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[ Austin Dove Springs Health Center Ribbon Cutting ]
PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITY RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY.I AM GOING TO INTRODUCE OUR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR, ADRIAN STIR.
THIS IS JUST INDICATIVE OF THE MORNING THAT I HAD, AND I'M, I'M GONNA TAKE A, I LIKE TO TELL A STORY.
SO ON MY WAY HERE TODAY, I STOPPED TO GET SOME GAS AND MY CAR DECIDED TO STOP BATTERY DEAD.
SO I'M LOOKING AT THESE PEOPLE GETTING READY TO START THEIR DAY AT WORK, AND I'M LIKE, FULL OF WATER.
ARE YOU THE ME? THAT'S ALL I KNEW HOW TO, THAT'S WHAT I CAN SAY.
WE GOT THE JUMP AND I'M LIKE, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I CAN'T DO IT.
AND I'M TALKING TO THE MAN AND HE COULD SEE THE PANIC IN MY EYES.
I HAVE SOMEWHERE TO BE AT 10 O'CLOCK.
I KNOW YOU GUYS DON'T DO LOANERS.
CAN YOU HELP ME? HE SAID, I GOT YOU.
AND I'M, I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE TODAY WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE COMMUNITY.
AND IT TOOK A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T KNOW ME, BUT JUST KNEW THAT I NEEDED HELP, AND THEY WERE WILLING TO REACH OUT AND GIVE A SISTER A HAND.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS BUILDING REPRESENTS.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND DOVE SPRINGS HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER FOR YEARS TO BRING SUPPORT, TO BRING GUIDANCE, TO BRING HEALTH TO OUR YOUTH.
DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE SHOWED UP TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS BUILDING, BUT WE MADE SURE WHEN THERE WAS NO OTHER PLACE TO HAVE VACCINES, WE WERE HERE.
WE USED THE LIBRARY, WE USED THE REC, WE HAD THE DRIVE THROUGH.
THE CONSTABLE WAS GOING DOOR TO DOOR.
LIKE WE MADE SURE THAT PEOPLE IN DOVE HAD THE THINGS THAT WE NEED.
AND SO WE'RE HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE THIS STRUCTURE, BUT IT REALLY IS A TESTAMENT TO THE WORK THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND DOVE SPRINGS HAVE BEEN DOING FOR A LONG TIME.
SO GIVE OURSELVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE OVER THAT ONE.
AND NOW I'M GONNA SAY THE WORDS THAT THE PIO TEAM ASKED ME TO SAY, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS ALSO RESILIENT.
A LOT OF THE PLANNING FOR THIS HAPPENED DURING COVID, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE STRUGGLING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS NEXT AND WHAT LIFE WAS GOING TO BE LIKE, WE WERE ALREADY LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE.
WE KNEW THAT WE WERE STILL GOING TO NEED PLACES TO BE AND TO GATHER TOGETHER.
AND SO TODAY WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE THIS 23,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY THAT WILL HAVE WIC SERVICES, FOOD PANTRIES, BASIC NEEDS, IMMUNIZATIONS, AND SO MUCH MORE.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE WILL NOT BE LIMITED BY WHAT, WHAT WE, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME THINK ABOUT THE WORDS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE LIMITED BY ROTE PROGRAMMING.
THIS COMMUNITY HAS SHOWN THAT WE CAN BE FLEXIBLE, WE CAN ADAPT, WE CAN BE STRONG, WE ARE RESILIENT.
SO WHATEVER THE COMMUNITY NEEDS FOR THIS PLACE TO BE, THAT'S WHAT DOVE SPRINGS PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER WILL BE.
LET'S CLAP FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT'S YOU.
AND SO, I, I REALLY DO NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, SOME PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE SPECIAL AND ARE, ARE GONNA SAY SOME COMMENTS THAT REALLY HELP MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, UM, FOR HIS VISION AND LEADERSHIP ARE HONORABLE MAYOR KIRK WBON, COUNCIL MEMBER OF VANESSA FUENTES, WHO KEPT IT UP ON OUR SHOULD COUNTY ATTORNEY, DALIA GARZA, WHO HELPED US GET THE BALL STARTED.
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD.
UM, AND I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I THANK THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT MAKE THIS HAPPEN, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT ONLY AN A PH JAM, THANK YOU FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THEIR PRESENCE HERE FOR PARKS AND RECREATION AND FOR THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO, UM, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
THAT'S PROBABLY LIKE, WHO'S THAT? I KNOW MY CLAP
UM, WE IS SOMEWHERE BACK THERE.
FACILITY MANAGER FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WHO MADE SURE THAT WE MET
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THE FINISH LINE AND ALSO OUR DESIGN TEAM FROM SPA, FROM SPA GLASS.UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I, I HAVE TO THANK THE COMMUNITY AND I'M SO GLAD THAT, UH, TWO HEROES ARE HERE TO SHARE SOME WORDS TODAY.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA HEAR FOR THEM SHORTLY.
AND SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LIKE TO PASS THE MIC TO OUR HONORABLE MAYOR, KIRK WATSON.
SHE SAID, MAYBE I CAN GET THAT TO WORK.
ISN'T IT A GREAT DAY TO BE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS? IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE WITH THIS FACILITY.
AND, AND, AND I, I REALLY AGREE.
WE START OFF BY WANTING TO SAY THIS IS ABOUT COMMUNITY.
IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THE COMMUNITY, WHEN YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT THIS BUILDING EXISTS NOW BECAUSE IT WAS FUNDED BY VOTER APPROVED BOND MEASURE IN 2018.
AND IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY INVESTING IN THE HEALTH AND THE HEALTHCARE OF EVERYONE IN AUSTIN.
IT EMBODIES OUR CITY'S COMMITMENT TO THE EQUITABLE HEALTHCARE, TO EQUITABLE HEALTHCARE AND EQUITABLE HEALTHCARE ACCESS FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.
A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECOGNIZED, BUT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THOSE RECOGNITIONS I WANNA RECOGNIZE AND GIVE CREDIT TO COUNTY ATTORNEY, BUT FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WAS HERE WHEN THAT BOND ELECTION PASSED.
DELIA GARZA, OUR CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER, WHO IS SUCH A STRONG ADVOCATE, ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT COMMUNITY AND ALWAYS BUILDING COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEMBER VANESSA FUENTES.
AND THEN THERE'S NOBODY THAT KNOWS CONSTABLE GEORGE MORALES THAT DOESN'T HAVE A STORY ABOUT CONSTABLE GEORGE MORALES KNOCKING ON DOORS, YOU KNOW, BRINGING WATER, DOING THE KIND OF WORK.
HE IS A PUBLIC SERVANT, BUT HE IS A PUBLIC SERVANT AT THE MOST BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL.
AND WE REALLY OWE HIM A DEBT OF GRATITUDE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE CITY STAFF THAT MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WORK.
UH, THOSE OF US THAT ARE IN ELECTIVE OFFICE, THAT, THAT LAY OUT HOW WE WANNA SEE THINGS HAPPEN.
IT'S THE, IT'S THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
AND I WANT TO GIVE A ROUND, I WANT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL OF THE CITY STAFF THAT HAS GOTTEN US HERE TODAY.
NOW, THE REASON THIS IS SUCH A GREAT DAY TO BE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS IS BECAUSE IT EXEMPLIFIES THIS DOVE SPRINGS PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITY IS GOING TO BRIDGE A LOT OF GAPS.
I SAID IT A MINUTE AGO, IT'S GOING TO, IT, IT DEMONSTRATES IT'S THE EPITOME OF EQUITABLE HEALTHCARE.
IT'S GONNA BRIDGE A LOT OF GAPS IN ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE BY BRINGING HEALTH SERVICES WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE FOR MANY, MANY RESIDENTS.
AND THAT'S GOING TO REDUCE THE TRAVEL TIMES.
IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT EASIER TO ACCESS HEALTHCARE.
THERE ARE DISPARITIES WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION, AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T RELATE THE DISPARITY IN TRANSPORTATION TO DISPARITIES IN HEALTH.
