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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Tom Sefcik Hall in Bell County is celebrating its |
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100th anniversary in April 2023, providing a welcome opportunity to |
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honor the legacy of this storied dance hall; and |
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WHEREAS, Built in 1923 by Tom T. Sefcik, the dance hall became |
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a centerpiece of the small community of Seaton; Mr. Sefcik and his |
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wife, Tracy, raised their two daughters, Adela and Alice, in the |
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two-story house he constructed next door to the dance hall; in the |
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absence of electricity, he put in a battery lighting system for the |
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hall, and in the 1950s, refrigerated beer coolers replaced the |
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ice-filled troughs that previously kept beverages cold; in the late |
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1960s, indoor bathrooms and propane heat were installed; and |
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WHEREAS, Alice Sulak took over ownership of the dance hall in |
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1970 from her father, who passed away the following year; she |
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greeted patrons, oversaw finances, and booked bands, and from her |
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station on the upstairs wooden dance floor, she even yelled drink |
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orders down a vertical dumbwaiter shaft to the bar below; a |
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community gathering place since its inception, the dance hall has |
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earned a reputation for hosting well-known performers, including |
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Jimmy Heap, Asleep at the Wheel, Gary P. Nunn, Johnny Rodriguez, and |
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Rusty Wier; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2019, the Texas Dance Hall Preservation |
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organization presented Mrs. Sulak with its Lifetime Achievement |
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Award; she managed Sefcik Hall until her passing in 2022, and today, |
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the business is owned and operated by her son Kenny Sulak and his |
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wife, Irene; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the past century, Sefcik Hall has contributed |
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greatly to the cultural tapestry of the Lone Star State, and it is |
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indeed a pleasure to join in marking this special milestone in its |
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rich history; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of Tom Sefcik |
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Hall and extend to all those associated with the dance hall sincere |
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best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the dance hall as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Shine |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 448 was adopted by the House on March |
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16, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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