[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 140 (Thursday, October 1, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE OF MICHAEL SHIMANSKY

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                          HON. JERRY McNERNEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 2009

  Mr. McNERNEY. Madam Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in 
honoring the life of Michael Shimansky, who passed away peacefully at 
age 65 on September 15, 2009.
  Mike Shimansky was the longest serving member of the Danville Town 
Council since the town's incorporation in 1982. He was elected in 1989 
and served for 20 years with a deep rooted sense of public service and 
strong belief in giving back to the community in which he lived. I knew 
Mike on a personal basis, and he was a warm and genuine man. His 
passion for public service extended beyond his role as a Danville Town 
Council member. He was well known for officiating local soccer games, 
lacrosse games and track meets. I remember Mike as a fixture at events 
to raise money for positive causes, such as presiding over Primo's Run 
for Education, and the Hats Off America Run, which raises money for the 
benefit of surviving families of our fallen soldiers.
  Mr. Shimansky also represented the town of Danville through 
appointments to numerous other boards, committees and commissions. He 
was currently serving on the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste 
Authority, Contra Costa Transit Authority, and San Ramon Valley 
Disaster Council; and as the Contra Costa Mayors' Conference appointee 
on the S.F. Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board and the East 
Bay Regional Park District Advisory Committee and the Elections Citizen 
Advisory Committee. Prior to his election to the town council, Mr. 
Shimansky served as a member of the town's inaugural Parks and Leisure 
Services Commission.
  Mike was also a friend to our veterans in the San Ramon Valley. As a 
member of the Danville Park and Leisure Services Commission, he was 
instrumental in the establishment of the All Wars Memorial at Oak Hill 
Park. A local veterans organization, the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo 
Valley described him as, ``a truly outstanding and dedicated--beloved 
man of the community--in which he served and lived.''
  Michael Shimansky's passion for public service did not stop at home. 
In addition to being deeply involved in the local community, he 
volunteered to help his fellow citizens during times of national 
crisis, by going to New Orleans to join the American Red Cross' efforts 
in both the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and during the 
wildfires that devastated many homes and communities in San Diego 
County in 2007.
  Mike was a valued and respected leader who touched the lives of many 
and improved the quality of life in Danville for decades to come. He 
always worked for the common good and led by example. In the words of 
one of his fellow council members, ``People loved him for his work 
ethic. Every decision he made, he had the people of Danville in mind.''
  Michael Shimanksy's efforts as a volunteer and unwavering dedication 
to public service leave a legacy that will continue to benefit the 
people of Danville, the State of California and our great Nation for 
generations to come. It is for these reasons that I ask my colleagues 
to join me in honoring the memory of Michael Shimansky in sending our 
thoughts and prayers to his beloved family and friends.

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