[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 55 (Thursday, March 29, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H3342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING CLAIRE MITCHEL AND RECOGNIZING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Carney). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.


                        Honoring Claire Mitchel

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, this Sunday, the Miami Herald's 
Broward County edition will publish the 1,130th column by writer Claire 
Mitchel. Claire's column, entitled ``The Third Third,'' is believed to 
be the longest-running, uninterrupted features column on aging in any 
major newspaper in America. Nothing in the last 22 years, not illness, 
surgery, births, deaths, computer foul-ups, vacations, hurricanes, 
nothing stopped Claire Mitchel from offering her unique weekly 
perspective on the aging of America.
  Week after week, Claire's column has offered us wisdom, guidance, 
insight and gentle chuckles. Her book, a collection of her columns, was 
entitled ``Seeing the World Through Rose-Colored Bifocals.'' Tony-
winning playwright Vinnette Carroll conceived a musical based on 
Claire's line, ``At our age, we don't buy green bananas.''
  But Claire Mitchel has been far more than a columnist. She has been a 
public relations person who represented everyone from Ann Landers to 
Eleanor Roosevelt. She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; she 
had her own radio show; and she was an ardent feminist before 
mainstream America understood what that meant.
  Claire was Coordinator of Women's Concerns for Broward County's Human 
Relations Division for 10 years and a co-founder of the Older Women's 
League. She was chosen Feminist of the Year by the Broward Commission 
on the Status of Women and was inducted into the Broward County Women's 
Hall of Fame. And through it all, she has been a devoted wife and 
mother.
  In her column, marking her 85th birthday recently, Claire offered 
this observation: ``Today I am a woman of 85, asking the same question 
everyone asks following such a statement, where did the years go? My 
answer is, with a lot of living.
  ``Each day, on each occasion, when there was a question of whether to 
do something, I chose yes. No regrets for what I did, just what I 
didn't do. When others hesitated, I volunteered. Mostly it was the 
right decision, leading me to an activity that I enjoyed.''
  This has been the underlying message, Mr. Speaker, of each of Claire 
Mitchel's weekly writings for the last 22 years: keep living every day 
to its fullest, no matter what age you are.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I pay tribute to Claire Mitchel, whose 
shoulders are strong enough to have supported thousands of women by 
sharing with them her pearls of wisdom.


               Recognizing National Women's History Month

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I also rise today in recognition 
of National Women's History Month as we wind down to the last day of 
this month on Saturday, March 31. First let me start off by saying how 
honored I am to be a part of the 110th Congress, which boasts 90 women 
Members serving in both the House and Senate.
  With this year's theme of ``Generations of Women Moving History 
Forward,'' it is my honor to recognize some very special women in my 
district, the 20th Congressional District of Florida, who have done and 
continue to do their part to advance the women's movement.
  Today I call specific attention to a particular group of women who 
volunteer their time at the Jack and Jill Children's Center in Fort 
Lauderdale, Florida. The Jack and Jill Children's Center is a nonprofit 
organization that provides family-oriented, early childhood education 
and support to strengthen working families.
  The center has a volunteer Grandparent Program, whose mission is to 
engage older adults in volunteer services to meet critical community 
needs and to enrich the lives of volunteers. Jack and Jill's 
grandparents have the important job of interacting with little 
children. Whether it is tying shoes, serving meals, patting backs at 
nap time, or sitting with a child and practicing writing their name, 
these grandparents provide each child with a special relationship that 
he or she may not otherwise receive.
  The success of the Grandparent Program, Mr. Speaker, is attributed to 
its mutually beneficial nature, to both the participants and children 
who receive the care. Many of the programs' grandparents are working 
with their own grandchildren, who will grow up in a loving educational 
environment, fostering a stronger sense of community, work ethic and 
successful life.
  These amazing women, Mr. Speaker, are Martha Myrick, Pearline Scott, 
Annie Welch, Merceline Victor, Barbara Osgood, Elizabeth Dorsey, 
Johnnie Daniels, Maria Morency, Margaret Lewis, and Albertha Brown. 
They collectively average 75 years of age and have been an active part 
of our south Florida community all of their lives, some of whom even 
attended grade school together.
  By providing a better life for our Nation's working, single and low-
income mothers, Jack and Jill's Grandparent Program is moving women's 
history forward.
  Mr. Speaker, our Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, exemplifies that a woman can 
do a job that any man can. I thank her for her service to our Nation, 
and thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell America about some 
of the women in my district who make positive changes in the lives of 
others.

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