[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 13, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMENDING THE COURAGE OF STUDENTS AT WOODBURN HIGH SCHOOL AND FAMILY 
                     OF KARINA AND MARTINA GONZALEZ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
strength and compassion of Woodburn, a small town in my district, when 
they faced a tragedy.
  On December 4, 2000, Karina Gonzalez, a high school student, and her 
mother, Martina Meza Gonzalez, were walking home after receiving an 
outstanding report in her parent-teacher conference. While the mother 
and daughter were crossing the busy Highway 214, they were hit and 
killed. This was a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided by a 
proper crosswalk and lighting of this popular crossing area.
  This was not the first time that an accident such as this had 
happened on that same stretch of highway. In response to the accident, 
students conducted a survey of students who cross that busy highway in 
order to get to school.

                              {time}  1900

  They wrote letters to State leaders, testified before State 
legislative committees to encourage change. Because of the students 
demanding a solution, improvements have been made to the highway by 
creating a pedestrian island with a promise of lighting and other 
solutions.
  The action the community took proves that when people work together, 
they can make positive changes.
  Mr. Speaker, in light of the tragic death of two special people, the 
Woodburn community banded together to make their voices heard and to 
prevent this kind of accident in the future.
  I commend the courage of the students of Woodburn High School, the 
Woodburn community and the family of Karina and Martina Gonzalez for 
their activism in face of this tragedy and their willingness to be 
involved in the democratic process to make positive change. My 
congratulations to them.

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