[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 148 (Tuesday, December 5, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2122-E2123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO DON AND MARY AUNE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 5, 2000

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me 
in honoring Don and Mary Aune of Oscoda, Michigan, as their fellow 
citizens prepare to recognize their contributions to the health and 
welfare of the Aune Medical Center.
  Don and Mary have earned the appreciation of all Oscoda area 
residents by devoting their tremendous talents, time and energy to the 
redevelopment of health services at the site of the former Paul B. 
Wurtsmith Air Force Base Hospital. When the closure of the base in June 
1993 left a void in medical services in the community for civilians and 
many retired military members living nearby, the Aunes worked with 
dogged determination to ensure that patients' needs would be filled.
  At the time, Don was a newly elected member of the Oscoda Township 
Board of Trustees and was named Vice President of the non-profit 
corporation created to address the critical medical care shortage faced 
by the community. Don soon became Chairman of the Board of Directors 
and has spent the past seven years in that role.
  With Mary's enthusiastic support, Don wielded the gavel with his 
usual firm and steady hand, shaping the cornerstone for a facility that 
will serve the needs of friends, neighbors and strangers for years to 
come. They led the effort to quickly turn a fledgling medical facility 
into a strong and vibrant operation that now provides more than 7,000 
patients from the surrounding community with a host of services from 
family practice and pediatrics to women's health and radiology.

[[Page E2123]]

  The Aunes worked untold hours to create an outstanding health center 
to provide a wide variety of services in a local setting, ensuring that 
many elderly and physically impaired patients will receive needed care 
without traveling long distances. Don's leadership, coupled with Mary's 
behind-the-scenes efforts, was the key to opening this long-awaited and 
greatly needed facility. They deserve our gratitude.
  I hope my colleagues will join me today in paying tribute to Don and 
Mary Aune for their endeavors on behalf of the entire community. The 
Aune Medical Center stands as a monument to their enterprise and 
diligence.

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