[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2873]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        A TRIBUTE TO EVELYN CRUZ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 7, 2006

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Evelyn Cruz, a 
distinguished member of the Brooklyn community. It behooves us to pay 
tribute to this outstanding leader and I hope my colleagues will join 
me in recognizing her impressive accomplishments.
  Evelyn Cruz was born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. One of 
four children and the only daughter, she attended Transfiguration 
School where she learned at an early age the value of community 
service. Her Puerto Rican working-class parents, Luis and Graciela, 
instilled in Evelyn the value of hard work, dedication, and respect for 
others. As the granddaughter of activist grandparents, she learned how 
to advocate and fight for fairness in housing, healthcare, education 
and community services.
  Evelyn has dedicated most of her life toward the betterment of her 
community. During her high school years, she was vice-president of her 
sophomore class and a member of several school clubs. In 1977, she was 
elected one of the youngest representatives on the then NYC Area Policy 
Board, where she reviewed budget proposals, participated in public 
hearings and allocated community development funding to local community 
based organizations. At the age of 16, she was the youngest recording 
secretary elected to serve on the 90th Precinct Community Council where 
she served for several terms. Years later, she was elected and served 
as the President of the Precinct Council.
  In the 1980s, during New York City's drugs and AIDS epidemics, Evelyn 
organized her community and led the fight to reclaim her neighborhood 
streets and parks from drug dealers. As the co-founder of the March 
Against Drugs, Inc., she organized annual anti-drug community marches 
and drug prevention fairs for more than 10 years.
  While attending John Jay College part-time and working full-time at 
Merrill Lynch for a successful mother and daughter financial consultant 
team, Evelyn gained valuable experience in client-relations, the 
financial markets, and real estate.
  Evelyn has been profiled in NY's Newsday, El Diario La Prensa, The 
New York Times, and Talk Radio. She enjoys sports and is a three-time 
MVP softball player, women's handball champ and a great paddleball 
player. Some her favorite books are Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451, 
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 100 Years of Solitude, Ayn Rand's Anthem, and 
George Orwells's 1984.
  Evelyn is passionate about public service and her work in the 
community. In 1992, she left the private sector and joined the 
congressional staff of Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez.
  Evelyn's work in the community has shaped her into a leader, an 
advocate, and an instrument for social change. She hopes to continue to 
share her knowledge and experience with her neighbors in the hopes of 
ongoing change and improvement--and looks forward to a bright future 
for the borough she calls home--Brooklyn.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is incumbent on this body to recognize 
the accomplishments of Evelyn Cruz, as she offers her talents and 
community services for the good of our local communities.
  Mr. Speaker, Evelyn Cruz's selfless service has continuously 
demonstrated a level of altruistic dedication that makes her most 
worthy of our recognition today.

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