[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 87 (Monday, June 11, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S3899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO ANTONIO POMERLEAU

 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, today I wish to celebrate Antonio 
Pomerleau of Burlington, VT, for his remarkable generosity and for his 
lifetime of service to the people of Vermont. My wife Jane and I have 
known Tony for over 30 years, since we all worked together when I was 
Mayor of Burlington, and he is clearly one of the remarkable people in 
our State.
  Last year, Vermont was badly hit by Tropical Storm Irene, the most 
damaging storm in a half century. Torrential rains, in combination with 
Vermont's steep hills and narrow valleys, brought flooding on a vast 
scale to town after town, wiping out roads and bridges, downtowns and 
mobile home parks, homes, schools and businesses.
  Many brave and generous people, from communities across the State, 
helped those whose lives were uprooted to deal with their losses. The 
Vermont National Guard, along with the Guards of other States and 
private contractors, rapidly repaired and rebuilt washed-out roads and 
bridges. State officials and Federal officials were quick to provide 
relief and aid.
  There are Federal funds available to help rebuild highways, to assist 
farmers as they cope with damage to their fields, to help many 
homeowners. But, as the Governor's ``Irene Recovery Report'' indicates, 
mobile home owners are in a category by themselves. Irene particularly 
devastated mobile home parks, many of which were built close to rivers 
that endured major flooding. Sixteen mobile home parks in many regions 
of Vermont were seriously affected by Irene. Hundreds of mobile homes 
were badly damaged or completely destroyed. As the ``Irene Recovery 
Report'' made clear, while mobile homes provide an important affordable 
ownership option to Vermonters, their construction, location and low 
resistance to water damage can create additional obstacles to recovery 
following a disaster. Few of the Vermonters affected had significant 
discretionary resources with which to secure replacement housing.
  Owners and residents of mobile homes faced enormous challenges. Into 
the breach stepped Antonio Pomerleau.
  Tony, who grew up on a small dairy farm in the Northeast Kingdom of 
Vermont, has never forgotten the working families of Vermont. It should 
be no surprise, though it is nevertheless remarkable, that in the 
aftermath of the flooding last year Tony would generously look out for 
those who live in affordable housing and cannot afford to rebuild when 
catastrophe strikes.
  Today, I want celebrate Tony for his act of enormous generosity in 
creating the Pomerleau Cornerstone Fund and giving it $1 million. This 
fund has one purpose: to provide direct funding to residents of mobile 
homes whose residences were destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene.
  The Pomerleau Cornerstone Fund will help displaced mobile residents 
either with full replacement of their homes, or with downpayment 
assistance for another home. It will provide grants up to $25,000 so 
that at least 40 families can move into safe and affordable housing.
  Throughout his entire adult life, Tony has been a model of what a 
good corporate citizen should be. He has been an excellent employer, 
and he has devoted a good part of his life and considerable skills 
toward public service--without remuneration. For many years he served 
as Police Commissioner of Burlington and did an outstanding job in that 
role. He has also been extremely generous in donating funds to a wide 
variety of very worthy causes.
  Since I was Mayor of Burlington, and this is going back 31 years, 
Tony Pomerleau has paid for a holiday party each year for Burlington's 
low income children and their parents. He also sponsors an annual party 
for the Vermont National Guard. He was the major contributor of funds 
to the Pomerleau Alumni Center at St. Michael's College--two of his 
sons and a granddaughter attended college there. He has provided 
scholarships to Rice High School and funded renovations to Christ the 
King School. Tony donated the North Avenue building that became our 
city's police headquarters, and continues to contribute financial 
support for policemen and policewomen. And this really is just a very 
small part of Tony's philanthropic work.
  But facts tell only part of the story of Tony Pomerleau. His 
generosity is matched by his energy, and even though his 94th birthday 
is in his rearview mirror, he has the energy of a man half his age. His 
mind has always been sharp, and time has not dulled it. His deep love 
for his wife Rita and their children is the rock on which he has built 
his life. His understanding of Vermont--where it has been, where it is, 
where it can be going--is, in my view, remarkable.
  Tony Pomerleau stands as one of Vermont's outstanding citizens. 
Today, I celebrate his generosity--it is the habit of lifetime, and a 
habit we can all learn from.

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