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