THIS IS PART OF ADDRESSING THAT.
AND IMPORTANTLY, IT PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE AND HOLISTIC APPROACH TO PROVIDING ESSENTIAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND REMOVES OTHER BARRIERS, SUCH AS ACCESS TO CHILDCARE.
SOMETHING ELSE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES IS TALKS ABOUT ALL THE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION, BUT HAVING ACCESS TO CHILDCARE, THAT BARRIER, THAT BARRIER BRINGS A BARRIER TO HEALTHCARE.
AND THIS IS HELPING KNOCK THAT DOWN THAT, UH, SO THAT THEY, PEOPLE CAN GET THE SERVICES THEY NEED.
IT ALSO OFFERS NUTRITION SERVICES AND, AND A DEMONSTRATION KITCHEN SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY, WHICH IS A KEY DETERMINANT OF HEALTH.
AND I'M SO PROUD OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR PAYING ATTENTION TO FOOD SECURITY AND FOOD INSECURITY AS A DETERMINANT OF HEALTH AND LOOKING AT IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE IT WILL COMPLIMENT THE HEALTH SERVICES THAT PEOPLE GET HERE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY.
THERE'S WONDERFUL COMMUNITY SPACE HERE.
THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, YOUTH SERVICES AND PLENTY OF OUTDOOR SPACE, UH, TO PLAY WITH SOCCER FIELDS AND HIKING TRAILS SO THAT WE CAN CONNECT OUR PARK SYSTEM.
THIS IS A GREAT DAY TO BE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
THIS HEALTH FACILITY IS A POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN COME TOGETHER TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY'S HEALTH.
WE CAN ALL BE VERY, VERY PROUD.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANKS TO ALL THAT HAVE MADE THIS HAPPEN.
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ME TURN OVER THE MICROPHONE.WE SAID SOME, SOME THINGS ABOUT HER, BUT WE WOULDN'T BE HERE.
BUT FOR FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND NOW COUNTY ATTORNEY DELIA GARZA.
WHAT A, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO BE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A BIT OF A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, UM, A LITTLE BEHIND THE SCENES.
AND THOSE OF YOU WHO KNEW ME ON COUNCIL, UM, YOU KNEW THAT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY FRANK AND, UM, MAYBE, MAYBE SHARE A LITTLE TOO MUCH, BUT I'M LIKE, THAT LATINA MAMA THAT YOU'RE LIKE, OH MY GOD, DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO, DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO EXPLAIN ALL THAT? BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT SPEAKS TO, UM, THE AREA, YOU KNOW, THE DUST SPRINGS AREA FEELING VERY, UM, NEGLECTED FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND I TRULY, TRULY BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE CHANGED OUR CITY COUNCIL TO THE TEN ONE SYSTEM, IT HAS TRULY CHANGED THE CITY, UM, IN, IN, IN AMAZING WAYS AND GIVING AREAS THAT FELT LONG NEGLECTED, UM, ATTENTION THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS BOND MEASURE STARTED WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT I, I WANNA RECOGNIZE O IS HERE.
I SAW, UH, ISABELLE OVER HERE.
MEMBERS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WERE HERE BEFORE I WAS ON CITY COUNCIL WHO WERE ADVOCATING FOR THE NEEDS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, THEY BROUGHT TO THE BOND COMMISSION A RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS TO BE ON THE 2018 BOND PACKAGE.
UM, AND THEN THERE, AND THEN THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND THERE WERE MANY, THERE WERE, I DON'T KNOW, ABOUT 30, 40, 50 DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEN IT'S THE CITY COUNCIL'S, UM, ROLE TO DECIDE WHAT GOES ON THE BALLOT.
AND SO, BECAUSE I KNEW THIS WAS SO IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, I, I, I, YOU KNOW, I LIVED IN THE DISTRICT, I KNEW THE STRUGGLES THAT FAMILIES FACED HERE.
UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, EASILY A SUPPORTER OF THIS, GETTING THIS ON THE BALLOT.
UH, BUT DURING, DURING THE, DURING THE PROCESS OF GETTING IT ON THE BALLOT, THERE WAS A POLL DONE AND THE POLL SHOWED OF ALL THE PROPOSITIONS, PROPOSITION E WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN, WHICH WAS THIS ONE HAD POLLED THE LOWEST.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN FROM MANY THAT SHOULD WE GO FORWARD WITH IT, SHOULD WE PLACE IT ON THE BALLOT? UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT SOMETHING TO FAIL.
AND THE CONCERN WAS BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY MEASURE ON THE BALLOT THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO ONE PART OF THE CITY.
THE OTHER ONES WERE PARKS, YOU KNOW, PARKS, BONDS FOR THE WHOLE CITY, FIRE STATIONS FOR THE WHOLE CITY, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE WHOLE CITY.
BUT THIS ONE WAS VERY SPECIFIC TO ONE AREA.
AND THE CONCERN WAS PEOPLE IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN ARE GONNA BE LIKE, WHERE'S DEAF SPRINGS? WHY SHOULD I VOTE FOR THIS? AND SO THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, SOME COLLEAGUES AND AND POWER BROKERS AT CITY HALL SAYING, MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT.
AND, YOU KNOW, LEAVING AS IF I WAS THE ONE TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
BUT I, BUT IT WASN'T MY DECISION.
THE COMMUNITY HAD COME TOGETHER AND SAID THIS WAS IMPORTANT.
AND SO I SAID, WE NEED TO PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT AND SHAME ON AUSTIN IF THEY DON'T PASS PROPOSITION E.
UM, BUT THANKFULLY THE AUSTIN VOTERS CAME THROUGH AGAIN, OR EDUCATED, CAME THROUGH AND PASSED AND PASSED PROPOSITION E.
SO I WANNA JUST THANK ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, SOON AFTER IT WAS ON THE BALLOT, MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WENT BEYOND THAT AND STARTED WORKING ON THE CAMPAIGN.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL REMEMBER THE C ON E? YES.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO ANSWERED CALLS CAMP, IT, IT BECOMES A CAMPAIGN AT THAT POINT.
ANSWERED CALLS, DONATED MONEY SO WE COULD HAVE MAILERS, SO WE COULD HAVE SIGNS SO WE COULD EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE THERE WERE OVER, I THINK, 12 OR 14 PROPOSITIONS ON THE BALLOT THAT YEAR.
AND THANKFULLY THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER.
LAST THING I'LL SAY, UM, IN MY CURRENT POSITION, UM, WE PROSECUTE MISDEMEANOR CRIMES IN ADDITION TO REPRESENTING THE COUNTY, UM, IN ALL CIVIL MATTERS.
AND I WAS AT AN EVENT, I WAS SPEAKING AT THE UT LAW, UM, SCHOOL YESTERDAY, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS ASKED, WHAT CAN YOU DO? YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK YOU DO IN, IN DIVERSION AND GETTING PEOPLE ACCESS TO RESOURCES, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR PR FOR CRIME PREVENTION? AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, CRIME PREVENTION IS WHAT I DID AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
YOU KNOW, GIVING PEOPLE, HELPING PEOPLE GET A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD, HELPING PEOPLE GET ACCESS TO FOOD, HELPING PEOPLE GET AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE, HELPING PEOPLE GET THE SERVICES THEY NEED AND ADVOCATING FOR LIVING WAGE.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT HELP WITH CRIME PREVENTION.
AND SO I'M SO GRATEFUL, UM, THAT THAT RIGHT BEHIND ME CAME A WONDERFUL LEADER, UM, ADVOCATING AND CONTINUING TO PUSH WONDERFUL THINGS FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THAT'S COUNCIL MEMBER VANESSA FUENTES, AND I'LL PASS IT ON TO HER.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANNA THANK MY PREDECESSOR AND SHE TALKED US THROUGH THE HISTORY OF BRINGING THIS PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITY, BUT I REALLY, IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ROLE THAT DELIA GARZA PLAYED IN ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THIS BRAND NEW, BEAUTIFUL PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITY.
