[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 117 (Monday, September 9, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  IN RECOGNITION OF THE 30TH ANNUAL PITTSTON TOMATO FESTIVAL FOR ITS 
   CONTINUED SUPPORT OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA'S AGRICULTURE AND 
                         COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 9, 2013

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and congratulate the 
committee members and volunteers of the 30th Annual Pittston Tomato 
Festival. The City of Pittston, Pennsylvania has once again staged this 
remarkable and unique civic event celebrating both the exceptional 
tomatoes grown throughout the Northeastern Pennsylvania region and the 
warmth and hospitality of the City of Pittston.
  The four-day festival that kicked-off on Thursday, August 15 was 
designed in part to showcase just how far the festival has come since 
its humble beginnings thirty years ago. In 1983, Valentine ``Val'' 
Delia founded the festival as a way to showcase the produce of his 
garden. Since then, the festival has grown from a small gathering of 
local farmers in a parking lot in downtown Pittston to a widely 
recognized and beloved iconic component of the region's summer 
entertainment.
  With attractions such as local musicians, local vendors, a parade, 5K 
run, and the renowned ``Tomato Fights'' that raise money for food-
related charities, the Pittston Tomato Festival showcases the best 
aspects of the community. The festival highlights the city's vibrant 
Italian-American culture, displays its beautiful and historic 
revitalization projects, and fosters an atmosphere of community and 
sense of service to others in each and every one of the thousands of 
visitors it brings to the City of Pittston.
  In recognition of the 30th Annual Pittston Tomato Festival, I add my 
congratulations and best wishes for continued success in bringing 
family recreation and a strengthened sense of community to the City of 
Pittston and Northeastern Pennsylvania.

                          ____________________