ENROLLED Page 1 of 2 Regular Session, 2014 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 217 BY REPRESENTATIVE SHADOIN AND SENATORS GALLOT AND WALSWORTH A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON To commend the village of Marion upon winning the state "Cleanest City Contest" sponsored by the Louisiana Garden Club Federation in Category B. WHEREAS, the Louisiana Garden Club Federation is affiliated with the National Garden Clubs, Inc., within the Deep South Region and is a non-profit organization bringing together the garden clubs of Louisiana through education, beautification, and conservation; and WHEREAS, in 1958, the Louisiana Garden Club Federation began sponsoring a statewide "Cleanest City Contest"; and WHEREAS, to date, Louisiana is the only member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., to sponsor such a contest; and WHEREAS, the aim of the contest is to instill civic pride in individual citizens and thus improve the appearance of villages, towns, and cities; and WHEREAS, each year, competition has become stronger, and the cities and towns have achieved higher and higher standards of cleanliness; and WHEREAS, the Louisiana Garden Club Federation points with pride to the many communities who have participated in the contest through the years and to the ever- increasing number of citizens who work year-round to keep their communities clean and beautiful; and WHEREAS, the "Cleanest City in Louisiana" is chosen within categories based upon population, and the state winner in each category is chosen from the district winners in the category by a panel of state judges composed of three qualified Louisiana Garden Club Federation members selected by the state contest chairman and approved by the Louisiana Garden Club Federation president; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 217 Page 2 of 2 WHEREAS, in the contest, cities and towns are judged on the basis of ten criteria, including cleanliness of business establishments, parks, streets, sidewalks, and neutral grounds, as well as overall impression of cleanliness and community involvement; and WHEREAS, the Louisiana Garden Club Federation recently announced that the village of Marion, which has won the contest many times in the past, was again selected as the winner of the state "Cleanest City Contest" in Category B, for municipalities with a population of 500 to 999. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend the village of Marion upon winning the prestigious award of being named the "Cleanest City in Louisiana" in Category B and congratulates the citizens of the village for their successful efforts to keep their community clean and beautiful. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the the mayor of Marion. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE