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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, May 18, 2011, marked the 10th anniversary of the |
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untimely passing of John Austin Pena of Edinburg, and a new drug |
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treatment center being completed in Hidalgo County has been named |
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the John Austin Pena Memorial Center in honor of this beloved young |
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man; and |
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WHEREAS, We stand together in commemoration of John's life |
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with his loving family members: his father and stepmother, Aaron |
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Pena, Jr., and Monica Pena; his mother, Criselda Pena; his dear |
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siblings, Adrienne Pena-Garza, Aaron Leonel Pena, Alyssa Victoria |
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Pena, and Michael Anthony Pena; his beloved young daughter, Chelsea |
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Pena, and all his other relatives; and |
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WHEREAS, John Austin Pena was born at Park Place Hospital in |
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Houston on October 4, 1984; he was a bright, spirited, cheerful |
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young man who had many good friends; his broad spectrum of interests |
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ranged from sports--especially basketball, soccer, and |
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baseball--to skateboarding and playing laser tag with his pals and |
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playing video games with his younger brother "Mikey"; endowed with |
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a lively imagination and curiosity, he also enjoyed writing and |
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traveling; and |
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WHEREAS, On May 18, 2001, the limitless potential that was |
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embodied in the life of John Austin Pena was tragically brought to |
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an untimely end when he and two other young people attending a |
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social gathering were encouraged to ingest a substance, distributed |
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at the gathering, that later proved to be deadly to all three; his |
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death and absence caused considerable anguish among his friends and |
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relatives, particularly his parents and siblings; many were led to |
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channel their deep remorse by seeking solutions to the growing drug |
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epidemic among our youth, with particular attention to those living |
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along the Texas-Mexico border; and |
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WHEREAS, In June 2002, John's father, Aaron Pena, embarked on |
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a journey to examine how Texas was dealing with rising drug abuse; |
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he began visiting drug treatment centers across Texas to raise |
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awareness of the growing problem, and the endeavor culminated with |
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a visit to La Hacienda Drug Treatment Center in Hunt; in order to |
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bring attention to the lack of treatment facilities in Texas, |
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Representative Pena walked 125 miles from La Hacienda treatment |
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center to our state Capitol in Austin; as a result of that visit, he |
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made a promise to bring a drug treatment center to South Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2004, to further this goal of drug abuse |
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awareness, the John Austin Pena Memorial Scholarship was |
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established in John's memory by the Texas Association of Addiction |
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Professionals; the scholarship is presented annually to a student |
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in recovery who is pursuing a college degree; and |
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WHEREAS, On May 18, 2007, through the diligent work of his |
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father, State Representative Aaron Pena, the Texas House of |
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Representatives gave budgetary approval for a drug treatment |
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facility in the Rio Grande Valley; on March 26, 2010, Hidalgo County |
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held a ground-breaking ceremony for the substance abuse treatment |
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facility located at 3341 E. Richardson Road in Edinburg; and |
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WHEREAS, On May 17, 2011, the Hidalgo County Commissioners |
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Court unanimously voted to not only memorialize the legacy of a |
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young life cut short, but also recognize the efforts of those |
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inspired by that tragedy to combat the evils of drug abuse, by |
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ordering that the Hidalgo County Substance Abuse Treatment Facility |
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be designated the John Austin Pena Memorial Center; and |
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WHEREAS, The new John Austin Pena Memorial Center, opening in |
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the fall of 2011, will provide substance abuse treatment services |
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to adolescents on an outpatient basis; although John Pena is deeply |
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missed by his loved ones, the scholarship and the drug treatment |
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center that bear his name increase awareness and offer hope of a |
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brighter future to young people struggling to move beyond |
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addiction; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby pay tribute to the memory of John Austin Pena on the 10th |
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anniversary of his passing and commemorate the naming of the John |
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Austin Pena Memorial Center in his honor. |
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Guillen |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 166 was adopted by the House on May |
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25, 2011, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 166 was adopted by the Senate on May |
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27, 2011, by a viva-voce vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |