[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24707]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                HONORING JANET DENNIS ON HER RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN ELIAS BALDACCI

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 25, 2000

  Mr. BALDACCI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated 
public servant who will be leaving my staff at the end of this year. 
Janet Dennis, Field Representative in my Bangor, Maine, District 
Office, will retire after nearly 35 years of congressional service.
  It has been said that no government, regardless of its history and 
structure, can be better than the people who make it work. People like 
Janet Dennis, then, are the reason why our government is the best in 
the world. Janet is as dedicated a public servant as you will ever 
meet. She has worked hard every day to make government work for people.
  Janet has been invaluable to me. I came to rely heavily on her advice 
and greatly appreciated her ability to identify and head off problems 
before others even realized they were coming. She has provided 
outstanding leadership to my district staff, and frequently has been 
asked for advice on handling complicated matters. I know that we all 
have learned much from Janet and are better for our time spent working 
with her.
  Her good judgment, integrity and dedication have been an asset to my 
office, and to the people of Maine. Janet has never said no to a case. 
Rather, she has taken on challenging cases and pursued them 
relentlessly. She has treated constituents and colleagues alike with 
respect. She has also been an excellent driver, getting me everywhere I 
need to be in a very large district. She seems to cover an awful lot of 
ground in a very short time--and I appreciate it.
  For more than three decades, Mainers have had the benefit of Janet's 
efforts. She worked for Senators Ed Muskie and George Mitchell before 
joining my staff, and brought with her a wealth of experience and 
institutional knowledge. As she retires, she leaves a void that will be 
difficult to fill.
  There is no question, however, that this retirement is well deserved. 
I know that Janet is looking forward to spending more time with her 
husband, Richard, and her children and their families. I'm sure that 
she won't miss the long drive from her home in Waterville to the Bangor 
office, and that she will revel in having extra time to spend at camp 
during Maine's glorious summer months.
  Janet Dennis has been a model public servant. Moreover, she has been 
a joy to work with every day. On behalf of myself, my family and the 
people of Maine, I am honored to have this opportunity to publicly 
thank Janet, and to wish her all the best as she enters this new phase 
of her life.

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