[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 16 (Thursday, February 26, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF MARK ZALKIN

  (Mr. RUSH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the life, work, 
soul, and spirit of a dear friend, Mark Zalkin. Mark's life was 
tragically cut short on Monday as he passed at the age of 49 due to 
complications from multiple sclerosis.
  During the seventies Mark's vision for justice translated into him 
building and leading the 46th Ward Community Service Center, and later 
the Uptown Community Service Center. He worked tirelessly to create 
services to Chicago's uptown neighborhood.
  One of Mark's unique qualities was his steadfast belief in the wisdom 
and power of people. As editor of Keep Strong Magazine and All Chicago 
City News, and as press strategist for the late Harold Washington, the 
mayor of the city of Chicago, Mark always went first to people for 
information and to find out what was really happening. The disabled 
coal miner fighting for black lung benefits or the family displaced by 
suspected arson for profit, these were the people who Mark went to for 
information.
  When Mark was stricken with MS, he faced life with the same quiet 
strength and determination he radiated all his life. My prayers go out 
to Mark's family, and especially to his son Brendan, who carries on his 
tradition and legacy as editor of Chicago's Streetwise newspaper.

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