[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 11 (Wednesday, February 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E104-E105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECIPIENTS OF THE FRANKLIN A. POLK PUBLIC SERVICE MERIT AWARD
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HON. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES
of ohio
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, February 9, 2000
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend your
attention to a wonderful honor. The Cuyahoga County Bar Foundation and
Cuyahoga County Bar Association recognizes very prominent public
servants. Each public servant receives the distinguished Franklin A.
Polk Public Servants Merit Award. The honorees are as follows:
Irene Bohuslawsky--Parma Municipal Court
Nominated by the Presiding/Administrative Parma Municipal
Court Judge Kenneth Spanagel, Irene Bohuslawsky has, since
1974, been employed in the Law Department of the City of
Parma, where she currently is the Administrative Assistant in
the Prosecutor's Office. A graduate of Lourdes Academy, Irene
attended classes at Cuyahoga Community College. Irene began
her service with Parma as a part-time legal secretary one
month after the birth of her fourth son. She spent time with
both the Prosecutor's Office and the Law Department prior to
being named to her present position in 1995. In this position
she is the office's ``traffic cop,'' insuring that
communication flows among the prosecutors, defense lawyers,
any defendants without counsel, citizens, victims,
complainants, the Court's judges and magistrate. Irene says
that raising her four sons is her outstanding accomplishment,
and, in her spare time, she enjoys her own garden and those
of her children. She also spends time sewing, embroidering,
designing floral arrangements and refinishing old furniture.
She is noted for her patience, courtesy and ability to deal
with the public, and she handles all these varied duties with
a smile and with a disposition that, in Judge Spanagel's
words, ``anyone would be hard-pressed to maintain.'' That
must be true, since, in her years of service, she has
encountered such varied responses as the surprise of the man
who had crashed his car into his former girlfriend's front
steps and who was arrested after the police found his front
license plate, to the loving couple whose marriage ceremony
before one of the judges was followed, almost immediately, by
the bride's filing a charge of domestic violence against her
new groom.
Joseph Booker--Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas
As Chief Jury Bailiff for the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas
Court, Joseph Booker, nominated by Presiding/Administrative
Judge Richard J. McMonagle, supervises the Jury Room and
insures that prospective jury panels are prepared for their
service in criminal and civil trials. After employment in the
private sector in marketing positions, Mr. Booker became a
court employee in 1975. Married to Carolyn since 1961 and the
father of three, Joseph, an Alabama native, raised in
Youngstown, credits his father, a steelworker and minister,
and his mother, a homemaker, with instilling in him and his
brothers strong spiritual values, which he tries to impart to
others. An army veteran, Mr. Booker enjoys photography,
woodworking, travel and golf and has been active in church
activities, including serving as a Boy Scout troop master.
Mr. Booker has heard every reason, and then some, advanced by
citizens trying to avoid serving as jurors. His most vivid
recollection, though, is the call he received on a Friday
from a wife whose husband was on a jury which had been
sequestered. The wife was calling to find out how her husband
was doing during the sequestration. There was one problem:
the jury had been discharged the prior Tuesday. Joseph
regrets, perhaps only slightly, that he did not find out how
the couple resolved the problem.
Judy Courtemanche--Eighth District Court of Appeals
Judy A. Courtemanche, Judicial Secretary at the Ohio Court
of Appeals, Eighth Appellate District, has been nominated by
her boss, Administrative Judge James Porter, in recognition
of her combined 21 years' service at the Court of Appeals and
the office of the Cuyahoga County Clerk of Court.
Particularly, her service in circulating and releasing the
Judge's opinions, keeping his docket, and working with him in
all court-related matters. A resident of the Cleveland area
since her birth, Ms. Courtemanche has been married for 15
years to her husband, Bob. She views her marriage to Bob as
her biggest accomplishment and also values her close
relationship with her sister and her three brothers. Judy has
been honored by the Plain Dealer as an outstanding former
carrier and also has served in the old Cleveland Municipal
Stadium, Jacobs' Field and the new Cleveland Browns Stadium
as a ticket taker and usher. An avid reader and gardener,
Judy also enjoys activities designed to maintain her fitness.
She camps regularly, including trips to Canada and seven
states in the last two years alone. The child of a mother and
father who were both long-time governmental employees, Judy
still finds her work interesting and challenging, and she
says, second only to saying ``I do'', entering public service
was the best decision she ever made. In her ``dream job'' at
the Court of Appeals, Judy values her co-workers as a close
and supportive second family.
