[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 410] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING RETIRING TOWN OF CHEEKTOWAGA COUNCILMAN THOMAS M. JOHNSON, JR. ______ HON. BRIAN HIGGINS of new york in the house of representatives Thursday, January 17, 2008 Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the illustrious public career of one of western New York's most dedicated and hard working public servants--the Dean of the Cheektowaga Town Board, its longest serving member, Councilman Thomas M. Johnson, Jr. Many years ago, the Buffalo News once referred to another public official with a reputation for energetic representation of his constituents as ``indefatigable.'' Untiring. Unrelenting. Unfaltering. These and so many other adjectives only begin to describe the manner in which Tom Johnson served his constituents, and the town he loves so dearly. Since my very first days in service as a Member of the House, Tom has been an advocate for countless projects within Cheektowaga, and for the betterment of the people who live there. I am proud to serve in public office alongside people of the caliber of Tom Johnson, and I am prouder still to call Tom my friend. I have taken the liberty, Madam Speaker, of including within this extension excerpts from an article recently published in the Buffalo News that chronicles Tom's career and his plans to ``retire''--with that word intentionally left in quotation marks. Tom will never truly retire from serving the town he so dearly loves, and all of us in elective office owe a great debt of gratitude to Tom for his service and his dedication to the people in his community. Tom, on behalf of the entirety of the House of Representatives, let me wish you, Barbara and your entire family the very best of luck and Godspeed. Cheektowaga Icon Johnson Learning The Word ``Retire'' (By Thomas J. Dolan) Cheektowaga's longest-serving Town Board member, Thomas M. Johnson Jr., is stepping down after three decades in office, but you wouldn't know it to see him. With just days to go before his term ends, Johnson, 66, is as restless as ever. He's showing up for work sessions at Town Hall, popping in at community meetings and appearing at all manner of ceremonies and events, just as he has done through much of his career. ``He gets involved in practically everything. He goes to all the meetings. He gets involved with various groups,'' said Thomas J. Adamczak, supervisor of town inspectors. Whether it's the Cheektowaga Community Symphony Orchestra, a ceremony honoring veterans, a planning session to restock walleye in Cayuga Creek or a discussion of storm-drainage problems, Johnson has been a force in town affairs for decades. He has left his stamp on a wide variety of projects, from the Walden Galleria shopping mall to the town's new bike path, now under construction. Johnson's 30 years on the board easily qualify him as Cheektowaga's longest-serving lawmaker, said Supervisor-elect Mary F. Holtz, the town historian. ``Nobody else even comes close,'' Holtz said after checking her records. And few town officials have made a greater impact than Johnson, observers say. ``Tom is a true institution in Cheektowaga,'' said Eric L. Recoon, vice president of development for Benderson Development Co. Recoon, who has frequently negotiated with Johnson regarding Benderson projects, gave this assessment: ``Tom probably has, in his own way, done more for the town than almost anybody. He's so passionate about his town, and he was really tireless in his efforts to do what he feels would benefit the Town of Cheektowaga.'' And while many politicians show up at public meetings to earn some ``face time,'' Johnson comes armed with questions, talking points and often documents to back them up. It's not long before he's deep in the debate--or taking over the meeting, as some critics would describe it. Recoon, who has dealt with Johnson for more than a decade, said: ``He's incredibly frank. He's very straightforward, and he is candid--sometimes not in a fashion that you want him to be. But you know what? You always know where you stand with him.'' Johnson, an engineer and retired manager for Goodyear- Dunlop Tire Corp., recalls buying a house on Meadowlawn Road in the early 1970s and then learning that--instead of being used for housing, as real estate agents had assured him--the large lot behind his home would be developed as a shopping mall. As a result, Johnson helped form the Depew-Cheektowaga Home Association, which grew to more than 700 members. And, through most of his political career, he has kept close ties with Cheektowaga's homeowners' and taxpayers' associations. His list of honors and awards--many of them from community groups--fill more than a page. But after more than 32 years on the political stage, Johnson says he is retiring to spend more time with his family, especially his grandchildren, Natalie, 7, and Eric, 5. It's difficult to imagine him no longer being active in town affairs, especially since he believes strongly in having citizens take part in government. ``What we need more than anything else is participatory government,'' he said. ``For my mind, government that is closest to the people is best.''