S10880 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 10, 2008 

Ryne was a mentor and an inspiration to his teammates. Many friends 

sought to follow his example: succeeding in school and working diligently on the field all while keeping a 

smile on his face. During Ryne’s funeral, Rev. Gerald Whitaker asked the 

mourners to imagine that Ryne had 

made a game-saving tackle to end a big 

game against their rival high school. 

The crowd responded with a thunderous ovation, a fitting way to honor 

Ryne. 

Finally, I would like express my sympathy to Ryne’s family. I hope that 

they will be comforted by their many 

positive memories and by the outpouring of support from the Montclair 

community. His family decided to donate Ryne’s organs, yet another way 

that Ryne has touched the lives of others. I am proud to honor him today.

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∑ 

HONORING NEWLAND NURSERY 

AND LANDSCAPING 

∑ Ms. SNOWE. Madam President, as we 

approach the holiday season, I wish to 

recognize a small business from my 

home State of Maine that has made its 

mark by its commitment to giving 

back to the local community. NewLand 

Nursery and Landscaping of Ellsworth 

has been providing Hancock County 

with quality landscaping services and 

floral arrangements for almost two 

decades, while simultaneously maintaining its status as an involved member of the greater Ellsworth area. 

Beginning its landscape design operations in 1985 with a mere $600, a pickup truck, and some tools, NewLand has 

continually expanded its services to become a well-known name for its gorgeous flowers, versatile garden products, and impressive landscaping business. A reputable source for gardening 

knowledge, customers in Downeast 

Maine have relied on NewLand for creative ways to enrich their home gardens or fashion a welcoming landscape 

at their business. 

NewLand has designed some of 

Maine’s most recognizable landscapes, 

from Bangor to Calais. Many locals and 

tourists alike will recognize NewLand’s 

exquisite work at the Jordan Pond 

House in Acadia National Park, where 

the firm designed the tea garden, 

plantings, and other aspects. Additionally, NewLand has developed landscapes at the Mansfield baseball field 

in Bangor, the University of Maine’s 

Hutchison Center in Belfast, and St. 

John’s Church in Bangor. 

NewLand has received several awards 

over the course of its history for the 

inventiveness and attractiveness of its 

work. It won the People’s Choice 

Award five times at the Bangor Garden 

Show, from 1991 to 1994 and again in 

1999. And in 2006, NewLand was recognized by Governor Baldacci, the Maine 

Commission for Community Service, 

and the Maine Volunteer Connection 

with the Small Business Volunteerism 

Award, commending the company for 

its culture of encouraging volunteering 

among its employees and its generosity 

in assisting others throughout Hancock County. NewLand Nursery and 

Landscaping is a member of numerous 

community and statewide organizations, including the Ellsworth Area 

Chamber of Commerce and the Maine 

State Florists’ and Growers’ Association. 

Steve Elliot, the owner of NewLand, 

has certainly led by example when it 

comes to community service. Mr. Elliot most recently served as president 

of the Rotary Club of Ellsworth and 

was actively involved in organizing engaging Rotary meetings and service 

events. In fact, this coming Saturday, 

Mr. Elliot will join his fellow Rotarians 

for the third annual Gifting Experience. Members of the local club will 

take 23 8- and 9-year-olds shopping in 

downtown Ellsworth to buy gifts for 

their family members. They will then 

go to Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, 

where the children will wrap presents. 

At the conclusion of the day, Mr. Elliot 

dressed as Santa Claus will give each 

participant a gift. 

No stranger to community involvement, Mr. Elliot also hosts a free annual fall children’s festival at 

NewLand, where kids can enjoy hayrides and participate in bowling with 

pumpkins, as well as an Easter Egg 

Hunt each spring. He has additionally 

donated his time as a coach for the 

Blue Hill Athletic Department. Several 

years ago, NewLand also hosted the unveiling of the ‘‘Fishing for Friends’’ effort, a fundraiser for Faith in Action 

Community Connection, a volunteer 

group that assists the disabled and elderly in Hancock County. 

The holiday season is a time to appreciate what we have and discover 

ways we can give to others. Steve Elliot and the employees at NewLand 

have truly taken this spirit to heart. I 

applaud Mr. Elliot and everyone at 

NewLand Nursery and Landscaping for 

their generous and dedicated work, and 

I wish them well in all of their future 

endeavors.∑ 

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TRIBUTE TO URSULA VILLERE 

∑ Mr. VITTER. Madam President, 

today I wish to recognize Mrs. Ursula 

Villere on her 90th birthday which occurred November 30, 2008. 

Mrs. Villere has been a Louisianan 

all her life, born in New Orleans and residing in Metairie since 1955. She graduated from Dominican High School and 

then Dominican College, where she was 

a member of the KKI Sorority. Taking 

a further interest in education, she 

proceeded to teach school both in New 

Orleans and Jefferson Parish until retiring in 1980. She is a loyal parishioner 

of St. Angela Merci Church and a loving mother and grandmother. She has 7 

wonderful children who have given her 

14 fantastic grandchildren and 6 greatgrandchildren. 

I am proud to call Mrs. Villere a fellow Louisianan and would like to extend my best wishes to her and her 

family on the occasion of her 90th 

birthday.∑ 

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MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE 

At 10:33 a.m., a message from the 

House of Representatives, delivered by 

Mr. Zapata, one of its reading clerks, 

announced that pursuant to section 

333(a)(2) of the Consolidated Natural 

Resources Act of 2008 (Public Law 110– 

229), and the order of the House of January 4, 2007, the Speaker appoints the 

following voting members to the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the 

American Latino: Mrs. Rosa J. Correa 

of Bridgeport, Connecticut; and Dr. 

Aida Levitan of Key Biscayne, Florida. 

The message also announced that 

pursuant to section 125(c)(1) of the 

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act 

of 2008 (Public Law 110–343), and the 

order of the House of January 4, 2007, 

the Speaker announces the November 

14, 2008, joint appointment by the 

Speaker and the Majority leader of the 

Senate and appointment by the Speaker on the part of the House of Representatives to the Congressional Oversight Panel: 

Joint appointment: Mr. Damon Silvers of Maryland; and, Speaker’s appointment: Mr. Richard H. Neiman of 

New York. 

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ENROLLED BILL SIGNED 

The President pro tempore (Mr. 

BYRD) announced that he had signed 

the following enrolled bill, previously 

signed by the Speaker of the House: 

H.R. 6859. An act to designate the facility 

of the United States Postal Service located 

at 1501 South Slappey Boulevard in Albany, 

Georgia, as the ‘‘Dr. Walter Carl Gordon, Jr. 

Post Office Building’’. 

At 6:06 p.m., a message from the 

House of Representatives, delivered by 

Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the 

following bill, in which it requests the 

concurrence of the Senate: 

H.R. 7311. An act to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2008 through 2011 for the 

Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, 

to enhance measures to combat trafficking 

in persons, and for other purposes. 

The message further announced that 

pursuant to section 1238(b)(3) of the 

Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (22 

U.S.C. 7002), amended by Division P of 

the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (22 U.S.C. 6901), the Minority Leader reappoints the following 

member to the United States-China 

Economic and Security Review Commission, effective January 1, 2009: Mr. 

Larry Wortzel of Williamsburg, Virginia. 

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REPORTS OF COMMITTEES 

The following reports of committees 

were submitted: