October 21, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 23475 water everywhere from all the rain. At Le equipment safety and using motorcoaches to I have experienced the heart of your people. Place we drive through water to report in. move large numbers of people in an emer- Mark Sherwood, Mike and Denise Goyen, Once again the orders are to park and wait. gency. Dalen Grimm, indeed the entire crew from We spend more time driving around empty That is the end of his diary. He ends Prairie Lakes Church manifested the heart and waiting for orders than we do working. with a little paragraph that says: of Mary, the hands of Martha and the hope of Nothing is going to happen the rest of today. Jesus. In the parking area there are city buses from Thoughts of Craig Van Waardhuizen while My wife and I count our Iowa volunteers as Atlanta, GA. They were asked to come to the working through the Katrina and Rita hurri- among the best of the best. They worked area to help move people. Thus far they have canes in LA. I was lead member of a four hard, they were sensitive to people’s broken done nothing but sit and wait. We said wel- member team providing motorcoach service hearts, and they were a blessing to our come to the crowd. with two motorcoaches. I am a Terminal church, especially to my family and me. Nightfall comes with no place to obtain Manager and Operations Director for North- It is my desire to come to Iowa, to thank lodging. However, there are a couple of res- west Iowa Transportation, Inc (a motorcoach you and your people for a job well done. taurants open in the area and we can get a carrier in Iowa with membership in UMA, Sincerely, good meal. We spend our evening talking ABA and IMG). MIKE BARNETT, with other drivers and listening to all of the Craig Van Waardhuizen. Pastor of First Baptist Church, frustration just sitting around. This frustra- I thank my friend Craig for sharing Ocean Springs, MS. tion builds larger each day as you see re- his experiences with the people of the TEAM 1 sources sitting idle. Nation through this, but most impor- Mark Badura; Jared Coffin; Steve Coffin; September 25. tantly for the Senate and my Senate Kellie Dean; Michelle Ford; Adam Graber; Crystal Halverson; Mary Jungling; Nancy We are tired and weary from spending the colleagues to take this into consider- past six nights trying to sleep in the coach. Killian; Georgianne Meester; Paul Neal; Wil- This morning we are able to take a shower at ation. liam Pierce; Mark Sherwood; Jerry Steele; the truck stop. The $9.00 to get a shower is f Sara Steele; Andrew Zaug; Randy Zey; and Rob Zey. worth every cent. PRAIRIE LAKES RESPONDS TO I sure wouldn’t pay it. HURRICANE KATRINA TEAM 2 Mackenzie Carlisle; Bret Ford; Ally Fuller; After showers, we meet with the drivers of Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I the other eight coaches we were with in Denise Goyen; Mike Goyen; Pat Haley; Baton Rouge. As we are talking the dis- have one additional statement in re- Ramon Harp; Holly Hartley; Bethany Pals; patcher gives us orders to drive into New Or- gard to the Katrina situation. Mary Pals; Laney Poyner; Mark Sherwood; leans. We are going to be moving a National As I said earlier before I read Craig’s Julie Starbeck; Katie Trautmann; Lynn Guard unit out of New Orleans to the area diary, I am a member of the Prairie Trautmann; Beth Wion; and Rick Wion. where Rita has gone through. Lakes Baptist Church at Cedar Falls, TEAM 3 After taking most of the morning it get or- IA. Immediately after Katrina, our Barb Braun; Erica Braun; Mike Campbell; ganized the unit is ready to move out. We church in the following 3 weeks sent Lori Edgerton; Steve Ephraim; Kelly will be bringing up the rear of the convoy: three different delegations—in other Erickson; Lyndsey Fabel; Denise Goyen; Our route will be I–10 to Lafayette where the Mike Goyen; Dalen Grimm; Kimberly Han- unit has been reassigned. I have discovered words, three different teams; a team sen; Jean Johnson; Gayle Kucera; Bailey that these orders were issued at 1 a.m. this the first week, a different team the sec- Leymaster; Jessica Lippold; Aaron Merken; morning and it took eight hours for them to ond week, and a different team the Rebekah Morris; Jeff Norton; Lauren Page; move through channels to us and the mili- third week—to go down to Brookhaven, Joel Palmer; Jessie Paulson; Jeremy Sher- tary. What an amazing chain of command. MS, and help the First Baptist Church wood; Mark Sherwood; Dean Smock; Judy The commander of the unit