May 1, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 887

The famous historian George Santayana

once said, ‘‘Those who do not remember history are bound to repeat it.’’ V.F.W. posts all

across America have not forgotten the past or

those men and women who made the ultimate

sacrifice for our country. I ask all my fellow

Members to rise in tribute to V.F.W. Post 420

in Saratoga Springs on the occasion of their

75th Anniversary.

POLISH WOMAN OF THE YEAR

JANET BANACH NAMED 1995

fHON. GERALD D. KLECZKA OF WISCONSIN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, May 1, 1995

Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to

congratulate Mrs. Janet Banach on being

named 1995 Polish Woman of the Year by the

ladies auxiliary of the Polish National Alliance—Milwaukee Society.

Janet Banach is a person who is genuinely

committed to well-being of others and to the

betterment of her community. By selecting

Janet as the 1995 Polish Woman of the Year,

the Milwaukee Society—ladies auxiliary is

rightfully recognizing a person who has devoted her time and talents to a wide variety of

worthwhile activities.

Over the years, Janet Banach has been actively involved in a number of organizations

dedicated to assisting the needy and less fortunate. Through her volunteer involvement

with organizations such as the American Red

Cross, the St. Vincent DePaul Society, the

SHARE Program, and the South Community

Organization, Janet has transformed her concern for others into effective action. Through

her involvement as a Cub Scout and Brownie

leader Janet has helped to prepare our community’s future leaders for the challenges that

lay ahead.

Janet has also shown herself to be a person

committed to her Catholic faith and her PolishAmerican heritage. Janet is a long-time member of Milwaukee’s Holy Spirit Parish. Both

she and her husband take an active role in

sharing their faith with others through their

parish activities. In addition, through her involvement with organizations such as the Polish National Alliance—Milwaukee Society and

Polish Festivals Inc., Janet plays an active

role in keeping Milwaukee’s Polish-American

heritage alive.

I would like to commend Janet on her outstanding and worthwhile achievements and I

congratulate her on being named 1995 Polish

OPENING OF EXHIBIT ‘‘DEFENDING

Woman of the Year.

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY’’: THE

fSTORY OF THE BAHAIS

HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, May 1, 1995

Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call

attention to the Members and the general public of the opening of an exhibit entitled ‘‘Defending Religious Liberty,’’ on view in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building,

U.S. House of Representatives, May 2–5,

1995.

The focus of the exhibit is on repression of

the Bahai community and portrays America’s

concern for religious freedom and the response of the United States and other nations

to the persecution of members of Iran’s largest

religious minority.

Those who practice the Bahai faith number

6 million in more than 205 countries with more

than 100,000 worshipers in the United States.

The Islamic regime calls the Bahai faith a conspiracy and heresy. Followers have no legal

rights and secret documents show official

Government policy is suppression of the Bahai

community. Bahai students have been expelled from schools, followers have been denied food ration cards, dismissed from jobs

and denied pensions. Many have disappeared,

been kidnapped, jailed, tortured, and executed

on account of their religion.

Congress has acknowledged that the abusive treatment of the Bahais is a critical

human rights concern. Although diplomatic

pressure and critical publicity has elicited a

positive response from the Iranian Government the Bahai community remains an oppressed minority, denied the right to elect

leaders, conduct religious schools, and pursue

other organized religious activities.

Bahai members are composed of the mainstream of people, from different races, nationalities, and social and economic backgrounds.

They believe that all people are meant to live

in peace and unity and should be supported in

their continuing efforts to protest against the

Iranian Government’s persecution of Bahais.

Mr. Speaker, I hope this exhibit will remind

us of the oppression of our fellow human

beings. We must continue to direct our efforts

toward resolving these crimes against humanity. Therefore, I propose we should never resume trade or diplomatic relations until the Islamic Revolutionary regime reverses their policy.

SCHEURER HOSPITAL: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COMMUNITY

fCARING

HON. JAMES A. BARCIA OF MICHIGAN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, May 1, 1995

Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, this past week I

was privileged to join a great number of people who came together to celebrate the 50th

anniversary of the opening of Scheurer Hospital in Pigeon, MI. The many people in Huron

County and around the western portion of the

Thumb of Michigan who have been helped by

the quality medical care provided by the dedicated staff at this facility over the years know

a quality institution when they have the good

fortune to be served by it.

Scheurer Hospital is named for Dr. Clare

Scheurer, a physician who in 1944 was convinced that a new medical facility was needed

for the people in the area who either overfilled

his office, couldn’t be served within the hours

he had available for treating patients, or were

too far away following surgery in the Bad Axe

Hospital. Donations from friends and businesses in the area helped lead to the construction of the then 21-bed hospital, and its

official opening on April 23, 1945. Mrs. C.H.

Spence was the first patient admitted, and her

daughter, Margaret, was the first baby born at

the hospital.

Over the years this facility continued to provide excellent elective and emergency care to

patients, until it was replaced by the current

47-bed hospital in 1971. And an expansion

and modernization program in 1985 provided

more examination rooms, and an improved

laboratory and pharmacy. This project was

again heavily supported by the community

served by this most important facility.

Today the thousands of people who live in

Scheurer Hospital’s service area know that

they can count on the 28 doctors, 40 nurses,

and nearly 170 other professionals that are

part of the dedicated Scheurer team under the

direction of Chief Executive Officer Dwight

Gascho for a wide range of medical services

including orthopedics, cardiology, nuclear

medicine, micro eye surgery. In the hospital’s

last fiscal year, there were over 3,500 emergency room visits, nearly 5,800 redi-care visits, and 600 admissions.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and all of our colleagues to join me in wishing the wonderful

staff of Scheurer Hospital the very best of

wishes on their 50th anniversary.

HONORING JOYCE TOBIAS

fHON. THOMAS M. DAVIS OF VIRGINIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, May 1, 1995

Mr. DAVIS. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great

pleasure to rise today and pay tribute to one

of Virginia’s outstanding citizens, Joyce

Tobias.

Joyce Tobias, a registered nurse and the

mother of seven children, has been a community organizer and a parent and child advocate

since 1967. A tribute dinner was held in her

honor Friday, April 28th on the occasion of

PANDAA’s [Parents Association to Neutralize

Drug and Alcohol Abuse] 15th anniversary.

Joyce founded PANDAA in 1980 and has

served as executive director, newsletter editor,

and member of the board of directors since its

founding. The organization greatly contributes

to parents awareness of drug abuse among

young children and gives hope and support to

parents and children alike who face those

problems.

PANDAA, a volunteer organization, combats

alcohol and other drug abuse through education and civic action. Under the leadership

of Joyce Tobias, PANDAA publishes a quarterly newsletter with a national distribution of

10,000 copies, provides a hotline and referral

service for parents, conducts adult and youth

conferences, maintains a speakers bureau

and assists in the formation of new groups.

Joyce was also a founding member of the

Virginia Federation of Parents [VFP] in 1982

and served as its president in 1992 and 1993.

Along with her strong advocacy role in Fairfax County, she has served as a consultant for

the U.S. Department of Education—1988–

89—and other school districts across the

country. She traveled to Brazil for the U.S. Information Agency in 1991, participated in electronic dialog with two countries in Africa, and

represented the United States by speaking

many foreign visitors through USIA.