E2290 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 20, 2008 

they brought to my attention during my first 

term in Congress and I look forward to their 

continued assistance. 

The Senior and Aging Issues Advisory 

Council members are: Harry Anthros, David 

Braun, Marlene Bluestein, Fred Ebeling, Dr. 

Mindy Fain, Karen Fields, Sharon Gartner, 

Doris Goldstein, Mary Gomez, Craig Gordon, 

Clark Hay, Kathleen Heard, Felipe Jacome, 

Anna Jolivet, Al Kaszniak, Joe La Cava, Cress 

Lander, Dr. Allan Levenson, David Likness, 

Larry Linderman, Marian Lupu, Barbara 

Matteson, Dr. Fred Miller, Jim Murphy, Steve 

Nash, Elizabeth Packard, Gordon Packard, 

Anita Royal, L’Don Sawyer, Bill Santa Cruz, 

Mattie Stone, Jan Sturges, Helen Symes, 

Russ Symes, Dr. Tony Vuturo and Carol 

West. 

I commend each of them for their contributions to our work on behalf of seniors and 

thank them for their service our community. 

f 

EARMARK DECLARATION 

HON. CHARLES W. ‘‘CHIP’’ PICKERING OF MISSISSIPPI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. PICKERING. Madam Speaker, consistent with House Republican Earmark Standards, I submit the following earmark disclosure 

and certification information for one project request I made included within the text of H.R. 

2638, the ‘‘The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2009.’’ 

Requesting Member: Congressman CHIP

PICKERING. 

Bill Number: FY 09 Defense Appropriations 

Bill. 

Project: Advanced, Long Endurance Unattended Ground Sensor Technologies. 

Project Amount: $3.6 million. 

Account: Defense-wide; RDT&E. 

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: U.S. Special Operations Command. 

Address of Requesting Entity: Tampa, Florida. 

Description of Request: A significant challenge in modern military operations is the ability to achieve and maintain real-time battlefield 

situational awareness. Achieving battlefield situation awareness requires the ability to 

robustly and persistently monitor the movements of the adversary in near real-time 

across a wide range of operational environments including foliage, mountainous, and 

urban terrain. 

The funding will continue the research and 

development of small, low power UGS technologies that support critical USSOCOM reconnaissance and surveillance missions by 

providing robust: (1) target detection, classification and tracking; (2) high bandwidth, covert communication of data, voice and video, 

and (3) data/information exfiltration via satellite 

communications (SATCOM) for displaying advanced visualization technologies. The proposed UGS capability will provide USSOCOM 

with the ability to relay critical, actionable intelligence from remote areas of interest to analysts and commanders worldwide in near realtime—ultimately allowing special operations 

forces (SOF) to think and react more quickly 

than the adversary. The proposed research 

program will also have applications in other 

areas such as border patrol. 

HONORING PATRICK R. VECCHIO 

HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, 

I rise today to honor a public servant of rare 

devotion and accomplishment. My constituent, 

Patrick R. Vecchio is marking his 30 year anniversary as supervisor of the town of 

Smithtown, a historic community on the shores 

of Long Island Sound. His tenure as supervisor is the longest in New York State’s 231- 

year history, and has few rivals anywhere in 

the Nation. 

On October 23rd, I was proud to join the 

Smithtown Historical Society at its gala in St. 

James in the town of Smithtown, New York, at 

which it honored Supervisor Vecchio for his 

steadfast commitment and countless contributions to the people of Smithtown. 

Mr. Speaker, Supervisor Vecchio is a lifelong public servant, U.S. Army veteran and retired NYPD detective sergeant. During his tenure as supervisor, he has demonstrated a 

strong commitment to fiscal responsibility and 

low taxes while protecting vital government 

services. His legacy is clear: Today, 

Smithtown is on solid financial footing and has 

the lowest debt level of the 10 towns in Suffolk 

County. 

Pat Vecchio is more than an exemplary 

public servant, he is a friend and a role model. 

You can always trust that the words that come 

out of Supervisor Vecchio’s mouth will be the 

truth, to the chagrin of some. As someone 

who was new to public service when I was 

elected to Congress in 2002, I learned a lot 

simply by watching and talking to Pat. 

In 1655, an English settler, Richard Smith, 

struck a unique bargain with local Native 

Americans where he was entitled to settle all 

of the area he could ride around on his bull in 

a day’s time. Smith’s ride on his bull, Whisper, 

formed the boundaries of modern-day 

Smithtown. Richard Smith’s ride is the stuff of 

legends. 

I don’t know if Pat Vecchio ever rode a bull. 

But I know he has gotten into a boxing ring 

with a champion fighter; I know he has guarded the President of the United States; I know 

he has taken on organized crime and I know 

he has done it all without a hint of ego. In 

short, Mr. Speaker, Pat Vecchio’s life is the 

stuff of legends. I am honored and humbled to 

help honor his lifetime of service to the town 

of Smithtown and our Nation. 

f 

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA 

DEVASTATED BY TORNADOES 

HON. G.K. BUTTERFIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, families from my district in eastern North Carolina 

are working to recover from tornadoes over 

the weekend that killed two people and displaced up to 125 people. 

Please join me in expressing our deepest 

sympathies to the families affected by this 

damaging storm. They should know that our 

thoughts and prayers are with them during this 

difficult time. 

Tragically, the tornado claimed the life of 

11-year-old Joshua Wiggins, a bright, outgoing 

sixth-grader at Toisnot Middle School in my 

hometown of Wilson, North Carolina. He 

played the drums, enjoyed soccer, and sang 

in the chorus. The tornado also took the life of 

Maryland Gomez, a 61-year-old mother from 

Kenly, North Carolina. 

The tornadoes, believed to be EF–2 to EF– 

3, moved northeast along the Interstate 95 

corridor at 45 to 55 miles per hour with winds 

of 130 to 135 miles per hour. 

I want to give thanks to the North Carolina 

Department of Transportation workers who 

have been clearing fallen trees from roadways 

and to the Progress Energy crews who are restoring power along the storm’s path. 

North Carolina Governor Michael Easley 

has requested a U.S. Small Business Administration disaster declaration for Wilson and 

Johnston County areas affected by deadly tornadoes. 

Madam Speaker, our hearts go out to the 

community and especially to the families directly affected by this tragedy. Although this 

natural disaster may have destroyed many 

homes and upended the lives of many families, the people of North Carolina are generous and caring. I have no doubt we will pull 

together to rebuild these communities to make 

them stronger than ever. I look forward to 

working with my colleagues to assist the families in need and to helping them to move forward from this tragedy. 

f 

CONGRATULATING THOMAS SANTIAGO ON RECEIVING THE ‘‘GREEN 

LIVING AWARD’’ 

HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today to congratulate Thomas Santiago for receiving the prestigious ‘‘Green Living Award’’ 

from the Alley Pond Environmental Center, 

APEC, on November 13, 2008. APEC, located 

in Douglaston, Queens, is a superb educational center committed to environmental 

understanding and awareness. Tom’s commitment to using environmentally-friendly green 

building techniques and protocols for 

Citigroup’s new office tower in Long Island 

City is a truly groundbreaking example of 

‘‘green living’’ in an urban environment and is 

truly worthy of public notice and praise. 

In his role as the Managing Director of real 

estate for Citigroup in the Northeast U.S., Tom 

was the driving force behind Two Court 

Square, Citigroup’s second 1.5 million square 

foot tower in Long Island City. The building is 

Citi’s first ever Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED, Gold certified green 

building, the national benchmark for rating 

green buildings. Two Court Square serves as 

the ‘‘green’’ model for corporate America, not 

only for being environmentally responsible, but 

also for demonstrating the economic value of 

money-saving ‘‘green’’ building technologies 

and materials. 

Under Tom’s leadership, Two Court Square 

is LEED Gold certified because it meets or exceeds stringent criteria in five categories: Sustainable Sites, Energy and Atmosphere, Water 

Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality and 


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