[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 2, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING JOAN PRICE

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                          HON. JOAQUIN CASTRO

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 2, 2014

  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Joan 
Price, a leader in San Antonio whose life and work was a testament that 
neighborhood associations are vital to a democracy and in exercising 
civic responsibility and power.
  Mrs. Price was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1932 but it was in San 
Antonio, TX where, as one of the founders of the Ingram Hills 
Neighborhood Association, she made an enduring mark. For 14 remarkable 
and trail-blazing years, she served as the association's president.
  Earlier than most, Mrs. Price saw the democratic and communitarian 
potential of neighborhoods. She understood and demonstrated that 
neighborhood associations are ideal for building relationships, 
creating community, developing leadership, raising voices and keeping 
officials accountable. She knew that the advocacy of good neighborhood 
associations led to quality services such as public safety, parks, 
community centers and zoning laws that did not violate the character of 
a neighborhood.
  Mrs. Price worked closely with all of her elected officials in 
thinking about and carrying out projects that would benefit not just 
the neighborhood she deeply loved but also the city she equally 
cherished. For many years, Mrs. Price successfully fought hard for a 
neighborhood park. In 2011, that park was renamed in her honor
  Mrs. Price wrote the award-winning Ingram Hills Neighborhood 
Association newsletter, ``The Neighbor Connection.'' That title also 
speaks to her life and work. Not only was she the distinctive voice of 
a neighborhood but in the true spirit of neighborliness, she connected 
people with each other, connected them with their elected officials and 
connected them with their civic ideals and responsibilities.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have been blessed to have Joan Price as 
a friend and I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize this 
magnificent woman, great San Antonian and true neighbor to all she 
knew.

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