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The following joint concurrent resolutions have been introduced for approval by the Senate and House and will be adopted automatically unless a Senator or Representative requests floor consideration before the end of the session of the next legislative day. Requests for floor consideration in either chamber should be communicated to the Secretary’s office and/or the House Clerk’s office, respectively.

House concurrent resolution congratulating David Ball of Orange on his extraordinary college football career

Offered by: Representatives Otterman of Topsham, Davis of Washington and Winters of Williamstown

Whereas, David Ball of Orange has demonstrated a special acumen for playing college football, and

Whereas, after graduating from Spaulding High School, he headed east to join the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Wildcats’ football team, and

Whereas, David Ball’s first national recognition occurred relatively early in his collegiate career when he was named to the 2004 Associated Press 1-AA second team and as a Walter Camp All-American, and

Whereas, his 87 successful receptions in 2005 set a UNH record, and they were a significant contributor to his earning a coveted place on the 2005 Associated Press 1-AA All-American first team and another Walter Camp All American designation, and

Whereas, in 2006, as a senior, David Ball broke his own UNH mark when he caught the ball 93 times, garnered 1,114 yards, topped the Atlantic 10 Football Conference with 13 touchdown receptions, and once again earned both of the post-season honor he had earned in 2005, and

Whereas, among the highlights of David Ball’s UNH football legacy are his second place national all-time rankings for earning a career total of 4,655 receiving yards and garnering at least 100 receiving yards in 23 games, and

Whereas, his scoring at least one touchdown in 28 games ranks similarly among Division I-AA players, and

Whereas, none of David Ball’s many achievements as a UNH football Wildcat compare to his setting a new NCAA 1-AA career record of 58 touchdown receptions, surpassing the 50 that NFL great Jerry Rice completed when he played for Mississippi State, and

Whereas, in recognition of his superb 2006 season, and as a capstone to his UNH career, David Ball was named the 2006 recipient of the Harry Agganis/Harold Zinman Award that is presented annually to the “most outstanding New England college football senior,” now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly congratulates David Ball of Orange on his extraordinary college football career and his receipt of the 2006 Harry Agganis/Harold Zinman Award, and be it further

House concurrent resolution congratulating the Vergennes Union High School Commodores 2006 Division II championship girls’ soccer team

Offered by: Representatives Clark of Vergennes and Oxholm of Vergennes

Whereas, in recent years, girls’ soccer at Vergennes Union High School has earned a reputation for high-quality competition, and when the lady strikers and defenders assembled to begin the 2006 season, they all agreed to work together for the common interest of the team, and

Whereas, the Commodores proceeded to defeat all of their opponents on the path to a first seed in the Division II playoffs and a berth in the championship game, played in Randolph, against the seventh-seeded Montpelier Solons, and

Whereas, despite their seventh seed, the Solons proved a challenging opponent worthy of championship game participation, and

Whereas, when the game was only in its second minute of play, Commodore Alison Bourdon sent the ball ever so close to the goal’s left post, and when it slid past, teammate Abby Benton popped the ball into the net, and

Whereas, from then on, Vergennes’ fine defensive skills took over despite the Commodores permitting a single Solon point at just past the ten-minute mark of the opening period, and

Whereas, just shy of ten minutes into the second half, Abby Benton scored the season’s final goal, her 39th in 2006, on a free kick that launched the ball on a spectacular 30 yard trajectory directly into the net’s upper right hand corner, and

Whereas, as a capstone season finale, Vergennes goalie Meghan Scott Tisbert made a backward leap, and with her fingers deflected a nearly certain goal scoring ball into harmless territory outside the net, and

Whereas, the contributions of each Commodore, including Bridgette Bolduc, Elizabeth Goyette, Sophie Larson, Heather Paquette, Danielle McClay, Mandy Scott, Gracie Lange, Abby Benton, Alison Bourdon, Mindi Nolan, Britany Straley, Caitlin Ferland, Meghan Scott-Tisbert, Brittany Nevins, Janah Hammach, Sarah Lucia, and Molly Presson, were all critical elements in the 2006 Vergennes championship campaign and

Whereas, great work was done by head coach Dwight Irish and assistant coaches Peter Maneen and Jon Yarnall, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly congratulates the Vergennes Union High School Commodores 2006 Division II championship girls’ soccer team, and be it further

House concurrent resolution congratulating the 2006 Danville School Indians Division IV championship boys’ soccer team

