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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Crystal City are gathering in |
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Austin on March 18, 2015, to celebrate Crystal City Day at the State |
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Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Situated in the Winter Garden Region of South Texas, |
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Crystal City was laid out in 1905 by two developers, Carl F. Groos |
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and E. J. Buckingham, and named for the clear waters of a nearby |
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artesian well; by 1908, the town had a post office, a school, and a |
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stop on the Uvalde Railway, and in 1928, it was named the seat of |
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Zavala County; and |
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WHEREAS, From its earliest days, Crystal City was a shipping |
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point for winter vegetables such as onions, carrots, tomatoes, and |
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peppers; a vegetable cannery was opened in 1932, and the town became |
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known as the Spinach Capital of the World; the first spinach |
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festival was held in 1936 and ran each year until World War II; in |
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1937, the town erected a statue of Popeye, the spinach-loving |
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cartoon character, across the street from city hall; and |
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WHEREAS, During World War II, the Immigration and |
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Naturalization Service took over a camp for migratory farm workers |
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at Crystal City and used the facility to intern Japanese Americans |
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and Axis nationals, many of whom had been residing in various South |
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American countries; at its peak, the camp held more than 3,300 men, |
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women, and children speaking five different languages; the camp was |
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converted to low-cost housing after the war; and |
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WHEREAS, The rising power of Crystal City's majority Hispanic |
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population in the 1960s helped increase their representation in |
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city government; in 1967, three Chicano students at Crystal City |
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High School founded the Mexican American Youth Organization, |
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leading three years later to the founding of the Raza Unida Party; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Crystal City continues to be a hub for |
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farming, ranching, and food processing, with the Del Monte |
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Corporation cannery specializing in locally produced spinach and |
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carrots, and the Spinach Festival, which was revived in 1982, draws |
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visitors from around the country with such activities as a |
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cook-off, a carnival and parade, and musical performances; and |
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WHEREAS, The mayor and city council members are together |
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leading efforts for infrastructure renewal, and recent successful |
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initiatives include road, water, and lighting upgrades; the town |
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has also made improvements at its popular Juan Garcia Park, adding a |
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ranch rodeo arena, a swimming pool complex, new basketball courts, |
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and wheelchair-accessible restrooms; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Crystal City are working to preserve |
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the best of their past while building a future of ever-expanding |
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opportunity, and it is indeed most fitting to honor them for their |
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industry and public spirit; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 18, 2015, as Crystal City 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 stay in Austin. |