[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8736]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF ALEXANDRA ``SANDY'' BRESLIN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 2017

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I 
rise today to join the many family, friends, colleagues, and community 
leaders who have gathered to pay tribute to one of our community's most 
ardent and passionate advocates, Alexandra ``Sandy'' Breslin, who lost 
her battle with cancer just days ago. Sandy was an extraordinary woman, 
whose compassion, dedication, and commitment to public service touched 
the lives of many and helped to shape the very character of our great 
state.
  Sandy was many things to many people--advocate, activist, mentor, and 
most importantly, friend. I first met Sandy as a newly elected Member 
of Congress when she sought me out to talk about the need to preserve 
and protect the Long Island Sound and the invaluable habitats along its 
shores. Few have had a larger impact on the preservation and protection 
of the Long Island Sound than Sandy. She worked with me and others to 
secure millions of dollars in federal funding to support conservation 
efforts up and down the Sound's coast and was instrumental in the 
passage of the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act. She also served as 
the Connecticut Co-Chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee of the 
national estuary program for Long Island Sound where she fought for 
horseshoe crab sanctuaries that protected this ancient creature and 
helped establish standards for harvesting menhaden that set the stage 
for the return of whales to the Sound.
  Sandy's passionate activism helped to make real many land 
conservation projects including such local environmental jewels as 
Kelda, the former Griswold Airport, Long Beach West, The Preserve, and 
Suffield and Barn Island Wildlife Management Areas; and to expand the 
Stewart B. McKinney the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuges. Her 
outstanding contributions have been recognized with three national 
awards including a U.S. Department of the Interior Environmental 
Achievement Award; a Teaming with Wildlife Member Achievement Award for 
establishing a Connecticut Conservation License Plate; and a Coastal 
America Award for conservation teamwork at Long Beach West.
  In addition to her environmental work, Sandy was also a dedicated 
advocate for the Town of Bethany, Connecticut. She served as a member 
of the Inland Wetlands Commission for more than two decades, she worked 
to renew State funding that resulted in creation of a municipal open 
space and watershed matching grants program that helped protect Clover 
Nook Farm, Veteran's Memorial Park and Monument Stables and for more 
than a decade she served as Bethany's representative on the Regional 
Policy Board of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, 
and on its Land Use Committee.
  Sandy was also a dedicated member of Connecticut's Democratic Party. 
She served as the Democratic Town Chair of Bethany for many years and 
it was under her leadership that the first Democrat in nearly a century 
was elected First Selectman. In neighboring Woodbridge, she was a 
driving force behind the election of the first woman to serve as First 
Selectman in the town's history. Her contributions to local and state 
politics earned her the respect and admiration of many across the 
state.
  Sandy was a great friend to me and several members of my staff. There 
was not a time when we could not call her for advice, information, and 
council. There was not an environmental event in the state that she did 
not attend--and she likely had a hand in its organization as well. Even 
under the most frustrating of circumstances, she was there with a 
smile, ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work. Sandy was the 
best--an embodiment of everything we strive to be as advocates for 
others. Like so many others, I consider myself fortunate to have called 
her my friend.
  Sandy leaves behind her mother, Ruth, as well as scores of family, 
friends, and colleagues whose lives were touched by her good work. I am 
proud to stand today and take this opportunity to pay tribute to her 
lifetime of public service, to thank her for her invaluable 
contributions, and to honor her lasting memory. Alexandra ``Sandy'' 
Breslin has left an indelible mark on the State of Connecticut, the 
Town of Bethany, and in the hearts of all of those fortunate enough to 
have known and worked with her. Though her presence will be deeply 
missed, hers is a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of 
activists and advocates to come.

                          ____________________