E2298 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 20, 2008 

thank Jim’s wife Juli and his children for sharing him with us for all these years. Thank you 

Jim for your service and congratulations on all 

of your success. Best of luck in the upcoming 

season; I know you and your team will continue to make us proud. 

f 

DANIEL WILLIAM BYRNE 

HON. JOHN T. DOOLITTLE OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. DOOLITTLE. Madam Speaker, on October 5, 2008, Daniel William Byrne passed 

away at his home in Tulelake, CA with his 

wife, Geri, and his family at his side. Dan was 

one of the finest stewards of our great natural 

resources that I have ever known, and his 

contributions to northern California’s agricultural community will be sorely missed. 

Dan was born on Sept. 19, 1954, in Klamath Falls, Ore., to Robert A. Byrne and Elizabeth (Betty Lou) Byrne (Dalton) Shirley. He attended Newell Elementary School and graduated from Bellarmine College Prep in San 

Jose in 1972, then earned his Bachelor of 

Science degree in farm management from 

California Polytechnic State University in San 

Luis Obispo in 1977. While at Cal Poly, he 

met his future wife and partner, Geri Bielar, 

whom he married in 1978. 

Dan returned home after graduation and operated the family ranch with his father and his 

brothers. He demonstrated remarkable intelligence and earned respect as a rancher who 

took great pride in running cattle while also 

working in partnerships to improve stewardship of the land. He and his brother, Mike, 

were awarded the Society for Range Management California Section Award in Excellence in 

Range Management in 1968 as well as the 

conservation award from the Klamath Soil and 

Water Conservation District and the TulelakeButte Valley Fair Farmer and Rancher of the 

Year Award, both in 2007. Dan was also given 

the California Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service Award in 2008. Dan was a 

good friend and a fine man. 

His loved ones were an integral part of his 

life and his work, and I wish to offer my condolences to the entire Byrne family. Dan is 

survived by his wife, Geri, of Tulelake; sister, 

Elizabeth Flynn, of Danville, Calif., and her 

sons, Michael and Thomas; a brother, Bob, 

and his wife, Cory, of Tulelake and their 

daughters, Melissa, Gwen and Katelyn; a 

brother, Mike, and his wife, Bev, of Tulelake, 

and their son, Matt, and their daughter, 

Brianna; a sister, Pat Byrne, of Lodi, Calif.; his 

stepfather, Bob Shirley, of Chico, Calif.; and 

his mother-in-law, Joan Bielar, of Rocklin, 

Calif. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO PETER HART 

HON. BILL SHUSTER OF PENNSYLVANIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today to honor Peter Hart for his diligent and 

outstanding leadership as chairman of the Alleghenies Chapter of SCORE, a nationwide 

organization providing free counseling to small 

businesses around the country. As chairman 

of Alleghenies SCORE from 2006–2008, Peter 

led a team of 45 volunteers in assisting and 

counseling 400 small businesses around the 

region. 

SCORE was most fortunate to have had 

Peter as its chairman for the past two years. 

His background in the railroad and steel industries and as a college educator has served 

him well in the dual role of counselor and administrator. His accomplishments include providing formal training for new counselors; establishing a chapter Web site; renaming the 

chapter ‘‘Alleghenies’’ to better identify the 

wide region that is served; and establishing a 

system for providing clients with counselors 

who closely match their professional needs. 

Peter has zealously devoted many extra hours 

into publicizing SCORE’s mission and service 

in the Allegheny region. He is an excellent recruiter for the chapter, and his son has followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a 

counselor in the Pittsburgh Chapter. 

Peter has demonstrated extraordinary devotion toward providing counseling for start-ups 

and continuing businesses located in Bedford, 

Blair, Cambria, Fulton and Somerset Counties. 

Peter Hart’s chairmanship of the Alleghenies 

SCORE Chapter has inspired and enthused 

the volunteer members of the chapter and 

many others who have benefited from his selfless and tireless dedication and leadership. I 

and the volunteers of Alleghenies SCORE 

would like to thank Peter Hart for his devotion 

to assisting his community and for inspiring so 

many others to do the same. 

f 

HONORING THE DISTINGUISHED 

SERVICE OF RAY STEELE, JR. 

