[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 15, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1638-E1639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THANKS TO JOE ZAWADSKI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 15, 2004

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, every now and then nice 
things happen to those in need. This is just what happened to the 
students at Helms Middle School after Joe Zawadski visited the school 
and saw the terrible conditions that existed. Joe Zawadski made a 
command decision that the students deserved better and he and his 
company, Signature Properties, were going to do something about it.
  With the support of Jim Ghielmetti, the owner of Signatures 
Properties, Helms was able to make major improvements to its safety, 
sanitation and playing field conditions. What a wonderful example for 
those who want to help improve the educational environment in our 
schools.
  Thanks to Joe Zawadski and Signature Properties, the students at 
Helms Middles School will start the year in a safer and brighter 
learning environment. Thank you Joe Zawadski.
  Mr. Speaker I would like to share with my colleagues a news story and 
editorial from the Contra Costa Times.

                         Pick Up A Paint Brush

       Signature Properties Vice President Joe Zwidski usually is 
     responsible for developing the foundation of neighborhoods, 
     building things from the ground up. Recently, however, he 
     stepped in to help in the maintenance of a school in San 
     Pablo, one of the

[[Page E1639]]

     areas in which his Pleasanton company builds.
       He donated supplies and his company's services to paint the 
     exterior, repair the lawn; install sprinklers, and fix 
     bathrooms and broken windows at Helms Middle School.
       He looked at this dilapidated school--scheduled for 
     overhauling from Measure D money and that he has tried to 
     earmark his fees to West County School District for--and 
     decided the school's needs shouldn't be put off. He said: 
     ``This is something we can do.''
       That's true. Good for you, Mr. Z. Now why didn't people 
     right there in the community say that? Why didn't neighbors 
     and parents do something? Do plumbers and painters and 
     handypeople not have children going through the schools?
       As schools throughout the area, throughout the state, wait 
     for state funds or for local bond money, parents and 
     businesses in the community could be giving money, supplies, 
     time and skills to make sure their area schools aren't 
     falling down, that their kids and their neighbors aren't 
     going to schools that bring grown men to tears.
       When the state or bond money comes, it will go further and 
     more will get done in the long run. But in many cases, 
     attention is needed now.
       A decrepit school can have psychological connections and 
     results. As Zawidski said, to kids in attendance at schools 
     like that, ``it's apparent no one cares about them.''
       That's how their young brains process it anyway. Then the 
     kids in turn don't care about themselves and don't strive to 
     get the benefits that a good education brings.
       Parents and the community must be involved. They must be 
     active in all aspects of youths' education. That means: 
     making sure your kids do their homework, meeting their 
     teachers, seeing that they are learning. It also means making 
     sure money for schools is spent as it should be; it means 
     volunteering so that teachers have help and extra curriculum 
     programs remain available; and there is certainly no reason 
     it shouldn't mean that every couple of years you pick up a 
     paintbrush and a screwdriver, to keep the school up to par.
       Our schools, all of them, can use the extra help.
                                  ____


                 San Pablo School Gets Unexpected Gift

                          (By Jackie Burrell)

       Developers don't often get to play hero, but a crumbling 
     San Pablo middle school started this school year with a free 
     facelift thanks to a Pleasanton company's Good Samaritan 
     gesture.
       And the builder didn't even toot its own horn afterwards.
       Like any developer, Signature Properties coughed up the 
     requisite developer fees to the West Contra Costa school 
     district as it planned a new neighborhood of 3-bedroom homes 
     and townhouses. Then Signature's vice president of forward 
     planning Joe Zawidski stopped by Helms Middle School for a 
     tour.
       ``We were disappointed with the state of the school,'' 
     Zawidski said.
       Helms principal Harriet MacLean was less circumspect. 
     Zawidski nearly cried, she said, and then he made some calls.
       Helms is on deck for a near-rebuilding under West Contra 
     Costa schools' Measure D, a $300 million bond measure voters 
     passed in 2002 to renovate more than a dozen middle and high 
     schools.
       Signature, the same company currently embroiled in 
     litigation with the Pleasanton School District over 
     construction of Neal Elementary School, wanted its fees 
     earmarked for improvements at Helms when the school was 
     rebuilt, a two-year process expected to begin in 2005. The 
     company also offered to install a new playing field when it 
     did landscape work at the development across the street.
       Six weeks ago Zawidski and company owner Jim Ghielmetti 
     couldn't stand it anymore.
       ``You know these kids are coming in now, this is their 
     school and it's not right,'' said Zawidski. ``The weeds were 
     three feet, ceilings were falling down, the restrooms were 
     not functional. It's not going to enrich those kids. It makes 
     it apparent that no one cares about them. It's a tragedy.''
       Zawidski called MacLean then showed up with a construction 
     crew to paint the school's exterior, install new spinklers 
     and lawns, replace restroom faucets and repair every broken 
     window.
       ``You would think he'd only be interested in curb appeal, 
     but he replaced all the broken windows, even the one in the 
     back, faucets in all the restrooms, all because he cares,'' 
     MacLean said.
       ``San Pablo is a good community. This is just a way to 
     reinvest in the community,'' said Zawidski. ``This was 
     something we could do and something we wanted to do.''

                          ____________________