[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 17, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       TRIBUTE TO MARK COURNOYER

 Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, it is my pleasure to announce our 
Granite Stater of the Month for January, Mark Cournoyer, of Jaffrey, 
NH. Mark embodies New Hampshire's all-hands-on-deck spirit, where we 
work together and do what we can to strengthen our communities. In 
Mark's case, he has dedicated himself to making our roads safer by 
educating drivers, particularly new drivers, about the serious danger 
and potentially tragic consequences of distracted driving.
  A former police officer and emergency medical technician in 
Fitzwilliam and Jaffrey and now a fourth-generation director of the 
Cournoyer Funeral Home, Mark volunteers his time to helping prevent the 
kind of accidents that he has responded to for years. Mark delivers 
presentations at area driver's education classes and local schools, 
sharing statistics behind distracted driving, as well as telling real 
stories about the outcomes of distracted driving with the hope that he 
can help keep the young people he meets safe.
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 
nine people are killed and more than 1,000 injured every day in the 
United States as a result of distracted driving. Anything that takes a 
driver's attention off of the road--texting, eating, reading, or 
looking for objects--can result in a tragic accident. Mark's efforts 
are critical to reducing the all-too-common practice of distracted 
driving, and his dedication to improving public safety can help save 
lives in his community and across New Hampshire.
  In towns and cities across New Hampshire, many of our citizens go 
above and beyond to look out for one another and make their communities 
safer. Mark Cournoyer has done just that, volunteering his own time and 
wisdom to making our roads safer and helping to prevent more accidents 
from distracted driving. It is an honor to recognize him as our Granite 
Stater of the Month and join him in raising awareness about this 
important issue.

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