CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E2224 HON
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E2224 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks October 3, 2008 noted the incredible power of the press and rative partners, including campus mental I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6838 decided its black-and-white pages desperately health agencies; and ensure that our colleges and universities needed more color. Both as a strategist work- 2. Foster quality research to strengthen the are safe places for our young people to study ing to draw minorities to newsrooms, and as safety and security of the institutions of higher and learn. a groundbreaking journalist in her own right, education in the United States; f she paved the way for women and African 3. Serve as a clearinghouse for the identi- TRIBUTE TO ELLEN LANER Americans in an industry home to few of either fication and dissemination of information, poli- group. She rose from New York Post copy girl cies, procedures, and best practices relevant to reporter by age 20 and soon thereafter be- to campus public safety, including off-campus HON. DENNIS MOORE came a member of the New York Times’ met- housing safety, the prevention of violence OF KANSAS ropolitan staff—the youngest and first African against persons and property, and emergency IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES American woman to do so. There, she cov- response and evacuation procedures; Friday, October 3, 2008 ered New York and Washington science, 4. Develop protocols, in conjunction with the Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I health, education, and domestic policy issues Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland rise today to pay tribute to my good friend and until 1977. At Long Island University, she Security, the Secretary of Education, State, constituent, the late Ellen Laner of Mission earned her bachelor’s degree and studied local, and tribal governments and law enforce- Hills, Kansas, who passed away on Sep- journalism, and later, she earned a law degree ment agencies, private and nonprofit organiza- tember 28th. from Stanford University. tions and associations, and other stake- Ellen Laner led a long and productive life, But her love affair with journalism did not holders, to prevent, protect against, respond which served to make Johnson County, Kan- end at the written word. In 1983, she and her to, and recover from, natural and man-made sas, a much better place for her neighbors husband, Robert C. Maynard, purchased the emergencies or dangerous situations involving and friends. Ellen was a committed and pas- declining Oakland Tribune, which then be- an immediate threat to the health or safety of sionate community volunteer who also was came the only major daily with African Amer- the campus community; very politically engaged. She was named Cit- ican owners. She and he founded the May- 5. Promote the development and dissemina- izen of the Year by the United Community nard Institute for Journalism Education, where tion of effective behavioral threat assessment Services; twice named Volunteer of the Year they ran a summer program aimed at training and management models to prevent campus by the Johnson County Mental Health Asso- minority reporters. Cultivating a broader cul- violence; ciation; received the Hannah B. Solomon tural perspective for American media became 6. Coordinate campus safety information (in- Award from the National Council of Jewish the cause of her life. She served as a role cluding ways to increase off-campus housing Women; awarded the Stand Up, Speak Out model to aspiring journalists of all colors and safety) and resources available from the De- Award from the Mainstream Coalition; helped genders, an exemplar of what dedication to a partment of Justice, the Department of Home- in the establishment of Johnson County Com- cause and a strong work ethic can accom- land Security, the Department of Education, munity College and served as a member of its plish. State, local, and tribal governments and law Board of Trustees; had many years of service That tenacity and sense of purpose will be enforcement agencies, and private and non- in the Kansas League of Women Voters, missed, but because of her work, her dream profit organizations and associations; eventually serving as President; was very ac- of a diversified newsroom has, and will con- 7. Increase cooperation, collaboration, and tive in the establishment and growth of the tinue, to concretize. consistency in prevention, response, and prob- Mainstream Coalition and served as President; lem-solving methods among law enforcement, f volunteered as a Board Member of the John- mental health, and other agencies and juris- son County Library Foundation; was an active CAMPUS SAFETY ACT OF 2008 dictions servIng institutions of higher education volunteer for Planned Parenthood of Kansas in the United States; City and Western Missouri, working as its Re- SPEECH OF 8. Develop standardized formats and mod- source Development Director and for a short HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE els for mutual aid agreements and memo- time was its Executive Director; and was a OF TEXAS randa of understanding between campus se- founder of the Johnson County Coalition for IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES curity agencies and other public safety organi- Prevention of Child Abuse, now known as zations and mental health agencies; and Saturday, September 7, 2008 Sunflower House. 