HON. JIM COSTA OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

along with my colleagues from California Mr. 

CARDOZA, Mr. NUNES and Mr. RADANOVICH to 

pay tribute to the distinguished public service 

of Ray Steele, Jr. After 41 years, Ray Steele 

is retiring as publisher and president of the 

Fresno Bee in Fresno, California. 

Prior to embarking on his distinguished career with the Fresno Bee, Ray worked at the 

Fowler Ensign and for the Associated Press 

Bureau in Fresno. In 1967, he began what 

would result in 41 years of service to the 

McClatchy Company. Mr. Steele worked tirelessly in various positions with the Fresno 

Bee, the Sacramento Bee and with corporate 

headquarters. 

Ray started as a reporter with the Fresno 

Bee while he was still in college. During his 

time there he held several positions in the 

news room before moving to Sacramento in 

1982 to take on the position of administrative 

director of the Sacramento Bee, and then later 

becoming publisher of community publications. 

In 1986, Mr. Steele returned to Fresno, California and became the General Manager of 

the Fresno Bee, with responsibility for all business operations. After only seven years Mr. 

Steele moved on to corporate headquarters 

where he held several different management 

positions. In 2001, he became publisher and 

president of the Fresno Bee. 

Throughout his distinguished career, Ray 

has served on numerous boards and has 

given back to his community. He currently 

serves on the board of directors of the Fresno 

Business Council, the Economic Development 

Corporation of Fresno County and the Fresno 

Regional Foundation. He also serves on the 

board of governors of California State University Fresno Foundation as well as the advisory 

council of the Criminology Department. Ray 

has also been a lifetime member of the Fresno State Alumni Association and previously 

served on the board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art & Science. 

His service and accomplishments were recognized by California State University, Fresno 

in 2005 when he received the Top Dog Award 

as the outstanding alumnus of the College of 

Arts and Humanities. In 2007, he was awarded with the Jim Tucker Media Service Award 

which is presented by the Mass Communication and Journalism Department at California 

State University, Fresno. 

Throughout his career, Ray Steele has proven to be a highly effective leader who has always been committed to excellence in journalism. As he gets ready to spend more time 

with his wife Mary Lou, daughters and grandchildren, along with endeavors of interest to 

him, we thank him for his service and we wish 

him continued success and best of luck for the 

future. 

f 

HONORING RAYMOND HATTER 

HON. DALE E. KILDEE OF MICHIGAN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to honor Raymond Hatter, as he retired from 

his position as Executive Director of Salem 

Housing Community Development Corporation. An open house was held in his honor on 

November 7, 2008 in my hometown of Flint, 

Michigan. 

For the past 14 years, Raymond Hatter has 

provided leadership to the Salem Housing organization. He has reinforced the Salem 

Housing commitment to provide safe, affordable housing for limited income families and to 

support families through education, property 

management, and economic development. 

During his tenure, Salem Housing has developed relationships with economic development 

organizations, the Local Initiatives Support 

Corporation, the Genesee County Land Bank 

Authority, and community groups in an effort 

to bring re-investment into City of Flint neighborhoods. Mr. Hatter’s vision became reality 

when the area of Wood Street, M.L. King Avenue and Garland Street was cleared, cared for 

and became the Metawanenee Hills neighborhood. At a cost of 4 million dollars the 24 new 

homes provide affordable, safe and energy efficient housing to families. 

In addition to his work revitalizing neighborhoods, Mr. Hatter is a member of the Flint 

Board of Education, the Co-Chairperson of the 

University of Michigan-Flint University Outreach Department, Advisory Council Member 

of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, Board Member of the Mass Transportation Authority Board of Directors, Board 

Member of the City of Flint Zoning Board of 

Appeals, and a Reader Representative of the 


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