[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H723-H724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CELEBRATING JAY SEARS

  (Mr. Latimer of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 20th anniversary of 
MyRye.com under the editorship of Jay Sears, for its service as an 
online chronicler of the life and the times of the Rye community.
  In addition to an active business career and family obligations, Jay 
Sears somehow finds the time and energy to attend and report on 
community comings and goings of the people and the organizations in 
Rye. The high school sports scene, boys' and girls' sports, are well 
documented with photos and stories of the athletes, as well as scores 
of games.
  MyRye has regular features, such as Rye GPT People of Note--the 
celebrities who live here or have a connection to Rye; a platform to 
feature the nonprofits of Rye, the Rye YMCA, The Rye Arts Center, the 
Rye Nature Center, the Historical Society, and the Rye Free Reading 
Room, amongst so many others. He also highlights the inevitably sad 
news when a longtime Rye neighbor passes away for a final salute.
  Mr. Speaker, from the floor of the House of Representatives, I thank 
Jay Sears and MyRye.com.


                       Ardsley Environmentalists

  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, permit me a shout-out to the many volunteer 
environmental activists in the village of Ardsley who work tirelessly 
to advance good environmental policy.
  Two groups meet monthly to plan and implement efforts to make Ardsley 
greener and cleaner in air, water, and land resources: The Ardsley 
Green Task Force and the Ardsley Pollinator Pathway Committee.
  In attending Zoom meetings, I have seen the energy and dedication of 
these volunteers. With the strong voice of Dr. Carol Sommerfield, they 
are making a difference in their community of 4,500 residents.
  Mr. Speaker, from the floor of the House of Representatives, I thank 
them for backing up their commitment to the environment with hard work.


                         Saluting Toba LaCrown

  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I want to salute the work of Dr. Olo-run-
toba Ah-du-yem'-ee LaCrown, who is president of the African American 
Association of Co-Op City, and the members of that organization as they 
prepare to celebrate The Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this 
coming Monday, January 19, at the Church of New Vision, Einstein Loop 
North of Co-op City in the Bronx.
  We all know him as ``Toba,'' and he and his organization have 
sponsored important cultural events that unite the African-American 
population in shared moments of pride.
  Aside from honoring the legacy of Dr. King this weekend, the 
organization held a recent December celebration of Kwanzaa that drew a 
crowd to the Bartow meeting hall.
  Toba's leadership has been on display in many forms: as a United 
States Air Force veteran who served in Afghanistan and, later, headed 
The American Legion Post in Co-op City; as a former NYPD police officer 
and, later, as leader of the 47th Precinct Community Council; active in 
Bronx Community

[[Page H724]]

Board 12 and the Wakefield Taxpayers Alliance.
  The legacy of Dr. King is carried down to this day by Toba and all 
those who gather this weekend who, in the words of Dr. King, are judged 
and appreciated not merely by the color of their skin, but by the 
content of their character.
  Mr. Speaker, from the floor of the House of Representatives, I salute 
Toba LaCrown and the African American Association of Co-op City.

                          ____________________