Ms. Ford was a highly esteemed leader and advocate for small business, not only at the General Services Administration, but also nationwide throughout the federal government and private sector.

I rise before you today to speak in favor of equal employment opportunities for our veterans.

I wish to extend to the Eastmont Computing Center, its staff, donors and support volunteers sincere best wishes for success as they begin to deliver technology access and employment training services to the citizens of Oakland.

The Eastmont Computing Center provides cutting-edge information technology training to youth and other residents of under-served communities.

OCCUR created the Eastmont Computing Center (ECC) to serve as a community resource on information technologies in order to provide universal computer and Internet access and employment focused training to Oakland citizens.

The Center is one of only three California recipients of the highly competitive U.S. Department of Commerce Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program grants.

I wish to commend the management and staff of the Eastmont Computing Center for their tireless work and for their diligence.

This multi-million dollar computing center is a project of The Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal (OCCUR), which was established in Oakland, California in 1954 for the purpose of raising the quality of life for all of Oakland's…

It has been through their perseverance that they have garnered the resources necessary to establish and operate this training facility for the benefit of all the citizens of Oakland.

The Center provides a broad range of unique skills and employment training programs to youth, senior citizens, and community-based organizations.

I am excited and honored to join in this celebration and encourage all to participate in the Moonfest 1999 activities.

This milestone will be commemorated aboard the U.S.S. Hornet Museum with a nine-day festival, called 'Moonfest 1999.'

I rise in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing by astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin and Michael Collins.

Moonfest 1999 is an event blending history, education and family entertainment together in celebration of one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century.

Planning for the first human landing on the moon began in April 1957 and in July 1960, NASA named the program 'Project Apollo' with five goals.

This historic landing, and the many that followed, was achieved in large part by the dedication and creativity of several California aerospace corporations and their subcontractors.

I proudly join citizens throughout the world in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the monumental achievement of the first lunar landing.

I also want to thank the U.S.S. Hornet, her crew and all of the people involved with the Apollo Program for successfully bringing the Apollo 11 crew home safely.