[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4505]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        TRIBUTE TO STEVE HAMMOND

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the three 
decades of distinguished service journalist Steve Hammond has provided 
to the citizens of Maryland's Eastern Shore and the viewers of WBOC-TV 
16 in Salisbury, MD, ``Delmarva's News Leader.''
  Steve Hammond is a Maryland native, raised in Towson's Rodgers Forge 
neighborhood. He learned many of life's lessons on the football and 
lacrosse fields before graduating from the University of Delaware with 
a degree in mass communications. Since his mother, sister, and brother 
have all been involved in television production, it is no surprise, 
perhaps, that Steve gravitated toward the business of broadcasting and 
interned for several stations. He discovered he felt most at home in 
the newsroom and was drawn particularly to the variety of daily 
reporting. In 1985, after working without pay for 2 weeks to illustrate 
his potential value, Steve was hired by WHYY, a PBS affiliate in 
Philadelphia, PA. Two years later, on March 23, 1987, he joined WBOC-TV 
to serve as the first bureau chief for Dover, DE. It was there that he 
first began to anchor news broadcasts. It was a role, it turned out, 
which suited him perfectly.
  Today Steve Hammond is WBOC-TV's main anchor and managing editor. He 
has become a household name in the region, having covered countless 
elections, major crisis, and natural disasters. Steve has flown with 
the Blue Angels and interviewed U.S. Presidents. He also has filed 
reports from several foreign countries to tell the stories of local 
troops in harm's way in Iraq and Somalia. Steve is highly respected in 
his field and has been widely recognized, winning innumerable awards, 
including a prestigious national Edward R. Murrow Award and 
distinctions from the Associated Press and Radio Television News 
Directors Association; yet Steve is characteristically modest about his 
accomplishments. If he were inclined to brag about anything, it 
probably would be about his beloved family--his sons Graham and Hunter, 
and his wife, Heather, who are his favorite companions for a day at the 
beach.
  Steve Hammond is deeply invested in his community and has volunteered 
for many years for numerous charitable organizations, including Junior 
Achievement, March of Dimes, Easter Seals, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and 
The Salvation Army. He has helped spearhead The Salvation Army's Red 
Kettle Holiday Campaign on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He also 
serves as a member of the board of trustees for Worcester Preparatory 
School in Berlin, MD, and is a member of Trinity United Methodist 
Church in Salisbury. Steve's coworkers, friends, and audience 
appreciate the dedication, service, and leadership he shown 
professionally and privately throughout his career. As he enters his 
fourth decade at WBOC-TV 16, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating Steve Hammond on 30 years of exemplary work and 
community service and wishing him all the best in the years 
ahead.

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