[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 153 (Monday, December 3, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S7342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    DAVID BETTS DOUBLE PLAY DIAMOND

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I rise to commemorate the grand 
opening of the David Betts Double Play Diamond, which will take place a 
week from today in Bryan, OH.
  As the result of a community's commitment to working together, an 
unused farm field will soon cultivate the next generation of Bryan-area 
baseball players--nourishing friendships and supporting sportsmanship.
  This new indoor field in Williams County honors the life of an 
extraordinary young Ohioan.
  David Betts would have been 26 years old on December 10, 2012, the 
day that this field will open for members of the entire Bryan community 
to enjoy.
  David, the beloved son of John and Joy, died in a March 2007 
motorcoach accident along with other members of the Bluffton University 
baseball team in Atlanta, GA.
  He was a graduate of Bryan High School.
  After this tragedy, John and Joy Betts made a promise that David's 
death--and the loss of four other players and the bus driver and his 
wife--would not be in vain.
  Out of the Bluffton bus tragedy--and other tragedies like it--Senator 
Hutchison and I introduced the Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act--to help 
prevent the loss of life on our nation's roadways.
  President Obama signed the bill into law earlier this year to ensure 
that tour buses are equipped with seatbelts, stronger roofs, safer 
windows, and drivers that are better trained.
  This safety bill was written with the support of the Betts Family, 
the Bryan community, and a national community of people who have lost 
loved ones in motorcoach crashes.
  Some 5 years later, this close-knit Ohio community also has a 
tangible monument in memory of one of their sons.
  May the David Betts Double Play Diamond serve as a remembrance to 
this wonderful young man and help this community continue to heal and 
move forward.

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