[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 23 (Monday, March 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1658-S1659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO JACK BUELL

 Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I stand today to pay tribute to the 
kind of person every community wishes they had, a down-to-earth 
caretaker of the community with a heart of gold. Jack Buell, Chairman 
of the Idaho Benewah County Commissioners is being honored in his 
community as Citizen of the Year. Jack, like many Idahoans, lives in a 
resource-rich part of Idaho. He not only provides jobs for many 
citizens of St. Maries, but is constantly working to enrich this small 
town. Jack has served as a county commissioner since 1974, and has a 
reputation for active leadership. This year, he was named as one of the 
top 25 most influential citizens in the state of Idaho by a Boise 
newspaper.
  It is not difficult to understand why Jack is a man of influence: 
He's a man of his word and a problem solver. Over the past few years, 
he faced demanding challenges when his community was hit by devastating 
floods in the spring of 1996. He worked around-the-clock to minimize 
the destructive damage caused by the spring floods. He offered heavy 
equipment, employees, campers, trailers and any other resource he had 
that someone else could use. He paid his employees for their work and 
never asked the government or community to reimburse him for his 
employees' wages. And still Jack was deeply frustrated that he could 
not do more to protect people from the problems and pain they faced as 
they faced their losses.
  Jack has been inspiring in his work with the community schools. When 
the

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school board couldn't get a bond passed to build a new gym for the high 
school, Jack got to work and found local solutions to the problem. He 
is a man who doesn't ask what his community can do for him, but instead 
asks what he can do for the community.
  Jack's passion for service without recognition does not go unnoticed. 
I am proud to honor this man so many call friend, and recognize him for 
living his daily life in a way that has earned the title of citizen of 
the year.

                          ____________________