BECAUSE OFTEN THE WORK THAT WOMEN DO THAT GET DIMINISHED AND UNDERVALUED AND
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UNDER TALKED ABOUT.SO LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR ONE MORE TIME FOR DELIA GARZA, THE WHOLE ROLE AND TRULY THE LEGACY THAT SHE'S BUILDING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS SHE SAID, WE ARE NOW COMING UP ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TEN ONE SYSTEM.
AND IN THOSE 10 YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN INCREDIBLE PROGRESS RIGHT HERE IN DOVE SPRINGS.
IN FACT, IN OUR LITTLE QUADRANT THAT WE HAVE OVER HERE, WE HAVE A REC CENTER, WE HAVE A LIBRARY, WE HAVE CHILDCARE NOW, AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMING UP IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE A BUS RAPID TRANSIT LINE RUNNING EVERY 10 MINUTE ELECTRIC BUSES RUNNING DOWN PLEASANT VALLEY.
ISN'T THAT INCREDIBLE? I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE A FEW OF OUR DISTRICT TWO COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT WE HAVE HERE WITH US TODAY.
WE HAVE A ISD TRUSTEE OPHELIA
WE ALSO HAVE, AND TRULY, I I CALL THEM OUR, OUR DISTRICT TWO LEADERSHIP TEAM.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS GLORIA LUGO, WHO SERVES ON THE SENIORS COMMISSION.
CINDY JATO, WHO'S ON OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
AND RAYMOND YOUNG, WHO'S ON OUR AIRPORT COMMISSION, OTHER COMMUNITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE DOVE SPRINGS ADVISORY BOARD WITH US SOUTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD COMBINED CONTRACT TEAM, DOVE SPRINGS, CROWN GO, AUSTIN, BAOS AUSTIN, THE PARKS BOARD, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, THE EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL AND RIVER CITY YOUTH FOUNDATION.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE REASON WHY I RAN FOR OFFICE WAS BECAUSE OF THE HEALTH DIVIDE THAT WE FACE IN THIS CITY.
YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD ME MENTION A TIME OR TWO THAT AUSTINITES THAT LIVE EAST OF 35 HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY OF AT LEAST 10 YEARS LESS THAN AUSTINITES WHO LIVE WEST.
AND IF WE'RE TRULY COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING THE DISPARITIES OF OUR CITY, IT STARTS BY ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE ACCESS THAT WE NOT ONLY NEED, BUT THAT WE DESERVE.
AND SO TODAY IS A MILESTONE MOMENT FOR US HERE IN DOVE SPRINGS.
I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, SOMEONE WHO COULDN'T BE HERE WITH US TODAY, OUR CONGRESSMAN GREG CASAR.
ALTHOUGH HE WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT HE HAS HAD SOME PRETTY INCREDIBLE EFFORTS TO SECURE FUNDING FOR THE DOVE SPRINGS EARLYHOOD EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTER.
SO PLEASE THANK YOU TO OUR CONGRESSMAN.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO THE PEOPLE'S CONSTABLE, CONSTABLE GEORGE MORALES.
30 YEARS, 30 YEARS, WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION OF, OF A HEALTH FACILITY OR A FAMILY PLANNING FACILITY, OR A SENIOR FACILITY.
30 YEARS THAT DISCUSSION HAPPENED.
AND I, I CANNOT BE THAT PERSON THAT WON'T RECOGNIZE THOSE THAT FOUGHT THAT GOOD FIGHT.
UH, BRUCE AND SANDY SANDERS, UH, MONA GONZALEZ, JILL RAMIREZ, JESSE AND CONNIE MORALES, DAN AND FRANCIS GOMEZ.
THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT KIND OF RALLIED BACK IN THOSE DAYS WHEN I WAS A LITTLE YOUNGER AND THEY WERE PRESSING, SOMETIMES THEIR VOICES WERE HEARD, SOMETIMES THEIR VOICES WERE NOT HEARD.
BUT WE ENDED UP WITH THE TEN ONE SYSTEM AND WE HAD A VOICE IN DELIA GARZA.
SHE WOULD FIGHT AND SHE WOULD FIGHT WITH ME.
