Honor Rezsin Adams

Assembly Resolution No. 118 BY: M. of A. Fahy COMMENDING Rezsin Adams upon the occasion of being named a 2017 Woman of Distinction WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay tribute to those women of achievement within the Empire State who have made strong contributions to their communities and who inspire others through their model citizenship; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Rezsin Adams upon the occasion of being named a 2017 Woman of Distinction; and WHEREAS, Women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made invaluable contributions to the growth and strength of New York State in countless recorded and unrecorded ways; and WHEREAS, Each year, the State of New York officially sets aside time to recognize the achievements and lives of these exemplary women, representatives of the wide-ranging and vital roles women have played in the historic development of this great Empire State and its communities; and WHEREAS, Known as the "Grande dame of the local peace and environmental movements," Rezsin Adams has been the heart of Albany's peace and justice movement since she moved there in 1958; and WHEREAS, For numerous decades, Rezsin Adams has been an outspoken advocate for many causes including the environment, civil rights, and the Vietnam War; and WHEREAS, Born in the Bronx, Rezsin Adams was a headstrong girl who often wandered through the streets of New York City looking for new and exciting adventures; as a teenager, she met other young liberals in a loft in Greenwich Village and talked about how they would change the world; and WHEREAS, After high school, Rezsin Adams majored in biology at the University of Rochester in the late 1940s; while a student, she worked at the Marine Biology Laboratory at Woods Hole, where she studied with a young teacher named Rachel Carson, who published Silent Spring, an influential book on environmentalism; and WHEREAS, Beginning in the early 1960s, Rezsin Adams has protested the Vietnam War, and every war since, was jailed for civil disobedience while protesting the Persian Gulf War, worked for civil rights, fought with the anti-nuclear movement, advocated on behalf of striking farm workers, helped protect a unique ecosystem by being one of the forces behind the creation of the Pine Bush Preserve, and has for years fought the City of Albany in a largely successful attempt to keep the city from building a dump in the endangered Karner Blue butterfly's habitat; and WHEREAS, Interested in increasing public awareness of, and appreciation for, the natural resources of New York, Rezsin Adams founded Save the Pine Bush; this vital organization's efforts resulted in the creation of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Management Commission, and the preservation of a couple of thousand acres of Pine Bush; and WHEREAS, As President of Save the Pine Bush, Rezsin Adams has been instrumental in raising awareness and garnering interest from the community; through their advocacy and education efforts, students and the public come to study and explore this unique ecosystem; and WHEREAS, With her throughout have been her husband, Ted Adams, and their two children, all of whom have felt privileged to be a part of her life and rejoice in her achievements; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body recognizes that New York State is the home of countless women who are strong and colorful threads, vital to the fabric of our rich heritage, who have contributed, and continue to add to the advancement of our culture through their traditional and non-traditional roles in society; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend Rezsin Adams upon the occasion of being named a 2017 Woman of Distinction; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Rezsin Adams.