[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S724-S725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO LES CHITTENDEN

 Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the 
contribution of an outstanding Marylander, Mr. Les Chittenden. I hope 
my colleagues will find inspiration in this story of devotion and 
persistence.
  Les and his wife Mary lived in an apartment building in Columbia, 
Maryland where handicapped access and parking were limited. When Mary 
became ill and required the use of a wheelchair, the Chittendens 
discovered just how inadequate the handicapped facilities at their 
building were.
  Mr. President, Les Chittenden was not content to simply accept the 
situation. He fought to change it. His devotion to his wife of 36 years 
motivated

[[Page S725]]

him to take on the powers that be and propose solutions to make 
disabled residents safer each time they parked their car and entered 
the building. Even though agreeing on and implementing a solution 
proved to be difficult, Mr. Chittenden still refused to give up.
  Five months after he began his fight to improve access for disabled 
residents, Les' beloved wife Mary passed away. Mr. President, I want to 
send my condolences to Mr. Chittenden and his family during this 
difficult time.
  But, Mr. President, I also want to send my congratulations and my 
admiration. Shortly after his wife's passing, Mr. Chittenden returned 
home one weekend to find that his hard work paid off at last--a new 
handicapped ramp and several new handicapped parking spaces were added 
to the building as a result of his persistent efforts.
  I want to share this story with my colleagues today because I think 
it's important that we honor the meaningful contributions of Americans 
like Les Chittenden. Mr. Chittenden is a wonderful example of how one 
person can make a valuable difference in our communities. Mr. 
Chittenden's story is an inspiration to us all.

                          ____________________