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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, During the weeks that followed the mass shooting at |
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the Cielo Vista Walmart in El Paso on August 3, 2019, the Zaragoza |
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Rotary Club partnered with El Paso City Council member Henry Rivera |
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to maintain the temporary memorial that was created to honor the 22 |
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people who lost their lives on that tragic day; and |
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WHEREAS, To commemorate those who were killed in the horrific |
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attack, El Pasoans began visiting and bringing flowers, candles, |
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stuffed animals, signs, and other items to a makeshift memorial |
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overlooking the Walmart parking lot; soon after, El Paso City |
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Representative Henry Rivera recognized the need to tidy up the |
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memorial, and he went on to enlist the help of the Zaragoza Rotary |
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Club of El Paso, which volunteered to make weekly visits to the site |
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before a permanent structure could be established; and |
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WHEREAS, Rotary Club volunteers removed wilting flowers from |
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the memorial, which were then taken to the El Paso Zoo to be |
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recycled into compost; the organization continued performing this |
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service until the store reopened on November 14 and the memorial was |
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removed; on November 23, a permanent monument called the "Grand |
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Candela," a 30-foot-tall illuminated obelisk, was unveiled and |
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dedicated to each of the victims and survivors of the tragedy; and |
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WHEREAS, In the immediate aftermath of the horrific events of |
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August 3, 2019, El Pasoans gathered at the makeshift memorial to |
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mourn and pay their respects to the innocent people whose lives were |
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cut short by an appalling act of violence, and Representative Henry |
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Rivera and the Zaragoza Rotary Club are deserving of praise for |
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their commitment to ensuring that the site received the care that it |
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deserved; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend El Paso City Representative Henry Rivera |
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and the Zaragoza Rotary Club of El Paso for their efforts to |
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maintain the temporary memorial at the Cielo Vista Walmart in El |
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Paso and extend to them sincere best wishes for the future; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Representative Rivera and the Zaragoza Rotary Club as |
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an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |