The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“HONORING LAVERA ETHRIDGE-WILLIAMS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E243 on Feb. 25, 2010.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING LAVERA ETHRIDGE-WILLIAMS
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HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate LaVera Ethridge-Williams upon being honored with the
``Trail Blazers Award'' by the African American Museum in Fresno, California.
Mrs. LaVera Ethridge-Williams was born in Boley, Oklahoma in 1927 to John and Alberta Ethridge. She was raised in Wewoke, Oklahoma where she received her early education. As a child, she cared for her younger siblings while her parents worked. In 1945, Mrs. Ethridge-Williams moved to Fresno, California and attended Fresno City College and California State University, Fresno.
In 1968, Mrs. Ethridge-Williams began the process of opening a child care center in West Fresno. She recognized that a child care center would be a great asset to a community that was largely underserved. She faced many adversities; including obtaining a bank loan and attending many hearings with the state board for the Department of Health and Welfare. After four years of perseverance, Mrs. Ethridge-Williams was able to open her first private child care center. The center was designed specifically for infants and licensed by the California State Department of Social Welfare.
Mrs. Ethridge-Williams quickly began working on the goal of opening a chain of child care centers. She began designing the centers to be innovative and functional for the education of young children. These centers provided valuable early education, emphasizing the importance of school, health, vaccinations, nutrition, as well as employment opportunities for the West Fresno residents.
Mrs. Ethridge-Williams' love for her community and profession was evident throughout her life. She is one of the founding members of the Sickle Cell Support Group through her membership with the Fresno Chapter of The Links, Inc. For her service, Mrs. Ethridge-Williams has been recognized and honored with many awards; including being named the
``Outstanding Black Woman of the Year'' by Gamma Eta Chapter of the Iota Lambda Society, ``Minority Business Enterprise Award'' by the City of Fresno, ``Portrait of Success Award'' from the local NBC affiliate, KSEE 24, ``Woman of the Year'' for the 16th Senate District by former State Senator Jim Costa, ``Martin Luther King, Jr. Award'' and was recognized by the Fresno Unified School District for being a leader in education for the children in the community.
Mrs. Ethridge-Williams is married to Lonzell Williams and together they raised three children. They have five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate LaVera Ethridge-Williams upon being honored with the ``Trail Blazers Award.'' I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Mrs. Ethridge-Williams many years of continued success.
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