E2322 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 20, 2008 

The history of Nielsen Construction represents the very fabric of America. Mr. Joseph 

Nielsen immigrated to the United States at the 

beginning of the twentieth century; a time of 

tremendous growth and innovation. That 

young immigrant dedicated himself to hard 

work and perseverance. The qualities identified as uniquely American in the golden age of 

industry and expansion and his vision brought 

him to the growing, but still largely rural, western part of Virginia. 

The next phase of Nielsen’s success came 

through the acquisition of the existing W.M. 

Bucher & Son, a prominent builder in the 

Shenandoah Valley. This intertwined the futures of a young immigrant and his dream and 

the growth and development of the Shenandoah Valley. 

Today, Nielsen Builders represents the best 

of American industry. It represents the highest 

quality in design and build construction. It provides the structure and security to thousands 

of church goers, students, businesses and 

families through its homes, churches, schools 

and businesses. 

I wish Nielsen Builders success as it embarks on opening its second century of business and continuing the legacy of commitment, excellence and tradition. 

I extend a hearty congratulations to the 

management and employees of Nielsen Builders of Harrisonburg, Virginia as they celebrate 

this tremendous milestone. 

f 

HONORING CAMERON AUSTIN 

LEEDS 

HON. SAM GRAVES OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, November 20, 2008 

Mr. GRAVES. Madam Speaker, I proudly 

pause to recognize Cameron Austin Leeds of 

Kansas City, Missouri. Cameron is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest 

qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 1155, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. 

Cameron has been very active with his 

troop, participating in many Scout activities. 

Over the many years Cameron has been involved with Scouting, he has not only earned 

numerous merit badges, but also the respect 

of his family, peers, and community. 

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join 

me in commending Cameron Austin Leeds for 

his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of 

America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout. 

f 

HONORING HENRY CHANG, JR. 

HON. BARBARA LEE OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, November 20, 2008 

Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

honor the extraordinary life and contributions 

of Henry Chang, Jr. An energetic public servant and advocate in the Greater Bay Area, 

Henry will retire this year from his elected position on the Oakland City Council. 

Mr. Chang has tirelessly served the community of Oakland, California as a 

councilmember-at-large for 14 years, serving 

as the city’s vice mayor for 4 terms. Mr. 

Chang is sincerely committed to his community, and has employed his diverse life experiences and studies to improving the quality of 

life for his constituents and to adding greatly 

to the collective efforts of policy-makers, stake 

holders, and public advocates in my district. 

Henry was born on December 17, 1934 in 

Shantou, Guangdong Province, China. During 

the Japanese invasion of Shantou City, Henry 

and his siblings were separated from their parents for 4 years. In 1950 he moved to Sydney, 

Australia to study at Knox College. At that 

time, Mr. Chang was one of only two foreign 

students at his college. In 1952, Henry again 

made a bold move to further his education 

and opportunities, traveling to the United 

States in the hopes of attending the prestigious University of California, Berkeley. 

In 1960, while attending UC Berkeley, Mr. 

Chang met and married Constance Poon. He 

graduated in 1961 from the School of Environmental Design at Berkeley. Mr. Chang worked 

for both the Novelli Engineering Company in 

Downtown Oakland and the Hugh M. O’Neil 

Company as an architect before founding his 

own architectural practice, Henry Chang, Jr. 

and Associates, Incorporated in 1971. Mr. 

Chang established his firm in the heart of 

Oakland’s Chinatown District and immediately 

began using his skills to contribute to the vibrant business community and innovative 

urban planning needs of that area. 

During this time, Mr. Chang began a long 

and impressive career of service. He has 

served in countless capacities on local and regional commissions and boards including 

founding member of the Oakland Chinatown 

Chamber of Commerce, several State and city 

anti-crime commissions, the Oakland Cultural 

Art Committee, the Lincoln Square Advisory 

Council, the Oakland Chinese Businessmen 

Association, serving as that board’s president 

for 2 terms, the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, the Oakland Port Commission, the S.F. 

Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the Oakland Community Development 

Commission, and the Oakland City Planning 

Commission. He was also a founding member 

of the Friends of Parks and Recreation Board. 

So great were Mr. Chang’s contributions to 

Oakland, the city named September 27, 1990 

‘‘Henry Chang, Jr. Appreciation Day.’’ In more 

recent years, Mr. Chang has served on the 

executive board of the Association of Bay 

Area Governments, the Alameda and Oakland 

Base Re-Use Commissions, the Alameda 

County Transportation Authority, and the A.C. 

Transit Major Investment Steering Committee. 

On December 6, 1994 Mr. Chang was elected to the councilmember-at-large seat he has 

been continuously reelected to until his retirement this year. As a councilmember-at-large, 

Mr. Chang has sponsored important city legislation and has always been proactive in bringing stakeholders, community leaders, and residents of our area together to work on the 

complex issues facing the diverse and dynamic city of Oakland and its neighboring cities in Alameda County. 

Just one example of Mr. Chang’s tireless 

advocacy and thorough approach to policy 

making is his comprehensive legislation addressing the serious issue of gun control. 

Henry has authored bills to ban junk guns and 

ultra compact guns from being sold in Oakland 

as well as legislation requiring trigger locks on 

all guns sold. He also sponsored a tax on 

guns and ammunition sold in Oakland to offset 

the high cost of violence caused by guns. 

These laws became regional models for urban 

safety and firearms regulation. While on the 

city council Mr. Chang also initiated the City 

Management Academy which trains neighborhood activists so that they can better understand how the city works and established the 

Citizens’ Assistance Center to help residents 

get the assistance they need from their city officials and agencies. 

Perhaps most memorable of Mr. Chang’s 

achievements as a councilmember-at-large is 

his work to bring giant pandas to the city of 

Oakland on loan from the China Zoological 

Garden of the Ministry of Construction and to 

build a state-of-the-art facility for their care 

while in the United States. I have had the 

privilege to travel with Henry to China and 

Cuba. He has a deep sense of respect for 

people throughout the world and uses his diplomatic skills to bring good will to our Nation. 

I am proud to call Henry my colleague and my 

friend. 

On behalf of California’s 9th Congressional 

district, I would like to salute the honorable 

Henry Chang, Jr. on the occasion of his retirement from public office. It is clear that his 

dedication, innovation and involvement in the 

accomplishments of the city of Oakland will 

not end here. I wish him all the greatest happiness in his retirement years and thank him for 

a lifetime of service to our community. 

f 

RECOGNIZING DUSTIN PEDROIA OF 

WOODLAND, CALIFORNIA 

HON. MIKE THOMPSON OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, November 20, 2008 

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam 

Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dustin 

Pedroia, who is being honored as the American League’s Most Valuable Player for 2008, 

the first second baseman to receive this award 

since 1959. 

From a young age, Mr. Pedroia has shown 

a passion for baseball. Although, at 5′9′′, he 

has never been the largest player on the field, 

he has shown time and again that he more 

than makes up for it by playing with his whole 

heart. After graduating from Woodland High 

School in 2001 he was recruited by Arizona 

State University to play for the Sun Devils. 

While at ASU he quickly made an impression 

on his teammates as well as his coaches and 

went on to be named a 3-time first-team allPac-10 selection, the 2003 Pac-10 co-player 

of the year and the 2003 National defensive 

player of the year. He never missed a game 

at ASU, all while batting an impressive .384. 

Mr. Pedroia debuted in the major leagues in 

August of 2006 with the Boston Red Sox, becoming the first member of Boston’s 2004 

draft class to reach the majors. In 2007 he recorded one of the finest rookie seasons ever 

for a Red Sox player, breaking a 93-year-old 

major league record for the highest batting average by a rookie second baseman and also 

winning the Jackie Robinson Award for American League rookie of the year. He was also 

able to cap off this impressive start with a 

World Series ring by helping the Red Sox 

achieve a 4–0 sweep over the Colorado Rockies to win the championship. 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REMARKS