fills us in on the in Ocean Springs, MS, in their efforts Smock; Jenna Wheatly; and Ellie Zieser. route and how to drive in a convoy. The to feed people who were in need and members of the unit are very happy to ride MISSION OF MERCY in the air conditioned coach. Upon arrival in house people who were in need and do other things. CEDAR FALLS CHURCH MEMBERS HELP Lafayette they set up a command center at EVACUEES IN MISSISSIPPI I have this letter which was sent to an old Service Master store. We have to wait (By Karen Heinselman) until the command releases us before we can the pastor of our church, Pastor John go back to Le Place. The afternoon goes by Fuller, from the pastor of the First BROOKHAVEN, MS.—Homeseekers paradise. That’s how Lincoln County residents par- slowly as we wait to be released from duty. Baptist Church in Oceans Springs, MS. tial to Brookhaven introduce the southwest The commander holds us as he sees no reason It says: Mississippi town to strangers. ‘‘It might not to be stationed in Lafayette as they have Dear Pastor: look like it, but people like living here,’’ very little damage. Once again, I want to ask I have never had the privilege of meeting boasted Clifford Britt, manager of the who is in charge. About 9 p.m. we are re- you—but I know you because I have experi- Brookhaven Lincoln County Airport leased to go back to Le Place. enced the heart of your people. Mark Sher- A 17-person crew from Prairie Lakes Arriving in Le Place we find hundreds of wood, Mike and Denise Goyen, Dalen Grimm, Church in Cedar Falls in town to help with coaches parked and waiting for orders. This indeed the entire crew from Prairie Lakes hurricane relief hasn’t had time to assess brings back all the thoughts about wasteful Church manifested the heart of Mary, the Brookhaven’s best features. They drove in use of resources. Our time is up; we need to hands of Martha, the hope of Jesus. late Tuesday. They do have a deeper under- head back to Iowa. I make the arrangements My wife and I count our Iowa volunteers as standing of the disaster they are facing as to be released and we head out for home. among the best of the best. They worked they share meals and conversation with sur- September 26 hard, they were sensitive to the people’s bro- vivors of Hurricane Katrina. Another long night of driving and we fi- ken hearts, and they were a blessing to our ‘‘All I’ve talked to have lost everything,’’ nally get home, a very tired group. This has church, especially to my family and me. said Nancy Killian, 58, of Cedar Falls. ‘‘We proved to be another growing experience. It is my desire to come to Iowa, to thank mingle with them, give hugs when we can.’’ Sleeping every night in the motorcoach, only you and your people for the job well done. Located 100 miles north of New Orleans, getting one good meal a day, and only hav- Mike Barnett. Brookhaven has been an outpost for some ing two showers all week. We all learned a I ask unanimous consent to have 1,600 people displaced by the hurricane, said lot about ourselves and what we are able to Mayor Bob Massingill. Many evacuees have that statement printed in the RECORD, do when needed. moved on, but hundreds at the city’s six The hardest thing to accept this trip was along with the list of the people from shelters still need housing. sitting out the hurricane in the motorcoach. my church who were in teams 1, 2 and One hub of activity is Easthaven Southern It is very difficult to understand and accept 3, as well as an article from the Water- Baptist Church, a shelter for 1l0, although the fact that we were not allowed in the loo Courier which talks about this. for a time it served more than twice that FEMA building during the hurricane. Good There being no objection, the mate- number. Former Cedar Falls resident Merrill enough to be a safety valve, but not good rial was ordered to be printed in the Oster initiated the relationship between enough to be allowed in the building. Prairie Lakes and Easthaven. He learned of RECORD, as follows: Hopefully, at some point in the future I Easthaven’s challenge from family members will have an opportunity to share with the PRAIRIE LAKES RESPONDS TO HURRICANE at that church. He called friends in the Cedar right folks and work with them to improve KATRINA Valley who were looking for a way to help. the system and the way it works as it relates DEAR PASTOR: I have never had the privi- The population in this town of 12,000 has to motorcoaches. Especially in the area of lege of meeting you—but I know you because swelled with survivors and relief workers.