E2296 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 20, 2008 

ago. But these activities alone cannot account 

for her years. That is probably why researchers are studying her life and genetics to unravel the secret. 

Although her mind and body are in good 

shape, Noemi laments the loss of her eyesight 

a few years ago. Until then, she was a sharp 

bridge player, ardent about the game and with 

an astonishing memory for the cards. Today, 

her memory is still quick as she talks about 

her life and her past. 

Born on September 28, 1897, Noemi Bernard grew up on a ranch in Oregon and later 

attended UC Berkeley. She became a history 

teacher and worked in various schools, 

marrying fellow teach Henry ‘‘Andy’’ Anderson 

in 1928. Shortly after their daughter Janice 

was born, she left teaching to take care of her 

home, including designing a new house for the 

family. 

Andy and Noemi led a full life in Hanford 

and also traveled a great deal. When Andy 

passed away in 1988, Noemi moved to the 

Bay Area to be near Janice and her family. 

Today she lives in an assisted living facility in 

Petaluma. Janice passed away in 2001. 

Madam Speaker, although we know we 

can’t all live to be 111 years old, it is fitting to 

honor Noemi Anderson whose life exemplifies 

for us the benefits of living with enthusiasm 

and grace. I hope she will have many more 

birthdays to celebrate. 

f 

CONGRESS HOLDS AN EXHIBITION 

OF THE ARTWORK OF DR. 

YUHUA WANG 

HON. CORRINE BROWN OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam 

Speaker, on November 13th at the Capitol in 

Washington DC, several Members of Congress and the Congressional Arts Caucus held 

an exhibition of the artwork of Professor 

Yuhua Wang and an official reception honoring her. The exhibition hall was crowded 

with people, including numerous officials and 

dignitaries. Many Members of Congress, council members of the District of Columbia, ambassadors, and diplomats came to appreciate 

the exhibits on display. They praised the 

beauty of the artwork as being beyond imagination and praised Dr. Wang for bringing the 

light of beautiful art into the Capitol. Even after 

the exhibition ended, there were still Members 

of Congress who came to the exhibition hoping to view Dr. Wang’s works of art. 

Professor Wang personally attended the official reception in her honor. The hall was filled 

to capacity, making it a very grand occasion. 

Members of Congress and members of the 

Congressional Arts Caucus added their support by signing and presenting certificates of 

commendation. During the official reception, 

Members of Congress gave speeches expressing their respect for Professor Yuhua 

Wang. They praised Professor Wang for her 

outstanding contributions to world color painting, sculpture, oriental arts, and the development of cultural exchange. A Congressional 

Commendation stated that Professor Wang is 

a selfless person whose moral character is 

noble. It also stated that through her practice 

of Buddhism, she benefits humanity and all living beings. Members of Congress who initiated the exhibition proudly presented that 

Congressional Commendation to Professor 

Wang as a symbol of appreciation and gratitude for her service to America and humanity. 

The Mayor of Washington DC, Adrian M. 

Fenty, presented to Professor Wang a certificate welcoming the exhibition of her artwork in 

the Nation’s Capital and welcoming her to visit 

the entire area of Washington DC. Members 

of Congress who initiated and held this art exhibition included CORRINE BROWN, DANNY

DAVIS, ELIOT L. ENGEL, ADAM SCHIFF, NEIL

ABERCROMBIE, CHAKA FATTAH, DAVID WU, and 

others. 

The exhibition displayed four of Professor 

Wang’s hand-sculpted faux coral painted in oil 

colors. Those works are entitled ‘‘Glamour in 

Pink,’’ ‘‘Arching Branches,’’ ‘‘Parched Antiquity,’’ and ‘‘Cinnabar Nectar.’’ Another exhibit 

is called ‘‘Seventy-Seven Stones,’’ which are 

exquisitely hand-sculpted and painted faux 

cobblestones. Additionally displayed were 10 

ink-wash paintings called ‘‘Spiritual Air,’’ ‘‘The 

Appeal of Lotuses,’’ ‘‘Two Chicks Under the 

Wool Tree,’’ ‘‘Ink Alone Excels Nature,’’ ‘‘Auspicious Atmosphere at the Lotus Pond,’’ 

‘‘Light, Elegant Ink; Three Lovely Flowers,’’ 

