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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The businesses along Navigation Boulevard in |
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Houston have contributed greatly to the vitality of the community, |
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and they owe much to the legacy of pioneering restaurateur "Mama" |
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Ninfa Laurenzo; and |
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WHEREAS, Navigation Boulevard runs through the East End, one |
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of the oldest neighborhoods in Houston, and it was here in 1973 that |
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Ninfa Laurenzo converted her factory, the Rio Grande Tortilla |
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Company, into a restaurant, where she introduced the city to tacos |
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al carbon; immediately popular with local residents, Ninfa's soon |
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drew such celebrities as future president George H. W. Bush, |
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musicians George Benson and Reba McEntire, and actors John |
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Travolta, Rock Hudson, and Ben Vereen; and |
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WHEREAS, Since Ms. Laurenzo passed away in 2001, her legacy |
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has been carried on by the Mandola and Laurenzo families, and thanks |
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in part to her inspiration, Navigation Boulevard has become a |
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destination for fine dining; today, it is home to some of the most |
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respected restaurants in Harris County, including The Original |
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Ninfa's, El Tiempo Restaurant and Cantina, Merida, Doña María, and |
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Villa Arcos, among others; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2013, the East End District opened the Navigation |
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Esplanade, an award-winning linear park that hosts a year-round |
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farmers market and serves as the venue for many community festivals |
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that celebrate the traditions of the neighborhood; in 2021, the |
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East End Houston Cultural District released a short documentary |
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celebrating the life and works of the "Godmother of Tex-Mex," Ninfa |
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Laurenzo: An East End Legacy; and |
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WHEREAS, By carrying on in the spirit of Ninfa Laurenzo, the |
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entrepreneurs of Navigation Boulevard continue to strengthen the |
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culture and economy of their unique community, and they may indeed |
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take great pride in their many achievements and proud heritage; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend the Navigation Boulevard business |
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community for its success and pay tribute to the life and legacy of |
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Ninfa Laurenzo; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Navigation Boulevard business community as an |
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expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |