[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15444]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   IN REMEMBRANCE OF DOROTHY PHILLIPS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today in remembrance of Dorothy 
Phillips, who passed away yesterday at the age of 84.
  Born in Utah in 1923, Dorothy was a dedicated mother of 7, 
grandmother of 15, and great-grandmother of 14. She lived in the small 
southeastern Nevada town of Caliente for over 70 years and was known to 
its residents for her active leadership in the community. She was an 
enthusiastic participant in local, county, and State politics, and her 
prominence in local Democratic Party matters led many to seek out her 
support and advice, and one of my best ever campaign volunteers.
  Dorothy was also passionate about the needs of Nevada's senior 
citizens. For her 26 years of service as the director of the Caliente 
Senior Citizen Center, a senior housing development was named the 
``Dorothy Phillips Manor'' in her honor. She was even selected to 
represent Nevada's seniors as a delegate to the 1995 White House 
Conference on Aging.
  In addition, Dorothy was a vocal opponent of the proposed nuclear 
waste dump at Yucca Mountain. The Department of Energy's transportation 
plan would bring trainloads of nuclear waste right through Caliente. 
Dorothy spoke out against this plan, fueled by concerns for how it 
would impact her small town. In part, Dorothy's activism was inspired 
by tragedy. Dorothy recalled being told that the mushroom clouds 
created by the testing of atomic weapons at the Nevada Test Site during 
the 1950s were not harmful. In fact, she said residents were encouraged 
to go outside and watch. Unfortunately, Dorothy's father and two 
siblings died of cancer caused by radiation from the test site. It was 
in their memory that she fought against Yucca Mountain and the Caliente 
Corridor.
  Dorothy will be remembered for her devotion to her family and her 
community, and she will be missed by those who had the privilege of 
knowing her. I extend my most heartfelt condolences to her husband 
Donald and their family. They should all be proud of her legacy of 
service to Nevada.

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