[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16218]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 RECOGNIZING ANDY AND BETTY BECKSTOFFER FOR BEING CITIZENS OF THE YEAR

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                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2001

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Andy 
and Betty Beckstoffer for being named St. Helena 2001 Citizens of the 
Year. As residents of St. Helena for over 25 years, they consistently 
contribute positively to my hometown.
  Two of my great friends, Andy and Betty Beckstoffer, have been at the 
helm of one of the most successful grape growing operations in the 
country. Beckstoffer Vineyards now owns and operates vineyards in 
Mendocino, Lake, and Napa counties, all three of which I am honored to 
represent in Congress.
  I admire the Beckstoffers for their success in the grape growing 
business and in community service. Andy has always been a leader in 
utilizing new technologies to increase the quality of wine grapes from 
Northern California. The highly respected winegrowing region in my 
district owes a lot of its success to the innovative style of Andy 
Beckstoffer.
  Betty Beckstoffer is currently a member of the board of the St. 
Helena Boys & Girls Club. She works tirelessly to improve the lives of 
the young people in the Napa Valley. Betty has been a real star in 
generating support for the Club--she has coordinated fundraising 
efforts to bring thousands of dollars to support the goal of aiding at-
risk children.
  The Beckstoffers moved to my hometown, St. Helena, in 1975, the same 
year Andy became a founding director of the Napa Valley Grape Growers 
Association. Beckstoffer Vineyards came to life after Andy invested 
$7,500 to buy a small grape growing company in 1973. The company has 
grown under the care of the Beckstoffers to a company that now owns 
over 2500 acres of Northern California vineyards.
  Andy and Betty were married in 1960, and are the proud parents of 
five children. Our community and our country are fortunate to have 
citizens like the Beckstoffers promoting the wine industry and working 
to improve the lives of our nation's youth.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the achievements of Andy 
and Betty Beckstoffer. The town of St. Helena, the entire Napa Valley, 
and our nation should aspire to achieve the success of these two great 
Americans.




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