9. Report annually to Congress and the At- Ellen Laner was born in Little Rock, Arkan- Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, torney General on activities performed by the sas, the daughter of Noland and Isabel Blass. I rise today in support of H.R. 6838, ‘‘Center Center during the previous 12 months. She came to the Kansas City area in 1950 to Advance, Monitor, and Preserve University The Center will train campus public safety after her marriage to S. Harvey ‘‘Bud’’ Laner, Security Safety Act of 2008’’, introduced by agencies, encourage research to strengthen who preceded her in death in 1980. She was my colleague Congressman BOBBY SCOTT of college safety and security, and serve as a a member of the New Reform Temple and Virginia. clearinghouse for the dissemination of relevant Oakwood Country Club, and loved golf, Sadly, this legislation is in reaction to the campus public safety information. By having bridge, dogs, and professional sports. She is numerous tragedies occurring at colleges and this information, institutions of higher edu- survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Joel universities, including the disastrous events cation will be able to easily obtain the best in- and Marsha Laner, and their three children, that occurred at Virginia Tech and Northern Il- formation available on ways to keep cam- Allison Laner, Blass Laner and Duncan Laner linois University. The Virginia Tech shooting puses safe and secure and how to respond in of Kansas City, Missouri. She also is survived resulted in the slaying of over 30 members of the event of a campus emergency. by her brother and his wife, Gus and Patricia the Virginia Tech family and many others TEXAS Blass of Little Rock, and their children, Gus being wounded. The good state of Texas has 214 institutions Blass, III, and his wife, Becky; by her sister The shooting that occurred on the campus of higher learning alone, with Texas Southern Constance Blass O’Neill and her husband, of Northern Illinois University on February 14, University, University of Houston, and Texas Chris; her sister-in-law, Barbara Phillips of Lit- 2008 also killed and injured several individuals Technical University to name just a few. tle Rock and her children, Beverly Wittenberg on the campus. Unfortunately, because these With so many institutions comes, so many and Peter Phillips and her great-nieces and events were the first of their kind for the different standards of campus safety regula- nephews. schools, they were not fully knowledgeable on tions. Ellen Laner’s civic accomplishments range how to respond. CONCLUSION far and wide, and our community owes her a CAMPUS SAFETY ACT This legislation would consolidate the infor- great deal for her leadership in making John- This legislation will assist all institutions of mation from the various colleges and univer- son County the strong and caring community higher education and states receive the best sities so that the standards for collaboration in that it is today. I was a part of the same gen- information possible on campus safety. prevention, response, and problem-solving eration of many young women, educated in This legislation establishes and organizes a methods among law enforcement, mental colleges across the Nation in the 1960s, who National Center for Campus Safety (Center) health, and other agencies is consistent ended up in Johnson County as the wives of which will: throughout the nation. What is done at Prairie the young men who worked in various profes- 1. Provide quality education and training for View A&M University is also done at UCLA, is sions and businesses in the Kansas City met- campus public safety agencies of institutions done at New York University, and is done at ropolitan area. Motivated by the political turbu- of higher education and the agencies’ collabo- the University of Florida. lence of the 1960s, we wanted to do more for VerDate Aug 31 2005 05:49 Oct 04, 2008 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A03OC8.019 E03OCPT1 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REMARKS October 3, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2225 our community and Nation, in addition to rais- Ambassador Audrius Bru¯zga of Lithuania re- Lithuania and the United States are close ing our families. Ellen’s leadership in the garding House Concurrent Resolution 255. allies. We share the freedom agenda and we stand together in defence of our shared val- League of Women Voters inspired both men EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITH- ues.