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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents from Collin County are gathering at the |
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State Capitol on February 9-10, 2009, to celebrate Collin County |
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Days, and this event provides an opportunity to pay tribute to this |
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prosperous area in North Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Once inhabited by the Caddo Indians, the county is |
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located almost entirely within the state's Blackland Prairie, a |
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region of prime farmland that began attracting settlers in the |
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early 1840s; both the county, which was created in 1846, and the |
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present county seat, McKinney, which was established in 1849, were |
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named in honor of pioneer resident Collin McKinney, a signer of the |
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Texas Declaration of Independence; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Collin County encompasses a portion of the |
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dynamic Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex; it has experienced one of the |
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fastest growth rates in Texas in recent years, and much of its 886 |
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square miles has been transformed into a bustling urban area; more |
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than 750,000 people now make their home in Collin County, with an |
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average of 94 new residents arriving each day; and |
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WHEREAS, McKinney, one of the county's many booming |
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municipalities, boasts a population of nearly 105,000; this |
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historic community has been named the second-safest city in Texas |
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in its size category by Morgan Quitno Press, ranked 14th among the |
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"Best Places to Live" by Money magazine, and recognized as one of |
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the "Top 100" places to raise a family by Best Life magazine; |
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moreover, the city's Main Street program has been jointly |
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recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the |
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Texas Historical Commission; and |
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WHEREAS, With a population of more than 260,000, Plano is the |
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largest city in the county and a thriving business center; visitors |
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to this community can enjoy shops and malls with pleasant amenities |
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and a restored downtown square, which features brick sidewalks, |
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turn-of-the-century lampposts, and numerous specialty stores, |
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galleries, and restaurants; and |
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WHEREAS, The city of Allen, home to two especially well-known |
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residents, Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Carly Patterson and |
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artist Amanda Dunbar, is yet another fast-growing town; Allen has a |
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population of more than 75,000, and its citizens are dedicated to |
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the development of a quality community with a top-ranked education |
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system, family-oriented residential areas, innovative recreational |
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facilities, and premier business developments; and |
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WHEREAS, The site now occupied by the city of Frisco was once |
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a Native American campground; with the arrival of the railroad in |
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the county in the 1870s and the subsequent growth of the area's |
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cotton industry, Frisco became a commercial center for farmers and |
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ranchers; incorporated in 1902, the town grew slowly until the late |
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1980s, when it had a population of 5,000; today that figure stands |
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at more than 100,000, and the city serves as a hub of regional and |
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international business; Frisco is home to several international |
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companies, as well as FC Dallas, a major league soccer team, and the |
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Dallas Stars hockey team; the town has also emerged as a vibrant |
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arts scene; and |
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WHEREAS, Other communities add much to Collin County's |
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allure; Parker is the home of gymnast Nastia Liukin, winner of a |
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2008 Olympic gold medal, and also the home of Southfork Ranch, the |
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filming location for the television series Dallas; Wylie, another |
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great place to call home, numbers 40,000 residents and can claim a |
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coveted ISO Class 1 Fire Protection Rating, an outstanding school |
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district, and an annual championship rodeo, as well as significant |
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investments in infrastructure; Celina has gained statewide fame for |
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its Bobcats high school football team, which has captured eight |
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state titles; true to its name, the town of Prosper has grown larger |
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in recent years and now has excellent access to the Metro area, |
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thanks to the recent opening of a Dallas North Tollway extension; |
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the community's residents are especially appreciative of their |
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skilled firefighters and paramedics, whose courage and quick action |
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have saved lives; and |
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WHEREAS, Farmersville is the hometown of Audie Murphy, the |
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most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, while the |
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community of Princeton served during that same war as a German |
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prisoner-of-war camp; the city of Murphy celebrated the 50th |
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anniversary of its incorporation on September 27, 2008, though |
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settlement in the area dates back to 1846; Melissa, platted in 1872, |
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is now a leading supplier of building materials; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to the foregoing, citizens from the |
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communities of Anna, Blue Ridge, Copeville, Fairview, Josephine, |
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Lavon, Lowry Crossing, Lucas, Nevada, New Hope, St. Paul, |
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Westminster, and Weston, along with parts of Dallas, Garland, |
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Richardson, Royse City, and Sachse, have played an important part |
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in preserving Collin County's rich heritage and contributing to its |
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flourishing, diversified economy; and |
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WHEREAS, An exemplary educational system is critical to the |
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strength of any community, and Forbes magazine has lauded Collin |
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County schools for their impressive performance; county residents |
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are also proud of their high school athletic programs, which last |
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year saw four teams, from Allen, Prosper, Celina, and Wylie, |
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compete for state football championships; the Prosper High School |
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Eagles took the 2008 Class 3A Division 1 High School Football |
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Championship, and the Allen High School Eagles won the 5A Division 1 |
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Football Championship; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of this notable North Texas county are |
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working to preserve the best of their past even as they look forward |
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to a bright and promising future; 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 9-10, 2009, as Collin County |
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Days at the State Capitol and extend sincere best wishes to all |
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those Collin County residents who have traveled to Austin for this |
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event. |
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Paxton |
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McCall |
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Madden |
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Laubenberg |
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Alvarado |
Gonzales |
Miller of Comal |
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Anchia |
Gonzalez Toureilles |
Miller of Erath |
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Aycock |
Gutierrez |
Morrison |
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Branch |
Harper-Brown |
Ortiz, Jr. |
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Brown of Kaufman |
Hartnett |
Otto |
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Brown of Brazos |
Heflin |
Parker |
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Callegari |
Hilderbran |
Pena |
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Cohen |
Howard of Fort Bend |
Quintanilla |
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Coleman |
Howard of Travis |
Raymond |
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Craddick |
Jackson |
Rodriguez |
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Crownover |
Keffer |
Sheffield |
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Davis of Harris |
King of Parker |
Smith of Tarrant |
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Davis of Dallas |
King of Taylor |
Smith of Harris |
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Deshotel |
King of Zavala |
Smithee |
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Driver |
Kleinschmidt |
Solomons |
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Eiland |
Leibowitz |
Thompson |
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Elkins |
Lucio III |
Turner of Tarrant |
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England |
Madden |
Turner of Harris |
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Farias |
Mallory Caraway |
Veasey |
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Farrar |
Marquez |
Villarreal |
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Flores |
Martinez Fischer |
Walle |
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Gallego |
McReynolds |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 295 was adopted by the House on |
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February 10, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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