By Gutierrez                                           H.R. No. 581
         77R10342 WMS-F                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives takes great
 1-2     pleasure in welcoming back the Border Blitz delegation, composed of
 1-3     residents from the cities of McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Edinburg,
 1-4     Hidalgo, and Weslaco; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, Gateway to Northern Mexico, the Rio Grande Valley is
 1-6     one of our state's most dynamic regions and serves as a flyway
 1-7     between North and South America; the Valley is rich in cultural
 1-8     diversity, touting the third fastest growing metropolitan
 1-9     statistical area in Texas, and attributes its prosperity to
1-10     agriculture and labor-intensive industry; the region is also
1-11     booming as a nature eco-tourism area and offers some of the best
1-12     birding in the country; and
1-13           WHEREAS, Only three miles from the border, McAllen is ideally
1-14     located to reap the benefits of the anticipated growth in commerce
1-15     and trade between the United States and Mexico; the city is rich in
1-16     Hispanic flavor, and its laid-back, subtropical setting makes it an
1-17     ideal winter vacation resort; an area suited to year-round farming,
1-18     vegetables, sugar cane, and onions are always plentiful, while
1-19     summer brings cotton, and winter crops are grapefruit and oranges;
1-20     moreover, many United States manufacturers are combining  with
1-21     Mexican maquiladoras in the Foreign Trade Zone to create a strong
1-22     manufacturing presence in McAllen; and
1-23           WHEREAS, Edinburg, the Hidalgo County seat, has a burgeoning
1-24     economy and is the only Texas city named a 2000 winner of the
 2-1     All-America City Award, the oldest and most prestigious prize
 2-2     accorded communities in the United States; Edinburg is the
 2-3     recipient of two previous All-America City awards, in 1968 and
 2-4     1995, and has shown itself to be a community where concerned
 2-5     citizens can come together to accomplish different goals; in
 2-6     addition, it is home to the premier institution of higher learning
 2-7     in the Rio Grande Valley, The University of Texas--Pan American;
 2-8     and
 2-9           WHEREAS, Located on the Mexican border, the city of Pharr
2-10     boasts a state-of-the-art international bridge, which connects U.S.
2-11     Highway 281 to the city of Reynosa, Mexico; Pharr is blessed with a
2-12     sunny, warm climate and is one of the nation's top producers of
2-13     winter vegetables and citrus fruits; the city attributes its
2-14     prosperity to a diversified economy that includes natural gas and a
2-15     growing number of commercial enterprises, including trucking
2-16     companies and hotels; and
2-17           WHEREAS, The lovely town of Mission is situated in
2-18     southwestern Hidalgo County and proudly calls itself "Home of the
2-19     Grapefruit," a fitting title for this producer of the famed "Texas
2-20     Ruby Red" variety; a charming town steeped in civic pride, Mission
2-21     celebrates the only all-poinsettia show in the United States and is
2-22     home to the American Poinsettia Society; in addition to its
2-23     agricultural and tourism industries, 30 industrial plants play a
2-24     vital role in Mission's economic well-being; and
2-25           WHEREAS, Located on the Rio Grande in south central Hidalgo
2-26     County, the city of Hidalgo takes pride in its unique cultural
2-27     flavor, which comes from its proximity to Mexico's border; like
 3-1     other cities in the Valley, Hidalgo is a hub for industry and
 3-2     agriculture and its citizens are united in their sense of community
 3-3     and culture; and
 3-4           WHEREAS, The city of Weslaco, centrally located in the Rio
 3-5     Grande Valley, provides all the amenities for an excellent quality
 3-6     of life; ideal for nature tourists, Weslaco hosts four sites on the
 3-7     Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail and features the Mid-Valley
 3-8     Nature Center, the Frontera Audubon Center, and is to be the
 3-9     central site of the World Birding Center; now, therefore, be it
3-10           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
3-11     Legislature hereby welcome the Border Blitz delegation to the State
3-12     Capitol and extend to its members and their cities best wishes for
3-13     the future.