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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The passing of Bessie M. Swindle on March 28, 2019, |
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at the age of 79, concluded a remarkable life of service to |
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Southeast Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Loreauville, Louisiana, Bessie Swindle |
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moved to Houston in the 1950s and settled in the Sunnyside |
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neighborhood; she founded the Cloverland Civic Club and as its |
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president, she represented 400 homeowners and worked tirelessly to |
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improve the lives of her neighbors, offering aid to families in need |
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and raising money for scholarships; in 1994, she became president |
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of the Southeast Coalition of Civic Clubs, and after acting as |
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community liaison for the Precinct 7 constable, she went on to serve |
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as outreach coordinator for Congressman Al Green; she was also a |
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member of the City of Houston's Police Officers' Civil Service |
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Commission and the mayor's Tower Commission; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Swindle's dedicated activism helped bring |
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Sunnyside a library, a police storefront, and an extensive |
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renovation of Cloverland Park; a powerful advocate for |
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environmental justice, she organized 2,000 residents in opposition |
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to a concrete plant in 2002, and she continued to fight the threat |
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of pollution into the present decade; she championed numerous |
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worthwhile initiatives, among them a 2006 study of racial |
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disparities in the placement of children in child protective |
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services custody; a woman of faith, she was an active member of |
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St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church; in 2007, the City of Houston |
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celebrated Bessie M. Swindle Day and Partnership of Service Day in |
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her honor, and two years later, it renamed a popular facility the |
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Bessie Swindle Community Center; she received myriad other |
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accolades through the years, including the Mayor's Award for |
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Outstanding Volunteer Service and an honorary degree from the |
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Houston Community College System; and |
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WHEREAS, Through her selfless devotion to the betterment of |
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her community, Bessie Swindle made a meaningful difference in |
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countless lives, and her contributions will continue to resonate in |
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the years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Bessie M. Swindle |
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and extend sincere condolences to all who mourn her passing; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bessie M. |
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Swindle. |
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Thierry |
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Bonnen of Brazoria |
Guerra |
Noble |
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Bailes |
Hernandez |
Patterson |
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Bell of Kaufman |
Hinojosa |
Perez |
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Bell of Montgomery |
Holland |
Phelan |
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Bonnen of Galveston |
E. Johnson of Dallas |
Reynolds |
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Bowers |
J. Johnson of Dallas |
Rodriguez |
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Buckley |
Johnson of Harris |
Romero, Jr. |
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Burns |
King of Hemphill |
Rosenthal |
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Burrows |
King of Parker |
Sanford |
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Button |
King of Uvalde |
Schaefer |
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Canales |
Kuempel |
Sherman, Sr. |
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Capriglione |
Lambert |
Shine |
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Davis of Dallas |
Lucio III |
Thierry |
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Davis of Harris |
Martinez |
Thompson of Brazoria |
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Dean |
Martinez Fischer |
Thompson of Harris |
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Deshotel |
Metcalf |
Tinderholt |
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Dutton |
Meza |
Turner of Dallas |
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Farrar |
Middleton |
Turner of Tarrant |
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Gervin-Hawkins |
Muñoz, Jr. |
Wray |
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González of Dallas |
Murr |
Zedler |
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González of El Paso |
Neave |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1648 was unanimously adopted by a rising |
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vote of the House on May 21, 2019. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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