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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 16 and 17, 2011, to celebrate El Paso |
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Days, and the event provides a perfect occasion to recognize the |
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dynamism of this great Texas city; and |
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WHEREAS, Located in the westernmost tip of the state, the |
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city of El Paso combines a modern metropolis with the charm born of |
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its Spanish origins; the area was named El Paso by the Spanish |
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conquistador Don Juan de Onate because of the shallow place in the |
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river where the colonists crossed en route to Santa Fe, New Mexico; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The arrival of the railroads in 1881 ushered in an |
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era of prosperity, and El Paso became a flourishing frontier |
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community that has developed into a significant industrial, |
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commercial, and transportation city; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, trucks, trains, and planes transport |
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manufactured goods through the border cities at the Pass, just as |
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Spanish traders did in the 16th century when they guided ox-drawn |
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carts along the Camino Real from Mexico City to Santa Fe; and |
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WHEREAS, With a population of nearly 700,000, El Paso is the |
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largest American city on the 2,000-mile United States-Mexico |
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border; it lies across the Rio Grande north of Ciudad Juarez, |
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Mexico's fifth-largest city, with a population of over a million; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Nearby Fort Bliss, which celebrated its 160th |
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anniversary in 2008, is immersed in the biggest transformation in |
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its history, with a 300 percent increase in its population |
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projected by 2012; the base is currently investing $5 billion in |
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construction for new, top-of-the-line facilities for incoming |
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personnel and their families, and it is at the forefront of the U.S. |
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Army's Transformation plan, as it transitions from a TRADOC to a |
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FORSCOM installation; and |
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WHEREAS, Named an All-America City in 2010, El Paso is a |
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vibrant, bilingual community; its residents enjoy a thriving fine |
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arts community, exemplary educational institutions, and many |
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cultural and historical resources and museums; and |
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WHEREAS, El Paso Days at the State Capitol provide an |
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opportunity to honor El Paso and its rich heritage, which today is |
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enjoyed by residents and vacationers of all ages; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 16 and 17, 2011, as El Paso |
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Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
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sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit to Austin. |