{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgE2189-5", "2000-12-15", 106, 2, null, null, "TRIBUTE TO MARIA MAGDA O'KEEFE", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2189", "E2190", "[{\"name\": \"Bill Pascrell, Jr.\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "146 Cong. Rec. E2189", "Congressional Record, Volume 146 Issue 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2189-E2190]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                     TRIBUTE TO MARIA MAGDA O'KEEFE\n\n                                 ______\n\n                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Friday, December 15, 2000\n\n  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to your attention the\ndeeds of a person I am proud to call my friend, Maria Magda O'Keefe of\nPaterson, New Jersey, who was recognized on Thursday, November 9, 2000\non the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Hispanic Multi Purpose\nService Center. It is only appropriate that she be honored as she\nretires from the Paterson City Council, for she has a long history of\ncaring, generosity and commitment to others.\n  Maria was recognized for her many years of leadership in Paterson,\nwhich I have been honored to represent in Congress since 1997, and so\nit is only fitting that these words are immortalized in the annals of\nthis greatest of all freely elected bodies.\n  Councilwoman Magda has a varied educational background and has\nstudied in a multitude of fields. The State of New Jersey Department of\nLaw and Public Safety, Division of Consumer Affairs certified her as a\nSocial Worker. Also, the National Association of Forensic Counselors\ncertified her to be a Domestic Violence Counselor. In addition, she is\na Registered Nurse having earned her diploma at the Hospital de Damas\nin San German, Puerto Rico. She is a graduate of Central High School in\nSanturce, Puerto Rico. Also, she studied Health Education at Columbia\nUniversity in New York and Cosmetology at the Master Headdresser\nAcademy in Passaic, New Jersey.\n  Maria has always been an active and involved leader. One of her most\nimportant accomplishments was her founding of the Hispanic Multi\nPurpose Service Center (HMPSC) in Paterson. She is currently the\nExecutive Director of the center. The HMPSC is a highly\n\n[[Page E2190]]\n\nrespected agency that provides free social, educational and recreation\nservices to the residents of Paterson and Passaic County.\n  This remarkable woman is a trailblazer for Latino elected officials\nin Passaic County. In her political career she has set many important\nmilestones. In 1989, she became the first Hispanic Woman to be elected\nas the President of the Paterson City Council. Her vision and\nleadership has made it easier for all Hispanic Americans to seek and\nwin elected office.\n  On the Council and in her daily life Maria remained devoted to the\nCity of Paterson and the Hispanic community. She has served as Deputy\nMayor of the city, as well as the Administrator of the Mayor's Office\nDivision of Planning. In addition, she was a coordinator of the city's\nservice programs for the Hispanic community and the nutritional\nprograms for the city's Hispanic senior citizens.\n  Known for a questioning mind and an ability to get things done,\nCouncilwoman Magda has served her community in a variety of positions.\nShe was the Commissioner of the Board of Social Services and the Board\nof Health in Paterson. She was also a member of the Board of St.\nJoseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson. She has served as a\nliaison between the Paterson City Hall and the community at-large. She\nwas a member of Women in Government, the Paterson Chamber of Commerce,\nthe Columbia University Health Panel and the Boy Scouts of America\nBoard of Directors. In addition, she has served as Chairperson of the\nPaterson Great Falls Committee, and in 1976, she was the President of\nthe Puerto Rican Parade.\n  Councilwoman Magda continually touches the lives of the people around\nher. She has received a myriad of awards including recognition from the\nUnited States Department of Defense, the Irish Culture Society, the New\nJersey State Assembly and the Italiana Society.\n  Maria Magda O'Keefe was born on July 22, 1938. She has three\nsiblings. Maria has two wonderful children Debra Ann Martinez and John\nMitchell Morales. She has four grandchildren and one great\ngranddaughter.\n  Mr. Speaker, as a former mayor of Paterson that has worked with Maria\nfor many years, I can say that I can think of no elected official who\nworks harder or cares more about her constituents. Perhaps the greatest\ntribute to her is the unwavering faith of the voters of Paterson. They\nhave demonstrated this by electing her time and again to her position.\n  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, Maria's family and\nfriends, the City of Paterson, the State of New Jersey and me in\nrecognizing the outstanding and invaluable service to the community of\nMaria Magda O'Keefe.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgE2189-5"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.073658000677824, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}