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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of the Alamo City are visiting |
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Austin on February 28, 2017, to celebrate VIVA San Antonio Day at |
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the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, The history of San Antonio can be traced back to |
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1691, when a group of Spanish explorers and missionaries came upon a |
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river and named it San Antonio, in honor of Saint Anthony, whose |
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feast day was being celebrated; and |
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WHEREAS, The city was founded in 1718 by Father Antonio |
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Olivares; he established Mission San Antonio de Valero, which would |
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become etched in the annals of history in 1836 as the Alamo, the |
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site where 189 brave individuals held the mission for 13 days |
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against an army of some 4,000 Mexican soldiers; the cry "Remember |
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the Alamo" became the rallying point of the Texas Revolution; |
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today, the Alamo is a shrine and museum and is widely recognized as |
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the cradle of Texas liberty; and |
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WHEREAS, San Antonio became formally incorporated in 1837, |
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when the fledgling Republic of Texas granted the city a charter; the |
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community has since retained its sense of history and tradition |
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while carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress; it continues to |
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serve as a crossroads and a meeting place, where the rich cultural |
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influences of Native Americans, Old Mexico, German immigrants, the |
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Wild West, African Americans, and the Deep South mingle and merge; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The city has a proud military heritage; great |
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military figures like Pershing, Stilwell, Krueger, LeMay, |
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Chennault, and Eisenhower served at San Antonio military |
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institutions, including Fort Sam Houston, the headquarters for the |
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U.S. Army North and U.S. Army South, and Randolph Air Force Base, |
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the home of Air Education and Training Command; in addition, San |
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Antonio is the site of Lackland Air Force Base, the largest training |
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wing in the United States Air Force, and the San Antonio Military |
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Health System, home of all U.S. military medical training; and |
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WHEREAS, Recent years have brought remarkable economic |
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development to San Antonio as its skilled workforce, excellent |
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institutions of public and higher education, and high quality of |
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life have attracted important corporate businesses and industries |
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to the city; and |
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WHEREAS, The city's chambers of commerce serve as leading |
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advocates for the business community and are dedicated to building |
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and sustaining San Antonio's diverse and prosperous economy, |
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particularly in the major local industries of health care, |
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manufacturing, aerospace, information technology, and |
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cybersecurity; and |
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WHEREAS, Millions of visitors a year delight in visiting San |
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Antonio; in addition to the Alamo, highlights include La Villita, |
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San Fernando Cathedral, the San Antonio Missions Trail, and the |
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famed Paseo del Rio, also known as The Riverwalk; among the other |
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attractions that make San Antonio one of the top tourist |
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destinations in the country are SeaWorld San Antonio and the Six |
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Flags Fiesta Texas theme park as well as the PGA Tour Valero Texas |
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Open, the Alamo Bowl, and the five-time world champion San Antonio |
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Spurs; and |
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WHEREAS, In April 2017, the city will once again celebrate |
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Fiesta San Antonio, the biggest 11-day party in the state; first |
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held more than 120 years ago, the event was founded by a group of |
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women who decorated horse-drawn carriages for a parade in front of |
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the Alamo and battled with flower blossoms instead of bullets to |
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honor the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto; and |
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WHEREAS, San Antonio is truly one of the treasures of the Lone |
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Star State, and VIVA San Antonio Day provides a welcome opportunity |
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to honor the city and its many fine residents; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 28, 2017, as VIVA San Antonio |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
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sincere best wishes for an informative and enjoyable stay in |
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Austin. |