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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of the city of McAllen are gathering at |
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the State Capitol on February 10, 2009, to celebrate their |
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community's contributions to the vitality of the Lone Star State; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Located in southern Hidalgo County, the site of |
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present-day McAllen was developed by Spanish settler Jose Manuel |
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Gomez, who founded the Santa Anita Ranch in 1797; the ranch grew in |
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size and passed through the hands of several heirs of his |
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great-granddaughter, Salome Balli, who married John McAllen; |
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together they continued to add to the property and renamed it |
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McAllen Ranch; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1904, Mr. McAllen and other early settlers |
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established a town site called West McAllen, where the St. Louis, |
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Brownsville & Mexico Railroad arrived a year later; additional |
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developers founded East McAllen in 1907, and the two towns |
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eventually merged and welcomed several businesses, churches, and |
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residences and a newspaper; by 1920, the city's population exceeded |
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5,000 and continued to grow steadily; and |
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WHEREAS, In the last three decades, McAllen has become a |
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center for business, commerce, and government in the Valley; ranked |
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number one in the nation in job growth in 2008, McAllen has the |
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strongest housing market in the country, according to Forbes |
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magazine, and it was named the number-one fastest-growing real |
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estate market in the country by CNNMoney.com; in addition, the city |
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is home to South Texas College, one of the fastest-growing |
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community colleges in the nation; and |
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WHEREAS, The unique landscape of the Rio Grande Valley |
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provides promising soil for farming and produces a hospitable |
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environment for cultivating citrus fruits, cotton, sugarcane, and |
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many other crops and vegetables; a variety of ecosystems also |
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nurtures many unusual flora and fauna specific to this region of the |
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country; and |
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WHEREAS, A center for cultural activities, McAllen is home to |
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the International Museum of Art and Science, which serves as a |
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showcase for traveling exhibitors, loaned works from the |
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Smithsonian Institution, and an extensive collection of Latin |
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American folk art; tourists and residents alike enjoy festive |
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annual events, including the Candlelight Posada, the Fourth of July |
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Celebration and Parade, Palmfest Fajita Cook-off, International |
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Friendship Run, and McAllen New Year's Eve Celebration; and |
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WHEREAS, Led by Mayor Richard Cortez, District 1 Council |
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Member Scott Crane, District 2 Council Member Marcus Barrera, |
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District 3 Council Member Hilda Salinas, District 4 Council Member |
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Aida Ramirez, District 5 Council Member John Ingram, and District 6 |
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Council Member James "Jim" Darling, the citizens of McAllen are |
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justifiably proud of their city, which has played a significant |
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role in the annals of Texas history, and it is a pleasure to pay |
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tribute to them on this special day; 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 McAllen Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to all those McAllen residents who are |
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present on this day sincere best wishes for a memorable visit to |
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Austin. |