‘‘Yuhua,’’ ‘‘Lotus Fragrance Blown by the 

Wind,’’ ‘‘Golden Lotuses,’’ and ‘‘A Bit of 

Charming Autumn Scenery.’’ The three oil 

paintings on exhibition were ‘‘Flying Object in 

the Night,’’ ‘‘Heavenly World,’’ and ‘‘Exuberant 

Life.’’ All of these exhibits were authentic, and 

most of them were chosen by International 

Arts Publishing to be included in the book 

World’s Highest-Level Color Paintings and InkWash Paintings—the Art of Professor Yuhua 

Wang. At the exhibition, news reporters asked 

Professor Yuhua Wang which one of the 

works of art that she created is her favorite. 

Her answer, which she gave without hesitation, has profound meaning. She said, 

‘‘Whichever work of art is everyone’s favorite 

is my favorite work of art!’’ 

Dr. Yuhua Wang was born in China and 

permanently resides in the U.S. She is currently a research professor at the College of 

Liberal Arts at Auburn University in Georgia. 

She has been highly commended by the president and vice-president of Auburn University 

and by the dean of the college where she is 

a visiting professor for her achievements in 

the study of colors. 

Professor Wang’s hand-sculpted faux coral 

on which she painted oil colors are even more 

genuine-looking and more beautiful in form 

and color than real coral found at the bottom 

of the sea or on islands. Such works of art are 

many times more beautiful than natural coral 

and have become rare artistic treasures. It is 

no wonder that her art is regarded as ‘‘treasures of the world.’’ 

The cobblestones that Professor Yuhua 

Wang hand-sculpted from light-weight material 

and painted are exquisite and were made with 

meticulous attention to detail. These intriguingly and unpredictably varied faux cobblestones are not only genuine-looking, they are 

even more beautiful than real cobblestones. 

Their spots, streaks, watermarks, weathered 

appearance, reflecting light, and hues are all 

lifelike and exquisite. In all of their myriad variations, these cobblestones capture the spirit 

and form of real cobblestones yet surpass the 

beauty of natural ones. None of her cobblestones duplicates any other cobblestone in 

form, lines, color, or extent of weathered or 

aged appearance. Each cobblestone is in and 

of itself a meticulously and realistically painted 

work of art. Just like Leonardo da Vinci’s 

Mona Lisa and Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflower 

Paintings, Dr. Wang’s oil painting on these 

cobblestones has been called wondrous color 

application and the most superb art in the 

world. 

The ink and wash paintings of Professor 

Wang are boldly arranged yet lack the slightest trace of affectation. They have an air of 

ease and smoothness and convey a sense of 

complete naturalness. They express loftiness 

and broadmindedness and are imbued with 

deep charm and liveliness. Those works of art 

by Professor Wang can indeed be called ink 

and wash paintings of the highest order. 

The modern paintings of Dr. Wang have a 

unique style to them. Their lines flow smoothly 

and freely. Their diverse and unpredictable 

color combinations can express bold intensity, 

overflowing enthusiasm, traditional elegance, 

inspiring vitality, rustic charm, or majestic 

splendor. Those paintings are truly a feast for 

the eyes. Deeply embedded within them are 

feelings and wondrous skills. Her modern 

paintings are very sophisticated and should be 

carefully viewed. Actually, a magnifying glass 

would reveal that each of the many different 

parts that make up one of her modern paintings is a work of art in and of itself with its 

own unending appeal. 

f 

EMERGENCY ECONOMIC 

STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008 

SPEECH OF

HON. BETTY McCOLLUM OF MINNESOTA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam 

Speaker, I rise in support of the inclusion of 

the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental 

Health and Addition Equity Act in H.R. 1424, 

and I congratulate my friend and colleague, 

Congressman JIM RAMSTAD, for this achievement. Without his courage and dedication to 

fairness, this bill would not be before us today. 

It is long past time that American families 

have access to the care they need. This bill 

ends discrimination against patients seeking 

treatment for mental illness or addiction by requiring that benefits that are offered for physical health are also available for mental health. 

Mental illness left untreated affects all facets 

of our society and costs our economy over 

$150 billion annually. Mental illness affects 50 

percent of the homeless population in Minnesota, 70 percent of those in our juvenile justice system, and those with the highest unemployment rates. Health care costs double 

when diabetes and heart disease patients 

have co-morbid depression, and patients with 

mental illness and substance abuse disorders 

are often less responsive to treatment. In addition, the burden that mental illness places 

upon the health and productivity of our nation 

has long been underestimated. One in five 

adults and one in ten children have a mental 

illness. And over one-third of our returning 

service members from Iraq and Afghanistan 

suffer from mental health problems. 

We have all been affected in some way— 

ourselves, a family member, a friend or colleague—by mental health or substance abuse. 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REMARKS
November 20, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2297 

This is an issue I hear about in my district a 

lot, both from those inspired by Senator Wellstone’s passion for this issue and those willing 

to share their stories to make change. 

We all know the current system is unfair. 

People should not have to forego essential 

treatment because of cost when care could 

mean improvements to their quality of life and 

productivity. 

Parents should not end up with an emergency room bill they can’t pay because they 

rushed their daughter to the hospital after a 

suicide attempt, or watch their child suffer 

after being released from a residential center 

because insurance coverage ended—not because his treatment was over. 

And our servicemen and women returning 

from Iraq should not be handed a 1-800 number to treat a mental illness. 

As we look to reform our health care system, mental health and physical care can no 

longer be looked at as separate entities. It is 

morally right, and good for both our economy 

and our health care system. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back my 

time. 

f 

HONORING SPIKE O’DELL ON HIS 

RETIREMENT FROM WGN RADIO 

HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. LIPINSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to honor Spike O’Dell, retiring host of the 

Spike O’Dell program on WGN Radio in Chicago. Spike has brought his unique style of 

humor and knowledge to countless 

Chicagoans every morning for the past two 

decades. I have appeared on his morning 

show numerous times, and I can honestly say 

that it has been a pleasure working with Spike 

and his staff, especially his producer Jim 

Wiser. Spike will be sorely missed on the 

radio by all in Chicagoland. 

A native of East Moline, Illinois, Spike graduated from York College in Nebraska before 

obtaining his certificate in broadcasting from a 

local vocational school. His first radio job was 

at WEMO in his home town of East Moline, Illinois, before moving on to KSTT in Davenport, Iowa. Next, he moved to WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina, then on to KIIK back in 

Davenport, Iowa. Spike’s big break came in 

1987 when he was offered the afternoon show 

on WGN Radio in Chicago. He flourished in 

this role at WGN, garnering a loyal following, 

and in 2000 he succeeded the late Bob Collins as the host of morning programming. 

Since his appointment, Spike’s show is consistently rated the top morning show in Chicago. 

The Spike O’Dell show did not just report 

the news, it was where the news was made. 

From exclusive interviews with everyone from 

entertainers to politicians, on sight reporting 

from across the globe and insightful editorials 

from Spike and a wide cast of contributors, the 

Spike O’Dell show was always both informative and entertaining. 

The self proclaimed ‘‘worst kept secret’’ in 

radio, Spike announced his retirement nearly 2 

years ago, telling listeners that on January 1, 

2009 there would be a new host for the morning show. While a successor has yet to be 

named, it is going to be extremely difficult to 

find someone as hard working and who generates as loyal a fan base as Spike. 

It is my great privilege to honor Spike O’Dell 

for his commitment to radio in Chicago. I wish 

the best to Spike and his wife Karen. May his 

retirement be as successful and rewarding as 

his show. 

f 

HONORING LINDA RAWLS 

HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today along with my colleague, Congressman 

MIKE THOMPSON, to honor and acknowledge 

Linda Rawls, who has been named the 2008 

Sonoma Treasure Artist of the Year, or simply 

the Sonoma Treasure, by the City of Sonoma. 

Each year the City’s Cultural and Fine Arts 

Commission selects one of the hundreds of 

artists living and working in the Sonoma Valley 

to receive this honor. Ms. Rawls was singled 

out for her decade’s long work in costume design. 

By one account, she has fitted and costumed the stars and extras of more than 132 

productions, including those of the Sonoma 

City Opera, the Sonoma Ballet Conservatory, 

schools plays at Sonoma Valley High and 

each of the grade schools, Vintage House 

Senior Center, churches and Hootchie Doo 

Productions, a community theatre group. Her 

talents have led her to create designs for productions in neighboring counties, including 

42nd Street Moon productions in San Francisco. 

