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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Citizens of Hidalgo County are gathering at the |
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State Capitol to celebrate Hidalgo County Day on February 10, 2009; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Rich in history, Hidalgo County's mix of urban and |
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rural landscapes is home to more than 750,000 people, six |
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international bridges, and a thriving economy anchored by the |
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health care, retail, trade, and tourism industries; and |
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WHEREAS, This gateway to the United States was first settled |
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by the Coahuiltecans, the Karankawa, the Lipan Apaches, and the |
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Comanche; the earliest Spanish visitors, including Jose de |
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Escandon, arrived in the 17th century and established settlements |
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along the Rio Grande; the Spanish government issued land grants |
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leading to the creation of many cattle ranches, which remain an |
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integral part of life in the county today; and |
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WHEREAS, After the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, |
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the region became part of the United States and a popular way |
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station for prospectors traveling to the California Gold Rush; |
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established in 1852, Hidalgo County was named for Miguel Hidalgo y |
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Costilla, an advocate for Mexican independence; in the early 20th |
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century, the town of Chapin was renamed Edinburg and made county |
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seat; and |
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WHEREAS, The arrival of the railway in 1904 helped introduce |
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large-scale farming in the county, particularly of citrus, cotton, |
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corn, and sugarcane; with the establishment in 1924 of a regional |
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Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Weslaco, the towns along |
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Highway 83 began to thrive and came to be described as "the longest |
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main street in the world"; and |
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WHEREAS, While farming and ranching remain important to the |
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county, the discovery of oil in 1934 increased the region's |
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prosperity; today the county is one of the fastest growing and most |
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vibrant regions of Texas, home to many talented individuals |
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dedicated to transforming it into a top place to live, work, and |
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play; the county is considered a major port of entry into the United |
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States, and the shipment of goods from Mexico is an essential part |
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of the county's economy; and |
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WHEREAS, This prosperity is a product of the hard work of its |
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citizens, who are well served by The University of Texas-Pan |
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American in Edinburg and South Texas College in McAllen; the county |
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also pays tribute to its own heritage and learns about the heritage |
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of others through such fine cultural institutions and venues as the |
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Museum for South Texas History, the International Museum of Art and |
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Science, the Valley Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, and the |
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up-and-coming art and entertainment district in the city of |
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McAllen; and |
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WHEREAS, Residents and visitors alike enjoy the many |
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attractions of Hidalgo County; the Texas Citrus Fiesta in Mission |
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every winter features a carnival and the Parade of Oranges; in |
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Weslaco the Rio Grande Valley Onion Festival in April includes food |
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booths, entertainment, and onion recipe contests; the Rio Grande |
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Valley Livestock Show in Mercedes draws an average attendance of |
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160,000 every March, and shoppers flock to the Mercado Delta, an |
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outdoor/indoor artisan market in Edcouch which opened in 2008, as |
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well as to other retail venues across the county; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors from around the world make pilgrimages to |
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the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine; with |
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nearly 400 species of birds, the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge |
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near Alamo is an international destination for birders; and |
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WHEREAS, Led by County Judge J. D. Salinas and County |
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Commissioners Sylvia S. Handy, Hector "Tito" Palacios, Joe M. |
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Flores, and Oscar L. Garza, Jr., the residents of this dynamic |
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region of the Lone Star State have much to be proud of, as they |
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celebrate the past and work to build a bright and prosperous future; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 10, 2009, as Hidalgo County |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
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sincere best wishes for an informative and enjoyable visit to |
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Austin. |