[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 64 (Friday, May 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E849]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E849]]
        HONORING KATHERINE CLOSE, REGIONAL SPELLING BEE CHAMPION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2002

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an exceptional 
young woman from my district that has distinguished herself by winning 
the March Spelldown 2002, allowing her to advance to the 75th Annual 
Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee.
  Katherine ``Kerry'' Close, a fourth grader from Spring Lake, New 
Jersey, beat 100 other students in Monmouth, Middlesex and Ocean 
Counties to make it to the final round of the regional spelling bee 
held in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Winning the bee qualified her and a 
guardian for a paid trip here to Washington to compete with 249 other 
nationwide winners who will compete in the four-day national bee 
beginning May 26.
  Her study strategies include listening to a couple hundred words each 
day, then having her parents quiz her on those words. In reality, the 
possible words she may face can be any word in the English language, a 
daunting task for a nine-year old. Kerry will also be one of the few 
contestants her age, but insists that she is not nervous about the 
event.
  I and all the residents of the Sixth Congressional District of New 
Jersey would like to once again congratulate Kerry on her achievement. 
I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing the best of luck to Kerry 
and all her fellow spelling bee champions from around the nation as 
they compete at the national spelling bee championships.

                          ____________________