[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 1] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 965-966] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECIPIENTS OF THE FRANKLIN A. POLK PUBLIC SERVICE MERIT AWARD ______ HON. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES of ohio in the house of representatives Wednesday, February 9, 2000 Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend your attention to a wonderful honor. The Cuyahoga County Bar Foundation and Cuyahoga County Bar Association recognizes very prominent public servants. Each public servant receives the distinguished Franklin A. Polk Public Servants Merit Award. The honorees are as follows: Irene Bohuslawsky--Parma Municipal Court Nominated by the Presiding/Administrative Parma Municipal Court Judge Kenneth Spanagel, Irene Bohuslawsky has, since 1974, been employed in the Law Department of the City of Parma, where she currently is the Administrative Assistant in the Prosecutor's Office. A graduate of Lourdes Academy, Irene attended classes at Cuyahoga Community College. Irene began her service with Parma as a part-time legal secretary one month after the birth of her fourth son. She spent time with both the Prosecutor's Office and the Law Department prior to being named to her present position in 1995. In this position she is the office's ``traffic cop,'' insuring that communication flows among the prosecutors, defense lawyers, any defendants without counsel, citizens, victims, complainants, the Court's judges and magistrate. Irene says that raising her four sons is her outstanding accomplishment, and, in her spare time, she enjoys her own garden and those of her children. She also spends time sewing, embroidering, designing floral arrangements and refinishing old furniture. She is noted for her patience, courtesy and ability to deal with the public, and she handles all these varied duties with a smile and with a disposition that, in Judge Spanagel's words, ``anyone would be hard-pressed to maintain.'' That must be true, since, in her years of service, she has encountered such varied responses as the surprise of the man who had crashed his car into his former girlfriend's front steps and who was arrested after the police found his front license plate, to the loving couple whose marriage ceremony before one of the judges was followed, almost immediately, by the bride's filing a charge of domestic violence against her new groom. Joseph Booker--Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas As Chief Jury Bailiff for the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, Joseph Booker, nominated by Presiding/Administrative Judge Richard J. McMonagle, supervises the Jury Room and insures that prospective jury panels are prepared for their service in criminal and civil trials. After employment in the private sector in marketing positions, Mr. Booker became a court employee in 1975. Married to Carolyn since 1961 and the father of three, Joseph, an Alabama native, raised in Youngstown, credits his father, a steelworker and minister, and his mother, a homemaker, with instilling in him and his brothers strong spiritual values, which he tries to impart to others. An army veteran, Mr. Booker enjoys photography, woodworking, travel and golf and has been active in church activities, including serving as a Boy Scout troop master. Mr. Booker has heard every reason, and then some, advanced by citizens trying to avoid serving as jurors. His most vivid recollection, though, is the call he received on a Friday from a wife whose husband was on a jury which had been sequestered. The wife was calling to find out how her husband was doing during the sequestration. There was one problem: the jury had been discharged the prior Tuesday. Joseph regrets, perhaps only slightly, that he did not find out how the couple resolved the problem. Judy Courtemanche--Eighth District Court of Appeals Judy A. Courtemanche, Judicial Secretary at the Ohio Court of Appeals, Eighth Appellate District, has been nominated by her boss, Administrative Judge James Porter, in recognition of her combined 21 years' service at the Court of Appeals and the office of the Cuyahoga County Clerk of Court. Particularly, her service in circulating and releasing the Judge's opinions, keeping his docket, and working with him in all court-related matters. A resident of the Cleveland area since her birth, Ms. Courtemanche has been married for 15 years to her husband, Bob. She views her marriage to Bob as her biggest accomplishment and also values her close relationship with her sister and her three brothers. Judy has been honored by the Plain Dealer as an outstanding former carrier and also has served in the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Jacobs' Field and the new Cleveland Browns Stadium as a ticket taker and usher. An avid reader and gardener, Judy [[Page 966]] also enjoys activities designed to maintain her fitness. She camps regularly, including trips to Canada and seven states in the last two years alone. The child of a mother and father who were both long-time governmental employees, Judy still finds her work interesting and challenging, and she says, second only to saying ``I do'', entering public service was the best decision she ever made. In her ``dream job'' at the Court of Appeals, Judy values her co-workers as a close and supportive second family. Daniel Dadich--Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court Since October 1978, Dan Dadich, Administrative Judge Timothy M. Flanagan's nominee, has been employed at the Domestic Relations