June 14, 2002 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1059 HONORING LOUISE BELKIN, FRANK and introduced the ‘‘Invention Convention’’ the now used in the clinic and stimulated the cre- JOSLYN, AND TERRY WERDEN West District School’s Grade 5. She also has ation and development of today’s extensive FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING SERV- given her time as an active member of the biotechnology industry. Dr. Pestka’s achieve- ICE AND DEDICATION TO TEACH- Farmington Education Association, and as a ments are the basis of several U.S. and for- ING AT THE WEST DISTRICT member of curriculum teams for writing, eign patents and interferon is now a major SCHOOL IN FARMINGTON, CON- science and social studies. She currently has product of several U.S. and foreign compa- NECTICUT three students whose parents she also taught nies. The market for interferon is expected to in the Farmington School system. Mrs. exceed $7 billion by 2003. HON. NANCY L. JOHNSON Werden is a dedicated public servant and her In addition to interferon’s commercial im- OF CONNECTICUT influence has been strongly felt throughout pact, there was no general antiviral therapy IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES West District School and the families it serves. available before Dr. Pestka began his work on Her presence within our walls will be greatly interferon; today, interferon is the first and only Thursday, June 13, 2002 missed, as she moves on to teach at Farming- general antiviral therapy. Interferon is used to Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speak- ton’s new 5–6 school. treat hepatitis B and C, diseases that afflict er, I rise today to acknowledge the achieve- These three educators have served on the 300 million people worldwide. Today, ments of three excellent teachers from West same team for a quarter of a century. Com- interferon is used for the treatment of cancers District School in Farmington, Connecticut. bined, their efforts have amounted to 93 years such as metastatic malignant melanoma, kid- They are Mrs. Louise Belkin, Mr. Frank Joslyn, of service at the West District School. The ney and bladder cell carcinoma, some leuke- and Mrs. Terry Werden. All three will leave children, parents and families whose lives mias, AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma, and West District at the end of the 2001–2002 have been touched by their expertise and multiple sclerosis. Mr. Chairman, many individ- school year. dedication can never forget the example of uals are now alive and well after treatment Mrs. Belkin has been an elementary school public service these three outstanding edu- with interferon as a result of Dr. Pestka’s teacher in the Farmington School System for cators have set. I wish them well in all their fu- achievements. 33 years, teaching at West District for 27 ture endeavors. Finally, Mr. Chairman, I’d like to point out years. She has been a leader in the field of f that the potential of interferon has caught the mathematics and served as the school’s math imagination of the public with many news- resource teacher for 14 years. During this THE RECOGNITION OF DR. SIDNEY paper, magazine and journal articles about time, she created and composed math cur- PESTKA, 2001 NATIONAL MEDAL interferon over the past twenty years. Most riculum and assessments for the district as OF TECHNOLOGY LAUREATE scientists in academia do not bring achieve- well as organized and taught the district’s ments in research directly into commercial math summer school program. She has HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR. products with special considerations for scale served as an elementary-level representative OF NEW JERSEY up, environmental impact, economy, efficiency to the ATOMIC Executive Board and a PIMMS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES and efficacy. Dr. Pestka has bridged this gap Fellow. In 2001, she co-authored a geometry Thursday, June 13, 2002 by making seminal achievements in all these book to be used by teachers published by the avenues from concept, to basic research and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take to practical application. He has fostered new Mrs. Belkin has actively served in the Farm- this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Sidney industries in multiple areas, developed new ington Education Association, serving as the Pestka who was named the 2001 National medicines for previously untreatable diseases, building representative for ten years, treasurer Medal of Technology Laureate for his pio- and brought new hope to those afflicted. for fourteen years and a member of the nego- neering achievements in the field of bio- These pioneering achievements were prefaced tiations committee through five contracts. technology. Dr. Pestka is from my district and and followed by many other basic scientific Over the past 20 years, Mrs. Belkin has ar- joins us from the Robert Wood Johnson Med- discoveries in chemistry, biochemistry, genetic ranged for me to hold annual press con- ical School at the University of Medicine & engineering and molecular biology from the ferences for West District School’s fifth grade. Dentistry of New Jersey in Piscataway, New genetic code and protein biosynthesis to I have looked forward to this every year and Jersey. interferons, cytokines, receptors and cell sig- regret that Mrs. Belkin’s retirement and the Mr. Chairman, in 1969, Dr. Sidney Pestka naling. change in the grade structure in the Farm- began a project to determine what interferon In closing, Dr. Pestka’s achievements in in- ington School system mean the end of these was—a substance that held the possibility of novation and translation provide a role model events at West District School. curing viral diseases, diseases that defied for this and future generations. Mr. Frank Joslyn was recognized as Farm- treatments, diseases that challenged the inge- f ington’s Teacher of the Year for 1993–94. He nuity of medicine for centuries, diseases in- served with the Farmington Education Asso- cluding hepatitis, influenza, Ebola, Dengue, TRIBUTE TO MARATHON GIRLS ciation as a building representative, a Council Yellow Fever, West Nile, and even the com- FIELD HOCKEY TEAM member and an officer. He developed and im- mon cold. The possibility that a single medi- plemented a ‘‘Homes of America’’ program for cine could treat all or at least many viral dis- HON. JAMES T. WALSH both parents and children, teaching them his- eases was alluring. After a few months evalu- OF NEW YORK tory through architecture. He also co-planned ating the scientific basis and potential of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES and produced the annual Veteran’s Day Pro- interferon, Dr. Pestka began to translate this gram at West District School. And he served dream into reality. Thursday, June 13, 2002 as West District’s ‘‘lead teacher’’ for more than For the next seventeen years, Dr. Pestka Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 8 weeks during the prolonged illness of the made a remarkable series of discoveries and congratulate the Marathon High School Girls principal. Mr. Joslyn’s influence on the school developments, often bucking prevailing beliefs Field Hockey Team for winning their fourth body and fellow members of the faculty has and designing innovative solutions to problems consecutive Class D New York State Cham- been tremendous. He has shared his artistic along the way to success. His achievements pionship. The MHS Girls Field Hockey team, skills to enhance the school building, design- carried out at the Roche Institute led to nu- coached by three-time New York State Cham- ing a display case, memorial benches, ban- merous medical applications including cloning pionship Coach Karen Funk, finished the year ners as well as the school’s letterhead and of the human genes, development of with an unprecedented (24–0) season while note cards and a memorial sculpture. While immunological assays with monoclonal anti- also receiving the New York State Scholar/ everyone at West District School will miss Mr. bodies and medical application of interferon Athlete Team Award by maintaining a team Joslyn’s leadership and artistic insight, we for viral diseases, to name only a few. In average of 94.5. take comfort in the knowledge that the stu- 1986, Dr. Pestka’s dreams became reality The Lady Olympians scored a total of 127 dents at Farmington’s new 5–6 school will when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) goals this season while only allowing 6 goals benefit from his talents and abilities. approved the interferon that he developed. against them which contributed to 18 total Mrs. Terry Werden has been with West Dis- The approval of interferon by the FDA was shutouts this season. In addition to their out- trict School for 34 years, serving as the significant, not only because it allowed Dr. standing season, MHS had two National All Science Resource Teacher for 13 years. She Pestka’s development to be applied to treat American players and two All State Players. served as an outdoor educator, organized the viral diseases but also because it prepared the With a combination of hard work and deter- ‘‘Kids and Chemistry’’ nights for several years pathway for many other biotherapeutic agents mination the MHS Girls Field Hockey Team
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