IN HONOR OF IRENE O'CONNELL, DEPARTING MEMBER OF THE SAN BRUNO CITY COUNCIL; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 192
(Extensions of Remarks - December 03, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1526-E1527]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN HONOR OF IRENE O'CONNELL, DEPARTING MEMBER OF THE SAN BRUNO CITY
COUNCIL
______
HON. JACKIE SPEIER
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, Irene O'Connell is leaving the San Bruno
City Council after a remarkable 24 years of service to the community.
Her departure marks the end of an era but the beginning of a new path
in the life of this amazing woman and civic leader. During all these
years I have deeply appreciated Irene's friendship and enjoyed working
with her to promote San Bruno's bright future.
In 1995, Irene O'Connell was elected to the San Bruno City Council,
serving her community with enthusiasm, vigor and effectiveness. She
helped initiate a Youth Committee and helped create an after-school
program at Allen Elementary that has since expanded to five other
schools. She identified $600,000 in flood control district funds that
became available to help residents of the Belle Air community. She
initiated the creation of the City's Culture and Arts Commission with
funding through a surcharge on building permits. The Commission has
installed a number of pieces of public art including the Centennial
Mosaic at the San Bruno Caltrain station and the mural painting at
Centennial Park in San Bruno's downtown. A park on Florida Avenue is
authorized in large measure because Irene's love of civic beauty is
matched with a love of open space in San Bruno's urban environment.
For 22+ years, 200 volunteers have joined Councilwoman O'Connell
annually to sweep up, recycle, plant flowers and trees, paint garbage
bins, and to otherwise beautify the city. As a representative on
transportation and water agencies, she's helped the city to obtain
transportation grants and ensured that the water supply remained
reliable and affordable. If your heart stops in San Bruno, a paramedic
on a fire truck is present in large part because Irene O'Connell
insisted that the service be standard on fire trucks throughout the
county. She evaluated and advocated for ambitious plans for full
rehabilitation and replacement of the City's utility systems over a 20-
year period and the necessary funding to complete the improvements.
During some of the most difficult years in the history of her
hometown, Irene O'Connell and her colleagues first consoled and then
fought for the citizens of San Bruno after a natural gas pipeline
exploded and killed 8 residents and destroyed 38 homes. She and her
colleagues were warriors for justice holding PG&E accountable for its
gross negligence.
No mention of Irene's love of her community would be complete without
mention of her founding of the San Bruno Library Foundation. Irene's
commitment to the library is heartfelt and enduring.
Irene is a first-generation Italian American and as such reflects the
industriousness and civic involvement characteristic of those whose
parents struggle to come to this country. She was born in San Bruno and
has lived there ever since.
She and her family were continually involved in community service and
other activities. They volunteered for the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
and when that wasn't exhausting enough, Irene and her father collected
paperback books for the veterans hospital. Also as volunteers, the
family managed the San Bruno Girl Scout House, sewing curtains,
painting and helping it to operate. During her time on the City
Council, she helped develop and manage a Rebuilding Together project to
refurbish the house to enhance community programs held there.
When St. Bruno's needed baptismal robes for less fortunate
parishioners, Irene and her mother sewed them. This family exuded
community pride with every undertaking.
As she grew into adulthood, Irene realized that her first love was
teaching. She obtained a B.A. in Liberal Studies and a Master's in
Elementary Education with a Lifelong Teaching Credential. She taught
sixth grade at St. Veronica's in South San Francisco and then left to
raise her three children. However, she didn't leave community service.
As a board member of Art-Rise, a local non-profit, she promoted local
artists by finding space for them to display their works. The Boy
Scouts and 4-H benefitted greatly because Irene was ever-present.
Irene is the proud mother of son Joe and daughters Katie and
Jennifer. Her husband, Bill, keeps her young, her mother Marina Kaiser
keeps her hopping, and her community keeps her strong.
[[Page E1527]]
Madam Speaker, for decades Irene's presence in San Bruno has been as
exciting to watch as a home run at a Little League game at San Bruno
City Park. Now, San Bruno's Mighty Casey is laying down her bat. It's
time to give her an enormous cheer for her contributions to the team.
San Bruno will long cherish the swing-for-the-fence public service of
Irene O'Connell.
____________________