Fond memory of Washington trip, meeting Sen. Kennedy

In the mid-70s, I had the wonderful opportunity to work for the North Country Children's Clinic and the Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County. The pay was lousy, but the rewards were tremendous. One summer in the late '70s, we sponsored a busload of WIC (Women Infants and Children) moms to go to Washington, D.C., to attend and testify before various meetings and hearings. The years have left me vague on the specific purpose of the trip, but I know there was some type of special event for WIC moms to gather in Washington. I would venture to say that 99 percent of our WIC moms had never been out of Northern New York, or their hometowns.

While these women got to see the tourist spots of Washington, and testify before members of Congress and other important people, the highlight of the trip was when our group happened to see Sen. Ted Kennedy on the steps to the U.S. Capitol. Our WIC buttons were proudly displayed, and Sen. Kennedy took a few minutes to say hello to our group and express his strong support for the program. One WIC employee, Mary Waite, an older, feisty, Italian woman from Watertown, had the biggest grin on her face after shaking hands with the senator. Everyone was thrilled that Ted Kennedy would take the time to talk to these WIC moms from small towns in New York. I know I was.

I left Northern New York many years ago. I have worked in Washington, D.C., for over 17 years, most of those years in Congress, but this memory is still one of my fondest.

Susan McAvoy

Washington, D.C.

The writer is a Clayton native.