E624 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks April 10, 1997 community. Chief among these individuals are A TRIBUTE TO DOUG DOBMEIER HONORING MOTHER OF the past presidents of the Bayonne Commu- THE YEAR PAULA ‘‘POLLY’’ nity Mental Health Center including: Rose MYERS Donski, Gloria Koenig, Ethel Rosenthal, Har- HON. GLENN POSHARD old Strohefer, Leonard Kiczek, William Dow- OF ILLINOIS HON. RAY LaHOOD ney, Mary Brennan, and Peter Anastas. Their OF ILLINOIS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES work is continued by current president Agnes IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mangelli. Thursday, April 10, 1997 I ask that my colleagues join me in rec- Thursday, April 10, 1997 ognizing the outstanding contributions made Mr. POSHARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Mr. LAHOOD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to by the Bayonne Community Mental Health recognize a good friend of mine, Doug honor a woman in my congressional district Center to the people of Bayonne. The well who was recently named Illinois' Mother of the Dobmeier, the senior vice president of oper- being of all residents of the area has been en- Year. Paula ``Polly'' Myers, from Petersburg, ations for Tharaldson Enterprises [TE] in Shel- hanced by the invaluable work of the center's IL, has been chosen for her involvement in her dedicated individuals. It is an honor to have byville, IL. Tharaldson Enterprises builds ho- church, school, and community, but mostly for such an outstanding organization working on tels and other businesses across the country, the love and dedication she has shown in rais- behalf of the residents of my district. including over 30 hotels in the 19th Congres- ing seven wonderful children. sional District of Illinois. On behalf of southern Polly Myers has lived her life displaying the f Illinois I want to extend our appreciation for qualities that inspire this type of award. Even TRIBUTE TO CLOVIS UNIFIED the many jobs and businesses that TE has as she was working and going to school to SCHOOL DISTRICT generated over the past three decades, and provide better opportunities for her children, for many pleasant stays during my own travels she found time to teach Sunday School, serve throughout the district. on the PTA board, and play an active role in HON. GEORGE P. RADANOVICH all aspects of her children's lives. She dedi- OF Tharaldson Enterprises, Inc., was founded cated herself to her four natural children, and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES in 1982 by Gary Tharaldson. In 1984, as the her three step-children, whom she raised as Thursday, April 10, 1997 company started to grow and the expansion of her own. three new hotels was added, Gary decided to To be selected for this award, a nominee Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise hire Doug Dobmeier to oversee TE's thriving must meet a very rigid list of criteria. The today to pay tribute to Clovis Unified School business. With Doug's leadership TE became search committee looks at the character and District [CUSD]. In a Joint Powers Agreement, accomplishments of her children, her involve- CUSD and Fresno Unified School District the largest hotel developer in the . Doug was soon promoted to senior ment in religious and civic institutions, her ad- [FUSD], will open the Center for Advanced herence to the Golden Rule, and how she em- vice president of operations and during his Research and Technology in Clovis, CA bodies traits such as courage, patience, kind- [CART]. An extended branch of the edu- tenure has seen this company grow from 3 to ness, and understanding. By all of these cational system in Clovis, CART will allow stu- 230 hotels located in some 20 States. Today standards, Polly Myers is a deserving recipi- dents in the community to adequately prepare this company witnesses 40 to 50 hotels added ent. for the technological challenges of the future. every year, which equates to an average of 1 Polly Myers said herself that ``You never go Scheduled to open in the fall of 1999, CART grand-opening per week, and the company's into motherhood thinking you're going to get pilot programs have been slated to begin in number of employees has jumped from 33 to an award.'' She is certainly right about that. fall 1997. CART was made possible by a com- over 4,000. Doug's vision and leadership have Still, I am glad that awards such as this are bination of grants and a partnership between given, and I am proud to honor Polly Myers, local businesses and the educational depart- steered this company to phenomenal success. Currently, Doug is the driving force behind the a truly deserving recipient. ments of the community. f As a center striving to meet the employment Extended Services Division overseeing their needs of the community and adequately pre- main goal of reaching 400 hotels by the year INTRODUCTION OF THE PELL pare students to take advantage of post- 2000. Doug has a dedicated and loyal staff GRANT STUDENT/TAXPAYER secondary options, the course work presented working with him, including executive assistant PROTECTION ACT at the center will be responsive to the changes Jill Gates and regional vice presidents Larry in the industry. CART will offer courses that Davis, Don Klain and Tim Gefroh. HON. MARGE ROUKEMA require sophisticated laboratory environments Mr. Speaker, Doug also has the overwhelm- OF and interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES higher order mathematics, sciences, and tech- ing support of his wife, Sarah Dobmeier, and nology education. This course work will focus his three children, Andrea, Adam, and Aman- Thursday, April 10, 1997 on the intellectual processes of problem solv- da. Doug is a dedicated father and takes an Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased ing, analyzing, team building resource alloca- active role in his children's schooling as a par- today to introduce the Pell Grant Student/Tax- tion, and self-assessment through a cognitive ent teacher association member. He is an an- payer Protection Act. This legislation would apprenticeship instructional model. The skills chor in his community, taking a leading role in prevent a postsecondary school from partici- taught at CART will be invaluable in both inter- the Hope Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND, pating in the Pell Grant Program if that school personal and technological growth throughout where he serves as associate deacon. Doug is already ineligible to participate in the feder- the students lives. and Sarah contribute to the youth advocate ally guaranteed student loan program. Plain Striving to educate all segments of the com- counselor for their parish and recently took a and simple, this legislation will make sure that munity, high school students and adults will if you have high default rates, then you should group of 20 teenagers to the Black Hills in reap the benefits of CART. High school stu- not receive any title IV higher education fund- dents will spend half of their day at the center for a retreat. Doug also played ing period. receiving laboratory instruction. The State an integral role in starting a youth traveling This is a critical time for our country. Con- Center Community College District will offer basketball team for the Boy's and Girl's club of gress is trying to save taxpayer dollars while postsecondary classes for students. Addition- Fargo, ND, serving as head coach. The sup- improving the quality of postsecondary edu- ally, the Central California Business Incubator port of Doug's community and family has al- cation that is available to all Americans. We Program will also be located at the center. lowed him to run such a successful business have taken strong steps forward in achieving Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to welcome a in southern Illinois. this when we reauthorized the Higher Edu- program of this nature to the 19th District. I cation Act with nearly 100 sorely needed re- Mr. Speaker, it's people like Doug who help look forward to monitoring the progress that forms that were good for students and good CART makes as it works closely with mem- stimulate the economy in the 19th Congres- for taxpayers. bers of the local community. I ask my col- sional District and inspire young people to give Reforms such as the 3-year 25 percent co- leagues to join me in wishing the Center for back to their communities. Doug Dobmeier is hort default rate were intended to put an end Advanced Research and Technology my best not only a team leader, but an example for all to risk-free Federal subsidies for those unscru- wishes for future success. of us as we enter the 21st century. pulous, for profit trade schools who promise