[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 22, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7362-H7363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H7362]]
                        EVA HOLTZMAN POST OFFICE

  Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 5039) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at United States Route 1 in Ridgeway, North Carolina, 
as the ``Eva Holtzman Post Office''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5039

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EVA HOLTZMAN POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at United States Route 1 in Ridgeway, North 
     Carolina, shall be known and designated as the ``Eva Holtzman 
     Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the Eva Holtzman Post Office.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Ose) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose).


                             General Leave

  Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 5039.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5039, a bill to designate this 
postal facility in Ridgeway, North Carolina, as the Eva Holtzman Post 
Office. All Members of the North Carolina delegation have cosponsored 
the gentleman from North Carolina's (Mr. Butterfield) legislation.
  A community leader, a postal supervisor, a friend, a grandmother of 
seven, and a great-grandmother of four, Eva Holtzman was an exemplary 
role model for the small North Carolina community of Ridgeway.
  Eva Holtzman served as postmaster of Ridgeway for 38 years, 
ultimately retiring at age 80. She was a wonderfully devoted postal 
supervisor. During her tenure as postmaster, this is great, the Postal 
Service once announced plans to close the community post office at 
which she worked in order to widen the county roads. In response, she 
went out and purchased land with her own money and oversaw the 
construction of a brand new post office.
  Mr. Speaker, Eva Holtzman was perhaps best known for her community 
involvement. For more than 5 decades, she volunteered with the 4-H Club 
and taught Sunday school. Additionally, she volunteered with Warren 
County's health department and social services.
  I urge my colleagues to honor Eva Holtzman, a benevolent lifetime 
resident and an institution in Ridgeway, North Carolina.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Special Panel on Postal 
Reform and Oversight of the Committee on Government Reform, I am 
pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 5039, 
legislation designating a U.S. postal facility in Ridgeway, North 
Carolina, after Eva Holtzman.
  This measure unanimously reported by our committee on September 15, 
2004, was introduced by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Butterfield) on September 9, 2004, and enjoys the support and co-
sponsorship of the entire North Carolina delegation.
  As a lifelong resident of Ridgeway, Eva Holtzman was a well-
respected, hard-working community leader. She worked at the Ridgeway 
Post Office for an extraordinary 50 years, serving 38 of those years as 
postmaster. Her dedication went far beyond a plaque on the doorway, 
however.
  A perfect example of Ms. Holtzman's dedication to her fellow 
residents came in the early 60s when, following the closing of the 
local post office, she constructed her own post office and operated it 
herself.
  Known to people who knew her well as Miss Eva, Eva Holtzman donated a 
substantial amount of her time to the community as well, starting a 4-H 
center and initially operating it out of her own home. The gentleman 
from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) has described her as being a 
model citizen: ``With the uncertainty and chaos that exists in our 
world today, I can think of nothing better than to honor the memory of 
one of North Carolina's finest citizens by naming the post office she 
loved and worked so hard for, the Eva Holtzman Post Office.''
  Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield), the 
sponsor of this legislation.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to express my sincere appreciation for the strong 
bipartisan support of my distinguished colleagues from the North 
Carolina delegation, both House and Senate, in their sponsorship of 
this bill.
  I would also like to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom 
Davis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the ranking 
member, and Denise Wilson, along with the entire staff from the 
Committee on Government Reform, for moving so quickly in seeing the 
value of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, we are here today to honor a great woman, a great 
community leader and a great American who helped so many people 
throughout my home State of North Carolina.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, we show our appreciation for an extraordinary 
woman, Ms. Eva Holtzman, by naming the post office in Ridgeway, North 
Carolina, in her honor. Affectionately called ``Ms. Eva'' by all who 
knew her, she loved the town of Ridgeway with all of her heart. She 
called Ridgeway her home. She lived and worked there her entire life. 
She reared four children and ultimately was laid to rest in that 
community.
  Ms. Eva was born in 1918 and educated in Warren County public 
schools, graduating with honors from Norlina High School in rural North 
Carolina.
  Ms. Holtzman was a strong force in the 4-H association, starting a 
chapter out of her home that eventually had to move to a local church 
because of its popularity. Her 50-year tenure with 4-H and teaching 
Sunday school at St. Paul's Lutheran Church did not go unnoticed when 
in the year 2000 she was presented with the Jefferson Award for her 
outstanding and selfless volunteerism by then-Governor Jim Hunt.
  Mr. Speaker, Ms. Holtzman was also a dedicated public servant. She 
worked at the post office for 50 years, 38 of those years as its 
postmaster. When the Ridgeway Post Office was closed in the early 
1960s, Ms. Holtzman refused to let the town live without a post office 
and built a new one on her own. Sadly, Eva passed away 3 years ago, 
leaving behind her beloved post office that she worked so hard to 
preserve.
  As one of her Sunday school students, who is now an adult, said, 
``Everything I learned, I learned because of Ms. Eva.'' And when asked 
why she tirelessly dedicated her life to the citizens of North 
Carolina, she always said, ``It's just wonderful to be able to do 
things for others. I just enjoy people.''
  Mr. Speaker, while Ms. Eva Holtzman is deserving of far greater 
accolades. I am sure they will come in time, but it is my great 
pleasure to offer this legislation on her behalf. I strongly urge this 
body to pass this bill.
  Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take the time 
that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) has been given. He has had 
a family emergency in connection with his father. I know our prayers 
will be with him.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Linder). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.

[[Page H7363]]

  Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to vote in favor of this 
resolution, and I yield back the balance of our time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Ose) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5039.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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