[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 9, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING ALCALDE NIELS CHEW

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 9, 2010

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today with my 
colleague Representative Lynn Woolsey, to honor Alcalde Niels Chew, who 
was bestowed the title of honorary mayor of the City of Sonoma because 
of his commitment to his community and its citizens. The naming of an 
Alcalde, which means ``magistrate'' or ``mayor'' in Spanish, is a 
tradition that began in 1975 as a way to acknowledge the citizen of the 
year.
  Niels is best known for his generosity, humility and his unwavering 
dedication to the causes he believes in, which is why he was selected 
from a long list of candidates. According to Niels, his father is 
responsible for instilling in him the value of service.
  ``During the Depression, no one in need ever came to our house and 
left empty handed,'' he said.
  Niels embraces quite a history of community service to the City of 
Sonoma, dating back to 1984 when he and his wife Susan first moved to 
Sonoma. Since then, Niels has graciously shared his warehouse with many 
area non-profits who have stored their food and clothing donations in 
his facility.
  As owner of Dowling Miner Magnets until 2004, he provided 
opportunities to Becoming Independent to train and support people with 
developmental disabilities.
  Currently, Niels serves on the board of the Sonoma Valley Hospital 
Foundation, Operation Youth, and the Sonoma Overnight Shelter. He was 
formerly the president of Kiwanis of Sonoma Plaza and trustee of the 
Sonoma Valley Unified School District.
  One of his most notable and impactful service endeavors has been his 
continuous support of the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance as a 
dedicated mentor and founding board member. He is even credited with 
starting the organization because he added the organization's executive 
director to his payroll at Dowling Magnets so she could kick-off the 
mentoring program.
  As a result of his initial investment, what began as a 10 hour weekly 
commitment at Flowery School blossomed into an organization that has 
been successfully connecting caring adults with at-risk students for 
more than 12 years.
  ``He has a heart the size of a continent, especially where kids are 
concerned,'' said Ms. Kathy Witkowicki, Executive Director of the 
Mentoring Alliance. ``We could never put a value on all that he has 
contributed to the Mentoring Alliance over the years, because it's 
priceless.''
  Madam Speaker, Niels Chew's commitment to service is a powerful 
example of the positive difference one person can make. We are thankful 
for the charitable contributions made by this humble and thoughtful 
leader and philanthropist and we wish him continued prosperity as he 
spends time with his children and grandchildren.

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