[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING SILVIO J. PICCINOTTI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 21, 2009

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I rise with sadness today to honor Silvio 
J. Piccinotti of Petaluma, California, who passed away April 19, 2009, 
at the age of 100. Silvio was a fixture of the community for most of 
those years as it developed from an agricultural center to a small city 
with a variety of businesses but true to its rural roots.
  Like many of their contemporaries in the area, Silvio's parents 
emigrated from the Italian-speaking area of Switzerland to the dairy 
ranching area of nearby Marin County where Silvio was born. They moved 
to Two Rock near Petaluma when he was an infant, and he worked on the 
local ranches as he grew up. In 1930 he purchased a ranch with his 
brother Americo, retiring from that business in 1975.
  But Silvio is most known for his lifelong passion for draft horses, a 
passion he shared with the community. He was a founding member of the 
Northbay Draft Horse and Mule Club and tutored many young enthusiasts. 
He participated with his horse team and wagon in the Sonoma County Fair 
and the Harvest Fair and was especially appreciated at events in 
Petaluma, such as the annual Butter and Eggs Day parade. For 25 years 
he also sponsored an annual draft horse Wagon Train through Sonoma and 
Marin Counties.
  Silvio was predeceased by his wife Alice and is survived by his son 
Vernon S. and his grandson Vernon J. Piccinotti as well as his dear 
friend Ellen Wight.
  Madam Speaker, in 2005 the Sonoma County Horse Council appropriately 
inducted Silvio into its Equus Hall of Fame. His true fame lies with 
the generations of locals who will remember the wagon rides and the 
teams of draft horses that brought them joy and represented the spirit 
of the community.

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