H.R. No. 448

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Proud residents of El Paso are gathering at the
	State Capitol on February 17, 2009, 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 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 within a decade, a dusty village of some 700 inhabitants
	was transformed into a western boomtown of more than 10,000; during
	this tumultuous era, El Paso was known as the "Six Shooter Capital,"
	a place teeming with cattlemen, gamblers, and gunfighters,
	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 the metropolitan area now has about
	700,000 residents; its proximity to 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, For more than a century, the presence of Fort Bliss
	has contributed to the city's proud military tradition and vibrant
	economy; today, El Paso is the focal point of an annual $50 billion
	in trade between the United States and Mexico; long known as the
	home of such famous brands as Tony Lama Boots, El Paso's diverse
	economy includes agriculture, textiles, tourism, the manufacture
	of cement and other building materials, and the refining of metals
	and petroleum; and
	WHEREAS, The 1966 Texas Western College basketball team,
	featuring the first-ever all-black starting lineup in college
	athletic history and led by the legendary Coach Don "The Bear"
	Haskins, won the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball
	Championship; their achievement helped to break down 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 such cultural
	attractions 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 two 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 of
	many remarkable Americans, including Supreme Court justice Sandra
	Day O'Connor, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, Tonight Show
	producer Rudy Tellez, artist and muralist Tom Lea, actors Gilbert
	Roland, Debbie Reynolds, Thomas Haden Church, and Academy Award
	winner F. Murray Abraham, singers Phil Ochs, Bobby Fuller, and
	Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona, better known as
	Vikki Carr, disc jockey Steve Crosno, and rock bands At the
	Drive-In, Sparta, and Grammy Award winner The Mars Volta; and
	WHEREAS, Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, settled by members of the
	Tigua tribe, is considered the oldest community in Texas; its
	tribal council is the oldest ongoing governmental entity in the
	state and has been recognized by Spain, Mexico, and the United
	States; the tribe has established itself as an important
	contributor to the economy of El Paso, owning and operating tribal
	businesses that benefit its members, its business partners, and
	area citizens; and
	WHEREAS, Living in a dramatic setting, where urban energy
	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 81st Texas
	Legislature hereby recognize February 17, 2009, 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
	Pickett
	Quintanilla
	Moody
	Marquez
	Straus Gattis Menendez
	Allen Geren Merritt
	Alonzo Giddings Miklos
	Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
	Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
	Anderson Guillen Moody
	Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
	Berman Hamilton Naishtat
	Bohac Hancock Oliveira
	Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
	Bonnen Harless Orr
	Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
	Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
	Burnam Hernandez Patrick
	Button Herrero Paxton
	Callegari Hilderbran Pena
	Castro Hochberg Phillips
	Chavez Hodge Pickett
	Chisum Homer Pierson
	Christian Hopson Pitts
	Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
	Cook Hughes Riddle
	Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
	Crabb Isett Ritter
	Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
	Creighton Jones Rose
	Crownover Keffer Sheffield
	Darby Kent Shelton
	Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
	Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
	Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
	Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
	Edwards Legler Thibaut
	Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
	Eissler Lewis Truitt
	Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
	England Madden Turner of Harris
	Farabee Maldonado Vaught
	Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farrar Marquez Villarreal
	Fletcher Martinez Vo
	Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
	Flynn McCall Weber
	Frost McClendon Woolley
	Gallego McReynolds Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 448 was adopted by the House on
	February 17, 2009, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House