SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 111

WHEREAS, Residents of the City of McAllen are gathering at the State Capitol on February 1, 2011, to celebrate their community's contributions to the vitality of the Lone Star State; and

WHEREAS, The development of present-day McAllen began in 1797 when Spanish settler Jose Manuel Gomez founded the Santa Anita Ranch in southern Hidalgo County; the ranch grew in size and, after passing through the hands of several heirs, it was inherited by his great-granddaughter, Salome Balli; Salome married John McAllen, and together they continued to add to the property and renamed it McAllen Ranch; and

WHEREAS, In 1904, Mr. McAllen and other early settlers established a town site called West McAllen, and a year later, the St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico Railroad arrived; other developers founded East McAllen in 1907, and the two towns eventually merged and became home to several businesses, churches, residences, and a newspaper; by 1920, the city's population exceeded 5,000 residents and was continuing to grow; and

WHEREAS, Over the last four decades, McAllen has grown into a center for business, commerce, and government in the Rio Grande Valley, and it is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan statistical areas in the country; in 2009, Forbes ranked McAllen as the top city in the country for population and job growth; CNN/Money has listed McAllen as one of the best places in the country to live and invest; and Moody's Investors Service ranked the city number one for annual job growth in 2010; and

WHEREAS, The unique landscape of the Rio Grande Valley offers rich soil for farming and a hospitable environment for cultivating citrus fruits, cotton, sugarcane, and many other crops and vegetables; and

WHEREAS, A center of cultural attractions, McAllen is home to the International Museum of Art and Science, which serves as a showcase for traveling exhibitors, loaned works from the Smithsonian Institution, and an extensive collection of Latin American folk art; McAllen's newly created Arts District holds regular art walks, drawing thousands of art enthusiasts monthly; the city is also a regional banking, retail, and convention hub with La Plaza mall and the new $75 million convention center; McAllen is also looking forward to opening the nation's largest single-story public library later this year; and

WHEREAS, Tourists and residents alike enjoy festive annual events, such as the Candlelight Posada, the Fourth of July festival, and PalmFest; McAllen was named an All-America City in 1996, and in 2010, McAllen celebrated its third annual and the region's biggest New Year's Eve Bash, a free, communitywide event that promises to provide an exciting New Year's Eve option for residents throughout the Valley for years to come; and

WHEREAS, The citizens of McAllen are justifiably proud of their city, which has played a significant role in the annals of Texas history and is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a municipality this year; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd Legislature, hereby recognize February 1, 2011, as McAllen Day at the State Capitol and extend to all McAllen residents who are present on this day sincere best wishes for a memorable visit to Austin.

Hinojosa, Lucio

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 1, 2011.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate

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Member, Texas Senate