[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 1411]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING SIVAD PRODUCTIONS, INC.

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, this week, our country celebrated 
two historic events. On Monday, we commemorated the life and 
accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on what would have been 
his 80th birthday. The following day, January 20, our Nation's first 
African-American President, Barack Obama, was inaugurated on the west 
front of the U.S. Capitol. During this special and remarkable week, I 
rise to celebrate an African-American owned small business in my home 
State of Maine that has consistently sought to make a difference in 
people's lives, and has succeeded every step of the way.
  Sivad Productions, Inc., located in Portland, offers its clients a 
wide variety of general contracting services. From administrative 
services and video production, to real estate and information 
technology, Sivad provides customers with superior quality and years of 
knowledge and experience. In March of 2008, Sivad Productions was named 
a Small Business Administration certified 8(a) firm. The 8(a) program 
is a business development tool that assists small disadvantaged 
businesses to compete in the Federal marketplace by helping them gain a 
myriad of procurement opportunities.
  One of the most innovative projects that Sivad Productions' 
president, Dudley Davis, has been a part of is the Youth News & 
Entertainment Television, or YNETV. YNETV produces youth programming, 
and involves young adults in the process of producing, directing, and 
creating the shows. In nearly a decade and a half, students of high 
school and college age have created over 600 television episodes seen 
on many of the Maine affiliate stations of major networks.
  Of YNETV's television shows, its most popular is Youth in Politics. 
Area high school and college students from across Maine debate the 
pressing issues facing Maine and America by engaging in thoughtful and 
substantive discussions and hosting candidate forums. The show's goal 
is the civic education and wider political participation of Maine's 
young adults. YNETV frequently features an equal number of college 
Democrats and college Republicans to provide balance, and deals with 
issues as varied as the war in Iraq to academic freedom.
  Mr. Davis has forged a reputation as someone who has contributed 
immensely to the betterment of the community in southern Maine. He has 
long been associated with the YES! Summer Basketball League and The 
Basketball Academy, which seek to provide young athletes with an outlet 
to participate in sports in a positive environment. Parents and 
students alike have praised Mr. Davis's ``exceptional ability to 
inspire, motivate and teach,'' and commended his admirable 
contributions to Maine's children. Mr. Davis has also been honored by 
the Maine Commission for Community Service for his motivated and 
exceptional service to Maine youth programs.
  President Obama has made a passionate and eloquent plea for increased 
community service on the part of all Americans. It is a call that 
Dudley Davis heard long ago. Mr. Davis's determination to effectuate 
positive change for the youth of southern Maine is laudable, and his 
tremendous work has certainly not gone unnoticed. I thank Mr. Davis for 
his passion and dedication, and wish everyone at Sivad Productions, 
Inc., much success in the years to come.

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