A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the memory of julian G. whitener, former mayor of the city of Hickory, on the occasion of hickory being named a 2007 all‑america city.

Whereas, the late Julian G. Whitener served as Mayor of the City of Hickory from 1959 to 1977, where he was a diligent and devoted servant who helped to improve the conditions of the City; and
Whereas, the citizens of the City of Hickory possess a community spirit that has enabled them to work together successfully to improve the quality of their lives; and
Whereas, Hickory was recently honored by the National Civic League as one of the 10 communities nationwide to receive its All‑America City Award, which recognizes excellence in local efforts to strengthen the civic infrastructure of America's communities; and
Whereas, this honor gave Hickory its third win in 40 years, having previously been named an All‑America City in 1967 and 1987, and put the city in an elite group of only 28 cities to earn this recognition three or more times; and
Whereas, to justify why the city deserved the All‑America City Award, Hickory demonstrated its efforts to rebound from recent economic hardships and presented the effects of three grassroots projects: the Hickory Metro Higher Education Center, a partnership between various academic institutions that try to improve educational opportunities of area citizens and boost economic development in the region; Exodus Home, a nonprofit agency that provides transitional and permanent housing for disadvantaged residents; and Project Potential, a scholarship program aimed at helping at‑risk youth stay in school by offering them scholarships for post high school education; and
Whereas, the extraordinary achievements of Hickory helped distinguish the City of Hickory as an All‑America City, and this honor deserves recognition by the General Assembly; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Julian G. Whitener, former Mayor of the City of Hickory, and expresses its gratitude for the service he rendered to the people of Hickory.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly honors the City of Hickory and its citizens for receiving the National Civic League's All‑America City Award and wishes to extend its congratulations to the City of Hickory and its citizens for bringing national recognition to the State of North Carolina.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Mayor of the City of Hickory.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 17th day of July, 2007.

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		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

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		 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives