[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 56 (Wednesday, May 10, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO PETALUMA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 10, 2006

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Petaluma Chamber 
of Commerce on the occasion of its 100th anniversary celebration. The 
chamber has been serving my hometown of Petaluma, CA, since it was 
first launched on February 6, 1906, with 79 members.
  Many of these early members bore names still remembered in Petaluma 
today, including J.E. Olmstead, publisher of the newspaper, and Rodney 
Putnam who was related to future mayor and first female Sonoma County 
Supervisor Helen Putnam.
  One of the key characters in the chamber's early years was Bert 
Kerrigan who was hired in 1918 to promote the city. It is thanks to 
Kerrigan that I was able to participate in Petaluma's 25th Annual 
Butter and Eggs Day Parade this year.
  After evaluating the local business situation, Kerrigan decided the 
town needed to push its poultry industry; he traveled to Washington, 
DC, to establish National Egg Day and coined the slogan ``The World's 
Egg Basket.'' He then performed various publicity stunts--flying an 
airplane over San Francisco to drop flyers, parking a huge egg basket 
in front of the St. Francis Hotel with attractive women, the ``Slick 
Chicks,'' to be photographed, and forming the precursor to today's 
parade, ``Egg Day,'' which was held at night.
  Under the current leadership of CEO Onita Pellegrini, the chamber has 
been thriving and currently has over 900 members. In fact, I, too, was 
a member when I ran my business in Petaluma from 1980 to 1991. The 
chamber recently relocated to the historic Great Petaluma Mill Building 
in the heart of downtown. The group still actively promotes the city's 
businesses and advocates with city government for smart growth 
principles that maintain the community feeling that has been Petaluma's 
hallmark.
  Mr. Speaker, the Petaluma Chamber of Commerce continues to represent 
the diversity of the city from its agricultural roots to its small 
businesses to its new high tech companies. I cut my political teeth as 
a member of the Petaluma City Council, and I know the good work that 
they do. Congratulations to everyone in the chamber on this centennial 
milestone.

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