[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 181 (Wednesday, November 15, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2186-E2187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SALUTE TO AMERICORPS PARTICIPANTS OF SOUTH DAKOTA

                                 ______


                            HON. TIM JOHNSON

                            of south dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 15, 1995

  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the 
participants of the second AmeriCorps team in South Dakota. On October 
24, 1995, at an Oath of Service ceremony in Rosebud, SD, 15 dedicated 
individuals committed themselves to 1 year of community service in 
South Dakota as participants in the AmeriCorps Program. I strongly 

[[Page E2187]]
support the concept of national community service, and I commend each 
of the participants who will provide much-needed assistance to 
communities all over the country.
  The AmeriCorps team will be working on two projects both of which 
will help rebuild rural America and protect the environment. The first 
project, headquartered at the Bad River watershed area in Ft. Pierre, 
SD, involves five members of the AmeriCorps team, and focuses on range 
and water quality improvements, as well as youth and adult education 
projects. The second project on the Rosebud Reservation involves a 10-
member team which is helping with locally identified projects. These 
projects include range improvement, water quality activities, and other 
locally identified natural resource improvement projects.
  I am confident that the experiences of the participants as members of 
AmeriCorps will establish a lasting ethic of civic duty in each of 
them. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize each member of the 
second AmeriCorps team of South Dakota: Matthew Blumer, Ft. Pierre, SD; 
Kevin Boyd, Rosebud, SD; Roger Brush Breaker, Rosebud, SD; Michele 
Edelbach, Ft. Pierre, SD; Harvey Elk Looks Back, Rosebud, SD; Paula 
Hoerner, Ft. Pierre, SD; Kathy Knife, Rosebud, SD; Lester Leader 
Charge, Rosebud, SD; Joseph Nichols, Ft. Pierre, SD; Clarence Poorman, 
Rosebud, SD; Pat Buscher, Ft. Pierre, SD; John Sitting Bear, Rosebud, 
SD; Melvin Staples, Rosebud, SD; Richard Traversie, Rosebud, SD; and 
Emily White Hat, Rosebud, SD. I am confident that the work of these 
individuals will not only provide much-needed assistance to the Rosebud 
Reservation and the Bad River watershed project, but also that the next 
year will be immensely rewarding for each of the participants. I 
congratulate each participant on their commitment to service and to 
furthering their education--I firmly believe that education is 
essential to a productive life and vital to American efforts to remain 
a first-class economic power.
  Today, I would also like to commend the USDA for its innovative and 
extensive participation in AmeriCorps, and the members of the Rosebud 
Sioux Tribe. AmeriCorp-Team USDA provides for a truly unique 
partnership involving tribal, State, and Federal Government, and this 
effort will address a lot of the traditional native concerns for the 
environment. So, as the GOP threatens to terminate funding for 
AmeriCorp, I am proud that rural enhancement and environmental 
protection is taking place in the great State of South Dakota and I 
believe that these programs are examples of why the continuation of the 
AmeriCorps program is critically important.

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