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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 125
WHEREAS, The Texas Senate 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 has reflected 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 at
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 also boasts 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 dropouts; 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 Senate of the State of Texas,
78th 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 Senate.
Shapleigh
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 10, 2003.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate