[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15459-15461]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       CALIFORNIA 3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT'S WOMEN OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN GARAMENDI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 18, 2014

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, the success of our districts and the 
livelihood and future of our communities relies heavily on the devotion 
and service of those who go above the call of duty, willing to devote 
their time and energy to improving society and the lives of people 
around them. This fall, through my 2014 Women of the Year awards, I 
have made an effort to recognize, honor, and celebrate the vital 
contributions of outstanding women in my district.
  Each of these women exemplifies sacrifice and devotion. These civic 
leaders have helped improve their communities in various ways, and are 
compelling advocates for critical issues including education, flood 
protection, environmental stewardship, and the arts. They promote 
healthy communities, organize events to promote world peace, and raise 
community awareness to end bullying. They are all women in California's 
Third Congressional District who have succeeded in bettering their 
communities and the lives of those around them--living proof that when 
women succeed, America succeeds.
  Throughout our history, America's foremothers have made great strides 
in securing their equal rights and equal treatment under the law. And 
while we have come so far, there is still work to be done. We stand on 
the shoulders of giants, but that does not mean we should cease to 
reach further. Thanks to these women and others like them, I see our 
communities reaching further every day.

       Pat Ash (City Councilwoman and preservationist; Williams--
     Colusa County): Pat Ash, the current mayor of Williams, has 
     served as a Williams City Council Member for many years. She 
     is the founding and most active member of Citizens for a 
     Better Williams, known locally as CBW.
       Through her membership on the city council and in CBW, Pat 
     has played a crucial role in beautifying vacant areas, 
     including a parcel that was annexed into the town square 
     park. An outstanding example of Pat's leadership and generous 
     spirit is her preservation of the aging Masonic Hall in town. 
     Pat recently purchased it herself, thus maintaining its 
     historic value to the city and county.
       Under Pat's sustaining leadership CBW recently arranged for 
     a mural to be painted on the Masonic Hall, adding local 
     interest and a festive atmosphere to this popular park. On 
     June 7th, the mayor hosted a mural dedication ceremony that 
     featured Governor Jerry Brown and relatives of W.H. Williams, 
     founder of the town. Through her creativity and tenacity, Pat 
     has been instrumental in organizing Williams' Summer Concerts 
     in the Park series featuring local musicians. The venue 
     offers the community a place to mingle and for nonprofit 
     groups to hold fundraisers. In further testimony to Pat's 
     enduring appreciation for her city, she has written a book 
     illustrating the influence of Western Europeans settling in 
     Williams. Pat's fellow citizens appreciate her efforts to 
     preserve and showcase the city's history.
       Marci Coglianese (Municipal law attorney, former city 
     official, land use advocate; Rio Vista--Solano County): Marci 
     Coglianese, past mayor and council member for the City of Rio 
     Vista, has practiced municipal and environmental law for more 
     than 25 years. Her achievements in furthering good land use 
     planning, and environmental and risk management practices for 
     the Delta are extraordinary. Marci represented the League of 
     California Cities on the State Floodplain Management Task 
     Force and on the public advisory committee to update the 
     California Water Plan. She has been instrumental in 
     protecting Solano County farmland and served as co-chair of 
     the Delta Levees and Habitat Subcommittee of the Bay Delta 
     Public Advisory Committee. She is an active member of the Rio 
     Vista Army Base Steering Committee.
       Marci has always been a vocal and staunch advocate for 
     fairness and for racial and gender equality in local 
     government. After assuming office she was notable for her 
     openness in listening and responding to the needs of her 
     constituents of every political stripe and economic status. A 
     person of the highest integrity and forthrightness, Marci 
     sets an exemplary standard for all in political office, from 
     the smallest village to the national capitol. Despite serious 
     illness and family trauma, she has maintained a manner of 
     openness, grace, and humor toward even her most bitter 
     opponents. Marci Coglianese is greatly loved and admired by 
     all who know her.
       Deborah Eernisse (Fitness instructor, mentor, and 
     volunteer; Davis--Yolo County): Deborah's outstanding trait 
     is her ability to build community with diverse groups of all 
     ages, particularly around fitness and health. In Davis she 
     has built a supportive community of older adults who remain 
     active and engaged in their own health and happiness. Her 
     ``Fit for Life'' program at the Davis Senior Center has 
     reduced injuries, falls, and the need for hospitalization or 
     skilled nursing care.
       Deborah graduated from UC Davis with a minor in Adult 
     Development and Aging. She had planned to be an at-home mom, 
     but faced with serious medical problems in her immediate 
     family she had the foresight and strength to persevere and 
     graduate from the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at 
     Sacramento City College. Since then she has earned a number 
     of other certifications.
       Participants in Deborah's fitness classes have been able to 
     improve their muscle tone, balance, coordination and strength 
     in such a way that many age-related declines are slowed or 
     prevented. Class members who have had strokes, joint 
     replacement, fractures and similar problems are able to 
     follow through with their long-term rehabilitation. Those 
     with chronic conditions such as diabetes or neuropathy are 
     able to optimize their independence and quality of life. 
     Beyond strength, friendships are created and social support 
     flourishes. Her classes fill up quickly and have a waiting 
     list. Deborah also conducts a popular free yoga class for the 
     Davis High School football team, and she has served on the 
     board of the Davis Food Co-op. Recently she completed 30 
     hours of training to become part of the Davis Community 
     Emergency Response Team (CERT). Deborah is now part of a pool 
     of volunteers ready to assist in large-scale emergencies.
       Gloria Estrada (Veteran advocate and peace activist; 
     Williams--Colusa County): Gloria Estrada works tirelessly for 
     the interests of Colusa County families, donating much of her 
     time to organizations that benefit the community's veterans 
     and the families of fallen soldiers. On August 11, 2011, not 
     long after recovering from a head-on crash Gloria's son, Pfc. 
     Rueben ``Boy'' Lopez, was killed in action by a roadside bomb 
     in Afghanistan. Since then Gloria has dedicated herself to 
     helping families in need and advocating for peace. She 
     celebrates her son's service and sacrifice by paying it 
     forward.
       One way she has done this is by arranging for the placement 
     of Peace Poles in each community in Colusa County. The Peace 
     Pole serves as a symbol to remind community members that they 
     are the peace builders. On August 11, 2014, Gloria and her 
     family organized a ceremony on the grounds of the state 
     capitol in Sacramento. Veterans of Colusa County traveled to 
     the state capitol for the ceremony in which 193 full-size 
     flags of the world were carried. A Peace Pole featuring the 
     message ``May Peace Prevail on Earth'' in 12 different 
     languages was presented to the People of California.
       Each year on the anniversary of her son's death, Gloria 
     chooses an agency, school, or group where she hosts a 
     celebration urging those present to celebrate life and to 
     please pay good works forward. Gloria is a tireless community 
     volunteer and an exceptionally loving and giving woman. 
     Whenever someone is in need, Gloria is quick to search on 
     their behalf. If someone needs company, Gloria is at their 
     side with reassuring words. Those who know her well agree 
     that each of us is a better person because we have Gloria in 
     our life.
       Lee Ann Grigsby-Puente (Flood protection advocate; Hamilton 
     City--Glenn County): As president of Reclamation District 
     2140 Lee Ann played a leading role in working with 
     Congressman Garamendi and other federal, state and local 
     representatives to secure federal funding in an Energy & 
     Water Development appropriation to begin construction of the 
     Hamilton City Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem 
     Restoration Project.
       The current J Levee, now mostly in disrepair, was built in 
     the early 1900s. The levee failed twice in the 1970s and 
     required emergency reinforcement six times in the past 30 
     years. If the river floods, the homes of 2,000 Hamilton City 
     residents are at risk, as are the farms and Highway 32.
       The project is multipurpose. Plans include 6.8 miles of 
     setback levee to protect the town and farmland. The existing 
     J levee will be ``degraded'' and 1,400 acres of land will be 
     restored to native habitat along the Sacramento River 
     floodplain. Thanks to Lee Ann's perseverance and effective 
     work with elected representatives, Glenn County Sheriff Larry 
     Jones, who serves as head of Glenn County's Office of 
     Emergency Services, was able to say: ``I am very pleased. The 
     project is vital to our public safety. . . . Now I can start 
     to look forward to the time when the J Levee is no longer one 
     of my biggest concerns.''
       Lee Ann serves on the Hamilton City Task Force developing a 
     5-10-20 year strategic plan for the city. She is president of 
     the Hamilton City Women's Club that leads the way in adding 
     new civic amenities in the downtown.
       Mary Grimmer (School and community volunteer 
     extraordinaire; Arbuckle--Colusa County): Mary Grimmer is an 
     amazing woman, full of energy and passion, and extremely 
     giving of her time and resources. For the past five years, 
     Mary has volunteered at least 12 hours per week in the school 
     library, helping students locate books, cataloging new books, 
     and reminding students to return overdue ones. Each year she 
     donates a generous number of titles to the library 
     collection.

[[Page 15460]]

       Meanwhile, the school office can count on Mary to help with 
     school pictures in the fall and spring of each year. Through 
     the Parent Club, she takes the lead on ordering all of the 
     school tee-shirts and sweatshirts that students purchase. You 
     also will see Mary Grimmer at all kinds of events, camera 
     around her neck, taking thousands of pictures that she shares 
     with the students. Mary is an active 4-H leader and a member 
     of the Arbuckle Little League where she is responsible for 
     many aspects of the organization, including scheduling of 
     games. She is a part-time employee of the Arbuckle Parks & 
     Recreations Department, giving more time than she could ever 
     be compensated for. And, when someone in the community is ill 
     or has just had a baby, Mary graciously delivers a home-
     cooked meal as a show of support for them.
       Programs for children just don't happen. They take the 
     dedicated people who care about kids to devote their time, 
     energy and often their own financial resources. Mary provides 
     initiative and the physical labor to fill the gaps. She is a 
     beacon calling others to volunteer their time to change the 
     lives of children.
       Samina Masood (Working to end poverty, homelessness, and 
     abuse of women; Fairfield--Solano County): Since 2012 Samina 
     Masood has partnered with the City of Fairfield to seize the 
     twin horns of homelessness and domestic abuse in order to 
     demonstrate that renewal is possible for homeless, abused, 
     and neglected women and their children. Were it not for her 
     direct intervention and program services, hundreds of women 
     and children would go without hope, a place to live, or 
     resurrected lives. Each year her organization, Heather House, 
     takes in hundreds of needy and vulnerable women, then 
     shelters and supports them. Samina resides on campus with 
     them to run the seven-day-a week program. Empowered by their 
     experience in a 90-day work program, they are able to leave 
     the shelter with a job, housing, and the skills to achieve 
     economic independence. Samina's passion and dedication are 
     quite infectious, engaging many city leaders to join hands 
     and work together on behalf of these at-risk local women and 
     their children. She has served as a commissioner on the 
     Mayor's Commission on Crime to help prevent and reduce crime 
     in the city.
       Masood herself is a role model. She came to the United 
     States as an immigrant from the third world country of 
     Pakistan. She is a writer and published columnist with her 
     columns appearing in the Tracy Press nationally and in the 
     U.S. State Department Gazette. Samina has two master 
     degrees--an MA in Communications and an MS in Clinical 
     Psychology. In the 80s and 90s she worked for the World 
     Health Organization, the U.S. Department of State, and U.S.-
     AID as an advocate for women and children. An abuse survivor 
     herself, Samina talks openly about her childhood growing up 
     in a county where women and children are deprived of rights. 
     She often speaks of how she saved her own soul by fighting 
     for other women who had no voice. She is writing a memoir.
       Dr. Frances Nelson (Librarian, educator, literacy advocate; 
     Fairfield--Solano County): Frances Nelson has brought 
     outstanding gifts to the educational community of Solano 
     County. She is a preeminent librarian whose commitment to 
     diversity and whose advocacy for the teaching of U.S. history 
     and government have enriched the lives of many students and 
     adults. Frances has a myriad of community and educational 
     experiences over more than 15 years in Vacaville's secondary 
     classrooms and, after her retirement, as adjunct librarian 
     with 20 years of service at Solano Community College. She is 
     the only African-American librarian that Solano Community 
     College has had in its seventy-year history.
       Dr. Nelson has pioneered information access techniques with 
     individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Through the 
     California School Library Association Dr. Nelson participated 
     on a committee that developed ``Standards for Information 
     Literacy: Grades K-12.'' This endeavor prompted her to 
     develop a library skill workbook and a video tape 
     presentation on school site curriculum for a Vallejo school 
     library. Frances travels regularly to Oakland to select as 
     many as 75 books that she then donates to the Solano Juvenile 
     facility. She also donates hair care products to African-
     American girls there when these are requested. Dr. Nelson is 
     a newly appointed Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention 
     Commissioner for Solano County, is active in the Delta Kappa 
     Gamma Society Beta Psi Chapter, and has served in leadership 
     roles at her church. Dr. Frances Gholson Nelson has elevated 
     the whole community--not just with the time she has spent in 
     community service but in the quality of her service that 
     counts for so much more.
       Gloria Partida (Advocate for restorative justice and anti-
     bullying activist; Davis--Yolo County): When her son was 
     savagely attacked near downtown Davis the night of March 10, 
     2013 in what was deemed to be an anti-gay hate crime, Gloria 
     Partida responded with composure and grace. She not only 
     cared for her son Mikey's needs, physical and emotional, she 
     led the community in a candlelight vigil coordinated by 
     concerned community members. Mikey spent months in 
     rehabilitation and many more in at-home care by family 
     members relearning the tasks of daily life and receiving 
     counseling for PTSD. Gloria faced the tragedy and its 
     aftermath courageously and with compassion. In an October 6, 
     2013 editorial, ``Innocence Lost: Now where are my virtues?'' 
     she set a powerful example, showing our community how to push 
     back against hate crimes and bullying behaviors of all kinds: 
     ``Having survived this magnitude of violence, my son and 
     family became magnets for people who had suffered similar 
     experiences and wanted to share their stories. Sadly, there 
     were many. This produced for me, ever the optimist, an 
     internal civil war. How could people who started out sweet 
     and promising turn into vessels of evil? . . . What became 
     evident to me . . . was that I needed to be responsible for 
     more than my own children. And not just the smart, easy-to-
     get along with ones . . . the marginalized ones.''
       Gloria attended a church meeting on the topic ``Standing Up 
     to Hate,'' and in that meeting the Davis Phoenix Coalition 
     was born. Gloria worked ceaselessly on the group's projects, 
     including a March 2014 anti-bullying workshop; a screening 
     and discussion of ``The Laramie Project'' and other 
     awareness-raising events; fund-raising and attending the 
     ``Not in Our Town'' national gathering in Montana; designing 
     a tee shirt and bumper sticker; writing an anti-bullying 
     brochure . . . always turning a devastating personal event 
     into an opportunity for community growth.
       Linda Plummer (Healthcare advocate, arts supporter, 
     community volunteer; Marysville--Yuba County): Linda Plummer 
     is known as a distinguished advocate for health care and for 
     the arts, twin passions that merged when she created Rideout 
     Healthy Kids. RHK is a musical theater program teaching 
     healthy eating and exercise habits. Still in its first year, 
     the program created seven jobs--four actors, a director and 
     two sound technicians--and reached more than 4,000 school 
     children in its first season.
       As part of her job as marketing manager for Rideout Health, 
     Linda helps to get the word out about the newly expanded 
     Rideout Regional Medical Center, the largest construction 
     project in recent memory in Marysville and its neighboring 
     communities. Linda is a dedicated steward of the project. As 
     30 ironworkers, eight carpenters, six deck builders, two 
     rebar workers and 15 other laborers and inspectors worked on 
     the structure last year, Linda observed the sudden 
     transformation following years of planning. ``It's like 
     Christmas,'' she said.
       The Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce has recognized Linda 
     for her deep community involvement. She founded the Way, Way, 
     Way Off Broadway event to give performance opportunities to 
     high school actors. She is a board member of the Sutter 
     Performing Arts Association and Yuba-Sutter Arts. A past 
     president of the Rotary Club of Yuba City, she has been 
     involved with Friends of Yuba City Parks and Recreation; the 
     Casa de Esperanza shelter for victims of domestic violence; 
     Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts; and the Galena 
     Street East performance group to encourage young artists. She 
     was a judge for the Sacramento Regional Theater Alliance. 
     When asked how she manages her busy schedule, she admitted: 
     ``What schedule?'' For Linda, ``Volunteering is addictive. 
     Whatever form it may take, volunteerism has an incurable 
     impact on people--you see it change lives.''
       Lonetta Riley (Educator and school district trustee; Yuba--
     Sutter County): Lonetta Riley has served on the Yuba City 
     Unified School District board for 16 years as District 3's 
     representative and for the past two years as board president. 
     Says a friend, ``you can count on Lonetta's support for the 
     students and she stands up for teachers and the job that they 
     try to do in these times of diminished funding.'' Lonetta 
     Riley is the only African-American woman to ever have been 
     elected to office in Sutter County. When asked what it was 
     like to be the first, she always responds that ``it doesn't 
     really matter unless I work to make sure there is a second, 
     third and fourth.''
       Lonetta began her advocacy for education in 1970 while a 
     graduate student at the University of Nebraska where she led 
     demonstrations to address the poor graduation rates of black 
     athletes. As a member of the Douglas County (Nebraska) 
     Citizens Committee, she was instrumental in bringing 
     attention to local civil rights violations. More recently as 
     a Juvenile Justice Commissioner for Sutter County, she has 
     worked to raise awareness and organize efforts to address the 
     difficult issues facing delinquent youth. She is passionate 
     in believing that mentoring during probation is an 
     opportunity to help individuals get their lives back on 
     track.
       A criminal justice professor in the Los Rios Community 
     College District, Lonetta is the Training Coordinator for the 
     Regional Public Safety Training Center of American River 
     College and guides the training of law enforcement personnel. 
     She is a member of the Bethel AME Church, the National Urban 
     League, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Bridges 2 Housing and 
     other community organizations. Lonetta believes that ``if you 
     don't use your voice for change, your silence says the status 
     quo is okay.'' She exemplifies the

[[Page 15461]]

     adage to be the change you would like to see in the world.

                          ____________________