Offered by: Representative Larrabee of Danville

Offered by: Senators Coppenrath and Kitchel

That the General Assembly congratulates the 2006 Danville School Indians Division IV championship boys’ soccer team, and be it further

House concurrent resolution congratulating the 2006 Danville Indians Division IV championship baseball team

Offered by: Representative Larrabee of Danville

Offered by: Senators Coppenrath and Kitchel

That the General Assembly congratulates the 2006 Danville Indians Division IV championship baseball team, and be it further

House concurrent resolution congratulating the Pierce-Lawton Post 37 baseball team on winning the 2006 American Legion’s Vermont state championship

Offered by: Representatives Obuchowski of Rockingham, Partridge of Windham, Canfield of Fair Haven, Deen of Westminster and Mrowicki of Putney

Whereas, the Pierce Lawton Post 37 American Legion baseball team in Bellows Falls had played the nation’s summer pastime for over four decades without winning a single state championship title, and

Whereas, the long-dreamed-of championship occurred in 2006, and a sports novelist could have hardly envisioned a more dramatic ninth inning, and

Whereas, in an exciting state championship game against SAL-Champlain, the Post 37 team exhibited a determination that proved essential as it trailed 4 0 even before its first opportunity at bat, and

Whereas, by the third inning, the Post 37 squad had rebounded successfully to tie the game at 4–all, and by the end of the fifth, the team was on top by a 6 5 margin, and

Whereas, continued scoring on both sides gave Post 37 an 8–7 edge as the two teams entered the ninth and final inning, and

Whereas, with two players out, and Post 37 sensing an 8–7 victory, an SAL two-run double left the Bellows Falls players short of their long elusive goal and forced them to step up to the batter’s box one last time, and

Whereas, Post 37 loaded the bases on a combination of a walk, a single, and a lost fly ball, causing SAL to change pitchers in the process, and

Whereas, Post 37’s Chris Fahner then slammed a powerful double that brought teammates Isaac Bissell and Matthew Eisenhuth across the plate and enabled the team to claim its first American Legion baseball state championship, and

Whereas, every Post 37 team member, including Justin Beebe, Isaac Bissell, Benjamin Blanchard, Warner Clark, Austin DeLonge, Matthew Eisenhuth, Christopher Fahner, Mattias Goldman-Peake, Christopher Hodsden, Andrew Lacroix, Tucker Long, Kyle Mack, Travis Madore, Ryan Piluski, William Sisko, Justin Spaulding, Samuel Stickney, and Richard Whitcomb, played with skill and enthusiasm, and

Whereas, this historic Post 37 victory is attributable in good measure to the work of head coach Robert Lockerby, assistant coaches and manager Richard Forbush Jr., and assistant coaches Russell Williams, William Lockerby, and Adam Kuhn, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly congratulates the Pierce-Lawton Post 37 baseball team on winning the 2006 American Legion’s Vermont state championship, and be it further

House concurrent resolution congratulating the 2006 Bellows Falls Union High School Terriers Division II track and field championship team

Offered by: Representatives Obuchowski of Rockingham, Partridge of Windham, Deen of Westminster and Mrowicki of Putney

Whereas, the 2006 Vermont interscholastic track and field championship meet was held on June 3 at the Murphy Morse track and field complex in Windsor during a severe rainstorm, and

Whereas, despite the challenges of competing in miserable weather conditions, the Bellows Falls Union High School boy Terriers demonstrated outstanding proficiency in each of the Division II events, and

Whereas, Terrier Jason Ryan, whose excellence in football had already earned him a place at the 2006 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl all-star game, proved that his athletic talents are multifaceted as he earned second and third place, respectively, in the javelin throw and 200-meter dash, and

Whereas, in the 4 x 100 relay, the Terrier runners finished ahead of the pack while a companion relay team, comprising exclusively football players placed a respectable fourth, and

Whereas, when all of the day’s scores were tallied, the boy Terriers were the proud Division II winners, beating their nearest rival, the Windsor High School Yellow Jackets 96–93.5, and

Whereas, this victory represented the first time that Bellows Falls had won the boys’ track and field championship crown in a decade, and

Whereas, Terriers Jason Andre, Sam Atwood, Dan Bledsoe, Sam Bledsoe, Micah Bolotin, Trevor Dansereau, Keith Eno, Ian Eshelmen, Trevor Fuller, Will Gaertner, Adam Gunn, Charlie Hofmann, Chris Kemp, Rodrigo Melo, Chris Mohn, Jason Ryan, and Matt Tomberg each contributed to the team’s success in 2006, and

