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 NEWS  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  News  Media  Contact: 
 March  23,  2001  Jordan  Goldstein:  202-  418-  2100 


 STATEMENT  BY  COMMISSIONER  SUSAN  NESS  IN  MEMORY  OF  S.  D.  PUBLIC  UTILITY  COMMISSIONER  LASKA  SCHOENFELDER 


 South  Dakota  Public  Utility  Commissioner  Laska  Schoenfelder  was  a  courageous  woman.  I  had 
 the  pleasure  of  serving  with  her  for  five  years  on  the  Federal-  State  Joint  Board  on  Universal 
 Service.  She  cared  passionately  about  serving  her  community,  her  state,  and  her  nation.  She  was 
 engaged  in  the  issues,  and  rarely  lacked  an  opinion.  Yet  she  always  respected  the  views  of 
 others. 


 She  understood  the  needs  of  rural  communities,  and  worked  tirelessly  to  ensure  that  quality 
 phone  service  at  affordable  prices  was  available  to  one  and  all. 


 Laska  lived  in  a  remote  area  of  South  Dakota,  where  huge  snowfalls  and  other  extreme  weather 
 conditions  occasionally  made  it  impossible  for  her  to  travel.  No  matter.  Laska  remained  on  top 
 of  the  issues  and  made  sure  she  participated,  even  from  her  farmhouse  location. 


 The  last  time  I  saw  Laska  was  at  the  NARUC  meeting  in  Washington,  D.  C.  in  February,  less 
 than  a  month  ago.  Although  her  cancer  had  returned,  she  was  as  upbeat  and  philosophical  about 
 it  as  ever.  "You  just  have  to  accept  it  and  keep  moving,"  she  commented  briefly. 


 We  sure  are  going  to  miss  this  courageous  woman. 


 -FCC- 
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