H.R. No. 740

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Residents from Collin County are gathering at the State Capitol on March 7 and 8, 2011, to celebrate Collin County Days, and this event provides an opportunity to pay tribute to its many prosperous communities; and

WHEREAS, Once inhabited by the Caddo Indians, this North Texas area began attracting settlers in the early 1840s; both the county, which was created in 1846, and the present county seat, McKinney, which was established in 1849, were named in honor of pioneer resident Collin McKinney, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence; and

WHEREAS, Collin County has experienced one of the fastest growth rates in Texas in recent years, and much of its 886 square miles has been transformed into a bustling urban area; more than 780,000 people now make their home in the county; and

WHEREAS, With a population of nearly 260,000, Plano is the largest city in the county and a thriving commercial center that recently added 4,000 new jobs from 39 new businesses; designated an All-America City by the National Civic League in 1994, it is the first Texas city to be rated AAA by all three major bond-rating agencies, an accomplishment that is a credit to respected longtime city manager Tom Muehlenbeck, who retired in 2010; and

WHEREAS, Visitors to Plano can enjoy shops and malls with many pleasant amenities and a restored downtown square, which features brick sidewalks, turn-of-the-century lampposts, and numerous specialty stores, galleries, and restaurants; this charming community is home to Amy Chayao, winner of the 2010 International Science and Engineering Fair, who was invited to join First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2011 State of the Union address; and

WHEREAS, McKinney, the county seat and second-largest city, boasts a population of more than 131,000; it ranked fifth among the "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine and was honored as one of the "Top 100" places to raise a family by Best Life magazine; moreover, the city's Main Street program has been jointly recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Texas Historical Commission, and the city is also home to the Collin County Regional Airport and other assets; and

WHEREAS, The site now occupied by the city of Frisco was once a Native American campground; with the arrival of the railroad in the county in the 1870s and the subsequent growth of the area's cotton industry, Frisco became a commercial center for farmers and ranchers; incorporated in 1902, the town grew slowly until the late 1980s, when it had a population of 5,000; today that figure stands at nearly 117,000, and the city serves as a hub of regional and international business; Frisco is home to several professional sports teams, including FC Dallas, the Texas Tornado hockey team, the Frisco Rough Riders baseball team, and the Texas Legends basketball team, and to the corporate headquarters of the Dallas Stars hockey team, and it hosted the 2011 NCAA Division I football championship on January 7; the town has also emerged as a vibrant center for cultural offerings; and

WHEREAS, The city of Allen is home to two especially well-known residents, Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Carly Patterson and artist Amanda Dunbar; it has a population of more than 84,000 and was ranked 16th among the "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine; its citizens are dedicated to the development of a quality community with an exceptional education system, family-oriented residential areas, innovative recreational facilities, and premier business developments; and

WHEREAS, Wylie is another great place to call home; rated the eighth fastest-growing suburb in the United States by Forbes magazine, it numbers over 41,000 residents and benefits from a skilled police force and a fire department that has earned a coveted ISO Class 1 Fire Protection Rating; in addition, Wylie has an outstanding school district and an annual championship rodeo and has made significant investments in infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, Other communities add much to Collin County's allure; Parker was rated the "Most Desirable Suburb in North Texas" by D Magazine and is the home of Southfork Ranch, the filming location for the television series Dallas; Celina has gained statewide fame for its Bobcats high school football team, which has captured eight state titles and recently appeared in a Kenny Chesney music video; true to its name, the town of Prosper has grown larger in recent years and now has excellent access to the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, thanks to the opening of a Dallas North Tollway extension; that community's residents are especially appreciative of their skilled firefighters and paramedics, whose courage and quick action have saved numerous lives; and

WHEREAS, Farmersville boasts two businesses that have been in operation for more than 125 years, the Farmersville Times and Independent Bank; it is also the hometown of Audie Murphy, the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, while the community of Princeton served during that same war as a German prisoner-of-war camp; the city of Murphy has undertaken $15 million in capital projects to improve parks, streets, water systems, and landscaping and is consistently cited for its desirability; Melissa, platted in 1872, now features a new city hall and a stellar school district, and residents are cheering the top-ranked Melissa High School boys' basketball team; and

WHEREAS, The city of Anna was recently presented with the 2010 Hardworking Rural Community Tall Texan Award by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, and its school district's five-star rating from the Texas comptroller is a testament to the exemplary and cost-effective educational approach of the community; as a dedicated Tree City USA, Fairview is committed to preserving the area's country lifestyle while providing opportunities for economic development; Sachse, with a population of 20,000, is completing a major bond program that includes park renovations, thoroughfare improvements, and a municipal complex; in southeastern Collin County, Royse City maintains a small-town atmosphere with close proximity to the large municipalities of the Metroplex; and

WHEREAS, Also contributing to the development of Collin County are citizens from Blue Ridge, Copeville, Josephine, Lavon, Lowry Crossing, Lucas, Nevada, New Hope, St. Paul, Westminster, and Weston, along with parts of Dallas, Garland, and Richardson, and those communities play an important part in the county's flourishing, diversified economy and its commendable quality of life; and

WHEREAS, An excellent educational system is critical to the strength of any community, and Forbes magazine has lauded Collin County schools for their impressive performance; that media outlet has also dubbed Plano the safest city in America, and the rest of the county enjoys a similar reputation for safe streets, schools, and neighborhoods, with McKinney and Murphy also recently recognized as standouts; and

WHEREAS, The citizens of this notable North Texas county are working to preserve the best of their past even as they look forward to a bright and promising future, and they are sure to figure prominently in the growth and prosperity of the Lone Star State in the years ahead; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby recognize March 7 and 8, 2011, as Collin County Days at the State Capitol and extend sincere best wishes to all the county residents who have traveled to Austin for this event.

Taylor of Collin Madden Laubenberg Paxton

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 740 was adopted by the House on March 8, 2011, by a non-record vote.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House