[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1577]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE INAUGURATION OF THE BETTY RODRIGUEZ REGIONAL LIBRARY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 9, 2016

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of the 
late Betty Rodriguez and inauguration of the state of the art Betty 
Rodriguez Regional Library named in her honor. The newly reconstructed 
14,000 square foot library located in east-central Fresno features 25 
computers, a 3-D printer, and robotics kits, making it Fresno County's 
newest, most technologically advanced library. The library also 
features a meeting room for 50, group study spaces, and a separate 
quiet reading room. The site on which the Betty Rodriguez Regional 
Library exists, is nearly double the size of its 40 year predecessor, 
and creates a significant advancement for the City of Fresno. This new 
library serves as a reminder to all of the life of Betty Rodriguez, and 
the legacy she created within the community through her selfless 
dedication to others.
  Mrs. Rodriguez was an individual of outstanding character and 
throughout her career, achieved a great deal of success and impacted 
the lives of many. Mrs. Rodriguez was an inspiration to all, especially 
to students and young children, teaching them that through hard work 
and education, they are able to achieve success in their lives. Mrs. 
Rodriguez dedicated her life to serving as a role model for our youth 
by motivating them to dream big and to work hard. Demonstrating her 
strong commitment to our youth, Betty was a member of Friends of the 
Fresno County Library, and was a great supporter of the Boys and Girls 
Club of Fresno County, the Boy Scouts of America, the Girl Scouts of 
the United States of America, and the Special Olympics.
  Public service was important to Mrs. Rodriguez, and she was very 
active in many community organizations. For example, Betty served on 
Fresno's Torreon Sister City Committee, a non-profit organization that 
supports the development of partnerships between U.S. cities and cities 
around the world. She also helped to launch the League of Mexican 
American Women in 1973 in order to help women in her community become 
more politically aware and to facilitate the contribution of their 
services for schools and organizations. For her contributions to the 
Mexican-American community, she was awarded the ``Medalla de Ohtli'' by 
the Institute of Mexicans Abroad, in 2009.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a woman 
who always demonstrated a strong commitment to serving others. The new 
library, located near Cedar and Clinton Avenues in Fresno, will rightly 
bear the name of someone who has positively influenced the lives of so 
many people in the community. Her memory will live on through her 
family and will continue to serve as a reminder to all who access the 
state of the art library. It is a beautiful tribute to the life of Mrs. 
Betty Rodriguez, and I know she will continue to inspire others through 
her ever-lasting presence at the Betty Rodriguez Regional Library.

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