E2230 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks October 3, 2008 

a Chinook helicopter near Tallil, Iraq. The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 

149th Aviation, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade 

based in Grand Prairie, Texas. Captain Robert 

Vallejo II will be remembered for his commendable and selfless service to this great nation. 

Captain Robert Vallejo was born in Beeville, 

Texas, and later moved to Fort Worth. He was 

a member of the ROTC program at Texas 

Christian University, where he graduated in 

2005 with a Communication Studies degree 

before being accepted to flight school at Fort 

Rucker, Alabama. He dreamed of being a pilot 

and he put his passion into practice when he 

joined the Texas National Guard. 

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize 

such a brave man as Robert Vallejo II. I am 

proud to have had the chance to represent 

him in Congress. Our thoughts and prayers go 

out to the family and friends of this American 

hero. 

f 

HONORING THE MARINO-CAPPELLO 

FAMILY 

HON. SCOTT GARRETT OF NEW JERSEY

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Madam 

Speaker, I am pleased that this week the Senate has followed the House in passing the 

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, H.R. 6893. 

This landmark legislation will make significant 

improvements to child welfare through numerous provisions, including reauthorizing the 

Adoption Incentive Program and increasing 

education oversight for youth in foster care. 

I would also like to recognize Voice for 

Adoption, an organization that works to improve our adoption policies. There are 

129,000 children in foster care who are waiting to be adopted, and many families who 

wish to adopt. These numbers may sound 

daunting, but Voice for Adoption positively illustrates the need to adopt through the Adoptive Family Portrait Project. This program promotes adoption by matching Members of Congress with a photo of an adoptive family from 

their district or State. 

It has been my privilege to participate in this 

project for the second year in a row and I 

have decided to display the photo in my DC 

office for an entire year. The 2008 theme emphasizes the importance of sibling connections 

for youth in foster care and adoptive placements. 

I am honored to recognize the MarinoCappello family. Sandy Marino and her husband Sam Cappello were moved when they 

learned about the many waiting children in the 

New Jersey foster care system. Five adoptions later, they have been blessed with Kirby, 

who was adopted as an infant from South 

Korea; Percy, Maya and Violet, who are birth 

siblings adopted separately as infants; and 

Helena, adopted at seven months. Caring for 

medically-fragile, drug-affected infants has 

stretched the Marino-Cappello family to new 

limits. They deserve praise for their willingness 

to provide permanent, loving homes for children in foster care, despite challenges. 

H.R. 6893 will help families like the MarinoCappellos to better provide for the special 

needs of children adopted from foster care. I 

applaud the passage of this much-needed legislation. 

f 

IN RECOGNITION OF JAMES F. 

LONERGAN ON THE OCCASION OF 

HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE 

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT 

OF EDUCATION 

HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam 

Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to James F. 

Lonergan, a distinguished New Yorker who 

has selflessly devoted himself to his community and our nation. His contributions to the 

civic life of New York City are being recognized this month as he begins his retirement 

after many years of dedicated public service at 

the New York City Department of Education’s 

Division of School Facilities, which he served 

with distinction as its Chief Executive Officer. 

After serving in the United States Navy in 

Vietnam, James F. Lonergan joined the New 

York City Department of Corrections. At the 

Department of Corrections, he served as Stationary Engineer, Senior Stationary Engineer 

and Supervisor of Mechanics. In 1989, he 

joined the New York City Department of Education and rose through its ranks, serving as 

Deputy Director of Facility Maintenance, 

School Plant Manager, Assistant Director, Director, Senior Director and ultimately Chief Executive Officer of the Division of School Facilities. As the Chief Executive Officer, he supervised 9,000 employees and managed a $1 billion budget with effective leadership and consummate skill. Dedicated to education and 

self-improvement, he also earned a master’s 

degree in urban affairs. 

He made the School Facilities Mission 

Statement his mantra: ‘‘To provide a safe, 

warm, clean setting that is conducive to the 

education and nurturing of our children in the 

most economic and efficient manner possible 

and to provide a school environment that allows students to realize their full potential and 

to improve the quality of life in the community 

we serve.’’ 

James F. Lonergan views our public schools 

as cornerstones of the community, symbols of 

prestige in the community, and harbingers of 

a better future. He dedicated himself to making every school in his purview a ‘‘beacon of 

light’’ for the surrounding community. He was 

relentless and untiring in his efforts to improve 

the ‘‘circle of quality’’ that are our public 

schools. He fought against complacency, 

warning his co-workers that efforts to improve 

school facilities were never completed, and 

urging them on with the words, ‘‘We must do 

it for the children.’’ 

Born in the Bronx in 1951 into a family of 

four boys and six girls, James and his family 

moved to the Borough of Queens in 1953. He 

is devoted to his wife, Joanne Lonergan, a 

teacher at Public School 24Q. Together they 

were blessed with two children, James III, 28 

years old, a manager with the Social Security 

Administration, and Kelly, 26 years old, an attorney. 

In keeping with his energetic, can-do disposition, James F. Lonergan is not so much 

retiring as moving on to other activities. He is 

earning a second master’s degree, in pastoral 

theology at St. John’s University, and will continue to serve as a certified lay minister at 

Holy Trinity Parish and as a Eucharist minister. He will also remain very active in several 

veterans’ and civic associations, including 

Vietnam Veterans, American Legion, Veterans 

of Foreign Wars, Building Owners Management Association, Taxpayers Association, and 

the Whitestone Booster Association. 

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues 

join me in recognizing the contributions to our 

civic life made by James F. Lonergan on the 

occasion of his retirement from a distinguished 

career as a dedicated and effective public 

servant. 

f 

EXTENSION OF QUALIFIED GREEN 

BUILDING AND SUSTAINABLE 

DESIGN PROJECT BONDS AUTHORITY 

HON. JOHN LEWIS OF GEORGIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I 

support extending authority for the issuance of 

qualified green building and sustainable design project bonds. I fought for the inclusion of 

this extension in this bill because of its importance to Atlanta. I fought for this extension because I believe the use of these bonds helps 

finance cutting-edge, environmentally conscious redevelopment projects like the Atlantic 

Station project in Georgia. Over and over 

again businesses and developers are seeing 

that going green improves their bottom line. 

Projects like Atlantic Station and green initiatives must be commonplace in the future. 

The authority to issue qualified green building and sustainable design project bonds was 

set to expire in 2009. Unfortunately bond applications were not even approved until 16 

months after the legislation creating the authority to issue these bonds passed in 2004. 

The delay caused setbacks because the technology and engineering behind these projects 

are groundbreaking. To make up for that lost 

time, this bill extends the authority to issue 

qualified green bonds through September 30, 

2012. In addition, this legislation clarifies that 

amounts in a reserve account may be released to the project five years after the date 

of issuance of the last bond issue issued with 

respect to the project. This will make sure that 

all funding can be made available to these 

projects in a more timely and efficient manner. 

While this legislation makes small but important changes, it does so without altering any 

other aspect of this enormous program, such 

as the tax-exempt status of these bonds. 

I am proud to support this effort and the 

good work occurring right in the 5th District of 

Georgia. The Atlantic Station project has been 

good for Atlanta. It is in the national spotlight. 

Major efforts like this are necessary to show 

cities across America there is a better way forward for our environment and our communities. I appreciate the work of my colleagues 

and the Chairman of the Ways and Means 

Committee, Chairman RANGEL, for helping 

make sure these projects are given the opportunity to succeed. I look forward to continuing 

to work with him on this and welcoming him to 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REMARKS