[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Page 28146]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF MIKE ELWOOD

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge and 
honor a very important constituent, as well as a very important program 
in my State and across the Nation--CASA for Children. ``CASA'' is short 
for Court Appointed Special Advocate, and it is a program that is made 
up of extraordinary men and women who find it in their hearts to devote 
their time and energy to help some of the neediest of their community's 
children. CASAs come from all walks of life, all professions, and all 
educational and ethnic backgrounds, and their mission is to advocate 
for the best interests of children who find themselves, through no 
fault of their own, under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court 
system.
  As we see all too often in public service, far too many children find 
themselves enmeshed in the juvenile court system due to abuse, neglect 
or abandonment. Once in the court system, these kids can find 
themselves cruelly buffeted by legal battles and their parents' 
continuing poor choices. Some find themselves in multiple foster care 
situations at a very young age, and many are eventually permanently 
removed from the care of their birth parents. CASAs serve their 
communities by becoming an independent advocate for a child as a sworn 
officer of the court. They spend time with health professionals, 
teachers, parents, prospective parents, and the children themselves to 
help the court reach the best possible conclusion for the interests of 
the child.
  CASA came to Oregon in 1985 under the leadership of Judge Stephen 
Herrell and citizen advocate, Susan Holloway. For Almost 20 years, CASA 
has trained Oregon volunteers to be the eyes and ears of the court, 
making independent objective recommendations regarding the best 
interests of children.
  In Oregon, we have a CASA leader who personally exemplifies the very 
best of my State in his legacy of commitment to the future of Oregon's 
children. Mike Elwood, who has been both a CASA volunteer and a CASA 
supervisor in Portland, has served variously as a counselor, advisor, 
and friend to many of my State. Mike once served as a caseworker in the 
child welfare system, but later came to CASA because he believed it 
would be the place where he could make the biggest difference.
  Today, Mike suffers from a terminal illness. The CASA organization 
and all of Oregon has been extraordinary fortunate to have him in their 
ranks. Mike's co-workers describe him as compassionate, funny, 
possessing a quiet wisdom, able to interject just the right solution 
when it appears to elude everyone else, and an inherently decent guy. 
One CASA represented the feelings of a great many in the organization, 
saying, ``I for one feel blessed to have him in my life. He is the 
best.''
  I want to take this opportunity to honor Mike's contributions to my 
State, to the Nation, and to humanity, and to wish Mike, his wife 
Natalie, and his two children, Ryan and Andrea, peace and joy in the 
days ahead. I have witnessed first-hand the ripples that emanate from 
simply human acts, good and bad. These ripples can reach across 
families, across borders, and across generations. Mike's ripples have 
made this world a far better place. I honor his dedicated service and 
his life, as well as the service rendered by CASA workers and 
volunteers all across our Nation.

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