By Gutierrez H.R. No. 582 76R11179 JBR-F R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to join 1-2 with the citizens of South Texas in celebrating the opening of 1-3 Trans World Airlines' direct service from McAllen to Austin on 1-4 April 6, 1999; the house of representatives is also pleased to 1-5 welcome to Austin the Border Blitz delegation, composed of 1-6 representatives from McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Edinburg, and Hidalgo 1-7 who will be passengers on this initial flight; and 1-8 WHEREAS, The gateway to Northern Mexico, the Rio Grande 1-9 Valley is one of Texas' most dynamic regions; rich in cultural 1-10 diversity, the Valley is a flyway between North and South America 1-11 and offers some of the best birding in the country; the region 1-12 boasts the third-fastest growing metropolitan statistical area in 1-13 the state and attributes its prosperity to agriculture and 1-14 labor-intensive industry; the Valley is also thriving as an 1-15 ecotourism area; and 1-16 WHEREAS, McAllen, which is located only three miles from the 1-17 border, is ideal for reaping the benefits of the anticipated growth 1-18 in commerce and trade between the United States and Mexico; McAllen 1-19 is rich in Hispanic flavor, and its laid-back, subtropical setting 1-20 makes it an ideal winter vacation resort; the climate is conducive 1-21 to farming as well, producing fields of vegetables, sugar cane, and 1-22 onions year-round, while summer brings cotton and winter brings 1-23 grapefruit and oranges; finally, many United States manufacturers 1-24 combine with Mexican maquiladoras in the foreign trade zone to 2-1 create a strong manufacturing presence in McAllen; and 2-2 WHEREAS, Edinburg is the Hidalgo County seat and serves as 2-3 the western gateway to the Lower Rio Grande Valley; Edinburg has 2-4 become one of the nation's leading producers of vegetables and 2-5 citrus fruit, and the city's recent dramatic expansion has 2-6 generated significant economic growth; Edinburg is home to the 2-7 state-of-the-art Edinburg Regional Medical Center and one of the 2-8 Rio Grande Valley's premier institutions of higher learning, The 2-9 University of Texas--Pan American; and 2-10 WHEREAS, Located just 11 miles from the Mexican border, the 2-11 city of Pharr boasts a new international bridge that connects it to 2-12 the town of Reynosa, Mexico; Pharr is blessed with a sunny, warm 2-13 climate, and like neighboring McAllen and Edinburg, the city is one 2-14 of the nation's top producers of winter vegetables and citrus 2-15 fruits; Pharr attributes its prosperity to a diversified economy 2-16 that includes natural gas and cotton production, as well as a 2-17 number of rapidly growing industries and companies; and 2-18 WHEREAS, Situated in southwestern Hidalgo County, the lovely 2-19 town of Mission proudly calls itself the "Home of the Grapefruit," 2-20 a fitting title for this producer of the famed Texas Ruby Red 2-21 variety; a charming town with much civic pride, Mission celebrates 2-22 the only all-poinsettia show in the United States and is home to 2-23 the American Poinsettia Society; in addition to its agricultural 2-24 and tourism industries, the city has 30 industrial plants that play 2-25 a vital role in securing Mission's economic well-being; and 2-26 WHEREAS, Located on the Rio Grande in south central Hidalgo 2-27 County, the city of Hidalgo is proud of its unique cultural flavor, 3-1 which comes from its proximity to Mexico's border; like other 3-2 cities in the Valley, Hidalgo is a hub for industry and 3-3 agriculture, and its citizens take pride in their community and 3-4 their culture; and 3-5 WHEREAS, Trans World Airlines' decision to offer direct 3-6 service to Austin is indeed a boon for all citizens of McAllen, 3-7 Mission, Pharr, Edinburg, and Hidalgo; as the Rio Grande Valley 3-8 continues to thrive, its busy residents will undoubtedly enjoy the 3-9 convenience and timeliness of Trans World Airlines' nonstop flight 3-10 to the state's capital; now, therefore, be it 3-11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas 3-12 Legislature hereby commemorate the inaugural flight of Trans World 3-13 Airlines' service from McAllen to Austin and extend best wishes to 3-14 the Border Blitz delegation and to all future passengers of this 3-15 flight for a safe, comfortable passage; and, be it further 3-16 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-17 prepared for Trans World Airlines as an expression of high regard 3-18 by the Texas House of Representatives.