[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 152 (Thursday, September 24, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING HERMAN PORTER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DAVID G. VALADAO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 24, 2026

  Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Herman Porter 
as the 2026 Kern County Fair Person of the Year and to thank him for 
his decades of dedicated service to the community.
  Mr. Porter first became involved with the Kern County Fair in 1955 as 
a high school FFA member showing beef cattle. In 1963, he married his 
wife, Jeannette Ansolabehere, who was also a fair exhibitor, showing 
sheep. Together, they raised two daughters, both of whom participated 
in local 4-H programs. During this time, Herman became a leader of the 
local Cawelo 4-H Club and later the Southwest 4-H Club, where he helped 
young people learn responsibility and succeed. Over the years, his 
experience and guidance have helped countless exhibitors, including the 
25 Kern County Fair Grand Champions he helped select and mentor.
  Mr. Porter's contributions extend well beyond the show ring. He has 
been a steadfast leader on the Junior Livestock Committee, helping 
raise funds, supporting local livestock auctions, and providing 
scholarships for community youth. Mr. Porter has also served on the 
Dairy and Clean Stall Committees, always willing to lend his time and 
experience to help make the fair a success.
  For more than seven decades, Mr. Porter's dedication to the community 
and the fair has always been more than animal showing competition. He 
has encouraged young people, taught responsibility, and strengthened 
the agricultural traditions of the Central Valley.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to 
join me in congratulating Mr. Herman Porter on being named the 2026 
Kern County Fair Person of the Year and thanking him for his decades of 
service, leadership, and dedication to the Kern County community.

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