[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 11 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E138-E139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           LT. FLORENCE STARZYNSKI WASHINGTONIAN OF THE YEAR

                                 ______


                          HON. JOHN J. LAFALCE

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 19, 1995

  Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and 
acknowledge the achievements of Arlington Police Lt. Florence 
Starzynski who, through her tireless commitment to the community, has 
been honored as one of the 1994 Washingtonians of the Year by 
Washingtonian magazine. Each year, the magazine chooses from hundreds 
of candidates who have demonstrated a long-standing dedication to 
improving the Washington area community. Since 1971, nearly 400 
individuals have been honored as Washingtonians of the Year.
  Lieutenant Starzynski, a native of Buffalo, NY, attended Annunciation 
Grade School on the west side of Buffalo and the Holy Angels Academy in 
North Buffalo. Her commitment to others was apparent soon after her 
graduation from Oneonta State College when she began teaching at 
Kensington High School. Her subsequent service in the Peace Corps 
further illustrated her desire to improve the lives of others. 
Lieutenant Starzynski presently serves in the Arlington Police Force in 
Arlington, VA. I wish to thank Sister Louise Alff of the Franciscan 
Missionary Sisters of the Divine Child in suburban Buffalo, who 
informed me in advance of her sister's selection by Washingtonian.
  As we acknowledge Lieutenant Starzynski's achievements here today, I 
wish to thank her for the compassion and selflessness she has shown 
towards her fellow citizens. By opening her heart and her home to the 
less fortunate, she has succeeded in making her community a better 
place for all.
  I believe we would all do well to emulate such service. She has 
touched many individuals throughout her life and I wish her continued 
success.

        Lt. Florence Starzynski: 1994 Washingtonian of the Year

       It was one of the most poignant moments of Florence 
     Starzynski's career as an Arlington police officer. ``We went 
     to this little clapboard house just off a main street and 
     there was a man in there, mean as a snake and drunk as could 
     be, carrying on and throwing stuff around. There were holes 
     in the walls and this violent domestic fight and this poor, 
     beaten-down woman trying to endure. And amidst this fury, 
     this absolute fury, sat this little girl about 6 years old 
     trying to do her homework. That image sticks with me.''
       That's how Starzynski explains what drives her to do what 
     seems to be nonstop volunteer work. [[Page E139]] 
       ``When I get a call asking me to help someone out, I find 
     it hard to think of a reason I can't. It always seems do-
     able.''
       No matter what the request, Starzynski is always up to the 
     challenge. When her kids had grown and left home, she added 
     bedrooms to her house and started taking in homeless 
     families, giving them a set of keys and letting them stay for 
     as long as three months. She has three foster children: 
     Ayalew, from Ethiopia, who is shown here, and two brothers 
     from Cambodia.
       She has driven patients to mental-health counseling or 
     dialysis appointments; taught classes for the Offender Aid 
     and Restoration program; visited nursinghome residents; and 
     negotiated complaints for the Better Business Bureau. She 
     also collects and distributes clothes and furniture, when 
     necessary borrowing trucks and enlisting the aid of able-
     bodied helpers.
       How does she find the time to help so much when she's 
     working full-time?
       ``It just becomes a part of what you do. Last night I got a 
     great big bag of clothes from somebody, so after dinner I 
     went through the clothes, I made two or three phone calls, 
     and this morning on the way to work I dropped off a bag here, 
     a coat there. It's not a big deal. You get into a routine, 
     you end up leaving 10 minutes early, and it's done.''

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