September 30, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 170 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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RECOGNIZING DARRELL WOOD; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 170
(House of Representatives - September 30, 2020)
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[Pages H5098-H5100] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] RECOGNIZING DARRELL WOOD The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Tlaib). Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2019, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Darrell Wood and his patriotic contributions to the city of Benton, Arkansas. Earlier this summer, Benton's mayor, Tom Farmer, noticed a street adorned with American flags. Over the coming weeks, Mayor Farmer noticed that more and more flags were appearing around the city until nearly every street in Benton was decorated. After asking citizens, Mayor Farmer determined that Mr. Wood was responsible for this patriotic display. To show their appreciation, Mayor Farmer and the City Council formally honored Mr. Wood for his contributions to the community with a commemorative plaque. The beautiful sight of these flags has inspired others in the community to add more of their own. Mr. Woods' actions have served as a bright light in these trying times, and we thank him for his selfless service to his city. Recognizing James ``Skip'' Rutherford Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize James ``Skip'' Rutherford, who announced plans to retire as dean of the University of Arkansas, Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock. Mr. Rutherford has served in this role since 2006 and planned to retire earlier this year but stayed longer than expected to help the school, students, faculty, and staff weather the storm of COVID-19, which shows his dedication to the lives of those with whom he works. Skip had a passion for public service at a young age as he watched the election returns on the courthouse lawn in Batesville, Arkansas. He believed in order to make a real difference, you need to roll up your sleeves and get in the arena. He was instrumental in the building of the Clinton Presidential Library, the development of the River Market District, and coordinating the 40th anniversary commemoration of the 1957 integration of Little Rock Central High School, which in turn led to the school being named a national historic site. Martha and I wish Skip a fulfilling and active retirement. {time} 1915 Recognizing Grady Spann Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Grady Spann, the director of Arkansas State Parks, who was recently named president of the National Association of State Park Directors. Mr. Spann is a 27-year employee of Arkansas State Parks, having previously served as superintendent of the Ozark Folk Center, Historic Washington, and the Parkin Archaeological State Park. In 2012, he was named supervisor of Region 5, a newly created region of State parks. Mr. Spann's passion and dedication earned him not only the position of director of Arkansas State Parks in 2016, but now as president of the National Association of State Park Directors. The association aims to promote and advance State park systems throughout the United States. Grady's commitment to the preservation of the Natural State and beyond is evident in his leadership. I congratulate Grady Spann and wish him well in this new leadership assignment. Recognizing the VFW Department of Arkansas' Post 4453 Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the VFW Department of Arkansas' Post 4453 in [[Page H5099]] Morrilton, Arkansas, on the occasion of their 75th year of service. Post 4453, also known as the Martin-Bradley Post, has been given their Diamond Jubilee Award for their exceptionally long and dedicated service to veterans in the Morrilton area. Our Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Arkansas do so much to support our heroes, once they return home from service, by providing access to resources and a sense of community. The VFW posts also honor veterans once they pass, keeping their memories alive in the hearts of central Arkansans. Every year for the Fourth of July, VFW Post 4453 lines up American flags for the Morrilton Walk of Flags. Each of these flags is a visual reminder of the brave men and women from Conway County who defended our freedom at home and abroad. Thank you to our central Arkansas veterans who have laid their lives on the line for country, and congratulations to the Martin-Bradley Post of the American Veterans of Foreign Wars for their 75 years of service. May they serve many more in the years ahead. Honoring Dale English Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a great Arkansas public servant, Mr. Dale English. He was 80 years old. Before passing, Dale served the city of Searcy for 33 years as city councilman, and he served the fire department for 20 years, retiring as captain. Throughout his years of public service, Mr. English developed a reputation as a thoughtful, intelligent leader who earned the respect of his peers. As a constant presence on the Searcy City Council for the past 33 years, Mr. English's knowledge and experience were only matched by his love and commitment to youth sports. His memory will serve the community as a model of an effective, dedicated public servant for years to come. I join the citizens of Searcy and all Arkansans in honoring the remarkable life of Dale English. He will be missed. May he rest in peace. Recognizing Ryan Christiansen Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the accomplishments and service of Ryan Christiansen of Bald Knob, Arkansas. Ryan is a member of Troop 157 of the Boy Scouts of America. His goal was always to become an Eagle Scout, which he accomplished on April 25, 2019, after earning 51 Scouting badges, 30 more than the number required. For his Eagle Scout project, Ryan built a mobile drop box for the proper retirement of American flags. He is additionally working to place Purple Heart parking signs at businesses in his area. The Arkansas Veterans of Foreign