[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 116 (Wednesday, June 24, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S3203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                     REMEMBERING RICHARD BENEVILLE

 Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the legacy 
of a friend and one of Alaska's truly unique individuals, the mayor of 
Nome, Richard Beneville. We lost the mayor last month when he succumbed 
to pneumonia in the town he called home for more than 32 years. 
Richard's life story was colorful. He left New York City as a young man 
struggling with alcoholism and searching for a new life. Alaska was as 
far away as he could go, and he often said Alaska saved him. He spent a 
few years in Barrow before moving to Nome in 1988, and I think it is 
fair to say that the town has never been the same since. His career 
began on Broadway, and Richard channeled his creative energy to inspire 
youth and adults in Nome through the Nome Arts Council. He directed 
more than three dozen plays, including ``The Sound of Music,'' ``Music 
Man,'' and ``Fiddler on the Roof,'' and inspired generations in the 
community to appreciate the stage.
  Ever the showman, Richard was a tireless ambassador for Nome and 
Arctic tourism. He founded Nome Discovery Tours in 1994, and he never 
missed an opportunity to promote Nome and the surrounding region and 
its rich history. Watching him entertain a tour group with tales of 
Nome's early gold mining days, while he demonstrated how to pan for 
gold, audience captivated, was a real treasure.
  For the past 4\1/2\ years, he served as mayor of Nome, and there was 
no better cheerleader for this remote community. Some of my colleagues 
may recall running into him in the halls of the Hart and Dirksen 
Buildings, wearing his signature ``Hello Central' knit hat, a Port of 
Nome, vest and always sporting his I love Nome! button. Never shy, 
Richard would greet Senators, staff, and visitors alike, quickly asking 
them how their day was and what they were up to as he worked the halls 
and made new friends. His friendly banter and genuine interest in 
people was refreshing in an environment all too often filled with 
hustle and tension.
  For those of you who have never had the fortune to visit Nome, there 
are only three ways to get there from Anchorage--airplane, boat, and 
dog sled. Nome is 2000 miles closer to the North Pole than to New York 
City, and in 2016 when the Crystal Serenity called on the Port of Nome 
during its maiden voyage from Seward to Manhattan, the mayor was there 
to greet these intrepid Arctic adventurers. I had the privilege to 
travel with Richard to many Arctic conferences, and it was a joy to 
watch as he shared his vision for Arctic tourism and a positive future 
for this fascinating and challenging part of the world.
  The mayor was a passionate champion of the Iditarod and I last saw 
him on Saturday, March 7, in Anchorage at the ceremonial start of the 
race. He had just been released from the hospital, having persuaded his 
doctors and nurses that the ``show must go on'' to be there for the 
festivities.
  He loved people, the arts, flowers, and above all, Nome to the end. 
His passing is a true loss for my State. I will miss his boundless 
enthusiasm and his trademark greeting to all he ran into, ``Hello 
Central!''

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