lives, creating jobs, and bettering the region’s infrastructure. 

JERRY’s accomplishments exemplify his 

commitment to issues ranging from safety to 

poverty, from the economy to defense. His efforts have benefitted not just his district, but 

the nation as a whole. Beginning in 1995, for 

example, JERRY undertook a decade-long endeavor to save Illinois’ Scott Air Force Base 

from closure. Continuous efforts to improve 

base facilities and funding to keep it off the 

closure list eventually prevailed. The Air Force 

base is now one of the largest employers in 

the St. Louis region and ranks among the nation’s most important with the operation of the 

Air Mobility Command. 

As the Chairman and Ranking Member of 

the House Aviation Subcommittee, he has led 

the effort to modernize our aviation system 

and helped pass a bill this year that secured 

the place of our aviation system as the best 

and safest in the world for years to come. 

Several years later, he helped write the Airline 

Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 

2009. The bill requires pilots to now log more 

hours and undergo more rigorous training before being able to pilot commercial airplanes. 

This coming January, my good friend JERRY

will be retiring. 

His decades of service have provided Illinois, the St. Louis bi-state region, and Congress a guiding voice that will be sorely 

missed. He retires with a legacy that the next 

generation of American leaders should hope 

to emulate. 

I have been proud to serve alongside JERRY

in Congress, serving the same region, and 

serving on two committees together. I have 

seen firsthand the incredible work he has 

done, and the stamp he has left on this place 

and the impression he has made on all of us 

who have had the good fortune to work alongside him. While JERRY will no longer be in 

Congress, I have no doubt that he will continue to serve his community and his country. 

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating JERRY COSTELLO on a successful career 

and wishing him and his family all the best as 

he retires. Thank you, J

f 

ERRY. 

RECOGNIZING SONIA GUTIERREZ 

HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

ask the House of Representatives to join me 

in recognizing the many accomplishments and 

contributions of Sonia Gutierrez, who for 40 

years has served the residents of the District 

of Columbia with passion and dedication as 

one of this city’s most productive and prominent education leaders and one of its most 

distinguished leaders. Mrs. Gutierrez, a talented institution builder, is best known as the 

founder and president of the Carlos Rosario 


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