[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 22 (Thursday, February 9, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF MAYOR GREGORIO ACOSTA CALVO

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 9, 2012

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service 
of Gregorio Acosta Calvo, the former Mayor of Tamuning-Tumon, Guam. 
Mayor Calvo passed away on February 2, 2012 at the age of 87.
  Gregorio Acosta Calvo was born on November 9, 1924 in Hagatna, Guam 
and is the son of Gregorio Leon Guerrero Calvo and Maria Acosta Calvo. 
In 1960, he was elected Assistant Commissioner of Tamuning-Tumon and 
served in that role until 1965. In 1965, the Government of Guam changed 
the title of the position from Commissioner to Mayor. In 1965, Mr. 
Calvo was elected Mayor of Tamuning-Tumon and served in this capacity 
until his retirement on January 14, 1985.
  Mayor Calvo began working for the Government of Guam in 1952, where 
he served as Chairman for Parks and Recreation within the Department of 
Public Works. During his time at Public Works, Mr. Calvo was 
instrumental in organizing summer programs for teens. He continued this 
passion for helping the island's youth during his term as Mayor, where 
he organized sporting events for baseball and basketball.
  Mayor Calvo was strongly involved in the introduction of Little 
League baseball on Guam. From the early 1950s to the official national 
chartering of the Little League in 1967, Mayor Calvo was a leading 
supporter for the development of the sport for our island's youth. In 
1983, he proposed to split the Little League Far East region into the 
Asia region and the Pacific region, in order to give the smaller 
Pacific nations an opportunity to compete in the Little League World 
Series. In 2000, the proposal was passed and since then Guam has sent 
teams to compete in the Little League World Series.
  Mayor Calvo was also a strong advocate for the preservation of the 
Chamorro culture. In 1992, he became a member of the board of the 
Chamorro Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization with the 
mission of preserving, developing, and enhancing the Chamorro culture 
and heritage of the people of Guam. Mayor Calvo is also a survivor of 
the Japanese occupation of Guam during World War II. As a teen, he 
endured forced labor at the hands of Japanese forces and was tasked 
with digging caves in the northern village of Yigo.
  Mayor Calvo married Felisidad Salas Calvo in 1946 and together they 
raised 13 children, and have been blessed with numerous grandchildren 
and great-grandchildren.
  I join our community in mourning the loss of Mayor Gregorio Acosta 
Calvo. His contributions to our community, especially our island's 
youth, will be remembered by the many citizens he helped throughout his 
life. On behalf of the people of Guam, I extend my heartfelt 
condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones. God bless Mayor 
Calvo. He will be missed.

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