Both natives of Montreal, Canada, Shirley and Eric have been married for 41 years.

In 1981, the Mauers bought the Boulevard School and transformed it into one of the most distinguished and academically enriched pre- schools in the San Fernando Valley.

Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleagues, please join me in honoring Rabbi Steven Jacobs for his ongoing service to the Jewish community and the community at large.

This week is National Nurses' Week, and we should all pause to celebrate Mrs. Haugh and all America's nurses; the heroes of the best health care system in the world.

I rise today to proudly salute a truly outstanding nurse from my district, Mrs. Patricia Haugh, who recently was presented with a Wisconsin Outstanding Nurses of the Year Award.

I rise today to pay tribute to Rabbi Steven Jacobs, who has maintained a commitment to his congregants at Temple Kol Tikvah and the San Fernando Valley Community for the past thirty years.

I rise today to pay tribute to Shirley and Eric Mauer, recipients of the Rabbi Elijah J. And Penina Schochet Founders Award for Community Service.

Shirley has enjoyed a long and prosperous teaching career.

Most recently, Rabbi Jacobs was invited by the Rev. Jesse Jackson to join a 20-member delegation on a mission to free the three soldiers who were captured along the Macedonia-Kosovo border.

Judy's commitment and devotion to Valley Beth Shalom sets an example for us all.

I rise today to pay tribute to Judy Geller as she is honored as Woman of the Year by Temple Valley Beth Shalom.

Service to the Jewish community and the greater community have been central to Judy's life as well.

Mrs. Haugh's commitment to quality care is a quintessential example of the kind of selfless dedication that millions of American nurses demonstrate every day.

We should all be fortunate to have health care professionals of her caliber working in our hospital and medical centers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Cornerstone Ceremony for John A. O'Connell Technical High School in San Francisco.

I am honored to announce that Karen Mikolasy has been chosen Washington State's Teacher of the Year.

Nobody really supports individuals doing wrong. As long as the pursuit of the wrongdoers is within the confines of the laws and on balance, then the general public will support it. And I don't know any people that I talk to who support people doing wrong.

In closing, I leave you with this thought, it is not a question of whether we can afford to protect the environment, rather it is a question of whether we can afford not to.