103 STAT. 2602 PROCLAMATION 5900—NOV. 5, 1988 Advances in communication are even more vital today, when an aver- age of 112 people rely on a single American farmer for their supply of food and fiber and agriculture is the focus of increasing international commerce and competition. The range of agricultural issues has grown, too, to include public concern over the environment, recreational areas, water, wildlife, food safety and nutrition, and, of coiurse, the productivi- ty and profitability of farming itself. Fortunately, new means of commu- nication are facilitating the rapid transfer of the ever more complex data needed to support our Nation's thriving mix of urban and rural ac- tivity. From satellites to on-line communications, from specialized newsletters to general trade publications, America's city-dwellers and farm families have an array of impressive new tools for sharing the fruits of their intelligence and their labor in the pursuit of a better life for all. For the past 34 years, the theme of urban-rural dialogue and commimi- cation has been a regular part of ovu* national celebration of Thanksgiv- ing Week. Let us pause again this year to acknowledge our gratitude for the bounty of energy and invention God has bestowed upon our land. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con- stitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week of November 1&-24, 1988, as National Farm-City Week. I call upon all Americans to join in recognizing the importance of communication be- tween rural and xirban areas and in acclaiming the collaborative ac- complishments of our productive farmers and urban residents. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of November, in the year of ouur Lord nineteen hundred and eighty- eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirteenth. RONALD REAGAN Proclamation 5900 of November 5, 1988 National Alzheimer's Disease Month, 1988 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Alzheimer's disease ranks among the most severe of afflictions, be- cause it strips people of their memory and judgment and robs them of the essence of their personalities. As the brain progressively deterio- rates, tasks familiar for a lifetime, such as tying a shoelace or making a bed, become bewildering. Spouses and children become strangers. Slowly, victims of the disease enter profound dementia. Today, Alzheimer's disease affects nearly 2V& million Americans. Half of all those admitted to nursing homes have this diagnosis. Among older individuals, Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of severe intellectual impairment and contributes to the major causes of death.
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