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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The death of civic leader Fay Sinkin on March 4, |
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2009, at the age of 90, has deeply saddened her family, her friends, |
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and her many admirers throughout the San Antonio community and |
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beyond; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in New York City on March 24, 1918, the former |
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Fay Bloom graduated from Syracuse University; she was working at an |
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Arthur Murray Dance Studio when a friend from Texas set her up on a |
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blind date with a young San Antonio businessman named Bill Sinkin; |
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although she made a joke when he proposed marriage partway through |
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the evening, the couple exchanged wedding vows less than six months |
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later, on May 31, 1942; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Sinkin raised their two sons in San |
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Antonio and supported each other in myriad efforts to improve the |
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quality of life in their city; Mrs. Sinkin was particularly |
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concerned about public health, and on becoming president of the |
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League of Women Voters in 1947, she advocated for the hiring of a |
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city sanitary engineer to develop a sewer system; moreover, she |
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raised funds for the first citywide Mothers March on Polio, |
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organized the Visiting Nurse Association, and later became the |
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first woman to serve on the city's Board of Health; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1953, Mrs. Sinkin was named Woman of the Year by |
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the San Antonio Express-News; her many early accomplishments |
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included fund-raising for public television and becoming one of the |
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first two women to serve on a grand jury in Bexar County; she |
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participated in vital endeavors to further tolerance and diversity, |
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organizing educational outreaches, working with her husband to end |
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segregation in restaurants, and assisting the Johnson |
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administration in the recruitment of minority candidates for the |
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diplomatic service; and |
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WHEREAS, The threat of heavy development over the Edwards |
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Aquifer recharge zone in the early 1970s led Mrs. Sinkin to form the |
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Aquifer Protection Association, and she roused the community to |
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fight the first of many battles to ensure the safety and quality of |
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San Antonio's water supply; she was instrumental in obtaining the |
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nation's first Sole Source Aquifer designation under the Safe |
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Drinking Water Act of 1974, and she won election as the first female |
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board member of the Edwards Underground Water District; during her |
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six-year term, she successfully fought the controversial |
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Applewhite Reservoir project, advocated for conservation and a |
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regional water plan, introduced xeriscaping to the city, and |
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oversaw the institution of a water leak detection program; she |
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later formed the Edwards Aquifer Preservation Trust and pushed to |
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block overdevelopment on the recharge zone by acquiring ranchland, |
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playing a key role in the creation of Government Canyon State |
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Natural Area on 7,000 acres once slated for a vast housing tract; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Acknowledged as "the mother of aquifer protection," |
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Mrs. Sinkin continued to devote her time and considerable energy to |
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this cause, working with the grassroots Smart Growth Coalition in |
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2002 to oppose construction of a PGA Village over the Edwards |
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Aquifer in north central Bexar County; as gracious and persuasive |
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as she was passionate, she helped the Save Our Aquifer Campaign |
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secure more than 100,000 signatures to call for a referendum |
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against the project; together, the Sinkins established the Fay and |
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William Sinkin Environmental Fund, which educates young people |
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about environmental issues; and |
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WHEREAS, Her remarkable achievements earned Mrs. Sinkin |
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numerous accolades; she was inducted into the San Antonio Women's |
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Celebration and Hall of Fame and received the Headline Award from |
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Women in Communication; the Medallion Natural Area was renamed the |
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Fay and William Sinkin Nature Preserve in 2009, and The University |
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of Texas at San Antonio maintains the William and Fay Sinkin Papers |
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in its archives, documenting the importance of their individual and |
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joint contributions to civic life; and |
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WHEREAS, Ahead of her time in many ways, Fay Sinkin served as |
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a steward of the environment and an advocate for social justice; her |
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endeavors immeasurably enhanced the world around her, and she |
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inspired countless others to work for the causes in which they |
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believe and promote positive change; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Fay Sinkin and extend |
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sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to her husband of 66 |
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years, William Sinkin; to her sons, Richard and Lanny; to her |
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granddaughters, Patti Leigh, Katherine Hancock, and Amelia Sinkin; |
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to her three great-grandchildren, Justin and Jessica Hancock and |
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Jennifer Leigh; and to the other relatives and host of friends of |
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this esteemed Texan; and, be 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 Fay Sinkin. |