[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 177 (Wednesday, November 1, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              2017 DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARD RECIPIENTS

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                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 1, 2017

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I take this 
time to recognize the 2017 Distinguished Citizen Award recipients, 
presented annually by the Boy Scouts of America Calumet Council. To 
commemorate this special occasion, the organization hosted a 
celebratory event on Thursday, November 2, 2017, at Gamba Ristorante in 
Merrillville, Indiana.
  Since 1992, the Boy Scouts of America Calumet Council has presented 
the Distinguished Citizen Award to individuals whose efforts have had 
significant positive impacts on their communities in Northwest Indiana 
and across the state. This year, the Boy Scouts of America Calumet 
Council honored Tom Sourlis and Susan Eleuterio.
  Tom Sourlis is the founder and chairman of Mortar Net Solutions, 
located in Burns Harbor. Mortar Net, a product invented by Tom, 
prevents mortar droppings from clogging weepholes designed to allow 
water to exit a building wall. Mortar Net Solutions is a tremendously 
successful company, and the product is currently used on cavity wall 
construction throughout North America. In addition to his remarkable 
career, Tom dedicates much of his time and support to charitable 
endeavors throughout Northwest Indiana including Tradewinds, the Crisis 
Center, Parents as Teachers, and the Porter County Community 
Foundation. For his outstanding devotion to such causes, Tom is worthy 
of this great honor.
  Susan Eleuterio is currently a faculty member of Goucher College's 
Master's in Cultural Sustainability program in Baltimore, Maryland. She 
has established an extensive and impressive background that consists of 
many titles including independent folklorist, author, educator, 
activist, and consultant to non-profit organizations. Sue's 
extraordinary contributions to her community, however, are not limited 
to academia. She is active in her support for causes that improve the 
quality of life for others and encourage the protection of human 
rights, lending her time and talents to the Crossroads Fund. This 
organization, which is focused on the ideal that fundamental change 
occurs from humble, grassroots beginnings and supports efforts 
throughout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, benefits from the passion 
for justice, equality, and the academic knowledge Sue offers as a 
member of the Board of Directors, as the arts and the human condition 
are often intertwined. For these reasons, Sue is worthy of the 
commendation bestowed upon her.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues 
join me in honoring the Boy Scouts of America Calumet Council and its 
2017 Distinguished Citizen Award recipients, Tom Sourlis and Susan 
Eleuterio. For their lifetime of leadership and tireless dedication to 
their communities, Tom and Susan are worthy of the highest praise.

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