| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Proud residents of the city of Donna are gathering |
|
|
in Austin on April 10, 2025, to celebrate Donna Day at the State |
|
|
Capitol; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Situated in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, |
|
|
Donna is located on land that was bequeathed to Lino Cabazos by the |
|
|
Mexican state of Tamaulipas in 1834, and members of the Cabazos |
|
|
family continued to live in the area over the ensuing decades; |
|
|
settlers from northern states began arriving at the turn of the 20th |
|
|
century; among them was Thomas Jefferson Hooks, who helped found |
|
|
the La Blanca Agricultural Company, which purchased 23,000 acres of |
|
|
land, and the town was founded in 1904; three years later, the |
|
|
community was named in honor of Donna Hooks Fletcher, the daughter |
|
|
of Mr. Hooks; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Donna was incorporated in 1908, the same year that |
|
|
its post office was established and its first store and sugar mill |
|
|
were constructed; by 1915, the town had a population of 1,500 |
|
|
residents, and in the decades that followed, it continued to |
|
|
develop into a major hub for vegetable and citrus crops; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Today, Donna is home to more than 16,000 people, and |
|
|
its economy is bolstered by the retail, educational services, and |
|
|
tourism industries in addition to agriculture; area youth benefit |
|
|
from the award-winning Donna Independent School District, which |
|
|
provides its students with the academic opportunities necessary to |
|
|
build a strong foundation for future success; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Donna is connected to Río Bravo, Tamaulipas, by an |
|
|
international bridge, which receives an average of 60,000 crossings |
|
|
a month; its location in a relatively uncongested portion of the |
|
|
border allows for efficient travel to and from Mexico, and |
|
|
officials are pursuing further improvements to the port of entry to |
|
|
facilitate transportation and trade; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The citizens of Donna have made many valuable |
|
|
contributions to the culture and economy of Texas, and they take |
|
|
justifiable pride in the rich heritage and unique amenities that |
|
|
make their city such a notable part of the Lone Star State; now, |
|
|
therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature |
|
|
hereby recognize April 10, 2025, as Donna Day at the State Capitol |
|
|
and extend a warm welcome to the visiting delegation. |