[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7617]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   BLOOMFIELD CITIZENS COUNCIL AWARDS

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                         HON. WILLIAM J. COYNE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 27, 1999

  Mr. COYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a member of 
Pittsburgh residents who will be honored on April 30th with Bloomfield 
Citizens Council Awards. Every year, the Bloomfield Citizens Council 
gives out these awards to recognize members of the community who have, 
in some way, improved the quality of life in the Bloomfield 
neighborhood of Pittsburgh. I would like to take this opportunity to 
commend the 1999 award winners for their efforts to make Bloomfield a 
better place to live.
  Ruth and Vic Infante have been selected as the 1999 recipients of the 
Mary Cercone Outstanding Citizen Award. This award is given to 
individuals who demonstrate ``an unselfish commitment to others and a 
deep love for the community of Bloomfield.'' Ruth and Vic Infante have 
been actively involved in volunteer activities and community 
organizations like the Bloomfield Senior Center and the Bloomfield 
Citizens Council for more than 40 years.
  A Community Commitment Award will go to Barry Deems who has worked 
for the last 14 years as Vice President of the Western Pennsylvania 
Hospital to promote good relations between the hospital and the 
community. His efforts to make the hospital's new facilities fit 
harmoniously into the surrounding community have been greatly 
appreciated.
  Gloria LeDonne will receive a Neighborhood Loyalty Award for her 
dedicated work as a member, secretary, and president of the Bloomfield 
Business Association. She is to be commended for her ability to 
successfully balance the competing demands of running a business, 
actively involving herself in civic affairs, and raising a family.
  Bernice Bianco Palmiere will receive an Excellence in Education Award 
for her 37 years of involvement in education. A graduate of Carlow 
College with a Masters Degree in education, she taught at St. Joseph 
School in Bloomfield for 27 years and served as Assistant Principle for 
seven of those years. She was also actively involved in the 
consolidation of three local Catholic schools.
  An Excellence in Education Award will also be given to Virginia 
Gualdaroni DiPucci for a career in education stretching over thirty 
years. Mrs. DiPucci earned degrees from four local universities--the 
University of Pittsburgh, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Duquesne 
University, and Carnegie Mellon University--and she used her education 
to serve local children, first as a teacher and later as a principal at 
local schools.
  An Extra Mile Award will be presented to Bill Kovach for his efforts 
as a volunteer photographer for many local organizations. He has 
photographed countless community events for local papers like the 
Valley Mirror, the Allegheny Journal and the Daily Messenger. He 
provided a particularly important community service by documenting the 
1987 train derailment. He has also volunteered this time to a number of 
local civic organizations.
  Public Safety Awards will be given to C.O.P. Officer Kurt Kondrich 
and C.O.P. Officer W. Scot Green, who have worked diligently as Bike 
Patrol officers to prevent crime in Bloomfield and keep the community 
safe.
  The Bloomfield Citizens Council will also present a number of awards 
for Christmas decorations this year. John Scanga will receive the 
Keeping Christ in Christmas Award for his Nativity scene display. Brian 
Scanlon will receive the Most Outstanding and Completely Decorated Home 
Award this year for putting Christmas lights on ``anything that 
couldn't walk away.'' Phyllis Kutosky and Lucille Totorea--a mother-
and-daughter team--will once again receive the Most Elaborate Property 
Decoration Award for decorating their long double lot. And finally, the 
Most Creative Design Award will be presented to Mark Wohlfarth for 
creating a 36-foot high outline of a white Christmas tree on a blank 
wall of his home and decorating it with large red bows. These five 
individuals all helped bring the joy of the holiday season to their 
neighbors.
  In closing, let me just say that all of the individuals receiving 
1999 Bloomfield Citizens Council awards have made important 
contributions to the quality of life in Bloomfield. On behalf of the 
residents of Bloomfield and the rest of the 14th Congressional 
District, I thank them for their efforts and congratulate them on their 
selection as recipients of 1999 Bloomfield Citizens Council awards.

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