SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 215

WHEREAS, The Texas Senate is pleased to recognize February 17, 2009, as Viva San Antonio Day at the State Capitol and welcome the visiting delegation from the Alamo City; and

WHEREAS, The history of San Antonio can be traced back to 1691, when a group of Spanish explorers and missionaries came upon a river and named it San Antonio, in honor of Saint Anthony, whose feast day was being celebrated; and

WHEREAS, The city was founded in 1718 by Father Antonio Olivares; he established Mission San Antonio de Valero, which would become etched in the annals of history in 1836 as the Alamo, the site where 189 brave individuals held the mission for 13 days against an army of some 4,000 Mexican soldiers; and

WHEREAS, The cry "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying point of the Texas Revolution; today, the Alamo is a shrine and museum and is widely recognized as the cradle of Texas liberty; and

WHEREAS, San Antonio became formally incorporated in 1837, when the fledgling Republic of Texas granted the city a charter; the city has since retained its sense of history and tradition while carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress; it has served and continues to serve as a crossroads and a meeting place, where the rich sounds and flavors of Native Americans, Old Mexico, Germans, the Wild West, African Americans, and the Deep South mingle and merge; and

WHEREAS, The city has a proud military heritage; great military figures like Pershing, Stillwell, Krueger, LeMay, Chennault, and Eisenhower served at San Antonio military institutions, including Fort Sam Houston, the headquarters for the Fifth United States Army and the home of the United States Army Medical Command and the Brooke Army Medical Center; in addition, San Antonio is the site of Lackland Air Force Base, the largest training wing in the United States Air Force, and Brooks City-Base, an innovative master-planned research and technology center; and

WHEREAS, Recent years have brought remarkable economic development to San Antonio as its skilled workforce, excellent institutions of public and higher education, and quality of life have attracted some important corporate business and industry to the city; and

WHEREAS, Millions of visitors a year delight in the discovery of San Antonio; in addition to the Alamo, highlights include La Villita, San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio Missions Trail, and the famed Paseo del Rio, better known as "The Riverwalk"; among the other attractions that make San Antonio one of the top tourist destinations in the country are Sea World San Antonio and the Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park as well as the PGA Tour Valero Texas Open, the Alamo Bowl, and the four-time world champion San Antonio Spurs; and

WHEREAS, In April 2009, the city will once again celebrate Fiesta San Antonio, the biggest 10-day party in the state; first held 118 years ago, the event was founded by a group of ladies who decorated horse-drawn carriages for a parade in front of the Alamo and battled with flower blossoms instead of bullets to honor the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto; and

WHEREAS, San Antonio is truly one of the treasures of the Lone Star State, and Viva San Antonio Day provides a welcome opportunity to honor the city and its many fine residents; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st Legislature, hereby recognize February 17, 2009, as Viva San Antonio Day at the State Capitol and extend to the members of the visiting delegation best wishes for a memorable visit.

Wentworth, Uresti, Van de Putte, Zaffirini

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Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate

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Member, Texas Senate Member, Texas Senate

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 17, 2009.

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Secretary of the Senate