[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 23, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING LARRY ALLEN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 22, 2003

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Larry Allen, a 
retired police officer from my hometown of Tarpon Springs who offers 
free computer classes to children in my congressional district.
  Mr. Allen retired from the Tarpon Springs Police Department earlier 
this year after thirty years of dedicated service. He joined the force 
after high school because he wanted to serve the community in which he 
was raised. Mr. Allen, however, wanted to continue serving the 
community he once protected after his retirement. Consequently, he 
devotes much of his time to the Department's Cops and Kids program, 
which teaches children how to use, repair, and take care of computers.
  The program, which allows six youngsters to participate on a rotating 
basis every six weeks, enables its participants to get individualized 
instruction that they may not otherwise receive at school. This 
attention allows the students to learn how to use computers as 
educational tools and learn more than they would without the benefit of 
those skills.
  I am pleased that many individuals and businesses from my 
congressional district have supported this effort by donating computers 
to the program. These machines are refurbished and loaded with current 
software which allows the students to take computers home to assist 
with their school work.
  Mr. Speaker, the Cops and Kids program is a shining example of what 
can be accomplished by dedicated individuals who care about their 
community. Larry Allen is one such person; a man whose career in law 
enforcement made Tarpon Springs a safer place to live and work and 
whose concern for his community has improved the lives of many children 
in it. I am proud to represent Mr. Allen in Congress and commend him 
both for his police career and his service in the Cops and Kids 
program.

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