Snooks Candies and Chocolate Factory Celebrates 60th Anniversary
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Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, a local business in my district, Snooks Candies and Chocolate Factory, is celebrating their 60-year anniversary on Friday. Founded by John Snook in 1963, John and his wife, Jeannine, started their business at the Arden Fair Food Circus.
The family opened up a store in Tahoe City in 1981 and later moved to historic Folsom in 1985, where the store remains today. Each one of John and Jeannine's 6 kids and some of their 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren have spent time working in Snooks. To witness the bond of family in the business community and the successful operation of a thriving small business is truly inspiring.
After retiring and entrusting the store to his son, Jim, and Jim's wife, Renee, in 1999, John continued to be a consistent presence in the store, talking to customers and helping with work when needed.
Sadly, John Snook passed away earlier this year, but his legacy as a husband, father, and successful businessman continues to live on.
Over the span of six decades, Snooks Candies has faced many challenges, from nationwide recessions to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. However, these challenges have only reinforced the status of Snooks Candies as a true pillar in Folsom and the surrounding communities.
I applaud the commitment to their business and to producing iconic candies and treats for all to enjoy. Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am proud to join Folsom and our surrounding communities in congratulating Snooks Candies and Chocolate Factory for reaching this momentous milestone. Folsom Community Service Day
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Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the 10-year anniversary of Folsom Community Service Day, an event which will be held this year on Saturday, September 16.
Organized by the city of Folsom and partner organizations, Community Service Day mobilizes hundreds of volunteers to complete projects across the city to improve public resources and benefit the community.
In its tenure, the Folsom Community Service Day event has made a considerable and positive impact on the area. Since its inception, over 19,000 volunteers have participated. More than 900 projects have been completed, and 500 of them have been performed to serve senior citizens. There have been 537,000 pounds of food donated by the Twin Lakes Food Bank, and thousands of care packages to Active Duty military members have been sent. In addition, thousands of donated items have been collected for local nonprofits.
Their efforts have truly made a remarkable and lasting impact. To witness the hard work of this community over the span of a decade to deliver necessary change, improve neighborhoods, and help those in need is truly inspiring.
Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I am proud to recognize the city of Folsom and countless volunteers and partner organizations for providing 10 years of invaluable service and contributions to their communities. Success Academy
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Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Education and the Workforce Committee hosted a roundtable with Eva Moskowitz, the founder of Success Academy Charter Schools, which was first opened in 2006 and now has 47 schools.
The network of schools is known for setting high expectations of academic excellence and achieving exemplary results. Black and Hispanic students, which make up most of Success Academy's students, achieve proficiency rates double to triple what their New York City district peers do.
As AEI senior fellow Robert Pondiscio put it:
If Success Academy were a stand-alone school district, it would be by far the highest performing one in the State of New York, including places like Scarsdale, and Jericho on Long Island with multimillion dollar homes.
This is an example of why charter schools have been such an important innovation in American education and are a vital part of the landscape for school choice and why they are widely supported by the public.
In 2022, the Harris Poll found in a national survey that 81 percent of parents support expanding the number of slots at existing public charter schools in their area and 78 percent want more public charter schools in their area.
In California's Third District, we have many tremendous schools, both district schools and charter schools. Some of the popular charters include John Adams Academy, Placer County Pathways Charter, Newcastle Elementary Charter, Vantage Point Charter, and Plumas Charter.
As a former high school teacher and a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, I am truly inspired by schools like Success Academy and will work to support charter schools and to scale up successful models throughout our public education system. Suspend the State Gas Tax
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Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, today, I am calling on the California Legislature to suspend the State gas tax, as other States--including just recently Georgia--have done to provide consumers with relief from soaring prices. The legislature can provide a modest measure of relief by passing Assembly Bill 53 by Assemblyman Vince Fong, which would immediately suspend the State's gas tax and lower prices by 58 cents per gallon. The bill would also assure that no funding is lost for road projects throughout the State.
At a time when Californians continue to struggle with the effects of inflation, this relief would make life a little easier for millions of people. It is a commonsense proposal that merits bipartisan support, and I urge the legislature to act on it immediately.
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