SO SHE WOULD FIGHT WITH ME AND SHE WOULD FIGHT SO HARD.
THEY WOULD, IT WOULD MAKE A LITTLE, SOMETIMES MAKE PEOPLE UPSET.
BUT IT'S OKAY BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE GET UPSET, THE WORK GETS DONE.
WE HAVE A HEALTH FACILITY, WE HAVE A FAMILY FACILITY, WE HAVE A WIC FACILITY, WE HAVE A DAYCARE FACILITY NEXT DOOR.
YOU MIGHT KNOW THE PERSON THAT'S ON THAT WALL OVER THERE.
WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD REC CENTER TOO, BUT IT'S EXCITING.
TODAY'S EXCITING FOR EVERYONE.
MAYOR ADLER AT THE TIME, DELIA GARZA, WE HAD A MEETING AND IT WAS YAY ON A AND PROPOSITIONS A THROUGH J, BUT THEY LEFT THE LETTER OUT.
THE LETTER WAS E FOR DUST SPRINGS FAMILY HEALTH FACILITY.
THAT IS SAID, WELL, NO, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE E, BUT IT'S C ON E, WHICH MEANS YES ON E.
SO THE FIGHT STARTED ON THE GROUND.
YOU FIND YOURSELF IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU HAVE BASICALLY YOU NEVER GREW UP.
I GREW UP IN THE DUST SPRING COMMUNITY MY ENTIRE LIFE, BUT HERE I WAS IN OAK HILL NORTHWEST ON STACK BREAKER AND DESAL
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TALKING TO COMMUNITY GROUP SAYING, WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT.THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED HERE.
THANK YOU TO STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD.
ADRIAN DREW UP CITY OF AUSTIN TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBER VANESSA FUENTES, WHO MADE SURE THIS WAS ON TASK AND MADE SURE IT WAS COMPLETED.
NOW I'LL SWITCH BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING TODAY HERE AT THIS FACILITY.
WE GET TO DEDICATE A PIECE OF IT TO A FRIEND AND A FAMILY MEMBER OF MINE, RAYMOND AND OLA YOUNG.
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE YOUNG FAMILY IS FOR THE LAST 27 YEARS, THEY HAVE FOUGHT TIRELESSLY FOR THE DUTCH BRIDGE COMMUNITY.
WHETHER IT WAS THE FLOODS, WHETHER IT WAS CO, WHETHER IT WAS VACCINES, WHETHER IT WAS GETTING WATER DURING THE WINTER STORMS, WHETHER SOMETIMES OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET FUNDING INITIATIVES HERE IN DOVE SPRINGS, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE REC CENTER.
RAYMOND AND OLA YOUNG HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH, SO MUCH TO THIS COMMUNITY.
RAYMOND AND OLA YOUNG WERE OUR GO-TO, FOR MY WIFE AND I, WHEN WE JUST FELT, HEY, WE CAN'T DO IT BY OURSELVES.
AND THE YOUNG FAMILY, WERE ALWAYS THERE TO HELP US.
SO IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE MY FRIEND AND AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS, RAYMOND AND OLA YOUNG.
WE WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE REC CENTER, EVERYONE AROUND, UH, GROWING UP I UTILIZE ALL THE SERVICES, RECREATION CENTERS.
UH, WE HAVE FREE LUNCH, REDUCED LUNCH.
I WORKED MY WAY UP FROM THAT POINT AND I'M A GIVER.
THERE'S TOO MANY TAKERS IN THIS WORLD, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE BACK.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO DO ONE MORE THING BEFORE WE CUT THE RIBBON.
AND THIS BUILDING IS NICE AND THESE SPEECHES ARE WONDERFUL, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN WITHOUT THIS TEAM.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO COME UP.
DONNA, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DONNA STROM.
I'M TALKING TO YOU, JANELLE, I'M TALKING TO YOU.
SO THEY CAN SEE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA BE HERE DAY IN, DAY OUT, PROVIDING THESE SERVICES.
ALRIGHT, SO NOW WE GONNA CUT SOME RIBBONS.
THIS IS A TXN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL.