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[Pages S4716-S4717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO GEORGE KAROS
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, I rise today to honor and thank a very
good friend of mine, Mayor George Karos of the city of Martinsburg--I
said his name wrong, and I don't want to do that because he is a good
friend of mine--for his great service to the city of Martinsburg and
the entire State of West Virginia.
He was always really great to work with and always gave credit to
staff, and he did it with such good humor.
George is the son of Greek immigrants who did not speak English when
they came to this country. They moved to Martinsburg before he was
born. George was born in the early 1930s. George has called Martinsburg
his home his entire life.
Growing up, he worked at Patterson's Drug Store on Queens Street,
where he swept the floors and rode his bike to deliver prescriptions.
Over time, he worked his way up in the ranks, taking over the soda
fountain and eventually worked as an assistant in the pharmacy section
of the drugstore.
George did leave Martinsburg briefly when he served his country in
the U.S. Naval Hospital Corps, where he was stationed at both Bethesda
Naval Hospital and Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia. He
eventually returned to his home that he loved--Martinsburg--and he
returned to Patterson's Drug Store, which he later bought in 1980 and
operated until his retirement in 2015. He then began a career as a
public servant.
George was first elected to the city council as a councilperson-at-
large in June of 1974, where he served for 26 years.
Following this, he decided to run for mayor of Martinsburg, and he
served as the mayor for about 20 years and will retire this year at the
age of 88.
George and I started our careers together. I started as his
Congresswoman in the year 2000, and George started as mayor.
I know I speak for all of those from the Martinsburg community when I
say that Mayor Karos truly made Martinsburg a better place to work and
live.
I have had the honor and privilege of working closely with Mayor
Karos during his entire time serving as the mayor of Martinsburg. We
had a field hearing out in Martinsburg, and I remember the mayor being
there and welcoming us. I see him at many ribbon cuttings and openings.
I have been to his drugstore to be served at the counter. He is just a
wonderful, wonderful man.
[[Page S4717]]
One of my proudest moments with Mayor Karos was when we successfully
secured the funds for infrastructure improvement, such as the Big
Spring water plan and the Raleigh Street expansion project. George also
helped create The Martinsburg Initiative most recently, which is a
program I have spoken about before many times on the Senate floor.
This initiative is spearheaded by the Martinsburg Police Department,
the Berkeley County Schools, and Shepherd University, as well as a wide
array of local partners, such as the Boys and Girls Club of the Eastern
Panhandle.
The goal of the program is to stem the horrible opioid addiction
problem by identifying and trying to eliminate the basic causes of drug
abuse in at-risk families. The mayor has been dedicated to this. The
program is extremely successful and has made a tremendous impact in the
Martinsburg community.
It is also a perfect example of how a community can come together at
different levels and work together to create a lasting and impactful
solution to a big, big problem.
Through the actions taken under Mayor Karos's administration,
countless children in the Martinsburg area have now seen that there is
a life away from illicit drugs and opioid addiction.
George exemplified hard work, dedication, and loyalty. He still does.
This is evident in the length of time he served his community and also
through the results that came from his vision and his collaboration
with so many others in Martinsburg.
The rest of the State agreed with this because George was named
``Mayor of the Year'' and ``Public Official of the Year.'' This came as
no surprise to me and many, many others.
George's favorite motto is ``Plan your work and work your plan.''
That is what the mayor did. His second motto was something I think we
could probably use around here: ``A closed mouth catches no flies.''
These were the words George followed every day when he was working as
mayor. They helped to keep progress moving, and they perfectly describe
how George conducted himself each and every day, which is why he was
reelected many times but also so beloved in his community.
After 46 years of devoted service to his city and the community,
Mayor Karos is retiring. While I am sad that this chapter is coming to
a close, I am grateful for the opportunity to work together with him to
better the city of Martinsburg. His leadership, successes, and his life
mottos will serve as an example to follow
I really thank Mayor Karos for being a good friend and for letting me
get to know him. I really thank him for his service and wish him the
very best in his retirement.
I yield back.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I had the chance to at least hear the
end of Senator Capito's speech. I thank her for the work she has done
on the opioid issue that she was talking about. It is one of the very
productive areas of bipartisanship going all the way back to CARA with
Senator Portman and myself. I know West Virginia, like Rhode Island,
had a terrible situation. I appreciate very much her comments.
____________________
