By Najera                                              H.C.R. No. 2
         77R3960 MDM-D                           
                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives and Senate take
 1-2     great pleasure in joining the citizens of El Paso in the
 1-3     celebration of El Paso Days at the State Capitol on February 6-7,
 1-4     2001; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, Platted in 1859, the city takes its name from its
 1-6     legendary location, El Paso del Norte, the Pass of the North; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, Now Texas' fourth-largest city, El Paso is noted for
 1-8     its fascinating union of cultures, languages, and history; its
 1-9     precincts include Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, home of Tigua Indians who
1-10     moved to the area from New Mexico about 1680; and
1-11           WHEREAS, The U.S. Army post Fort Bliss was established in the
1-12     area in 1848; today more than 15,000 active military personnel are
1-13     assigned to the base, which is the largest air defense training
1-14     center in the world; and
1-15           WHEREAS, In addition to its military ties, El Paso is known
1-16     as the primary health care center for much of the southwestern
1-17     United States and northern Mexico, and it offers medical services
1-18     at five private hospitals, one public hospital, Texas Tech
1-19     University Health Science Center, and William Beaumont Army Medical
1-20     Center; and
1-21           WHEREAS, The city provides myriad academic and job-training
1-22     opportunities to its population through the comprehensive
1-23     curriculums offered at such noted educational institutions as The
1-24     University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso Community College, and the
 2-1     Center for Workforce Preparedness; and
 2-2           WHEREAS, Ideally situated regarding transportation, El
 2-3     Pasoans enjoy easy access to two international airports, two
 2-4     interstate highways, four international ports of entry, and three
 2-5     rail providers; and
 2-6           WHEREAS, The El Paso-Juarez, Mexico, metropolis makes up the
 2-7     largest border community in the world and continues to draw both
 2-8     business and tourism; the region's unprecedented economic growth is
 2-9     due in large part to its appealing blend of a skilled workforce,
2-10     diverse cultures, welcoming residents, and a temperate climate; and
2-11           WHEREAS, El Paso boasts the world's largest Harley-Davidson
2-12     motorcycle dealership and is home base for numerous companies that
2-13     have achieved national and worldwide success, including Continental
2-14     Airlines, Old El Paso Foods, and the Hilton Hotel chain, founded by
2-15     former El Pasoan Conrad Hilton; and
2-16           WHEREAS, Also headquartered in El Paso is the League of
2-17     United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a nationally recognized
2-18     civil rights organization founded in Texas in 1929; and
2-19           WHEREAS, Set in a beautiful desert landscape dominated by the
2-20     Franklin Mountains, the city of El Paso offers an array of cultural
2-21     and recreational activities that range from the impressive Kress
2-22     Collection at the El Paso Museum of Art to world-class Mexican
2-23     food; the city can also lay claim to fame as the birthplace of a
2-24     widely popular beverage, the margarita, which was created by former
2-25     resident Francisco Pancho Morales; throughout the year sports
2-26     enthusiasts enjoy an exciting schedule of events featuring
2-27     variously the El Paso Diablos baseball team, the El Paso Buzzards
 3-1     hockey team, and the El Paso Patriots soccer team; and
 3-2           WHEREAS, Natives of this westernmost Texas city have achieved
 3-3     acclaim in many areas of endeavor, including entertainment,
 3-4     journalism, and the law; among those who have risen to prominence
 3-5     are United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor,
 3-6     entertainer Debbie Reynolds, newsman Sam Donaldson, Star Trek
 3-7     creator Gene Roddenberry, ventriloquist Ronn Lucas, Texas rock and
 3-8     roll pioneer Bobby Fuller, and singer Florencia Bisenta de Casillas
 3-9     Martinez Cardona, better known as Vikki Carr; El Paso's sister
3-10     city, Juarez, Mexico, is the hometown of internationally known
3-11     recording artist Juan Gabriel; and
3-12           WHEREAS, The residents of El Paso take justifiable pride in
3-13     their city's rich and colorful history and enthusiastically
3-14     anticipate the challenges and opportunities of the coming years,
3-15     and it is indeed a joy to salute them and their fine city; now,
3-16     therefore, be it
3-17           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
3-18     hereby recognize February 6-7, 2001, as El Paso Days at the State
3-19     Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the residents of this historic
3-20     and dynamic city.