[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 109 (Tuesday, September 6, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF MAYOR DAN ALBERT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 6, 2005

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, there is a rumor in Monterey, California, that 
when the Portola expedition arrived there in June, 1770, Mayor Dan 
Albert was there to welcome them to the City. Mayor Albert has served 
the people of Monterey for so long that we forget that there was a time 
when he was not part of local government. He and his wife Joanne are 
also dear friends to me and my wife Shary. So I rise today to honor not 
only a public servant of the highest caliber, but also a friend of many 
years.
  Dan Albert is serving his tenth two-year term as Mayor of Monterey. 
He has held the position of Mayor longer than anyone in Monterey's 225 
year history. Mayor Albert was elected to the City Council in 1979 and 
elected Mayor in 1986. Prior to that time, he served on the City of 
Monterey Parks and Recreation Commission for several years. He is a 
former member and Chair of the Local Agency Formation Commission 
(LAFCO), the one local position that he and I have both held.
  But length of service is not everything, as my colleagues know. The 
value to a community comes through what it continues to receive from 
its longstanding public officials. By that measure, Dan Albert is worth 
his weight in gold. When first elected to the City Council, Monterey 
was in the economic doldrums. The fishing industry had disappeared, the 
tourism industry was weak and the military economic activity was being 
continually threatened. What a difference 25 years of real leadership 
makes. The BRAC Commission just reaffirmed the indispensable role that 
Monterey plays in supporting the Defense Language Institute and Naval 
Postgraduate School. Monterey is the center of a thriving regional 
tourism economy. Its convention center, Window on the Bay Park, 
Aquarium, and coastal recreation trail all draw and enrich visitors 
from at home and abroad. And the City of Monterey is a national model 
for the participation of its citizens in neighborhood preservation and 
enhancement. All of these trends, and many others, have Dan Albert's 
quiet leadership at their center. It is a legacy that has made a 
permanent mark on Monterey.
  Mayor Albert retired after 37 years from his position as teacher at 
Monterey High School. During his time at Monterey High he coached the 
Monterey High varsity football team for 23 years. Mayor Albert and his 
wife, Joanne, are lifetime residents of the city and both attended 
Monterey High School. They have four grown children and ten 
grandchildren.
  Finally, I want to mention something that is not often said of 
politicians. Danny Albert is polite. He is always gracious; always 
friendly. He treats all those around him with dignity, respect and a 
charming humor. Which is not to say that he doesn't fight hard for his 
city. As a former football coach, he knows how to block, tackle, and 
score touchdowns for Monterey. But he does so with a style that 
preserves the conversation and promotes mutual respect and comity.

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