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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 115
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WHEREAS, Residents of the City of McAllen are gathering at |
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the State Capitol on February 5, 2013, to celebrate their |
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community's contributions to the vitality of the Lone Star State; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The development of present-day McAllen began in |
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1797 when Spanish settler Jose Manuel Gomez founded the Santa |
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Anita Ranch in southern Hidalgo County; the ranch grew in size |
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and, after passing through the hands of several heirs, it was |
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inherited by his great-granddaughter, Salome Balli; Salome |
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married John McAllen, and together they continued to add to the |
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property and renamed it McAllen Ranch; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1904, Mr. McAllen and other early settlers |
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established a town site called West McAllen, and a year later, |
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the Saint Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico Railroad arrived; other |
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developers founded East McAllen in 1907, and the two towns |
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eventually merged and became home to several businesses, |
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churches, residences, and a newspaper; by 1920, the city's |
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population exceeded 5,000 residents and was continuing to grow; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Over the last four decades, McAllen has grown into |
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a center for business, commerce, and government in the Rio Grande |
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Valley, and it is part of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan |
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statistical areas in the country; in 2012, Forbes magazine ranked |
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McAllen as the top mid-sized city in the nation for jobs; |
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CNN/Money in 2012 listed McAllen as one of the fastest-growing |
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United States cities, and the United States Bureau of Labor |
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Statistics ranked the city number one for job growth for 2012; |
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such designations continue a trend of recognition for McAllen |
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dating back to at least 1996, when it was named an All-American |
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City; and |
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WHEREAS, The unique landscape of the Rio Grande Valley |
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offers rich soil for farming and a hospitable environment for |
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cultivating citrus fruits, cotton, sugarcane, and many other |
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crops and vegetables; and |
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WHEREAS, A vibrant cultural center, McAllen is home to the |
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International Museum of Art and Science, which serves as a |
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showcase for traveling exhibitions, loaned works from the |
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Smithsonian Institution, and an extensive collection of Latin |
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American folk art; the city's Arts District holds regular art |
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walks, drawing thousands of art enthusiasts monthly; McAllen is |
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also a regional hub for banking, shopping, and conventions, |
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thanks to La Plaza Mall and a $75 million convention center; the |
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city also recently opened a 123,000-square-foot public library; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Tourists and residents alike enjoy such festive |
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annual events as the Candlelight Posada, the Fourth of July |
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Celebration, and PalmFest, and in 2012, the city celebrated its |
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fifth annual New Year's Eve bash, a free, community-wide event; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of McAllen are justifiably proud of |
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their city, which has played a significant role in the annals of |
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Texas history and is celebrating its 102nd anniversary as a |
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municipality this year; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd |
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Legislature, hereby recognize February 5, 2013, as McAllen Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to all McAllen residents who are |
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present on this day sincere best wishes for a memorable visit to |
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Austin. |
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Hinojosa, Lucio |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on February 5, 2013. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |