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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of El Paso are gathering at the |
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State Capitol on February 17, 2009, to celebrate El Paso Day, and |
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the event provides a perfect occasion to recognize the dynamism of |
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this great Texas city; and |
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WHEREAS, Anchoring the far west corner of the state, where |
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the United States and Mexico come together, El Paso boasts a |
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colorful history informed by the mingling of many cultures and |
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customs, each of which has contributed greatly to the city's status |
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as a thriving international metropolis; and |
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WHEREAS, Native Americans dwelt for centuries in this harsh |
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desert beside the Rio Grande; in 1581, members of the |
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Rodriguez-Sanchez expedition named a pass between two mountain |
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ranges El Paso del Norte, and the first permanent Spanish colony was |
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founded near present-day San Elizario by Juan de Onate in 1598; and |
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WHEREAS, For the next two centuries, El Paso remained part of |
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the Spanish empire, and then, after 1821, part of Mexico; the |
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complex community of Europeans, mestizos, and Indians along the Rio |
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Grande became an important junction on the Camino Real; and |
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WHEREAS, After the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, |
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El Paso became a part of the United States, leading to the growth of |
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Anglo settlements along the north bank of the Rio Grande and laying |
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the foundations for the multicultural character of the city; and |
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WHEREAS, El Paso welcomed the arrival of the railroad in |
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1881, and within a decade, a dusty village of some 700 inhabitants |
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was transformed into a western boomtown of more than 10,000; during |
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this tumultuous era, El Paso was known as the "Six Shooter Capital," |
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a place teeming with cattlemen, gamblers, and gunfighters, |
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including such famous figures as lawman Pat Garrett and outlaw John |
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Wesley Hardin; and |
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WHEREAS, By the early 20th century, reform-minded citizens |
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had curbed much of El Paso's wildness; over 77,000 individuals |
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called El Paso home by 1925, and the metropolitan area now has about |
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700,000 residents; its proximity to Ciudad Juarez, its sister city |
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across the Rio Grande, gives the two cities the distinction of being |
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one of the largest population centers on any international border |
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in the world; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than a century, the presence of Fort Bliss |
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has contributed to the city's proud military tradition and vibrant |
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economy; today, El Paso is the focal point of an annual $50 billion |
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in trade between the United States and Mexico; long known as the |
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home of such famous brands as Tony Lama Boots, El Paso's diverse |
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economy includes agriculture, textiles, tourism, the manufacture |
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of cement and other building materials, and the refining of metals |
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and petroleum; and |
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WHEREAS, The 1966 Texas Western College basketball team, |
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featuring the first-ever all-black starting lineup in college |
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athletic history and led by the legendary Coach Don "The Bear" |
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Haskins, won the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball |
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Championship; their achievement helped to break down racial |
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barriers in sports and inspired the movie Glory Road; and |
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WHEREAS, The city provides myriad opportunities for higher |
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education through The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso |
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Community College, and the El Paso campus of Howard Payne |
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University; further bolstering the city's appeal are such cultural |
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attractions as the El Paso Museum of Art, the El Paso Symphony |
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Orchestra, the El Paso Museum of History, and the Fort Bliss Museum, |
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as well as two professional sporting teams, the El Paso Diablos |
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baseball team and the El Paso Patriots soccer team; and |
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WHEREAS, This lively city has been the birthplace and home of |
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many remarkable Americans, including Supreme Court justice Sandra |
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Day O'Connor, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, Tonight Show |
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producer Rudy Tellez, artist and muralist Tom Lea, actors Gilbert |
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Roland, Debbie Reynolds, Thomas Haden Church, and Academy Award |
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winner F. Murray Abraham, singers Phil Ochs, Bobby Fuller, and |
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Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona, better known as |
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Vikki Carr, disc jockey Steve Crosno, and rock bands At the |
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Drive-In, Sparta, and Grammy Award winner The Mars Volta; and |
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WHEREAS, Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, settled by members of the |
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Tigua tribe, is considered the oldest community in Texas; its |
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tribal council is the oldest ongoing governmental entity in the |
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state and has been recognized by Spain, Mexico, and the United |
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States; the tribe has established itself as an important |
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contributor to the economy of El Paso, owning and operating tribal |
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businesses that benefit its members, its business partners, and |
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area citizens; and |
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WHEREAS, Living in a dramatic setting, where urban energy |
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meets the severe beauty of the desert, the citizens of El Paso may |
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take great pride in the knowledge that their community has |
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contributed immeasurably to the vitality of the Lone Star State; |
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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 17, 2009, as El Paso Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere |
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best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit to Austin. |