Daniel Dadich--Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court
Since October 1978, Dan Dadich, Administrative Judge
Timothy M. Flanagan's nominee, has been employed at the
Domestic Relations Court. Now, the Director of Enforcement
Services, Dan is regarded as being the person to see to get a
clear and quick response to questions about child and spousal
support and health insurance for children. Mr. Dadich notes
that the ever-changing legislation in this area has made it
an awesome challenge to help parties and counsel understand
the complexities of this particular portion of the trauma of
divorce. Dan has presented support issues at continuing legal
education courses offered by the Cuyahoga County Bar
Association and others. Dan has lived in the Cleveland area
his entire life and attended Kent State University. Dan is
married to Gail, who received this same award in 1995. This
doubly-honored couple are the parents of three sons, Devon,
Daniel and Derek. Dan has been active as a coach and officer
in the North Royalton Soccer Club. Despite the stress of
dealing with court personnel, parents and counsel, Dan still
maintains an even and reasoned perspective and a keen sense
of humor.
Raymond Dennard--Cleveland Municipal Court
Raymond Dennard has been an employee of the Cleveland
Municipal Court since 1971. Currently, Administrative Judge
Larry A. Jones' nominee is Deputy Bailiff-Supervisor and is
the Chief of Security at the Court, where he supervises
approximately 100 bailiffs to make sure that there is ``order
in the court.'' Mr. Dennard, a native of West Virginia and
father of two grown children, lives with his wife Mairiam in
Oakwood Village. Also, he serves as a member of the Village
Council. In addition to his duties at the Court and in
Oakwood Village, Mr. Dennard finds time to be a Detective,
and has recently become Director of Security at Thistledown
Race Course. Beyond all those other commitments, Mr. Dennard
has found time to be active in his parish and the Elks of the
World. Raymond has but one complaint about receiving this
award; he found it impossible to distill many decades of
faithful service at the Court into a short statement of why
he found his service to the pubic rewarding.
Thelma Porter--Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts
Since May 1973, Thelma Porter, Common Pleas Court Clerk
Gerald Fuerst's nominee,
[[Page E105]]
has been an employee of the County for 26 years. As
Department Head of the Journal Department of the Clerk's
office, where she has been for the past 22 years. Porter
supervises seven other employees in ensuring that civil and
domestic journal entries are properly processed, including
judgment entries in the Civil and Domestic Divisions. Orders
of Sale from the Sheriff's Department. Writs of Possession
from foreclosures and other important legal documents. Thelma
has been married to Emanuel Porter for over 43 years. The
Porters have two grown children, and Thelma is proud to have
raised them to be good, responsible, hard-working, honest and
caring individuals. She is also blessed with a 2 year old
grandchild, Amiri. A graduate of John Hay, she is an active
volunteer at Greater Abysinian Baptist Church. Thelma looks
to the example of her father, who recently celebrated his
90th birthday and who taught her that hard work and treating
people in a way one would like to be treated are the keys to
success. Thelma's hobbies include bowling, movies, traveling
and shopping at different malls.
Ann Vanik--Cuyahoga County Probate Court
Nominated by Administrative Probate Judge John Donnelly,
Ann Vanik has been an employee of the Court since 1972. After
serving as a deputy clerk and secretary, Ann became Probate
Court Auditor, her current position, where she is responsible
for maintaining personnel and payroll records, along with
purchasing, accounts payable and other budgetary matters. Ms.
Vanik is the mother of two daughters, and lives in South
Euclid, where she is active at her parish, St. Gregory the
Great, where one daughter attends school, and at Beaumont
School, where her other daughter is a student. Ann spends
much of her time with her daughters and is an active
spectator at their volleyball, basketball, softball and fast-
pitch softball games. She enjoys cooking and crafts. Each
year, she and her daughters ``adopt'' a family at
Thanksgiving and provide that family with a Thanksgiving
feast. Ms. Vanik enjoys travel and has been to such varied
locales as Hawaii, Cape Code, Florida, Arizona, Aruba and the
Bahamas.
Johnny Williams--Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court
The Juvenile Court's Administrator John Zachariah's
nominee, Johnny C. Williams, has been an employee since 1973
and is a licensed social worker at the Court's Detention
Center. A native of North Carolina and schooled in that
state, Mr. Williams was a public school music teacher in
North Carolina, and then relocated to Cuyahoga County after
finishing his military service in 1972. Johnny has worked his
entire life, and in addition to his duties at the Detention
Center, he has provided custodial care at other agencies,
including the United Labor Agency, Cleveland Crossroads for
Youth and Ohio Boys Town. In addition to this award, Williams
has been recognized by the National Juvenile Detention
Association, on two separate occasions, and has received
letters of recognition from Mayor White, Governor Voinovich.
Former Congressman Stokes, Senator Metzenbaum and other
public officials. Johnny is active in the 11th Congressional
District Caucus and chairs its Youth Initiative Committee. He
also counsels troubled students at a local middle school upon
referral of that school's principal and helps supervise
social work students from Cleveland State University as their
Field Instructor.
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