[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 86 (Thursday, June 19, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO THE STUDENTS OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MIDDLE SCHOOL

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                       HON. GEORGE P. RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 1997

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
students of Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Madera, CA for 
their awareness and concern for the importance of soil for America's 
farmers. These students exemplify a care for the community and a 
dedication to hard work.
  The students of Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School promoted 
awareness of soil in 1993 through student research and letters to soil 
scientists in all 50 States. The students received a tremendous 
response from all over the country about many diverse soils, including 
information and samples. The students began to initiate conversations 
with--and enlisted the help of--a number of soil scientists as they 
looked at the possibilities of writing a solution to the problem of 
soil awareness.
  The title of the interdisciplinary project that was created is 
``Proposing an Official State Soil--Preserving a Legacy to Future 
Generations.'' The program focuses on California soil and the Martin 
Luther King, Jr. Middle School student body, which studied the 
processes of promoting legislation, the historical events that have 
taken place on and the practical uses of California soil.
  Students researched the history and origin of soil, worked on 
statistics utilizing various soil characteristics, and wrote a 
resolution known as Senate Bill Number 389, which proposed an adoption 
of the San Joaquin Series Soil as the Official State Soil. On April 17, 
1997, the Senate passed SB-389.
  The support and guidance of Ron Williams, principal of Martin Luther 
King, Jr. Middle School, and Alex Lehman, were instrumental in the 
success of the program. Additional support was provided by additional 
faculty at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, including: Nadia 
Samarin; Mike Dawson; Teresa Varlas; and Bill Lutjens.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I pay tribute to the 
students of Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School. Their commitment to 
raising soil awareness is commendable to say the least. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in wishing the students of Martin Luther King, 
Jr. Middle School best wishes for future success.

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