[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 22, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2047]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       TRIBUTE TO PATSY GUADNOLA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 22, 1997

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to a take a minute to tell you 
about a woman who has been instrumental in the lives of so many 
children on the Western Slope of Colorado. Her name is Patsy Guadnola 
and she taught music in Glenwood Springs for over 51 years. She was 
such a knowledgeable and patient teacher that she even taught music to 
me. Ms. Guadnola is the type of individual that we could all learn 
from, as she has given so much of herself to the people.
  Ms. Guadnola is the youngest of 10 brothers and sisters who were 
Italian immigrants. She has witnessed the town of Glenwood Springs 
evolve from a town of dirt roads and a two lane bridge to a town now 
considering a light rail system and a bypass for its main street.
  Her love of music, children, and family has been the constant that 
has rooted her so deeply in the community. When she was just a child, 
her brothers and sisters contributed money so that she might take piano 
lessons. When she was 12, she began playing the organ on Sundays at St. 
Stephen's Catholic Church, a commitment she continues to this day.
  Following Ms. Guadnola's graduation from the University of Northern 
Colorado and the Julliard School of Music, she returned home and began 
work as the music teacher at the Glenwood public schools for grades 1 
to 12. She taught in the very same room where she discovered her own 
desire to one day become a music teacher herself.
  For 40 years Ms. Guadnola taught music in the elementary and high 
school. Following her retirement from the public school, Ms. Guadnola 
went on to teach music for 11 more years at St. Stephen's Catholic 
School.
  With a career spanning 51 years, Ms. Guadnola has enjoyed watching 
many locals grow from children to adults.
  Ms. Guadnola's legacy lives around her in the people she has taught 
and continues to see. In her former students she sees a little bit of 
herself living on especially in those who have gone on to a career in 
music or teaching.
  Mr. Speaker, it is people like Patsy Guadnola who make the Western 
Slope of Colorado the wonderful place it is. She is truly an 
inspiration to us all, and as one who learned so much from her myself, 
I can say she will always be greatly appreciated for what she has done.

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