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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Harlingen are gathering in Austin on |
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February 9, 2011, to celebrate Harlingen Day at the State Capitol; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, From the time in 1904 when Lon C. Hill chose a site |
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alongside the St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico Railway as the |
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location for a new town, Harlingen was destined to become a |
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crossroads of commerce; the first train passed through the rugged |
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settlement that railroad workers called "Rattlesnake Junction" on |
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July 4, 1904; tales of Texas Rangers and customs patrol agents |
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taking target practice next to the rail depot soon gave Harlingen |
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its next nickname of "Six-shooter Junction"; and |
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WHEREAS, Between the 1910s and 1930s, trains brought |
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thousands of Midwestern farmers to Harlingen to set up operations |
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in the fertile Magic Valley, where they found they could grow at |
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least two crops a year, and during World War II, the city was home to |
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Harlingen Army Airfield, a facility that grew and evolved into |
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Harlingen Air Force Base; and |
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WHEREAS, The base eventually became Valley International |
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Airport, the largest airport in the Rio Grande Valley, which, |
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together with the city's bridge to Mexico and the port that connects |
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it to the Intracoastal Waterway, serves to further underscore the |
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community's importance as a center for trade; and |
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WHEREAS, The area's semitropical climate, natural resources, |
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and friendly people make it a destination for travelers, including |
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"winter" Texans and bird-watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts; |
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the community's list of attractions has expanded to include the Iwo |
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Jima Memorial, the mural and heritage trails in the historic |
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downtown district, and numerous sports fields and parks; and |
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WHEREAS, Harlingen has developed into a regional health care |
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hub, with medical facilities that include Valley Baptist Health |
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System, Harlingen Medical Center, and Su Clinica Familiar; |
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moreover, the city has recently become the headquarters of the VA |
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Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care Network, which contains a |
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160,000-square-foot ambulatory and surgical facility; and |
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WHEREAS, Area residents have long understood the importance |
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of education, and the community is home to Texas State Technical |
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College, the Marine Military Academy, and the Regional Academic |
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Health Center of The University of Texas Health Science Center at |
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San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, This thriving city of 70,000 people is led by mayor |
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Chris Boswell in conjunction with city commissioners Gustavo C. |
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Ruiz, Robert A. Leftwich, Kori Marra, Jerry Prepejchal, and Joey |
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Trevino; and |
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WHEREAS, A dynamic community that draws on a rich history as |
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it prepares for an exciting future, Harlingen has established |
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itself as an outstanding place to live and work, and its citizens |
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may indeed take great pride in the area's ongoing achievements; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 9, 2011, as Harlingen 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. |