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 10:39 Mar 01, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\FDSYS\2005BOUNDRECORD\BOOK17\NO-SSN\BR21OC05.DAT BR21OC05 ejoyner on DSK30MW082PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE 23476 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE October 21, 2005 Members of the Indiana National Guard, able than expected. Some mentioned trek- matically increase a woman’s chance shouldering M16s, are on hand to keep the king further south if the need is greater of defeating breast cancer. That is true peace and lend a hand And then there are the there, added Steve Coffin, 51, of Cedar Falls. for women like Barbara who have a volunteers. Red Cross workers and Chris- ‘‘We’re just getting started,’’ said Mark family medical history working tians from Tennessee have moved into Sherwood, volunteer coordinator from Cedar Easthaven Baptist Church. And now the Falls. ‘‘Every day can be different.’’ against them. Parenthetically, I think Prairie Lakes contingent has arrived. Brookhaven experienced tree damage and five out of six of my wife’s aunts on her Prairie Lakes is partnering with power outages but was spared the destruc- mother’s side had breast cancer as Easthaven Baptist Church to help with shel- tion suffered by her southern neighbors. well. ter and a transitional housing project. The ‘‘We’ve been inconvenienced, but their The need for routine mammograms Cedar Falls church will send two more teams lives have changed,’’ said Massingill the cannot be repeated too often. Baseline of volunteers in the next two weeks. mayor. ‘‘People are ready to go back to their mammograms and regular screening ‘‘We kind of answered the call to love peo- homes.’’ are key to saving the lives of the thou- But not everyone can. ple,’’ said Adam Graber, 23, Waterloo. sands of women who develop this dis- The warm Mississippi air was thick with Despite what the highway signs near Brookhaven say, Kenner, La, evacuees Her- ease each year. humidity and ‘‘love bugs’’ when volunteers As her husband and as a Senator, I started work Wednesday. bert Lange and his wife, Cynthia, weren’t Men and women spent hours cutting and looking for paradise when they arrived at follow closely the legislative commit- raking tall grass at a former trailer home Easthaven Baptist. They just wanted a safe ment made to breast cancer research, park, preparing the way for 14 travel trail- place to wait for the storm to pass and the education, and prevention. I am proud ers. The units were purchased by Oster from water to recede so insurance and property to be cosponsor of the Breast Cancer Ace Fogdall RV. issues can be resolved. Housed in a Sunday and Environmental Research Act. This Oster orchestrated the project Trailers, school room and fed three times a day, the bill before the HELP Committee would which will house displaced families, were Langes are convinced they have a little piece of heaven. allow the Director of the National In- filled with sheets, pots, pans and other stitute of Environmental Health amenities by Prairie Lakes and Cedar f Sciences to make grants to develop Heights Baptist congregations in Cedar Falls in two days. HONORING BARBARA GRASSLEY centers across the country. These cen- Kim Oster of Easthaven Baptist, related by Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, Octo- ters will help conduct research on the marriage to Merrill Oster, said evacuees ber is Breast Cancer Month, and I wish environmental factors that may be re- have brought new life to her church, built to honor my wife, who is an 18-year lated to breast cancer. I hope the specifically eight years ago to serve as a dis- survivor of breast cancer. HELP Committee will consider this aster shelter. The joyful but weary servants I don’t often speak about this, but bill as soon as possible. at Easthaven welcomed help from strangers In the meantime, we must focus our up north. October is the month to raise money and bring attention to the plight of efforts on finding a cure. In the past ‘‘We needed manpower. We really needed week, there have been breakthroughs people to work,’’ she said. those who have breast cancer, most Trailer lots are rent-free for six months. often with the idea in mind of adding on cancer research. Every day, we get Organizers hope that is enough time for to research for a cure of breast cancer. one step closer to overcoming this dis- evacuees to achieve independence. Five My only opportunity to participate