[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 149 (Tuesday, December 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN RECOGNITION OF LEN STONE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 9, 2014

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Len Stone who is departing 
the Pacifica City Council after serving with distinction during these 
past four years.
  Mr. Stone is a local business owner and resident of Pacifica since 
2002. He and his wife, Jessica, have two young children. In addition to 
his service to the community while on the city council, Len Stone 
served for five years on the Board of Directors of the Pacifica Chamber 
of Commerce.
  Pacifica is a city nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the hills. 
Its young families are energetic and often part of Silicon Valley's 
high tech businesses. Its longtime residents are rightfully proud of 
many traditions of environmental protection that have shaped modern 
Pacifica. Newer residents move to Pacifica to enjoy the ocean, 
Pacifica's great beaches, its strong schools and its natural beauty.
  During his four years on the Pacifica City Council, Len Stone focused 
tirelessly on all of the qualities of Pacifica that make it a special 
place in this nation. He led the effort to improve economic 
development. He successfully sought to have an economic development 
director position created in city government. He worked to recruit new 
businesses to town, and he wanted to expand the tax base by filling the 
vacant storefronts that sometimes exist in shopping centers and 
shopping areas in this marvelous community.
  Len is deeply committed to making Pacifica a destination for more 
people from outside the community, and so his support of tourism is 
energetic. To this end, he and another councilmember recently 
negotiated an option on land that will, if purchased and improved, fill 
the missing link in the coastal trail. With the opening of the Devil's 
Slide trail just south of Pacifica, the city is an even greater magnet 
for tourists seeking vigorous, outside excursions. During both his term 
as mayor and while on the council, Len sought to position Pacifica as 
an unrivaled place to bring a family for an outdoor adventure.
  Len joined the city council during the worst economic downturn in 
modem times. This downturn hit Pacifica's tax base hard. Residents had 
to leave town to do major shopping and to enjoy entertainment options 
such as movies. The city's budget, never flush, was in deficit. Len 
sought to balance the budget and to retain needed services. As a 
businessperson, he was aware that new ways of doing things were needed 
to help close the deficit. It is difficult for a community to change, 
but if any community can pull together to find solutions, I have faith 
that Pacifica is that community. Len, who participated in countless 
budget and study sessions, demonstrated the energy that many Pacifica 
residents possess when confronted with challenges.
  Mr. Speaker, it is never easy or simple to serve in local government. 
If times are good then your neighbors expect a great deal. If times are 
not so great then your neighbors wonder why you are shuttering a 
popular local field or laying off longtime personnel or considering 
changes in the services of the city. Len Stone is an example of local 
councilmembers throughout our nation: he is smart, tenacious, and 
deeply committed to the community that he serves at great expense to 
his personal time and family life. Please join with me in honoring the 
public service of Len Stone, departing city councilmember of Pacifica. 
Thankfully, he will retire from public life but not from the community 
that he and his family love. Pacifica will therefore continue to have 
the talents of this resourceful young man to call upon in the years to 
come.

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