[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 65 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CLASP CHILDREN'S CENTER

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                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 6, 1995
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with my constituents 
and residents of the Great Neck community in honoring the CLASP 
Children's Center as they celebrate this organization's 20th 
anniversary.
  In 1975, with the support of a local chapter of the National Council 
of Jewish Women, CLASP was founded by a group of working parents. Over 
the years, CLASP has grown in size and developed such an exemplary 
program that it has been accredited by the National Academy of Early 
Childhood Programs. Set in a safe, challenging, and noncompetitive 
surrounding, children are offered a variety of activities that 
encourage them to express their creativity, and to develop friendships 
and positive social skills. CLASP reaches out to a variety of age 
groups and has established a pre-school program for students 2 to 4 
years old, before and after school programs for children attending the 
elementary schools in the Great Neck School District, and a 4-H Club 
for 8- to 10-year-old participants.
  Realizing that CLASP is part of a most dynamic community, the 
organization joined in 1983 with the Great Neck Senior Center to 
provide an intergenerational program merging the children and the 
seniors of the area. This has resulted in a most successful and widely 
acclaimed effort, giving both age groups a feeling of support and 
appreciation.
  CLASP has also had the good fortune to be able to draw upon the 
community for continuous support and creative leadership. On its 20th 
anniversary, as it celebrates this special milestone in this successful 
growth, CLASP is recognizing a group of individuals who have played a 
most effective role in helping it grow into such a renowned 
organization. Irene Lichtenstein has served as a founder and board 
member; Arlene Kase, current educational coordinator, was a president, 
board member, and a dynamic supporter of CLASP for legislative issues; 
Hon. May Newberger, town supervisor of North Hempstead, has for years 
championed family issues and consistently emerged as a supporter; Rabbi 
Robert S. Widom, spiritual leader of Temple Emanuel in Great Neck, has 
taken an ever-present role in community leadership that has greatly 
benefited CLASP; and Ann Durham, a long-time board member, was 
effective in assisting CLASP to obtain its initial funding.
  Mr. Speaker, from its humble beginnings in a garage in Great Neck, 
CLASP has compiled over two decades of success, thanks to selfless 
individuals who have provided exemplary leadership and resources, and a 
dedicated parent group and a staff that has consistently sought to 
bring out the best in its students. I ask all my colleagues in the 
House of Representatives to join with me today in recognizing and 
applauding the CLASP Children's Center, and in congratulating CLASP on 
its 20 years of dedicated service and outstanding success.


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