[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 19, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2129-E2130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   TRIBUTE TO DIETER SCHMIDT--A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR CLOSER GERMAN-
                           AMERICAN RELATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 19, 1999

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dieter A. 
Schmidt, Director of the Institute for Foreign Relations of the Hanns 
Seidel Foundation of Munich, Germany. Mr. Schmidt is a true friend of 
the United States and a longtime force for stability and cooperation in 
Europe.
  One of Mr. Schmidt's most lasting accomplishments has been his 
leadership of the Franz Josef Strauss Symposium, a highly regarded 
international conference on foreign and security policy. The 
Symposium--which will be held for the twentieth time later this year in 
Munich--has provided a platform for senior American officials and 
Members of Congress to meet and discuss with their German counterparts 
perspectives on critical issues relating to Germany and European 
affairs.
  For the past two decades, this outstanding forum has provided an 
excellent opportunity to consider and evaluate the dramatic changes 
that have taken place in Central Europe--the fall of the Berlin Wall, 
the end of the Cold War, the enlargement of NATO, and the changing 
nature of international institutions in the post-Cold War era. Dieter 
Schmidt's guidance--from helping to establish the Symposium in 1979 to 
chairing its meetings and working tirelessly to bring together policy 
makers on both sides of the Atlantic--has provided a critical forum for 
leaders of both of our countries to meet, to build strong personal 
relationships and to create greater mutual understanding and 
cooperation.
  Throughout his career, Schmidt has time and time again worked to 
strengthen German-American relations. In 1957, as a young officer, he 
attended an exchange program at the United States Military Academy at 
West Point. In 1968, Schmidt returned to the United States for CBW 
warfare training at Fort McClellan, Alabama. After his military career, 
he became the international secretary of the Christian Social Union 
Party. In that capacity, Schmidt played a key role in the founding of 
the International Democratic Union (IDU), a worldwide association of 
Christian Democratic and conservative political parties. For many years 
now he has served as a member of the Committee for International 
Affairs of the IDU, where he was instrumental in expanding the 
organization to include American participation.
  In 1981, in his capacity as Director of the Institute for Foreign 
Relations at the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Dieter Schmidt initiated a 
series of annual conferences to educate congressional staff about the 
German and European political processes. In the past eighteen years, 
these extremely valuable conferences have involved the participation of 
almost two hundred Congressional staff members, and they have provided 
the participants with a much broader and more meaningful understanding 
of Germany and of America's other key allies and partners in Europe.
  Mr. Speaker, as we mark the twentieth gathering of the Franz Josef 
Strauss Symposium, I invite my colleagues to join me in paying tribute 
to the remarkable contributions of Dieter Schmidt to the close ties 
between Germany and the United States. His efforts merit our great 
appreciation and our respect.

 RECOGNIZING MR. RAMON GONZALES AND THE ``MIRACLE ON WEST 31ST STREET''

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 19, 1999

  Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Ramon 
Gonzales, a generous man of limited means who works hard

[[Page E2130]]

