78R4803 WMS-D

By:  Chavez                                                       H.R. No. 183



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives takes pleasure in 
welcoming distinguished visitors from El Paso on February 10, 2003, 
who are here to celebrate El Paso Day in Austin; and
	WHEREAS, During almost 400 years of history, El Paso Del 
Norte in the Franklin Mountains reflects the influence of its 
original indigenous inhabitants, the Spanish missions with their 
accompanying priests and converts, and the newer Anglo settlements, 
and is also a 21st century city that is bilingual, bicultural, and 
binational; and
	WHEREAS, El Paso and its sister city, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, 
have been linked for over three centuries and now form the largest 
international border community in the world; El Paso has friendly 
people, a skilled workforce, and a distinct and beautiful culture 
that attracts industries, businesses, and tourists; and
	WHEREAS, The University of Texas at El Paso is located in the 
foothills of the southernmost end of the Rocky Mountains; and
	WHEREAS, The city was ranked as the fourth-best overall 
Southern market for the past 10 years by Southern Business &
Development magazine because of its location on the border and its 
public/private economic development partnerships; also, several 
successful businesses began their operations in El Paso, including 
Old El Paso Foods, Continental Airlines, and the Hilton Hotel 
chain, and popular legend has it that El Paso resident Francisco 
"Pancho" Morales created the margarita; and
	WHEREAS, El Paso has been repeatedly ranked as the 
third-safest city in the United States with a population of half a 
million or more; and
	WHEREAS, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-El 
Paso is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year; it has played a 
vital role in El Paso's health care history, providing 10 specialty 
residencies in border-intensive venues such as infectious 
diseases, diabetes, migrant health, and community-oriented primary 
care; and
	WHEREAS, El Paso is the center of myriad cultural 
attractions, such as the Chamizal National Memorial, the El Paso 
Museum of Art, the El Paso Museum of History, the El Paso Centennial 
Museum, the El Paso Historic Mission Trail, and the Ysleta del Sur 
Pueblo Indian Tribe and Reservation, home of one of three 
recognized Native American tribes in Texas; and
	WHEREAS, The city can also boast many natural attractions, 
including Hueco Tanks Historical Park, the Wyler Aerial Tramway, 
and the Mission Trail, where Texans can visit the Ysleta Mission, 
Socorro Mission, and the San Elizario Chapel; and
	WHEREAS, Basketball Hall of Fame member Don Haskins is an El 
Paso resident and former longtime basketball coach at The 
University of Texas at El Paso; he moved to El Paso in 1961 and was 
already established as a notable coach among his peers; he led the 
Miners to seven Western Athletic Conference championships and 14 
National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament appearances, 
including one in 1966 when his team won the title game by a score of 
72-65, the first team to do so with a starting squad of all African 
American players; and
	WHEREAS, Another outstanding citizen of El Paso is Rosa 
Guerrero; after retiring from teaching, she formed the Rosa 
Guerrero Folklorico in 1979, and she continues to run the group 
today while also supporting bilingual education and initiatives to 
help high school drop-out students; and
	WHEREAS, One of the most famous writers in the country today 
is an El Paso resident, Cormac McCarthy, an author whose works 
include Suttree, Blood Meridian, and his border trilogy, All the 
Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plains; and
	WHEREAS, An acclaimed artist who was born in El Paso is Tom 
Lea; after displaying a natural aptitude for painting and drawing 
as a child, Lea received formal training at the Art Institute of 
Chicago from 1924 to 1926 and as apprentice and assistant to Chicago 
muralist John Norton from 1927 to 1932; in 1930, Mr. Lea traveled to 
Italy to study techniques of Renaissance wall painting; as an 
artist, Mr. Lea was commissioned by Life magazine in 1946 to paint a 
series of canvasses depicting Western cattle, which Life presented 
to the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts; in 1953, The University of Texas 
Press published Tom Lea: a Portfolio of Six Paintings with an 
introduction by J. Frank Dobie; Mr. Lea's first large exhibition 
was mounted in 1961 at the Fort Worth Art Center, and he has also had 
exhibitions at the El Paso Museum of Art and the Institute of Texan 
Cultures in San Antonio; and
	WHEREAS, Another celebrated artist who is an El Paso citizen 
is Jose Cisneros, famed for his depictions of early life in Durango, 
Mexico, and for collaborations with other artists; he won The 
University of Texas Paisano Fellowship in 1969, and his works are 
collected all over the world; he was proclaimed a Living Legend in 
1997, and Governor and Mrs. George Bush honored him with a reception 
and dinner in 1998 in the Governor's Mansion; and
	WHEREAS, Ernesto Pedregon Martinez, the Texas state artist 
for two-dimensional works for 1997-1998, hails from South El Paso; 
a self-taught artist, Mr. Martinez paints the everyday struggles of 
the Mexican people; a muralist, he has created military, religious, 
and patriotic murals for hospitals, churches, and schools; Mr. 
Martinez was designated Artist of the Year by the League of United 
Latin American Citizens in 1975; and
	WHEREAS, Natives of this westernmost Texas city have achieved 
acclaim in many areas of endeavor, including entertainment, 
journalism, and law; among those who have risen to prominence are 
United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, 
entertainer Debbie Reynolds, newsman Sam Donaldson, Star Trek
creator Gene Roddenberry, ventriloquist Ronn Lucas, Texas rock and 
roll pioneer Bobby Fuller, and singer Florencia Bisenta de Casillas 
Martinez Cardona (better known as Vikki Carr); Ciudad Juarez is the 
hometown of internationally known recording artist Juan Gabriel; 
and
	WHEREAS, The colorful traditions and rich culture of El Paso 
ensure its prominence in the tales of Texas, and its citizens can 
indeed take great pride in the extraordinary city they call home; 
now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature hereby welcome the visiting delegation from El Paso to 
the State Capitol for El Paso Day on February 10, 2003; and, be it 
further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for the delegation as an expression of highest regard by 
the Texas House of Representatives.