[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 457-458]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      RETIREMENT OF GARY LaPIERRE

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I would like to recognize a New England 
journalism legend, Gary LaPierre, who retired on December 29, capping a 
remarkable career. For many citizens of our region, Gary LaPierre is 
the voice of New England. He comes from the beautiful small town of 
Shelburne Falls, MA, where his mother Esther still lives today, and is 
one of the most dependable, fair, and effective journalists 
Massachusetts has ever seen. Gary first began covering me in my 1964 
Senate reelection campaign, and he has been asking me questions ever 
since--his interviews with me number in the hundreds. This past 
election day, November 7, 2006, Gary declared me the winner in my 
Senate race that evening.
  Gary has won many awards for his outstanding journalism over the 
years. His ``LaPierre on the Loose'' segment and his skills in 
investigative reporting send chills down the spines of anyone out to 
defy the public interest. Whether it is lighthearted regional stories, 
investigative analyses, or news of the day, Gary handles them all well, 
and he brings them to us with his trademark clarity, vision, and 
integrity. I am not sure what Boston will do in the mornings now that 
Gary is retiring.
  I have always liked Gary. He asks the tough questions, and he has 
been there when history was happening in Boston. He brought national 
stories to local neighborhood news and covered everything local 
superbly.
  Schoolchildren love Gary, too. When we were buried in a snowstorm, he 
is the dean of school cancellations and can read through the list 
faster than anyone on the air. He covered the blizzard of 1978 while 
holed up in his studio for 5 straight days, keeping constant tabs on 
those stranded on Route 128. For many, Gary was the narrator in what 
became one of Boston most cherished hometown stories.
  But Gary's reach has often extended beyond Boston borders. He has 
traveled with the Beatles, and he met our Iranian hostages in Germany. 
But he always came home to where his heart is--and we are happy he did.
  Gary is a fair political reporter as well. He has covered every 
Democratic Presidential Convention I can recall--and Republican ones, 
too--and he covered my own campaign in 1980. In fact, no campaign is 
complete without Gary's analysis, and we have all learned a great deal 
from him over the years.
  His reassuring voice guided us through the horrors of September 11, a 
day that none of us will ever forget. He also brought us the joys of 
the Red Sox World Series Championship in 2004. Whatever the topic, he 
had a talent for making his listeners feel they were a part of the 
event.
  Gary's compassion, his integrity, and his love for Boston will be 
missed on the airwaves each morning, but he leaves us with cherished 
memories, and he helped make WBZ in Boston the world class broadcasting 
station it is today. Now, as he retires, I join his countless admirers 
in wishing him a long and happy retirement. He has certainly earned it. 
We will miss you on WBZ, Gary, but to us, you will always be the voice 
of Boston.

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