to ensure that the Spirit of Christmas touches all of South Tucson's 
children.
  Twenty-nine years ago, Mr. Gonzales held a neighborhood Christmas 
party for his own children and a few of their friends. Because the 
party was so successful and appreciated, he gave another one the 
following year and every year since. Throughout the years, the 
celebration has radiated from Mr. Gonzales' small stucco house and onto 
West 31st Street. Now, on the day of the party, the street is blocked 
off and there are refreshments, balloons, clowns, mariachi music, 
pinatas, face painters, live radio broadcasts, and presents.
  During the festivities, Santa Claus arrives to hand presents out to 
the children, sometimes in a red fire truck and other times in a 
helicopter. However he arrives, children, parents and volunteers alike 
thrill to the renewal of Christmas magic and the promise of a better 
tomorrow. Because of the happiness the celebration generates, Tucson's 
residents have come to call it the ``Miracle on 31st Street.'' This 
year's event is expected to benefit approximately 4,000 local children, 
who undoubtedly will have a memorable Christmas because of Mr. 
Gonzales' kindness and compassion.
  Mr. Gonzales, a former sheet metal worker now on disability, works 
all year to organize and develop resources for the Christmas Eve 
celebration. Always modest, Mr. Gonzales insists that ``It's the 
volunteers that make the party,'' and he, along with 200 other 
volunteers, works tirelessly to ensure the success of the annual event. 
Many of the volunteers are Mr. Gonzales' union friends, and he has been 
praised by his union president, who said ``I wish we all could be as 
selfless and as giving as Brother Gonzales.'' Volunteers also come from 
businesses, radio stations, friends, neighbors, nonprofit groups, and 
government agencies who enjoy generating positive feelings for the 
children and within the volunteer corps.
  Although many of the children who come to the party are from low 
income families who may not have another Christmas celebration, Mr. 
Gonzales welcomes all children to join in the festivities. He 
understands that childhood dreams are nurtured through a caring 
community that transcends the individual's situation and emphasizes 
positive concepts: sharing, love, involvement, generosity, and 
kindness. The block party on West 31st Street in South Tucson has 
become a beacon for those ideals.
  I commend Ramon Gonzales for his dedication and personal sacrifice 
that has generated so many positive emotions and wonderful memories for 
thousands of children. He is an outstanding model for our nation of one 
person truly making a difference. May his energies and commitment 
continue for many years to come.

     PROMOTING HEALTHY HEARTS AND HEALTHY LIVES: DEAN ORNISH, M.D.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 19, 1999

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to pay tribute to Dr. Dean 
Ornish, a man who has dedicated his career to building healthier lives. 
Dr. Ornish is considered by many as the leading authority on the 
effects of diet and lifestyle on health and well-being. His 
groundbreaking research has resulted in the discovery that 
comprehensive changes in diet and lifestyle can reverse even severe 
coronary heart disease without drugs and surgery. Dr. Ornish has 
produced valuable research that can empower individuals and build 
healthier communities. He is a talented, dedicated researcher whose 
work must not go unappreciated or unnoticed.
  Dr. Ornish is the founder, president and director of the non-profit 
Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, where 
he holds the Bucksbaum Chair. He is Clinical Professor of Medicine at 
the University of California, San Francisco, and a founder of the 
Center for Integrative Medicine at the university. Dr. Ornish received 
an M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine, was a clinical fellow in 
medicine at Harvard Medical School and completed his internship and 
residency in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 
Boston.
  Dr. Ornish is the author of five best-selling books, including New 
York Times bestsellers: Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart 
Disease; Eat More, Weigh Less; and Love & Survival. His research and 
writings have been published in the Journal of the American Medical 
Association, The Lancet, Circulation, The New England Journal of 
Medicine, the American Journal of Cardiology, and elsewhere. A one-hour 
documentary of his work was broadcast on NOVA, the PBS science series, 
and was featured on Bill Moyers' PBS series, ``Healing & The Mind.'' 
His work has been featured in virtually all major media; he was on the 
cover of the March 16, 1998, issue of Newsweek magazine.
  Dr. Ornish has received several awards, including the 1996 Beckmann 
Medal from the German Society for Prevention and Rehabilitation of 
Cardiovascular Diseases, the U.S. Army Surgeon General Medal, and the 
1994 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from the University of Texas, 
Austin. He is listed in the Dictionary of International Biography, 
Who's Who in America, and in Men of Achievement. He was recognized as 
one of the most interesting people of 1995 by People magazine and by 
LIFE Magazine as one of the 50 most influential members of his 
generation.
  Mr. Speaker, I have great admiration for Dr. Dean Ornish. He is truly 
a remarkable individual whose outstanding research and effective 
programs have improved the overall quality of life for many people. His 
proven research on behavior modification has the potential to 
revolutionize the way modern medicine approaches heart disease. Dr. 
Ornish's promotion of healthy hearts and healthy lives is an 
inspiration for all Americans.

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