| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 448 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Tom Sefcik Hall in Bell County is celebrating its |
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| 6 | 6 | | 100th anniversary in April 2023, providing a welcome opportunity to |
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| 7 | 7 | | honor the legacy of this storied dance hall; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Built in 1923 by Tom T. Sefcik, the dance hall became |
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| 9 | 9 | | a centerpiece of the small community of Seaton; Mr. Sefcik and his |
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| 10 | 10 | | wife, Tracy, raised their two daughters, Adela and Alice, in the |
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| 11 | 11 | | two-story house he constructed next door to the dance hall; in the |
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| 12 | 12 | | absence of electricity, he put in a battery lighting system for the |
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| 13 | 13 | | hall, and in the 1950s, refrigerated beer coolers replaced the |
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| 14 | 14 | | ice-filled troughs that previously kept beverages cold; in the late |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1960s, indoor bathrooms and propane heat were installed; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Alice Sulak took over ownership of the dance hall in |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1970 from her father, who passed away the following year; she |
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| 18 | 18 | | greeted patrons, oversaw finances, and booked bands, and from her |
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| 19 | 19 | | station on the upstairs wooden dance floor, she even yelled drink |
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| 20 | 20 | | orders down a vertical dumbwaiter shaft to the bar below; a |
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| 21 | 21 | | community gathering place since its inception, the dance hall has |
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| 22 | 22 | | earned a reputation for hosting well-known performers, including |
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| 23 | 23 | | Jimmy Heap, Asleep at the Wheel, Gary P. Nunn, Johnny Rodriguez, and |
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| 24 | 24 | | Rusty Wier; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | WHEREAS, In 2019, the Texas Dance Hall Preservation |
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| 26 | 26 | | organization presented Mrs. Sulak with its Lifetime Achievement |
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| 27 | 27 | | Award; she managed Sefcik Hall until her passing in 2022, and today, |
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| 28 | 28 | | the business is owned and operated by her son Kenny Sulak and his |
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| 29 | 29 | | wife, Irene; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Over the past century, Sefcik Hall has contributed |
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| 31 | 31 | | greatly to the cultural tapestry of the Lone Star State, and it is |
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| 32 | 32 | | indeed a pleasure to join in marking this special milestone in its |
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| 33 | 33 | | rich history; now, therefore, be it |
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| 34 | 34 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 35 | 35 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of Tom Sefcik |
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| 36 | 36 | | Hall and extend to all those associated with the dance hall sincere |
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| 37 | 37 | | best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 38 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 39 | 39 | | prepared for the dance hall as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 40 | 40 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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| 41 | 41 | | Shine |
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| 42 | 42 | | ______________________________ |
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| 43 | 43 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 44 | 44 | | I certify that H.R. No. 448 was adopted by the House on March |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 46 | 46 | | ______________________________ |
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| 47 | 47 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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