[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 67 (Thursday, May 19, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S5528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING GEORGE REDMAN

 Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to 
George Redman of East Providence, RI. The Greenways Alliance of Rhode 
Island, the Ocean State Bike Path Association, and the Narragansett Bay 
Wheelman are honoring George tonight for his ``Spirit, Dedication and 
Commitment to Rhode Island Greenways.''
  George is an active neighborhood volunteer, an avid bicyclist, an 
amateur genealogist, historian, and sailor. His extraordinary service 
during World War II aboard the USS Mississippi began a career of 
service to his community and country.
  He has dedicated much of his life to the revitalization of the East 
Providence waterfront, beginning with a shoreline cleanup that he 
organized as an Assistant Master of a Boy Scout troop. His efforts 
continued with his work as chairman of the Fort Hill Waterfront Park 
Committee, the East Providence Beautification Committee, the East 
Providence Shoreline Committee, and the Narragansett Bay Commission 
Advisory Council.
  I would especially like to commend George for his vital role 
advocating for the East Bay Bike Path. This 14-mile trail, built on an 
abandoned railway connecting East Providence to the coastal towns of 
Barrington, Warren, and Bristol, has been hailed as a national example 
of the benefits of recreational trails. In the early 1980s, George 
headed a petition effort that received more than 4,200 signatures and 
spurred the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to complete the 
path in 1992. His bike path advocacy has earned him recognition in the 
Christian Science Monitor, the Providence Journal, Rails to Trails 
Magazine, and other local media outlets covering bike path and 
waterfront-related issues.
  Active for many years in local politics, George was elected a 
delegate to the 1986 Rhode Island Constitutional Convention. He has 
received numerous letters of appreciation and recognition from past 
Governors and Federal, State, and local officials. It was my privilege 
to take a bike ride with George last August on the newly constructed 
Washington Secondary Bike Path that runs from Cranston to Coventry, RI. 
As I said at the time, if the East Bay Bike Path had not been built, 
there would not have been the momentum to go forward with other trails.
  George has been married for 53 years to his wife, Adeline, and they 
have two children, Paul and Mary, and three grandchildren.
  George Redman's success in pushing for the East Bay Bike Path affirms 
the notion that members of grassroots organizations can partner with 
state and federal agencies to improve the quality of life in their 
communities. I am delighted to join in recognizing his achievements, 
and his passion for the environment and public recreation.

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