[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 9, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      TRIBUTE TO MR. ASTIN JACOBO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 9, 2002

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
accomplishments of Mr. Astin Jacobo, a dedicated and determined civic 
activist who recently passed away. Friends, family and community 
members gathered to honor his memory on March 23, 2002.
  Mr. Jacobo spent the last thirty years of his life in service to his 
multi-cultural community. Crotona residents already feel the great gap 
Mr. Jacobo has left behind. As a native of the Dominican Republic, Mr. 
Jacobo came to the United States with defined goals and ample 
determination. He saw where his community was seriously in need of 
change and did not hesitate to roll up his sleeves and get involved. 
His sense of civic duty was difficult to match and that is just one 
reason why his passing is such a great loss to the South Bronx.
  One look around the Crotona neighborhood, and you will see sufficient 
proof of Mr. Jacobo's impact on this community. While serving as 
president of the Crotona Community Coalition, he played critical roles 
in the launching of the Mary Mitchell Youth & Family Center and the 
Mapes Avenue ball field, to name a few things, Residents can also be 
grateful to him for the part he played in improving the Quarry Road 
Soccer Field and Belmont Park. Mr. Jacobo's accomplishments helped the 
community feel more like community and instilled a sense of pride in 
many residents. Throughout his career in public service, Mr. Jacobo was 
served on the Bronx Community Planning Board #6, and was involved with 
Save-A-Nation, Inter-Neighborhood Housing Corporation, the Mary 
Mitchell Youth & Family Center, the Northwest Bronx Community and 
Clergy Coalition, and various local sports teams. He has been honored 
by many of these organizations and others for his achievements.
  Mr. Speaker, beyond Mr. Jacobo's ceaseless civic work, he managed to 
be a loving and involved husband, father of four, and grandfather of 
three. To be well-known as not only a giving and determined individual, 
but also as a devoted family man, is a remarkable honor. I am sure that 
his family is very proud of the wonderful life he led.
  The civic organizations to which he belonged throughout his 75 years, 
like the honors and awards he has received, are almost beyond counting. 
Mr. Jacobo was a wonderful individual who showed us the beauty and 
power of dedication, leadership, and wisdom. He was truly an 
inspiration to all who knew him.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the life 
of Mr. Astin Jacobo.

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