Court. Now, the Director of Enforcement Services, Dan is regarded as being the person to see to get a clear and quick response to questions about child and spousal support and health insurance for children. Mr. Dadich notes that the ever-changing legislation in this area has made it an awesome challenge to help parties and counsel understand the complexities of this particular portion of the trauma of divorce. Dan has presented support issues at continuing legal education courses offered by the Cuyahoga County Bar Association and others. Dan has lived in the Cleveland area his entire life and attended Kent State University. Dan is married to Gail, who received this same award in 1995. This doubly-honored couple are the parents of three sons, Devon, Daniel and Derek. Dan has been active as a coach and officer in the North Royalton Soccer Club. Despite the stress of dealing with court personnel, parents and counsel, Dan still maintains an even and reasoned perspective and a keen sense of humor. Raymond Dennard--Cleveland Municipal Court Raymond Dennard has been an employee of the Cleveland Municipal Court since 1971. Currently, Administrative Judge Larry A. Jones' nominee is Deputy Bailiff-Supervisor and is the Chief of Security at the Court, where he supervises approximately 100 bailiffs to make sure that there is ``order in the court.'' Mr. Dennard, a native of West Virginia and father of two grown children, lives with his wife Mairiam in Oakwood Village. Also, he serves as a member of the Village Council. In addition to his duties at the Court and in Oakwood Village, Mr. Dennard finds time to be a Detective, and has recently become Director of Security at Thistledown Race Course. Beyond all those other commitments, Mr. Dennard has found time to be active in his parish and the Elks of the World. Raymond has but one complaint about receiving this award; he found it impossible to distill many decades of faithful service at the Court into a short statement of why he found his service to the pubic rewarding. Thelma Porter--Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts Since May 1973, Thelma Porter, Common Pleas Court Clerk Gerald Fuerst's nominee, has been an employee of the County for 26 years. As Department Head of the Journal Department of the Clerk's office, where she has been for the past 22 years. Porter supervises seven other employees in ensuring that civil and domestic journal entries are properly processed, including judgment entries in the Civil and Domestic Divisions. Orders of Sale from the Sheriff's Department. Writs of Possession from foreclosures and other important legal documents. Thelma has been married to Emanuel Porter for over 43 years. The Porters have two grown children, and Thelma is proud to have raised them to be good, responsible, hard-working, honest and caring individuals. She is also blessed with a 2 year old grandchild, Amiri. A graduate of John Hay, she is an active volunteer at Greater Abysinian Baptist Church. Thelma looks to the example of her father, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday and who taught her that hard work and treating people in a way one would like to be treated are the keys to success. Thelma's hobbies include bowling, movies, traveling and shopping at different malls. Ann Vanik--Cuyahoga County Probate Court Nominated by Administrative Probate Judge John Donnelly, Ann Vanik has been an employee of the Court since 1972. After serving as a deputy clerk and secretary, Ann became Probate Court Auditor, her current position, where she is responsible for maintaining personnel and payroll records, along with purchasing, accounts payable and other budgetary matters. Ms. Vanik is the mother of two daughters, and lives in South Euclid, where she is active at her parish, St. Gregory the Great, where one daughter attends school, and at Beaumont School, where her other daughter is a student. Ann spends much of her time with her daughters and is an active spectator at their volleyball, basketball, softball and fast- pitch softball games. She enjoys cooking and crafts. Each year, she and her daughters ``adopt'' a family at Thanksgiving and provide that family with a Thanksgiving feast. Ms. Vanik enjoys travel and has been to such varied locales as Hawaii, Cape Cod, Florida, Arizona, Aruba and the Bahamas. Johnny Williams--Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court The Juvenile Court's Administrator John Zachariah's nominee, Johnny C. Williams, has been an employee since 1973 and is a licensed social worker at the Court's Detention Center. A native of North Carolina and schooled in that state, Mr. Williams was a public school music teacher in North Carolina, and then relocated to Cuyahoga County after finishing his military service in 1972. Johnny has worked his entire life, and in addition to his duties at the Detention Center, he has provided custodial care at other agencies, including the United Labor Agency, Cleveland Crossroads for Youth and Ohio Boys Town. In addition to this award, Williams has been recognized by the National Juvenile Detention Association, on two separate occasions, and has received letters of recognition from Mayor White, Governor Voinovich. Former Congressman Stokes, Senator Metzenbaum and other public officials. Johnny is active in the 11th Congressional District Caucus and chairs its Youth Initiative Committee. He also counsels troubled students at a local middle school upon referral of that school's principal and helps supervise social work students from Cleveland State University as their Field Instructor. ____________________