H.R. No. 267

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Proud residents of El Paso are gathering at the
	State Capitol on February 7, 2007, to celebrate El Paso Day, and the
	event provides a perfect occasion to recognize the dynamism of this
	great Texas city; and
	WHEREAS, Anchoring the far west corner of the state, where
	the United States and Mexico come together, El Paso boasts a
	colorful history informed by the mingling of many cultures and
	customs, each of which has contributed greatly to the city's status
	as a diverse and thriving international metropolis; and
	WHEREAS, Native Americans dwelt for centuries in this harsh
	desert beside the Rio Grande; in 1581 members of the
	Rodriguez-Sanchez expedition named a pass between two mountain
	ranges El Paso del Norte, and the first permanent Spanish colony was
	founded near present-day San Elizario by Juan de Onate in 1598; and
	WHEREAS, For the next two centuries, El Paso remained part of
	the Spanish empire, and then, after 1821, part of Mexico; the
	complex community of Europeans, mestizos, and Indians along the Rio
	Grande became an important junction on the Camino Real; and
	WHEREAS, After the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848,
	El Paso became a part of the United States, leading to the growth of
	Anglo settlements along the north bank of the Rio Grande and laying
	the foundations for the multicultural character of the city; and
	WHEREAS, El Paso welcomed the arrival of the railroad in
	1881, and a dusty village of a few hundred was transformed into a
	western boomtown of 10,000; during this lively era, El Paso was
	known as the "Six Shooter Capital," teeming with gamblers,
	gunfighters, and cattlemen, including such famous figures as lawman
	Pat Garrett and outlaw John Wesley Hardin; and
	WHEREAS, By the early 20th century, reform-minded citizens
	had curbed much of El Paso's wildness; over 77,000 individuals
	called El Paso home by 1925, and as the nation's third fastest
	growing metropolitan area, it now has more than 700,000 residents;
	its special relationship with Ciudad Juarez, its sister city across
	the Rio Grande, gives the two cities the distinction of being one of
	the largest population centers on any international border in the
	world; and
	WHEREAS, Today, El Paso is the focal point of an annual $20
	billion in trade between the United States and Mexico; long known as
	the headquarters of such famous brands as Tony Lama Boots, its
	diverse economy includes agriculture, textiles, tourism, the
	manufacture of cement and other building materials, and the
	refining of metals and petroleum; and
	WHEREAS, For over a century the presence of Fort Bliss has
	contributed to the city's economy and its proud military tradition;
	and Fort Bliss will receive over 49,000 troops, spouses, and
	children by 2011; and
	WHEREAS, The true story of the 1966 Texas Western College
	basketball team, featuring the first-ever all-black starting
	line-up in college athletic history, led by the legendary Coach Don
	"The Bear" Haskins, won the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball
	Championship; their achievement broke down the racial barriers in
	sports and inspired the movie "Glory Road"; and
	WHEREAS, The city provides myriad opportunities for higher
	education through The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso
	Community College, and the El Paso campus of Howard Payne
	University; further bolstering the city's appeal are cultural
	attractions, such as the El Paso Museum of Art, the El Paso Symphony
	Orchestra, the El Paso Museum of History, and the Fort Bliss Museum,
	as well as professional sporting teams the El Paso Diablos baseball
	team and the El Paso Patriots soccer team; and
	WHEREAS, This lively city has been the birthplace and home to
	many remarkable Americans, including Supreme Court justice Sandra
	Day O'Connor, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, actors Gilbert
	Roland, Debbie Reynolds, and Thomas Haden Church, and singers Phil
	Ochs, Bobby Fuller, and Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez
	Cardona, better known as Vikki Carr; and
	WHEREAS, Joining the delegation today are proud members of
	the Tigua tribe of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, who have established
	themselves as important contributors to the economy of El Paso,
	owning and operating tribal businesses that benefit its members,
	its business partners, and the people of El Paso; this afternoon
	tribal members will perform an ancient dance in the Capitol
	rotunda, sharing with the house an important part of their cultural
	heritage; and
	WHEREAS, Living in a unique setting where urban vivacity
	meets the severe beauty of the desert, the citizens of El Paso may
	take great pride in the knowledge that their community has
	contributed immeasurably to the vitality of the Lone Star State;
	now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas
	Legislature hereby recognize February 7, 2007, as El Paso Day at the
	State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best
	wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit to Austin.
	Chavez
	Moreno
	Haggerty
	Quintanilla
	Pickett
	Craddick Gattis Miles
	Allen Geren Miller
	Alonzo Giddings Moreno
	Anchia Gonzales Morrison
	Anderson Gonzalez Toureilles Mowery
	Aycock Goolsby Murphy
	Bailey Guillen Naishtat
	Berman Haggerty Noriega
	Bohac Hamilton O'Day
	Bolton Hancock Oliveira
	Bonnen Hardcastle Olivo
	Branch Harless Orr
	Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Brazos Hartnett Otto
	Burnam Heflin Parker
	Callegari Hernandez Patrick
	Castro Herrero Paxton
	Chavez Hilderbran Pena
	Chisum Hill Phillips
	Christian Hochberg Pickett
	Cohen Hodge Pierson
	Coleman Homer Pitts
	Cook of Navarro Hopson Puente
	Cook of Colorado Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Corte Howard of Travis Raymond
	Crabb Hughes Riddle
	Creighton Isett Ritter
	Crownover Jackson Rodriguez
	Darby Jones Rose
	Davis of Harris Keffer Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Parker Smith of Harris
	Delisi King of Taylor Smithee
	Deshotel King of Zavala Solomons
	Driver Kolkhorst Strama
	Dukes Krusee Straus
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Latham Talton
	Eiland Laubenberg Taylor
	Eissler Leibowitz Thompson
	Elkins Lucio III Truitt
	England Macias Turner
	Escobar Madden Van Arsdale
	Farabee Mallory Caraway Vaught
	Farias Martinez Veasey
	Farrar Martinez Fischer Villarreal
	Flores McCall Vo
	Flynn McClendon West
	Frost McReynolds Woolley
	Gallego Menendez Zedler
	Garcia Merritt Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 267 was adopted by the House on
	February 7, 2007, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House