[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20258]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         IN HONOR OF DAN ALBERT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 26, 2006

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of Dan 
Albert, who is retiring this year after serving as the mayor of 
Monterey since 1986. His long career represents success, 
accomplishment, and community service. Dan served on the City of 
Monterey Parks and Recreation Commission for several years. He is a 
former member and Chair of the Local Agency Formation Commission 
(LAFCO), the one local position that he and I have both held. He was 
elected to the City Council in 1979 and elected Mayor in 1986, and is 
now in his tenth term.
  But length of service is not everything. When first elected to the 
City Council, Monterey was in the economic doldrums. The fishing 
industry was depressed, the tourism industry was moribund and local 
military economic activity was under constant threat. What a difference 
26 years of real leadership makes. Last year the BRAC Commission 
reaffirmed the indispensable role that Monterey plays in supporting the 
Defense Language Institute and Naval Postgraduate School. Monterey is 
the center of a thriving regional tourism economy. Its convention 
center, its Window on the Bay Park, aquarium, and coastal recreation 
trail all draw and enrich visitors from at home and abroad. The City of 
Monterey is a national model for the participation of its citizens in 
neighborhood preservation and enhancement. All of these trends, and 
many others, have Dan Albert's quiet leadership at their center. It is 
a legacy that has made a permanent mark on Monterey.
  Dan's previous career spanned 37 years as a teacher at Monterey High 
School, where he coached the varsity football team for 23 of those 
years. He and his wife, Joanne, are lifetime residents of the city and 
both attended Monterey High School. They have four grown children and 
ten grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, I am certain that I have not heard the last from Dan, as 
I expect he will remain an active member of the community, but I do 
want to wish him and his family the best as they enter this exciting 
new chapter. On behalf of the United States Congress, I would like to 
congratulate the accomplishments of Dan Albert and express my sincere 
gratitude for his commitment to the community.

                          ____________________