[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19097]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    CHIEF JUDGE MICHAEL SKWIERAWSKI, ``POLISH AMERICAN OF THE YEAR''

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GERALD D. KLECZKA

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 2, 2002

  Mr. KLECZKA Mr. Speaker, on Friday, October 11, 2002, the Milwaukee 
Society will be honoring the Chief Judge of Wisconsin's First Judicial 
District, the Honorable Michael J. Skwierawski at its annual Pulaski 
Day banquet.
  Judge Skwierawski has served as a Circuit Court Judge since 1979, and 
as Chief Judge since 1998. In addition to several other judicial 
activities, Judge Skwierawski also teaches for the Wisconsin State Bar 
Association, the Wisconsin Judicial College and the National Judicial 
College.
  Despite his busy professional schedule, Judge Skwierawski finds time 
to be active in the community. He has coached softball and served on 
various committees at St. Sebastian's Parish, was board member and 
consultant for a non-profit group that operates group homes for 
adolescents, and volunteers at St. Francis Hospital during the 
Christmas holidays.
  But it is also his hard work and dedication within the Polish 
community in Milwaukee that makes him such a wonderful choice for 
Polish American of the Year. It was under Judge Skwierawski's 
leadership and vision as President of the Polish Heritage Alliance that 
the longstanding dream of a Polish Center in Wisconsin became a 
reality. This beautiful traditional Polish country manor design 
facility has become a gathering place for people of Polish heritage, 
and a source of great pride for Milwaukee's Polish community.
  Judge Skwierawski has been a member of the Polish National Alliance 
since 1978 and has been active in a number of committees and projects, 
including the annual PolishFest weekend at Milwaukee's lakefront. On 
occasion, the judge even shares his considerable musical talents for a 
good cause, and in his ``spare'' time he can be heard performing as 
lead singer for the Rock 'n' Roll band, ``Presumed Guilty.''
  It's with great pleasure that I join with the judge's wife Gloria, 
his children Andrea, Jenny, Meg and Andy, his many colleagues and 
friends in offering well deserved congratulations to Chief Judge 
Michael Skwierawski, 2002 Polish American of the Year.

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