[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 13, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E833]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING RUDY GRASSESCHI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ERIC SWALWELL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 13, 2018

  Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Rudy Grasseschi, who is celebrating 60 years in business as the owner 
and operator of the Cobblers shoe store and repair shop in Hayward, 
California.
  Rudy opened Cobblers on June 13, 1958, but the store traces its roots 
much further back. Rudy's father, who arrived in the Bay Area in 1906 
from Italy, sold and fixed shoes elsewhere in Hayward, as Rudy's 
grandfather had done in Italy. Today, Rudy's sons Dino and Rodney work 
with him in the store, as does his grandson Kenneth.
  For generations of Bay Area residents, Cobblers has been a comforting 
throwback to the old-world tradition of mixing craftsmanship and 
fellowship, with Rudy working his restorative magic on all sorts of 
footwear while dispensing free wisdom and kindness to all who pass 
through his door.
  A Hayward native who lives in nearby Castro Valley with his wife of 
61 years, Lois, Rudy has tirelessly given back to his community--he is 
a director emeritus of the Hayward Area Recreation District 
Foundation's board, and a lifetime member of the Castro Valley Lions 
Breakfast Club. Cobblers was honored as the California 20th Assembly 
District's 2018 Small Business of the Year, and is among the Hayward 
Chamber of Commerce's oldest members.
  At age 82, Rudy says he has no plans to retire. Like a well-made, 
well-worn, still-sturdy shoe, he remains the right fit for the East 
Bay.
  I rise to congratulate Rudy Grasseschi on achieving six decades as 
the owner of one of the 15th Congressional District's quintessential 
businesses, a beloved community institution that continues to serve its 
customers with the highest degree of quality and care.

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