[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 87 (Tuesday, June 18, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S4574]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO ARNOLD LEE WATSON

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I rise today to honor and pay tribute 
to a selfless Kentuckian, Mr. Arnold Lee Watson of Letcher County, KY. 
Watson voluntarily devotes his time and skills to raise money for the 
Veterans Program Trust Fund.
  Mr. Watson is the father-in-law of Letcher County Clerk Winston 
Meade. Together they have created a service that is becoming popular 
among many Kentucky counties. As license plates are dropped off in the 
Letcher County office, Watson turns the old plates into pieces of art. 
Meade and Watson build and sell license plate birdhouses statewide in 
an effort to raise money for veterans' homes in eastern, central, and 
western Kentucky.
  Meade first saw these birdhouses after he purchased two at a meeting 
with the Kentucky County Clerks Association. Mr. Watson is retired and 
saw that he could spend time making birdhouses to raise money for 
H.A.V.E, or Help A Veteran Everyday. His interest in helping veterans 
is inspired by his brothers, all who have served our country.
  Help a Veteran Everyday, or H.A.V.E, is a program that was adopted in 
2005 by the County Clerks of Kentucky. Across the Commonwealth, 
counties are taking actions to collect donations for the organization 
which helps ensure that Kentucky's 339,000 veterans are provided for.
  I ask unanimous consent that an article from a local publication 
extolling the work of Mr. Watson be printed in the Record. Since this 
article was published, Watson has built more than 7,000 birdhouses and 
raised $140,000 in proceeds for Kentucky veterans. In addition, he 
placed third in an arts-and-crafts competition at the Kentucky State 
Fair in 2010.
  Mr. Arnold Lee Watson's dedication and hard work not only helped 
Letcher County raise the most funds across the State, but also provided 
Kentucky veterans with the support and benefits they deserve.
  ``He loves working on them,'' Meade said of Watson in regard to 
building the license plate birdhouses.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the Mountain Eagle, Jan. 21, 2009]

                      Turning Old Plates into $$$

                            (By Sally Barto)

       If old newspapers can be used to line birdcages, then old 
     license plates can be used to build birdhouses--about five a 
     day, in the case of one Letcher County man.
       Arnold Lee Watson has been building birdhouses using old 
     license plates as a roof, then selling them to raise money 
     for the Veterans Program Trust Fund on behalf of the Letcher 
     County Clerk's Office.
       Watson, of McRoberts, is the father in-law of Letcher 
     County Clerk Winston Meade. He decided to begin building the 
     unique and colorful birdhouses after Meade attended a meeting 
     of the Kentucky County Clerks Association and brought home 
     two similar birdhouses that were made elsewhere.
       Watson has made about 50 birdhouses so far and the clerk's 
     office has sold 19, with proceeds going to the Help a Veteran 
     Everyday, or H.A.V.E. program.
       Meade said Watson, who has three brothers who are veterans, 
     donates the materials and time used to make the birdhouses.
       ``He wanted to do something to help veterans and this is 
     his way to help,'' said Meade.
       The birdhouses, which are being sold for $20 each, are made 
     to resemble a mailbox and have a painted wooden base with an 
     old license plate draped over the top.
       Depending on the specialty license plates obtained by 
     Meade, the roofs of the birdhouses have different themes 
     including nature, colleges, and volunteer fire fighting. 
     Meade said the most popular style of birdhouse is made using 
     an old University of Kentucky license plate.
       Meade has traveled to several counties looking for unique 
     plates to use for making more birdhouses. People can donate 
     old plates to the clerk's office for the birdhouse project.
       Selling license plate birdhouses is the latest effort by 
     Meade's office to raise money for the H.A.V.E. program. All 
     money raised through H.A.V.E., created by the Kentucky County 
     Clerk's Association, goes to the Kentucky Veterans Program 
     Trust Fund. The trust fund, established by the Kentucky 
     General Assembly in 1988, helps support projects and programs 
     for Kentucky veterans.
       The Homeless Veterans Transitional Treatment program in 
     Lexington was established with funds from the trust. Money 
     from the fund was also used to purchase 10 vans for the 
     Disabled American Veterans organization, to purchase land for 
     a state veterans cemetery, and to enhance state veterans' 
     nursing homes.
       ``Every penny is spent on the veterans,'' said Meade. 
     ``None of it is spent on salaries or anything like that.''
       Meade was named 2008 clerk of the year for the H.A.V.E. 
     program for his efforts of raising money for the program.
       ``This county has raised more money for the H.A.V.E. fund 
     than any other county in the state,'' said Meade. ``I was 
     real honored to receive this. I give the girls in the office 
     the credit for the funds they have raised for H.A.V.E.''
       The clerk's office hosted a golf scramble at Raven Rock 
     Golf Course in September in which funds raised from the 
     scramble were used to finance a Christmas party for the East 
     Kentucky Veterans' Center in Hazard. During that time, the 
     center served seven residents from Letcher County.
       When people purchase the veterans' specialty license plate, 
     $5 of the cost of the plate goes into the H.A.V.E. fund. The 
     clerk's office also welcomes cash donations to H.A.V.E.
       ``This is one way to give back and to thank (veterans) for 
     what they have done for us,'' said Meade.

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