ease. This month is Breast Cancer Aware- homes also are being prepared for family use. in this, besides a few remarks I make, ness Month. I hope men and women About $157,000 has been raised toward the is the second Saturday of October in $300,000 project. will take the opportunity to talk to Des Moines, IA, they have a 5K to raise On Wednesday, Cedar Valley and Mis- their loved ones about getting a mam- money. Sixteen thousand of us partici- sissippi volunteers began preparations for mogram and preventing breast cancer. pated in that 5K fundraiser in Des sewer, water and electricity at the trailer I hope we can continue to raise aware- park. At first, workers had trouble locating Moines, IA. I have nothing to brag ness of this disease for the sake of the existing water line. Some Iowa jaws about because it took me 28 minutes 6 every mother, spouse, sister, daughter, dropped as a tall and lanky Mississippi man seconds, but I was glad to have the op- slowly walked back and forth across the and granddaughter in this world. portunity to help raise money for the I remind people especially of the luck grass. Billy Crider strolled with arms out- cause. stretched, hands clutching metal sticks that of my wife going to that early detec- pulled toward an underground line. The This morning, I would like to read a tion. She went for just one of these former Entergy Corp. employee was retired speech for my wife Barbara Grassley— community screenings. She didn’t go for more than 5 years when he was called up today happens to be her 73rd birthday— to the doctor with any idea she would by his company to help after the hurricane. about her personal challenge with have anything wrong; she just went Bystander Ron Williamson, a retired area breast cancer. Today is my wife’s there and there were some questions school teacher and volunteer cook at the birthday, and it is fitting that we cele- raised. Every opportunity you have to shelter, vouched for the accuracy of divining brate her victory over this. rods before ducking away to cook chicken take a quick one, if there is something Barbara’s story is a familiar one. She wrong that can lead to the routine for the evening meal for evacuees and volun- had many busy years raising our five teers. mammogram, you should do it because ‘‘I love ’em God bless ’em all,’’ Williamson children, helping run the family farm, that surely made a difference in my said. particularly during those years that I wife’s condition at the time. Early de- Volunteers are grateful to understanding was in the State legislature, busy par- tection is so important. employers and teachers for letting them ticipating in community and church I yield the floor. serve in the South, and for the sponsorship of activities, and even at age 50 going The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- their churches. back and finishing her BA degree at pore. The Senator from Idaho. Sara, 27, and Jerry Steele, 30, of Lytham, the University of Northern Iowa. Bar- f England extended a visit with family in Iowa bara never worried about her own to make the trek south. Delta Airlines let health. Then one casual visit to do a DEFICIT SPENDING AND COST OF them delay their travel plans without extra KATRINA fees. Jared Coffin, 14, is missing class at Hoo- free cholesterol screening led to a doc- ver Middle School in Waterloo. He finished tor’s visit for a physical exam. It was Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, for the most of his homework on the 16-hour drive an appointment that changed her life. last few minutes, I have listened with south. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. great interest to the Senator from ‘‘They need people down here to do things Just 10 days later, she had a modified Iowa reading a diary of the experience like this. They need people to donate radical mastectomy at Covenant Hos- of a dedicated volunteer, obviously, to clothes. It’s just a matter of getting plugged pital in Waterloo. That was 18 years help out with Katrina victims in Lou- in,’’ Coffin said ‘‘We’re going to be here for awhile.’’ ago. isiana and Mississippi. I found it most Some Cedar Valley volunteers hoped to We are fortunate that her breast can- fascinating and also most frustrating, spend more time in the shelter’s kitchen and cer was detected early. We know with as I think the Senator did and cer- were surprised to learn more help was avail- certainty that early detection can dra- tainly the person involved.

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