[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 22502] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]A TRIBUTE TO FRED MARTELLA ______ HON. CALVIN M. DOOLEY of california in the house of representatives Thursday, September 23, 1999 Mr. DOOLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Fred Martella, who has been named the 1999 Agriculturist of the Year by the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce and Kings County Farm Bureau. Mr. Martella was born in Lemoore in 1917, the second of Louis and Elvezia Martella's seven children. He attended Hanford High School before leaving to assist with the family dairy operation. Mr. Martella started milking cows for $25 a month, and later held positions at numerous sales yards in the San Joaquin Valley. In 1944, Mr. Martella entered into a dairy partnership, selling the dairy two years later. In 1952, he entered into another partnership with his brother, Art. Throughout his career, Mr. Martella has also been active as a professional auctioneer, and has donated his services to Valley charities on countless occasions. During his 82 years in the Valley, Mr. Martella has been active in the farming community and the life of Kings County. He served on the Agricultural Kings Fair Board of Directors until 1986, was named Grand Marshall at this year's Kings County Homecoming Parade, and was named Citizen of the Year in 1993. Mr. Martella is also well-known throughout the Valley as a supporter of Kings County youth. He has been a regular fixture at the Kings County Fair's Youth Auction, helping 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) participants auction off their projects at top prices, and assisting with their annual Lamb Barbecues. Finally, Mr. Martella is a dedicated family man. He is married to Ann Martella, and has three daughters, two stepdaughters, twelve grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Fred Martella for his contributions to the agriculture field and to his community. We send our sincere congratulations for the well-deserved honor of being named Agriculturist of the Year. ____________________