According to Ms. Rawls, ‘‘Costumes have to 

do everything. A show can have no scenery, 

but with a woman’s dress or a man’s hat, you 

can decipher the time and place in an instant.’’ 

She calls costumes the ‘‘elemental scenery of 

a play, telling more about character and context than anything else on stage.’’ 

Ms. Rawls stumbled into her artistic calling 

26 years ago when the costume designer for 

a school opera in which her 8-year-old son 

was performing unexpectedly quit. She volunteered to step in and has been following her 

passion ever since. 

Her peers have acknowledged Ms. Rawls 

work by awarding her the Best First Day Costume Award from the International Gilbert and 

Sullivan Festival in Buxton, England in 1996 

and the Dean Goodman Choice Award for 

Outstanding Achievement in Theatre for Costume Design in 2003. 

Madam Speaker, Linda Rawls is a true artist 

in every sense of the word and it is appropriate that we honor her today as the 2008 

Sonoma Treasure Artist of the Year. 

f 

IN RECOGNITION OF COACH JIM 

BOEHEIM 

HON. JAMES T. WALSH OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. WALSH of New York. Madam Speaker, 

I rise today to pay tribute to Coach Jim 

Boeheim for helping to bring home a Gold 

Medal in Men’s Basketball at the 2008 Beijing 

Olympics, and for his decades of service to 

Syracuse University basketball and the Syracuse community. 

Jim Boeheim, an Upstate New York native 

from the Wayne County town of Lyons, began 

his career with Syracuse basketball as a walkon player in 1962. By the time he was a senior he had worked his way to being a co-captain and helped lead his team to the NCAA 

tournament for the second time in school history. After graduating from Syracuse, Jim had 

a successful pro playing career until he turned 

to coaching when he joined the Syracuse 

Men’s Basketball coaching staff in 1969. He 

worked his way up the ranks, starting as a 

graduate assistant coach to ultimately being 

named head coach in 1976. 

For 32 years Jim Boeheim has honorably 

served as head coach of the Syracuse University Men’s basketball team. During his tenure 

he has become one of the most successful 

and respected coaches in college basketball 

history. He has led all of his teams to a winning record, including 30 seasons with 20 or 

more wins. His 30–20 win or better seasons 

ties him with coaching legend Dean Smith for 

the most ever. Under Coach Boeheim’s direction, SU has made it to the post-season 31 

times, including 25 trips to the NCAA Tournament where they made appearances in 

three championship games. In 2003 Coach 

Boeheim led the Syracuse Orange to its first 

ever NCAA National Championship Title. 

With 771 career wins, Jim ranks 11th all 

time in wins among Division I head coaches, 

4th among active coaches. He is also the 

winningest coach in Big East Conference history, with 342 conference wins, which include 

five conference championships. In September 

2005 he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

In November 2005, Jim continued to add to 

his hall of fame resume when he was named 

as one of three assistant coaches for USA 

Basketball Men’s National Team for a three 

year appointment. His coaching expertise 

helped lead Team USA to an undefeated 

record in the 2008 Olympics, culminating in a 

118–107 victory over Spain in the gold medal 

game. Team USA’s victory not only brought 

home a gold medal, but it also restored pride 

and respect in American basketball, and Jim’s 

role in achieving both was instrumental. His 

role as part of the gold medal men’s basketball team gives us all another reason to applaud him. With his Olympic success, Jim 

brought a piece of Syracuse to Beijing and a 

piece of the gold back to Syracuse. 

Jim is someone that I have admired for his 

entire career, not only for being a great coach, 

but for also being a great human being. He 

has always handled himself with class, even in 

the face of adversity from critics, many of 

whom have never even played basketball. He 

has never looked for credit in his teams’ successes; he just goes out and does his job and 

does it well. I also hold Jim in high regard for 

his selfless contributions to his community 

through numerous charitable initiatives, including Coaches vs. Cancer, for which he has 

been a top fundraiser, nationwide, for many 

years. 

On behalf of the people of the 25th District 

of New York, I thank Coach Boeheim for his 

contributions to basketball, both at Syracuse 

and at the Olympic games, and for being an 

outstanding community leader. I also wish to 


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