Wars named Ryan the 2020 Eagle Scout of the Year. He was additionally honored with a challenge coin from the White County Sheriff's Office, and County Judge Mike Lincoln named August 7 Ryan Christiansen Appreciation Day coinciding with Purple Heart Day. Now a freshman at Arkansas State University, Mr. Christiansen has worked tirelessly in the service of others, and I am proud to honor his hard work and perseverance today. Recognizing Barry McKuin Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Barry McKuin. Barry is stepping down from his responsibilities after 15 years of service to the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute as an original board member and advocate for this important nonprofit organization. Mr. McKuin first served as the CFO of Winrock Farms after Governor Winthrop Rockefeller passed away in 1973, and his involvement only grew from there. He was heavily involved in the Conway County Economic Development Corporation and served as its president. Barry has always put his community, the town of Morrilton, on the map by involving the town in the Uncommon Communities Program, which promotes local community and economic development. Lisenne Rockefeller, Institute board member, said, ``Barry saw the big picture, focused on the future, and kept others on track.'' Mr. McKuin's service to the nonprofit and community are greatly appreciated. Congratulations on his successful tenure at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, and we wish Barry McKuin success in years to come. Recognizing Mary Newsome Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today, I recognize the career and contributions of Mary Newsome to the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton and to Conway County, Arkansas. Mary is the longest-serving employee of the college, beginning in 1981 as extra help and, now, currently serving as the assistant to the chancellor. Yet after 39 years, her dedication to others goes far beyond the campus in Morrilton. Her list of community involvement is long, including her service as a board member of the Morrilton Area Chamber of Commerce, CHI St. Vincent Morrilton, Conway County Senior Adult Center, and the Conway County School Counts. She additionally serves as secretary of the Conway County branch of the NAACP and as a Sunday school teacher at her church. Mary always makes you feel so welcome. She is a neighbor that everybody wants and a citizen that every community needs. She has dedicated her life to the betterment of others, and I thank her for her years of service to UA Community College Morrilton and central Arkansas. Recognizing Dionne Jackson Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize Dionne Jackson, the executive director of AR Kids Read, for striving to improve the literacy of Arkansas children. Ms. Jackson recognized the importance of literacy very young, after realizing that a family member could not read or write when they signed a document with an X rather than sign their name. This experience inspires her work daily at AR Kids Read. Dionne grew up in the Western Hills neighborhood of Little Rock and attended Hendrix College in Conway. After earning her degree, she became a science teacher at her alma mater, Horace Mann High School. She earned her master's from the University of Central Arkansas and went on to earn a Doctorate in Education from Baylor University, then becoming a tenured professor at Hendrix. As the executive director of AR Kids Read, she works every day to further their mission to advance the literacy education of Arkansas children and families with the aim of having students read proficiently by the third grade. Our community is so grateful to her dedication for this essential need in our area. Recognizing Darrell Walker Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, as we start a new school year, I rise today to recognize the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's men's basketball coach, my friend, Darrell Walker, who was named last year's Sun Belt Coach of the Year. Coach Walker became the third UA Little Rock coach ever to win the award, leading the Trojans to one of the Nation's best turnarounds, going from a 10-21 record the previous year to 21-10 this past season. That includes a 15-5 record in the Sun Belt Conference, on the way to UA Little Rock's first outright league title since 2015-2016. The spring of pandemic cut short the passion of March Madness. The Trojans were one of just two teams in Division I that finished in 1st place in their conference after being picked 11th or lower in the conference preseason. Coach Walker's passion for excellence in leadership and hard work are always evident, and he can now add Sun Belt Coach of the Year to his long list of accolades and career accomplishments. Good luck to Coach Walker, and good luck to the 2020-2021 team. Go Trojans. Recognizing Derrick Clark Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Derrick Clark, who has made Arkansas proud with his resilience and his determination. For years, Derrick wrestled with drug abuse and homelessness on the streets in Little Rock, looking somehow for a fresh start. He spent time at Jericho Way, our Little Rock shelter, where he was able to meet people who saw his potential. Madam Speaker, Mr. Clark made that slow march to sobriety and self- [[Page H5100]] sufficiency by working minimum-wage jobs until he landed a position with a trucking company. Armed with a commercial driver's license and gainful employment under his belt, Derrick established the Paul Philia Scholarship to give others the opportunity to attend trucking school. Mr. Clark put up the first $1,000 of his own money to launch the scholarship, and the fund was quickly put with the Arkansas Community Foundation. The J.C. Thompson Trust has agreed to match every dollar donated up to $10,000. Mr. Clark is now enrolled in college classes and dreams of writing a book. Madam Speaker, I commend Mr. Clark and wish him the best of luck in his journey, that journey of the pursuit of happiness. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________
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