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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, After six years of fund-raising and hard work, the |
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Victoria County Master Gardener Association is celebrating the |
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grand opening of the Victoria Educational Gardens (VEG) Expansion |
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Project at the Victoria Regional Airport on June 10, 2007; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Master Gardener program forms part of |
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Texas Cooperative Extension and presently boasts the involvement of |
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more than 5,000 Master Gardeners in 115 county Master Gardener |
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organizations; the program requires individuals to finish at least |
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50 hours of formal training and 50 hours of volunteer service in |
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order to be accredited as a Texas Master Gardener; these gardeners |
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contribute to their community by holding classes and |
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demonstrations, providing speakers for events, and maintaining |
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community gardens; they also volunteer at their local extension |
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office to answer the questions of homeowners who phone in; and |
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WHEREAS, Founded in 1997 with 21 volunteers, the Victoria |
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County Master Gardener Association has grown to embrace 109 active |
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Master Gardeners; the events and programs offered by the group |
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include the Annual Garden Tour, the Garden Expo, Junior Master |
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Gardener classes and garden symposiums; the association and its |
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members have received many statewide awards since 1998, including |
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the first-place Master Gardener title in 2003 and a first-place win |
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for the VEG Tours in 2005; and |
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WHEREAS, The Victoria County Master Gardeners broke ground |
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for the Victoria Educational Gardens in 2001, on land surrounding |
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the old Foster Field Officers' Club at Victoria Regional Airport, |
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and they completed the first stage of the project in 2003; and |
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WHEREAS, Since then, the Victoria County Master Gardeners |
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have raised $250,000 to finance further development of the gardens, |
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and they have volunteered 10,000 hours on such work as installing |
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irrigation and retaining walls, tilling in compost, and planting |
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flowers and grasses; the expanded VEG now includes 19 mini-gardens, |
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a 60-foot arbor, a teahouse gazebo, paved walkways, a meditation |
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garden, and a wheelchair-accessible labyrinth; and |
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WHEREAS, An outstanding community resource, the Victoria |
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Educational Gardens offer area residents an exceptional |
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opportunity to advance their knowledge of horticulture and to enjoy |
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the beauty of nature, and it is indeed fitting that the Victoria |
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County Master Gardeners be commended for their gift of this |
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exquisite treasure to their fellow citizens; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Victoria County Master |
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Gardener Association on the grand opening of the Victoria |
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Educational Gardens Expansion Project and extend to the association |
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and its members sincere best wishes for continued success in all |
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their endeavors; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Victoria County Master Gardeners as an expression |
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of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |