[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2026]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          IN MEMORY OF FORMER PLEASANTON MAYOR BEN TARVER III

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JERRY McNERNEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 25, 2010

  Mr. McNERNEY. Madam Speaker, today Congressman Pete Stark and I ask 
our colleagues to join in honoring the life of Ben Tarver III, who 
passed away at age 63 on January 4, 2010.
  Ben Tarver was passionate about serving the people of Pleasanton. He 
moved his family to Pleasanton in 1974 and raised three children with 
his wife Margo. He started his 18 years of public service by fighting 
to preserve open spaces and promote smart development. He succeeded in 
preserving land that is now a part of the East Bay Regional Park 
District.
  Ben Tarver first served as a planning commissioner and was then 
elected to the City Council in 1988 and elected Mayor four times from 
1992-2000. Ben had a deep rooted sense of public service and strong 
belief in giving back to the community in which he lived. When he was 
not coaching youth soccer or playing in a league himself, Ben was 
working with the school district to open up school gyms for community 
use, promote public parks and youth activities.
  Ben also represented the City of Pleasanton through appointments to 
numerous other Boards, Committees and Commissions. He served on the Bay 
Area Air Quality Management District Board, the Alameda County 
Congestion Management Agency Board, the Tri-Valley Wastewater 
Authority, the Livermore-Amador Valley Waste Management Agency, and 
fulfilled the role of President of the Alameda County Mayor's 
Conference and Chair of the Alameda County Local Area Formation 
Commission. He was an active member of the League of California Cities, 
serving as Chairman of the Revenue and Taxation Policy Committee and a 
member of the Telecommunications Task Force.
  Ben's years of community service touched the lives of many and 
improved the quality of life in Pleasanton for decades to come. He led 
by example and in the words of former Pleasanton Mayor Tom Pico, ``Ben 
was a great steward for our city. He set a high standard for integrity 
and did everything possible to protect Pleasanton's future.''
  Ben Tarver's dedication to public service leave a legacy that will 
continue to benefit the people of Pleasanton, the state of California 
and our great nation for generations to come. It is for these reasons 
that Congressman Pete Stark and I ask our Colleagues to join in 
honoring the memory of Ben Tarver and in sending our thoughts and 
prayers to his beloved family and friends.

                          ____________________