[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 80 (Thursday, June 18, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       IN HONOR OF THE HERNDON ROTARY CLUB'S CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 18, 1998

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to 
rise and pay tribute to Peggy Vetter, the thirty-third recipient of the 
Herndon Rotary Club's Citizen of the Year Award. For the past twenty-
two years, she has devoted her time and effort to extensive volunteer 
and leadership activities throughout Herndon.
  In 1976, shortly after moving to the area, Peggy founded the Herndon 
Observer newspaper. The Observer was one of the first newspapers in the 
growing area. While the newspaper was initially published just twice 
monthly, it allowed for the town and its citizens to communicate and 
gave everyone a voice in the community. Peggy sold the paper in 1990, 
but continues to report on Herndon government as well as its people and 
events.
  Peggy's involvement in the community and its many facets did not stop 
there. While working at her paper she supported the community's youth 
by hiring high school students as correspondents and office helpers. In 
addition, she supported fund-raising efforts for youth sports, the Boy 
Scouts, and the Girl Scouts.
  Her skills with community fundraisers led her to chair the Rotary 
Club's annual efforts on behalf of the Embry Rucker Shelter, which has 
collected thousands of dollars' worth of clothing and supplies for 
those temporarily homeless. She participated in a wide range of 
activities with the Rotary Club, from cleaning up Spring Branch to 
ringing bells for the Salvation Army to acting as a Herndon Festival 
Marshal.
  On her own, she has volunteered at her children's schools, served for 
five years as a Cub Scout den mother, and helped found the American 
Women's Club in Kingston, Jamaica. In addition, she served on the 
Herndon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for many years. She was 
honored in 1996 as Woman of the Year by the Herndon Business and 
Professional Woman's Club.
  Peggy lived in several places and traveled extensively before 
settling in Herndon. She was born in Valpariso, Indiana, went to high 
school in Niles, Michigan, and then attended St. Mary's College at 
Notre Dame. She started her career as a journalist during World War II, 
serving as a reporter and editor for the Niles Daily Star. Following 
her marriage to her husband Don, she served as an assistant society 
editor of the Lansing State Journal an a capital correspondent for the 
Detroit Free Press and Times.
  Her husband's job with Pan Am Airlines led her and her three children 
to travel around the world to places such as Guam, Jamaica, Puerto 
Rico, Guatemala, Miami, before coming to the Washington, D.C. 
metropolitan area in 1974.
  Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleagues join me in honoring and 
thanking Peggy Vetter for all of her hard work to improve the Herndon 
community. Her spirit and dedication to public service is truly 
outstanding, and we congratulate her for being named the Herndon Rotary 
Club's Citizen of the Year.

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