Saluting Macedonia Baptist Church

Floor Speech

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Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute the outstanding presence in the city of Mount Vernon of Macedonia Baptist Church. Founded 113 years ago, Macedonia has been a bedrock of faith and community service in the African-American community on the south side of Mount Vernon, where I grew up.

The church is led by Pastor Rev. Dr. Darren Morton, also a local Mount Vernon boy, who holds a degree in business administration and a doctorate in education and is a graduate of the Tabernacle Bible Institute and the Manhattan Bible Institute.

The Macedonia family holds weekly Sunday services, Sunday school for young people, Wednesday Bible study every week at 7 p.m., and midweek Lunch with Jesus fellowship discussion over lunch.

As they approach the solemn Christian season of Good Friday and Easter, Macedonia provides a daily 40 Day Lenten Journey series.

Macedonia's outreach into the community as well--feeding those in need, clothing those in need, providing positive outlets for young people, and attention and care for our seniors--helps put their Christian values on display every day to the people of Mount Vernon.

From the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, we salute Macedonia Baptist Church, its lay leaders, and its spiritual leaders for its vibrant presence in Mount Vernon. Hastings Farmers' Market

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Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, along the Hudson River in Westchester County, there is a place to go on a Saturday morning where you can find farm-fresh produce and goods from the Hudson Valley, the Hastings Farmers' Market.

The market supports regional agriculture by bringing these products close to home on alternate Saturday mornings in the winter season and every Saturday throughout the spring and summer seasons, in the winter season from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Hastings Farmers' Market opened the summer of 1998. Now, under the leadership of Ms. Pascale Le Draoulec, it features dozens of vendors with a wide variety of offerings in the strategic location across from the Hastings-on-Hudson Metro-North Railroad station.

The market, along with its sister market in Irvington, the Irvington Farmers Market, which is on Sundays, is convenient to all the Rivertowns residents and the city of Yonkers residents.

The market's mission also includes educating and inspiring the market community about the benefits of local farming and sustainable practices. They invite charitable nonprofits and organizations to participate in the farmers' market, groups from the Girl Scouts of Hastings to the local volunteer fire department.

From the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, we salute the Hastings Farmers' Market as a valuable and estimable community asset. Saluting Knights of Columbus Father John M. Grady Council 503

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Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to salute the leadership and the membership of the Knights of Columbus Father John M. Grady Council 503 located in Port Chester, New York, for their service to the community.

The Knights, an organization of Catholic men nationwide, are organized into local councils and draw their membership in Council 503 from the parishes of St. John Bosco and the churches within the parish, including Corpus Christi-Holy Rosary, and formerly named Our Lady of Mercy.

The Knights of Council 503, led by Grand Knight Mark Scocchera and Deputy Grand Knight Phil Dorazio, have an active program that works to support the parish with local dinners and fundraising events, programs for the seniors and the veterans of the Port Chester community and the Rye Brook community, and programs for young people, especially through the Scouting troop programs.

They maintain an active Knights of Columbus hall that hosts their events and other events in the village with the ever-present chef, past Grand Knight Charlie Sacco, and his wife, the head of the Ladies Auxiliary, Toni Sacco, in charge. You can join them for Pasta Fridays every Friday night during Lent. It is very affordable.

From the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, we salute the Knights of Columbus Father John M. Grady Council 503 for their service to Catholic values and their service to the local Port Chester and Rye Brook communities.

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