[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO WALLY LAIRD

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                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 24, 2002

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor to commend one of 
Northwest Indiana's most distinguished citizens, Wally Laird, of 
Rensselaer, Indiana. On Friday, September 27, 2002, he will be honored 
for his exemplary and dedicated service to our community. Wally's 
praiseworthy efforts will be recognized at a special Rensselaer/
Remington Area Chamber of Commerce dinner, as an endowment for a 
scholarship has been established in his name.
  The scholarship, the Wally Laird Youth Service Award, was created to 
honor a high school student who shows similar qualities to Mr. Laird. 
These qualities include dedication to community causes and commitment 
to education, as well as possessing the willingness to share the 
knowledge he or she gains with others. This banquet and scholarship is 
in honor of Wally Laird's service as well as his demonstrated 
commitment to improving the communities of Northwest Indiana.
  Wally Laird, a longtime resident of Rensselaer, graduated from 
Rensselaer High School in 1950 and went on to Purdue University to earn 
his bachelor's and master's degrees in agricultural economics. A local 
farmer and entrepreneur, Wally Laird is most widely known by radio-
listeners as the host of WRIN/WLGI's ``Farm World.'' Aside from farming 
and his radio work, Wally is an active Rotarian and gives much of his 
time to the Carnegie Players theater group. Additionally, he has been 
working, with others in the agricultural community to bring an ethanol-
producing facility to Jasper County, Indiana.
  The featured speaker at this dinner will be WGN Radio personality Max 
Armstrong. Armstrong is one of America's best-known and widely followed 
agriculture journalists. His daily broadcasts, with colleague Orion 
Samuelson. have been heard by millions of Americans across the United 
States for nearly 25 years. Armstrong has spent the past two decades 
delivering the news about agriculture to his vast farming audience, as 
well as the non-farm consumers in the Chicago area. Armstrong has been 
the recipient of numerous awards of excellence in journalism.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join 
me commending Wally Laird for his outstanding service to Rensselaer and 
neighboring Northwest Indiana communities. His family and friends 
should be proud of his efforts, as his leadership has served as a 
beacon of hope throughout the area. Wally Laird's longstanding 
commitment to improving the quality of life for the people of Northwest 
Indiana is truly inspirational and should be recognized and commended.

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