H.R. No. 707
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, Proving that one man's courage and determination can
1-2 make a positive difference in the community, Odis B. Briggs,
1-3 manager of the Washington Manor Apartments complex in Beaumont, has
1-4 achieved spectacular success in turning around the cycle of
1-5 poverty, crime, and drug abuse and has made his corner of the
1-6 neighborhood a quieter and safer place in which to live; and
1-7 WHEREAS, A longtime resident of the Washington Manor
1-8 Apartments, Mr. Briggs had been a witness to the neighborhood's
1-9 seemingly inexorable decline into debt, disrepair, and disarray and
1-10 at the same time had seen the tenants fall victim to a climate of
1-11 fear and despair; and
1-12 WHEREAS, Almost single-handedly and with single-mindedness of
1-13 purpose, Mr. Briggs set about to save the complex and restore not
1-14 only the peace and quiet that many of the residents longed for, but
1-15 also the sense of community pride and self-esteem that had been
1-16 impaired by years of neglect; devoting himself to this cause, he
1-17 worked tirelessly as president of the residents' association to
1-18 persuade the apartments' owners as well as his fellow residents to
1-19 join him in his crusade; and
1-20 WHEREAS, His diligent efforts and his absolute conviction
1-21 that, when joined in common cause, the neighborhood's residents
1-22 could succeed in reclaiming the complex convinced the owners to
1-23 appoint him as apartment manager and to support him in his
1-24 endeavors; assuming overall responsibility for the complex, he
2-1 began his crusade in earnest on July 29, 1986, when he took over as
2-2 manager; and
2-3 WHEREAS, One of the most formidable obstacles he had to face
2-4 in the beginning was the $150,000 debt that had accumulated and the
2-5 consequent inability to borrow sorely needed funds to begin
2-6 renovation work and other essential projects; no more daunted by
2-7 the complex's financial condition than he was by its physical
2-8 condition, Mr. Briggs cleared the debt within 90 days and made the
2-9 apartments eligible for federal grants under Housing and Urban
2-10 Development programs; and
2-11 WHEREAS, With this money, Mr. Briggs was able not only to
2-12 arrest the further deterioration of the physical property but to
2-13 begin improvements and additions to the complex that have further
2-14 enhanced the quality of life for apartment residents, young and old
2-15 alike; among the many projects already begun or planned for the
2-16 near future are the reconstruction of the children's playground,
2-17 the reinforcement and refurbishing of wheelchair ramps, and the
2-18 installation of special telephone equipment for the apartments'
2-19 deaf and hearing impaired residents; and
2-20 WHEREAS, Impressive though these achievements might be,
2-21 Mr. Briggs has made an even greater and perhaps more important
2-22 contribution to the quality of life in the Washington Manor
2-23 Apartments by instilling in the apartments' residents a sense of
2-24 pride in their community and encouraging them by his own example to
2-25 become more involved in achieving and maintaining a clean, quiet,
2-26 safe, drug-free, and crime-free environment that benefits one and
2-27 all; and
3-1 WHEREAS, Inspired both by his leadership and by the success
3-2 they had experienced working together as a community, Washington
3-3 Manor Apartments residents went even further and in 1992 chartered
3-4 a residents council through which they have embarked on an
3-5 ambitious program aimed at providing educational, health care,
3-6 medical, and social services for everyone in the community; and
3-7 WHEREAS, Indeed, they have made their community a model for
3-8 neighborhoods everywhere, and Mr. Briggs's singular contributions,
3-9 which both provided the impetus and made their success possible,
3-10 have earned him the highest praise and recognition; now, therefore,
3-11 be it
3-12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
3-13 Legislature hereby commend Odis Briggs on his outstanding
3-14 achievements as apartment manager of the Washington Manor
3-15 Apartments in Beaumont and for his exemplary efforts in making his
3-16 community a better place in which to live; and, be it further
3-17 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-18 prepared for Mr. Briggs as an expression of high esteem by the
3-19 Texas House of Representatives.
3-20 prepared for Mr. Briggs as an expression of high esteem by the
3-21 Texas House of Representatives.
3-22 Price
3-23 H.R. No. 707
3-24 Laney Giddings Munoz
3-25 Alexander Glaze Naishtat
3-26 Allen Goodman Nieto
3-27 Alonzo Goolsby Oakley
4-1 Alvarado Granoff Ogden
4-2 Averitt Gray Oliveira
4-3 Bailey Greenberg Park
4-4 Berlanga Grusendorf Parra
4-5 Black Gutierrez Patterson
4-6 Blackwood Haggerty Pitts
4-7 Bomer Hamric Place
4-8 Bosse Harris Price
4-9 Brady Hartnett Puente
4-10 Brimer Heflin Rabuck
4-11 Cain Hernandez Ramsay
4-12 Campbell Hightower Rangel
4-13 Carona Hilbert Raymond
4-14 Carter Hilderbran Rodriguez
4-15 Chisum Hill Romo
4-16 Clemons Hirschi Rudd
4-17 Coleman Hochberg Sadler
4-18 Combs Holzheauser Saunders
4-19 Conley Horn Schechter
4-20 Cook Hudson Seidlits
4-21 Corte Hunter of Taylor Shields
4-22 Counts Hunter of Nueces Siebert
4-23 Crabb Jackson A. Smith of Harris
4-24 Craddick James D. Smith of Harris
4-25 Cuellar of Webb Johnson Smithee
4-26 Cuellar of Hidalgo Jones of Lubbock Solis
4-27 Culberson Jones of Dallas Stiles
5-1 Danburg Junell Swinford
5-2 Davila Kamel Tallas
5-3 Davis Krusee Talton
5-4 De La Garza Kubiak Telford
5-5 Dear Kuempel Thompson of Tarrant
5-6 Delco Lewis Thompson of Harris
5-7 Delisi Linebarger Turner of Coleman
5-8 Denton Longoria Turner of Harris
5-9 Driver Luna Uher
5-10 Duncan McCall Van de Putte
5-11 Dutton McCoulskey Vowell
5-12 Earley McDonald West
5-13 Eckels Madden Williamson
5-14 Edwards Marchant Willis
5-15 Erickson Martin Wilson
5-16 Finnell Maxey Wolens
5-17 Flores Moffat Yarbrough
5-18 Gallego Moreno Yost
5-19 Gallegos Mowery Zbranek
5-20 H.R. No. 707
5-21 _______________________________
5-22 Speaker of the House
5-23 I certify that H.R. No. 707 was adopted by the House on May
5-24 13, 1993, by a non-record vote.
5-25 _______________________________
5-26 Chief Clerk of the House