By: Kubiak H.R. No. 6 72S40029 JLZ-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Faithfully chronicling the life and times of the 1-2 Benchley community as a correspondent for the Hearne Democrat since 1-3 1971, Sam Rice has kept alive a notable family, community, and 1-4 Democrat tradition that now has spanned more than a century; and 1-5 WHEREAS, With a journalist's keen eye for detail, a true 1-6 Texan's concern for his friends and neighbors, and his own 1-7 unflappable optimism and infectious enthusiasm for life, this 1-8 lifelong resident of this Robertson County community is aptly 1-9 suited to his calling and has proven to be a worthy heir to his 1-10 notable predecessors; and 1-11 WHEREAS, Mr. Rice's love for the small Texas town he calls 1-12 home and his interest in recording the neverending ebb and flow of 1-13 life in the community are deeply rooted in his family's past; a 1-14 descendent of some of the community's earliest settlers, he lives 1-15 today in the house built by his great-grandparents, James and Effie 1-16 McNair Henry, in the 1830s; and 1-17 WHEREAS, By the late 19th century, the family already was 1-18 well-established in the community, when Mr. Rice's grandfather, 1-19 Hugh Roderick Henry, began a family journalistic tradition that has 1-20 remained unbroken to this day; and 1-21 WHEREAS, From 1889, when the Hearne Democrat began 1-22 publication, until 1898, when he passed away, Mr. Henry carefully 1-23 recorded the human drama to be found in the cycles of life and 1-24 death, births and marriages, and triumphs and tribulations that 2-1 formed the social history of the community; and 2-2 WHEREAS, Following Mr. Henry's death, Mr. Rice's mother, 2-3 Jimmie Henry Rice, took over as the Democrat's Benchley 2-4 correspondent, and over a period of 73 years her lively reports 2-5 kept neighbors informed and helped maintain and strengthen the 2-6 feeling of kinship that bound Robertson County residents together 2-7 as a community; and 2-8 WHEREAS, When his mother died in 1971, Sam Rice took up the 2-9 banner of news correspondent for the Hearne newspaper, bringing to 2-10 his job an upbeat perspective and a wealth of experiences dealing 2-11 with celebrities and ordinary citizens alike, whom he has met 2-12 during his happy and event-filled lifetime; and 2-13 WHEREAS, An enthusiastic participant as well as a keen 2-14 observer of the social scene, Mr. Rice is actively involved in 2-15 every aspect of community life, including the often lively arena of 2-16 local politics; unabashedly proclaiming his political loyalties, 2-17 Mr. Rice currently serves as Democratic Party chairman for 2-18 Robertson County Precinct 11; and 2-19 WHEREAS, Partisan politics aside, Sam Rice is known by 2-20 friends and neighbors as a deeply caring and open-minded 2-21 individual, and his abiding affection for the community of Central 2-22 Texans who reside in Benchley and Robertson County, together with 2-23 the service he has provided them, have earned him widespread 2-24 respect and admiration; and 2-25 WHEREAS, In January 1992, Mr. Rice received well-deserved 2-26 public recognition when Hearne Democrat publisher Chap Harriman 2-27 presented him with an engraved platter commemorating the 103 years 3-1 of service rendered to the community by him and his family; and 3-2 WHEREAS, Mr. Rice's careful depiction of daily life as it 3-3 transpires has not only captured the present for his many readers 3-4 to enjoy but has also provided a valuable register of the past for 3-5 future generations to appreciate, and his contributions to this 3-6 Central Texas legacy are indeed worthy of special praise and 3-7 recognition; now, therefore, be it 3-8 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 72nd Texas 3-9 Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby honor Sam Rice on his 3-10 exemplary spirit of involvement in his community and his noteworthy 3-11 record of service to the community as the Hearne Democrat's 3-12 Benchley correspondent since 1971; and, be it further 3-13 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-14 prepared for Mr. Rice as an expression of high regard from the 3-15 Texas House of Representatives.