1-1 1 1-2 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 527 1-3 WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas welcomes back to 1-4 Austin the Border Blitz delegation, comprised of representatives 1-5 from McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Edinburg, Hidalgo, and Weslaco; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Gateway to Northern Mexico, the Rio Grande Valley is 1-7 one of Texas' most dynamic regions; rich in cultural diversity, the 1-8 valley is a flyway between North and South America and offers some 1-9 of the best birding in the country; the region boasts the third 1-10 fastest growing metropolitan statistical area in the state and 1-11 attributes its prosperity to agriculture and labor-intensive 1-12 industry; the valley is also booming as a nature eco-tourism 1-13 area; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Only three miles from the border, McAllen is ideal 1-15 for reaping the benefits of the anticipated growth in commerce and 1-16 trade between the United States and Mexico; McAllen is rich in 1-17 Hispanic flavor, and its laid-back, subtropical setting makes it an 1-18 ideal winter vacation resort; McAllen is an area fit for year-round 1-19 farming, and fields of vegetables, sugar cane, and onions are 1-20 always plentiful, while summer brings cotton, and winter brings 1-21 grapefruit and oranges; finally, many United States manufacturers 1-22 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 has a 2-3 burgeoning economy and is the only Texas city named a 2000 winner 2-4 of the All-America City Award, the oldest and most prestigious 2-5 prize accorded communities in the United States; Edinburg has also 2-6 been the recipient of two previous All-America City Awards, in 1968 2-7 and 1995; the city has shown itself to be a community where 2-8 concerned citizens can come together to accomplish different goals; 2-9 Edinburg is home to the premier institution of higher learning in 2-10 the Rio Grande Valley, The University of Texas--Pan American; and 2-11 WHEREAS, Located on the Mexican border, the City of Pharr 2-12 boasts a state-of-the-art international bridge, which connects the 2-13 United States Highway 281 to the City of Reynosa, Mexico; Pharr is 2-14 blessed with a sunny, warm climate; the city is one of the nation's 2-15 top producers of winter vegetables and citrus fruits; Pharr 2-16 attributes its prosperity to a diversified economy, which includes 2-17 natural gas and a number of growing industries and companies such 2-18 as trucking companies and hotels; and 2-19 WHEREAS, Situated in southwestern Hidalgo County, the lovely 2-20 town of Mission proudly calls itself "Home of the Grapefruit," a 2-21 fitting title for this producer of the famed "Texas Ruby Red" 2-22 variety; a charming town with much civic pride, Mission celebrates 2-23 the only all-poinsettia show in the United States and is home to 2-24 the American Poinsettia Society; in addition to agricultural and 3-1 tourism industries, 30 industrial plants play a vital role in 3-2 Mission's economic well-being; and 3-3 WHEREAS, Located on the Rio Grande in south central 3-4 Hidalgo County, the City of Hidalgo is proud of its unique 3-5 cultural flavor, which comes from its proximity to Mexico's border; 3-6 like other cities in the valley, Hidalgo is a hub for industry and 3-7 agriculture; its citizens take pride in their community and their 3-8 culture; and 3-9 WHEREAS, Centrally located in the Rio Grande Valley, the 3-10 City of Weslaco provides all of the amenities for an excellent 3-11 quality of life and is home to nature tourism; proud of its four 3-12 sites on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, Weslaco features 3-13 the Mid-Valley Nature and the Frontera Audubon Center and is to 3-14 be the central site of the World Birding Center; now, therefore, 3-15 be it 3-16 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 3-17 77th Legislature, hereby welcome and extend best wishes to the 3-18 members of the Border Blitz delegation; and, be it further 3-19 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for the 3-20 Border Blitz delegation as a memento of this special occasion. 3-21 Lucio 3-22 Armbrister Gallegos Shapiro 3-23 Barrientos Harris Shapleigh 3-24 Bernsen Haywood Sibley 3-25 Bivins Jackson Staples 3-26 Brown Lindsay Truan 4-1 Cain Madla Van de Putte 4-2 Carona Moncrief Wentworth 4-3 Duncan Nelson West 4-4 Ellis Ogden Whitmire 4-5 Fraser Zaffirini 4-6 Ratliff, President of the Senate 4-7 ______________________________________ 4-8 President of the Senate 4-9 I hereby certify that the above 4-10 Resolution was adopted by the Senate 4-11 on March 21, 2001. 4-12 ______________________________________ 4-13 Secretary of the Senate 4-14 ______________________________________ 4-15 Member, Texas Senate