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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 143
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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, The development of present-day McAllen began in |
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1797 when Spanish settler Jose Manuel Gomez founded the Santa |
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Anita Ranch in southern Hidalgo County; the ranch grew in size |
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and, after passing through the hands of several heirs, it was |
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inherited by his great-granddaughter, Salome Balli; Salome |
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married John McAllen, and together they continued to add to the |
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property and renamed it 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, and a year later, |
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the St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico Railroad arrived; other |
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developers founded East McAllen in 1907, and the two towns |
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eventually merged and became home to several businesses, |
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churches, residences, and a newspaper; by 1920, the city's |
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population exceeded 5,000 residents and was continuing to grow; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Over the last three decades, McAllen has grown |
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into a center for business, commerce, and government in the Rio |
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Grande Valley, and it is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan |
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statistical areas in the country; in 2001, McAllen was ranked as |
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one of the top 25 best places to do business in the United States |
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by Forbes Magazine and it was named number one in mid-size cities |
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for growth and development in the South by Southern Business |
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Magazine; and |
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WHEREAS, The unique landscape of the Rio Grande Valley |
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offers rich soil for farming and a hospitable environment for |
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cultivating citrus fruits, cotton, sugarcane, and many other |
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crops and vegetables; and |
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WHEREAS, A center of cultural attractions, McAllen is home |
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to 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; the city is also a regional banking, retail, |
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and convention hub with La Plaza mall and the new $75 million |
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convention center; and |
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WHEREAS, Tourists and residents alike enjoy festive annual |
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events, such as the Candlelight Posada, the Fourth of July |
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festival, PalmFest, and the Texas Square Dance Jamboree; McAllen |
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was named an All-America City in 1996, and in 2008, McAllen |
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celebrated the first annual Drop the Ball New Year's Eve Bash, a |
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free, community-wide event that promises to provide an exciting |
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New Year's Eve option for residents throughout the Valley for |
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years to come; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of McAllen are justifiably proud of |
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their city, which has played a significant role in the annals of |
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Texas history, and it is a pleasure to pay tribute to them on this |
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special day; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st |
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Legislature, hereby recognize February 10, 2009, as McAllen Day |
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at the State Capitol and extend to all 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. |
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Hinojosa, Lucio |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on February 10, 2009. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |