E2342 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks December 9, 2008 

ideals upon which this country was founded, 

and it is with great honor and respect that we 

honor the life and service of Reverend George 

Docherty. Our great thanks go to this remarkable individual, and our thoughts and prayers 

are with his family. 

f 

RECOGNIZING BILL DOUGLASS 

CONVENIENCE STORE HALL OF 

FAME INDUCTEE 

HON. RALPH M. HALL OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 

Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Speaker, it is 

my pleasure to rise today to honor an outstanding citizen in the Fourth District of Texas 

and my longtime friend, Bill Douglass of Sherman, as a 2008 Convenience Store Hall of 

Fame Inductee. 

This year’s Convenience Store News Hall of 

Fame induction ceremony in October honored 

Bill as much for his strong character, integrity 

and community service as for his business 

achievements. Bill was honored for his tireless 

efforts on behalf of the convenience and petroleum retailing industry and for the level of 

integrity that he has upheld over the years. 

The W. Douglass Distributing Company, which 

Bill founded in 1981 and which he serves as 

CEO, is a full-line distributorship and operator 

of the 15-unit Lone Star Food Stores chain 

servicing the region of north Texas and southern Oklahoma. The company, which began 

with just six employees, has grown to more 

than 280 employees. 

Throughout his career, Bill has been a tireless and effective advocate for the convenience and petroleum retailing industry. He has 

served as chairman of the General Committee 

of State Relations for the American Petroleum 

Institute, chairman of the National Association 

of Convenience Stores and director of the 

Texas Petroleum and Convenience Store Association, and he has testified on several occasions before Congress about issues important to his industry. 

Bill is also a widely recognized and respected member of the north Texas community, providing financial support and volunteer 

efforts to various local organizations each 

year. In 2002 he and his wife, Joan, were 

named as the Outstanding Employer of Older 

Workers for their strong belief in the value of 

older workers by maintaining an age-balanced 

group of employees. Their winning combination of younger workers and their older counterparts has created a work environment 

where age and experience can assist in training, advice and counseling. The company has 

no mandatory retirement age and provides 

flexibility in scheduling of employees’ hours. 

Madam Speaker, Bill Douglass is the kind of 

employer who leads by example. These are 

some of the words that his employees used to 

describe him and his family in a full-page 

newspaper ad: ‘‘wonderful, inspirational, brilliant, graceful, generous, charitable, tireless, 

encouraging, selfless, devoted, integrity.’’ Bill 

Douglass embodies all of those qualities—and 

I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing this wonderful man and outstanding 

American, Bill Douglass. 

HONORING LANCE CORPORAL 

EMILIO ALBERT DE LA GARZA, JR. 

HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY OF INDIANA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 

Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, it is my 

distinct honor to take this time to recognize Ivy 

Tech Community College as it dedicates its 

East Chicago, Indiana campus and to join the 

institute in paying tribute to its namesake, 

Vietnam War hero Lance Corporal Emilio Albert De La Garza, Jr. After completing the first 

phase of a new modernization project, Ivy 

Tech will be holding a dedication ceremony on 

Sunday, December 7, 2008 at the campus in 

East Chicago, Indiana. The event will serve 

not only as an opportunity to showcase the 

improvements to the campus and to reaffirm 

its commitment to excellence in higher learning, but it will also serve as a chance to reflect 

on the bravery and heroism of one of East 

Chicago’s own. 

Ivy Tech Community College’s East Chicago 

campus has served students from Northwest 

Indiana and beyond since 1994. Always committed to improving the learning environment 

for its students, the De La Garza campus, 

which began with 376 students and now 

serves an impressive enrollment of 1,122 students, recently completed the first phase of a 

modernization project. This project, which 

began in July 2006, features improvements to 

general maintenance and enhanced safety 

measures, as well as new and improved conference rooms and student common areas. 

Phase II of this project, set to begin in January 

2009, will focus on improvements to the classrooms and computer labs. 

These renovations are the result of the continuous outpouring of support from the community, offered as a living memory of one of 

Northwest Indiana’s finest citizens and greatest heroes, Lance Corporal Emilio A. De La 

Garza, Jr. Lance Corporal De La Garza was 

born in East Chicago, Indiana on June 23, 

1949. Following his graduation from East Chicago Washington High School in 1968, the patriotic and devoted De La Garza decided to 

serve his country and enlisted in the United 

States Marine Corps. While serving as a machine gunner with Company E, Second Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division in 

the Republic of Vietnam on April 11, 1970, 

Lance Corporal De La Garza paid the ultimate 

sacrifice. Demonstrating the most selfless act 

imaginable, Lance Corporal De La Garza 

placed himself between two of his fellow Marines and a live grenade. While Lance Corporal De La Garza’s life was lost, his courageous act spared the lives of the other Marines. 

Lance Corporal Emilio De La Garza, Jr. performed the ultimate act of heroism, setting 

aside personal safety for the safety of others. 

For his bravery, Lance Corporal De La Garza 

was posthumously honored by President Richard Nixon with the nation’s highest honor, the 

Medal of Honor. 

Madam Speaker, I ask you and my other 

distinguished colleagues to join me in commending Ivy Tech Community College’s administrators, faculty, staff, students and members of the community who, over the years, 

have contributed to its success in achieving its 

standard of excellence, as well as in honoring 

the school’s namesake, Lance Corporal Emilio 

Albert De La Garza, Jr. The efforts of those involved have made the De La Garza campus 

a tremendous source of pride of Indiana’s First 

Congressional District, and they have made 

the campus a constant reminder of one of 

Northwest Indiana’s finest citizens. 

f 

HONORING AL AUSTIN ON THE 

OCCASION OF HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY 

HON. GINNY BROWN-WAITE OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 

Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. 

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 

life of one of Tampa Bay’s finest citizens, Al 

Austin, ont he occasion of his upcoming 80th 

birthday. 

A lifelong Floridian, Al grew up on his family’s egg farm in St. Petersburg. After his high 

school graduation and college at the University of Tampa, Al joined the Coast Guard, 

where he performed admirably in service to 

our Nation. 

Following his military service, Al partnered 

with his family to start a real estate development busienss in the Tampa Bay region. 

Since then his family-owned company has 

contined to grow and helped build the greater 

Tampa community. Without his influence the 

Tampa St. Pete region would not be the economic growth engine for the State that it is 

today. 

In addition to his success in real estate, Al 

and his wife Beverly share a passion for education. After founding the Tampa Preparatory 

School in the 1970s, they went on to lead 

fundraising campaigns for the refurbishment 

and growth of the University of Tampa campus. Their commitment to local charitable organizations has truly benefitted thousands of 

people throughout the region. 

In his spare time, Al loves to collect and 

drive classic sports cars. He has also earned 

a reputation as one of the leading Republicans 

in Florida, having worked with State and national leaders for the past 40 years to help 

grow and expand the party. Al has also served 

various Florida Governors throughout his career as the head of the Florida Racing Commission, a member of the Hillsborough Aviation Authority as well as serving on the Military 

Base Closure Advisory Committee. 

Madam Speaker, I know that Al’s upcoming 

birthday celebration will commemorate a lifetime of hard work and service to others. He 

has a proven track record of giving back and 

helping to make Florida and our Nation better 

and more prosperous places. I know that the 

House will join me in wishing Al a happy 80th 

birthday, with many more to come in the future. 

f 

HONORING M. PAUL REDD 

HON. NITA M. LOWEY OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to recognize M. Paul Redd and the 80th anniversary of the Westchester County Press and 


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