>HONORING MAYOR JOHN O. COTANT

(Senate - November 14, 2005)

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President: I would like to pay special tribute today to a remarkable man who has dedicated the past 36 years of his life to the citizens of Chubbuck, ID. Mayor John O. Cotant entered the Chubbuck mayoral race the night before the elections in 1969. He won and has been mayor ever since. Through his dedication to youth and community improvement, Chubbuck has become the thriving town of 10,000 it is today. Under his exemplary leadership, Chubbuck increased the number of city parks from 1 to 14. He initiated the construction of a monument to veterans of our wars and his love of sports inspired him to promote a thriving youth sports program for the city. He brought critical infrastructure improvements to the community, to position Chubbuck for the vibrant growth it is experiencing today. John and his wife of 59 years, Alice, are the proud parents of 3, grandparents of 13 and great-grandparents of 19 children. He has been very involved in his church, serving as Bishop, the ecclesiastical teacher, of his LDS church congregation. At a robust 81, he says that he is going to pursue his personal interests of genealogy and a collection of city memorabilia, and make a point of not volunteering for anything controversial. I must say I understand the sentiment. Local public servants like John are the lifeblood of our civic community and our daily lives in rural towns not just in Idaho, but across the Nation. As a mayor of a smaller city, you are on duty and under the spotlight 24 hours a day. It is quite a testament to John's character, energy and spirit that he has served for so many years. I congratulate him on three and a half decades of community commitment service and wish him and Alice the very best in the next exciting chapter of their life together.