[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 17 (Tuesday, February 26, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                HONORING COMMON THREADS AWARD RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 26, 2002

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sharon Clauss, 
Patricia Hillman, Roxie Moradian, Agnes Pelous, and Alice Peters on the 
occasion of their being awarded the 2002 Common Threads Award. Common 
Threads is a joint venture of the Agricultural Education Foundation, 
California State University, Fresno's College of Agricultural Sciences 
and Technology, and AG ONE Foundation. The award is given to women in 
agriculture who have invested in their communities through community 
service and philanthropy. Honorees must live in Fresno, Kings, Madera, 
Merced, or Tulare County.
  Sharon Clauss has been involved in dairy farming all her life. She 
and her husband, Richard, operate Clauss Dairy in Hilmar, California. 
Her support for agriculture and her community include active 
participation and financial contribution to numerous organizations 
including California Women for Agriculture, Agricultural Leadership 
Foundation, 4-H, Hilmar Covenant Church, and the American Jersey Cattle 
Association.
  Pat (Heiskell) Hillman works with her family's farming businesses, 
Heiskell Family Farms and J.D. Heiskell & Co., in Tulare, California. 
She also volunteers with the World Ag Expo. Her involvement in her 
community spans six decades from co-founding of the Tulare County 
Symphony League in 1956 to being a founding docent of the Heritage 
Complex in 2000. Pat has also contributed to the Tulare Historical 
Museum and Society, First Congregational Church of Tulare, and Pro-
Youth Tulare and Pro-Youth Visalia.
  Roxie Moradian is a former owner of Penny-Newman Grain Company and 
has been involved in agriculture all her life. Her community service 
includes not only the Ag One Foundation at California State University, 
Fresno, with the founding of the Frank Moradian Foundation for 
Agriculture Scholarship for students, but also the Fresno County 
Library, Fresno Philharmonic Association, Saint Agnes and Valley 
Children's Hospitals, Salvation Army-Fresno, and many others.
  Agnes Pelous began her ag life in Los Angeles County as the daughter 
of immigrant farmers from Italy. Agnes continued with farming when she 
married Alex Pelous and they relocated to Tulare County. She has been 
an active member in both the Orange County and Tulare County Farm 
Bureaus. Her other community involvement includes the Lindsay Hospital 
Guild, Las Madrinas Guild for Valley Children's Hospital, Parent 
Teacher Association, Tulare County Cotton Women, Tulare County 4-H, 
California Women for Agriculture, among many others.
  Alice Peters and her husband, Leon, owned and farmed orchards in the 
Fowler, California, area for many years and owned Valley Foundry which 
was connected to agriculture throughout the world. Alice has been 
active in many community service organizations including the Fresno 
Philharmonic, Valley Public Radio, Fresno Metropolitan Museum, and 
Fresno City and County Historical Societies. The School of Business at 
California State University, Fresno named their auditorium in her 
honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sharon Clauss, Pat Hillman, 
Roxie Moradian, Agnes Pelous, and Alice Peters for receiving the 2002 
Common Threads Award. I invite my colleagues to join me in commending 
these outstanding women for their commitment to community service and 
agriculture and wishing them many more years of continued success.

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