Whereas, head coach Timothy Eno and assistant coaches Brad Hammond and Grump Haskell served as outstanding athletic instructors, now therefore

be it

That the General Assembly congratulates the 2006 Bellows Falls Union High School Terriers Division II track and field championship team, and be it further

House concurrent resolution congratulating the Vermont Attractions Association on its 50th anniversary

Offered by: Representatives Obuchowski of Rockingham, Botzow of Pownal, Keenan of St. Albans City, Mrowicki of Putney, Nease of Johnson, Partridge of Windham and Trombley of Grand Isle

Whereas, tourism has long been significant for Vermont’s economy, and

Whereas, individual attractions have long been an historic aspect of Vermont’s tourist industry, and

Whereas, in 1956, 14 tourist attractions established the Vermont Attractions Association (VAA) in order to improve and coordinate the promotion of Vermont’s outstanding and diverse tourist attractions, and

Whereas, the VAA’s stated mission “is to promote attractions throughout the State of Vermont and to establish, develop and promote high standards for tourism in Vermont,” and

Whereas, over the years, the VAA has fulfilled its mission by establishing business to business networking, partnering with the state of Vermont on different projects, including the annual state highway map, and developing organizational alliances such as the relationship with the Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association, and

Whereas, six of the VAA’s charter attractions, including the Lake Champlain Ferries, Rock of Ages in Barre, the Shelburne Museum, Stowe Mountain Resort, Quechee Gorge, and St. Anne’s Shrine on Isle La Motte were honored for their half century of participation, and

Whereas, the association has bestowed the honorary title of board chair emeritus on past VAA board members Jon Bacon, Larry Simino, and David Schermerhorn, and

Whereas, the VAA, whose membership has increased to 69 attractions, looks forward to continuing its work on behalf of Vermont’s tourist attractions in the years ahead, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly congratulates the Vermont Attractions Association on its 50th anniversary and wishes the pest of success in the years ahead, and be it further

House concurrent resolution congratulating McGirr’s Nursing home on its 40^th anniversary

Offered by: Representative Obuchowski of Rockingham, Deen of Westminster, Mrowicki of Putney and Partridge of Windham

Whereas, a nursing home was established in 1926 at 33 Atkinson Street in Bellows Falls, and it was named the Bellows Falls Inn, and

Whereas, this venerable residential care facility has been in continuous operation longer than any other nursing home in Vermont, and

Whereas, on its 40^th anniversary, in 1966, Royal and Margaret McGirr purchased the Bellows Falls Inn and renamed it the McGirr Nursing Home, and

Whereas, Royal and Margaret McGirr operated this Bellows Falls nursing home compassionately and competently for many years, and they passed the family tradition to their daughter, Margaret Perry, who has continued the nursing home’s reputation as a Vermont leader in the provision of quality residential care services, and

Whereas, concurrent with her managerial responsibilities at the McGirr Nursing Home, Margaret Perry has broadened her focus to encompass a much younger clientele as the operator of the Hill House Day Care Center located across a common backyard, and

Whereas, she has bridged the generations in a unique fashion by having the youngsters visit regularly the predominantly senior citizen residents at the nursing home, and

Whereas, these intergenerational social gatherings are enjoyed by participants across the age spectrum who anticipate them with much eagerness and excitement, and

Whereas, Margaret Perry is able to offer the nursing home residents the opportunity to live in a more homelike atmosphere than in an acute care facility while she is still meeting all of the residents’ medical needs, and

Whereas, 2006 marked the 40^th anniversary of McGirr’s Nursing Home under Margaret Perry’s family’s ownership of this community-based and locally owned enterprise, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly congratulates McGirr’s Nursing Home on its 40^th anniversary and commends Margaret Perry for her laudable work in bringing Bellows Falls’ youngest and oldest residents together to be an essential part of each other’s lives, and be it further

House concurrent resolution honoring Jeff Benay for his service as chair of the governor’s advisory commission on Native American affairs

Offered by: Representatives Branagan of Georgia and Gilbert of Fairfax

Offered by: Senators Illuzzi, Collins, and Kittell

That the General Assembly honors Jeff Benay for his outstanding service from 1991 to 2006 as chair of the governor’s commission on Native American affairs, and be it further