January 24, 1996 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 75 and served as a school administrator to thou- NEW BEDFORD HONORS LEON the information it needs if it is to deal honestly sands in this bustling community, and their ad- DASH with its gravest problems. Leon Dash does miration showed in the huge turnout and many this with excellence and commitment. gifts that were presented in her honor during HON. BARNEY FRANK f a retirement ceremony this past November. OF MASSACHUSETTS PERSONAL EXPLANATION At the ceremony honored guests, col- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES leagues, and friends spoke about the many Wednesday, January 24, 1996 HON. JIM LIGHTFOOT special memories they had of her. Appro- Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, OF IOWA priately, Meeks was presented with a portrait on Martin Luther King Day I was very pleased IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of Anne of Green Gables, whom a Canadian to be able to attend a breakfast organized by Wednesday, January 24, 1996 educator made famous in a series of novels. the Black Professional Association of New Mr. LIGHTFOOT. Mr. Speaker, I would like Bedford, MA. She was also presented with a U.S. flag flown the RECORD to show that I was unavoidable at the Capitol and a letter of congratulations The event was attended by hundreds of detained for rollcall votes 13, 14, and 15. Had people, and was an impressive tribute to Dr. from U.S. Congressman JACK KINGSTON (R- I been present I would have voted ``yes'' on GA). Among other items that she received King. The main speaker at the breakfast was, H.R. 2657, S. 1341, and H.R. 2726. Thank very appropriately, Leon Dash, now an award were: A scrapbook with newspaper clippings, you. winning reporter for the Washington Post, and a State flag and a proclamation from the f a native of New Bedford Georgia Legislature, and a special gift from Mr. Dash's speech was an extraordinarily RECOGNIZING U.S. FIGURE SKAT- the teachers and staff of Richmond Hill Pri- thoughtful and informative discussion of the ING CHAMPION RUDY GALINDO mary School. Media specialist Bob Fennel pre- problems of teenage pregnancy. It reflected sented Meeks with a plaque rededicating the the painstaking and creative investigative work HON. ZOE LOFGREN library at the school in her name. Also a schol- he has done on this subject, and indeed Mr. OF CALIFORNIA arship was announced by the Bryan Bank and Dash's work represents one of the major con- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Trust in her name that will benefit aspiring tributions that anyone has made to our under- Wednesday, January 24, 1996 teachers. standing of this important problem. Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to A 1953 graduate of the University of Geor- The quality of the speech Mr. Dash gave is an indication of the high quality of the work he recognize the outstanding achievement of my gia with a degree in home economics, she has done as a journalist and sociologist over constituent, Rudy Galindo whoÐas of Satur- began her teaching career in Richmond Hill as the past several decades. After graduating day, January 20, in his native city of San a home economics instructor in 1954. She from Howard University in 1968, he worked as Jose, CaliforniaÐbecame the reigning U.S. was certified in elementary education at Geor- a reporter at the Washington Post, and then figure skating champion. gia Southern College in 1956. By 1975, and joined the Peace Corps serving as a volunteer While that accomplishment alone is worthy several teaching positions later, Meeks re- teaching in a rural high school in Kenya from of accolades and admiration, it is even more ceived her masters in elementary education 1969 to 1970. In 1971 he returned to the Post, praiseworthy when one considers the personal from nearby Armstrong State College in Sa- serving from 1979 to 1984 as West Africa's tragedy and professional obstacles Rudy had vannah. bureau chief. At that point he joined the news- to overcome to capture the gold medal at this paper's investigative desk where he continues year's national championship. Throughout her life, Meeks has taught at dif- Rudy first rose to national prominence in the to work and where he does enormously impor- ferent grade levels at several schools. It was skating world when he and Olympic gold med- not until 1976 that she shifted gears and tant journalism. His book on teenage pregnancy, ``When alist Kristi Yamaguchi combined their talents began serving at the administration level. Children Want Children: The Urban Crisis in to win the 1989 and 1990 pairs competition. Following their success, both skaters em- Since that time, she served as assistant prin- Teenage Childbearing'' was published in 1989, barked on solo careers. But Rudy had much cipal for 5 years and principal for 14. All of and he has also coauthored ``The Shame of more to contend with than the adversaries he those who have worked with Meeks share an the Prisons'' which was published in 1972. would face on the ice. equal admiration for her innovative approach Last year, along with Washington Post photog- to working with children. She was always open Personal tragedy struck the Galindo family rapher Lucian Perkins, Mr. Dash won the Pul- in 1993 when his father suffered a fatal heart to new ideas and had an open door policy itzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism. He also attack and his brother died from symptoms re- with her colleagues. in that year won first prize for print journalism lated to AIDS that same year. Rudy had al- Among the groups that Meeks is, or was, a from the Robert F. Kennedy Book and Jour- ready lost his coach, Jim Hulick, to cancer in part of are: PAGE [Professional Association of nalism awards. And in 1990 his book received 1989. If that were not enough, another of Georgia Educators], Delta Kappa Gamma So- a PEN/Martha Albrand special citation for Rudy's coaches, Rick Inglesi, died of AIDS in ciety International, Epsilon Sigma Alpha Inter- nonfiction work. He has also won the Wash- 1995. ington Independent Writers President's Award national, PTSO, SACS Initial Accreditation Despite his personal loss and professional for excellence in urban affairs reporting, first Team and the Georgia Association of Elemen- setbacks, Rudy persevered, even though the prizeÐPublic Service from the Washington- odds were often not in his favor. tary Schools. She has served as a Sunday Baltimore Newspaper Guild, the international school teacher, organized the Richmond Hill To win the national championship, he had to reporting awards of Africare and the Capitol best a field of nationally recognized skaters, Garden Club, organized the annual Richmond Press Club, and the George Polk Award of the including two former national champions. Hill Fourth of July celebration and organized Overseas Press Club. Mr. Dash has won a Unlike many of his competitors, Rudy could the Richmond Hill unit of the American Heart number of other awards as well, and they re- not afford some of the advantages available to Association. flect the extremely high quality of his work, other skaters who had secured the financial It is difficult to sum up the impact that and his dedication to helping provide our soci- backing of sponsors and skating organizations Meeks has had on this growing southeast ety with the information we need if we are to to subsidize their training costs. Georgia community, but not too many people deal seriously with the problems that confront Rudy paid for his own choreographer, his can claim such a gala event at their retirement us. own costumes, and his own music, and got Racism is the unhappiest legacy of our Na- ceremony. The many items presented to his sister, Laura Galindo, to serve as his tion's history. We have struggled hard with this coach. To cover the costs of his career, Rudy Meeks reflect the deep rooted feelings of terrible legacy over the past decades, and we taught skating to children in his spare time. He those whom she has touched throughout her have made significant progress in lessening its lived with his mother and rode his bike to life. She will most definitely be missed in the terrible affects. But much remains to be done, work. education field of Georgia. She will now be and our ability to continue this work in the In spite of the obstacles he encountered, able to spend some quality time with her spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, is enormously San Jose's Rudy GalindoÐbolstered by the grandchildren and enjoy the good life. Assum- enhanced by the kind of serious, thoughtful highly charged cheers of a hometown audi- ing the role as principal of the Richmond Hill and intellectually honest work that Leon Dash enceÐskated into the history books last Satur- Primary School will be Dahlia Davis. She will does. There is no greater service that some- day night, becoming the first Mexican-Amer- no doubt have some tough shoes to fill. one can perform than to give to a democracy ican to win the national championship.