[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22940]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



IN HONOR OF BEN TRAINA UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM 8 YEARS ON LOMITA CITY 
                                COUNCIL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 16, 2001

  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of my constituent and 
good friend, Ben Traina, who retires this month from the Lomita City 
Council after years of exceptional service to his community, including 
two terms as Mayor.
  I have known Ben since I first ran for Congress in 1992. Ben was 
often my host in the City of Lomita, a small town in the true sense of 
the phrase, nestled in the hustle and bustle of the South Bay of Los 
Angeles. Ben barely knew me then, but he enthusiastically escorted me 
to small coffees and community events so that I could meet the 
residents of his city. We had a great time.
  Since then, we have worked closely together on an issue that is a 
high priority for me. The Lomita Little League is the cornerstone of 
the Lomita community. Virtually every kid in Lomita plays in the Little 
League, and the parents are great fans. Baseball is simply what the 
town does on Saturdays.
  For years, the League played on otherwise unusable Navy property, but 
had to renegotiate the agreement annually. The uncertainty was hard on 
the community. It was reluctant to make investments in vital capital 
improvements--such as a new clubhouse and functioning restrooms--or 
making the infield free of bad hops.
  Ben and I worked hard together to develop a system that would serve 
the League's interest better yet comply with Navy regulations on land 
use. After months of meetings with Navy personnel, Ben and I negotiated 
a ten-year license agreement, beginning in 1995, under which the League 
would be able to use the land for its primary mission--playing 
baseball.
  But a problem remained: the League also needed a way to raise money. 
For years it had been selling Christmas trees on the lot as its primary 
source of revenue. But the Navy objected to the procedures for selling 
the trees and for the past several years, those sales were stopped.
  Once again, Ben and I launched a months-long process to re-negotiate 
the terms of the license agreement and convince the Navy that the 
League should be able to do its fundraising. With the help of Assistant 
Secretary of the Navy, H.T. Johnson, I am happy to report that the 
Traina-Harman partnership has prevailed, and the Christmas tree sale 
was approved just in time for this year's Christmas season.
  Mr. Speaker, I will miss working with Ben in his capacity as an 
elected official. But I know we will continue to work together to 
preserve the ability of Lomita kids and families to enjoy the spirit of 
baseball.
  I am proud of Ben's efforts, and I join the citizens of Lomita in 
thanking him for exceptional service and wishing him well.

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