83R7534 JNC-D
By: Pickett H.R. No. 369
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is pleased to
recognize February 12 and 13, 2013, as El Paso Days at the State
Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Located in the westernmost tip of the great state of
Texas, the city of El Paso combines a modern metropolis with the
charm born of its Spanish origins; the area was named El Paso by the
Spanish conquistador Don Juan de Onate because of the shallow place
in the river where the colonists crossed en route to Santa Fe, New
Mexico; and
WHEREAS, The arrival of the railroads in 1881 ushered in an
era of prosperity, and El Paso became a flourishing frontier
community that has developed into a significant industrial,
commercial, and transportation city; and
WHEREAS, Today, semitrailers, trains, and planes transport
manufactured goods through the border cities at the Pass, just as
Spanish traders did in the 16th century when they guided ox-drawn
carts along the Camino Real from Mexico City to Santa Fe; and
WHEREAS, With a population of more than 665,000, El Paso is
the state's sixth-largest city and the 19th-largest city in the
United States; it lies on the Rio Grande north of Ciudad Juarez,
Mexico's fifth-largest city, with a population of over a million;
and
WHEREAS, Nearby Fort Bliss, which celebrates its 165th
anniversary this year, has just completed the biggest
transformation in its history, with a 300 percent increase in its
population since 2005 and an investment of $5 billion in
construction for new, top-of-the-line facilities for incoming
personnel and their families, including a new billion-dollar
military hospital; at the forefront of the U.S. Army's
Transformation plan, the post has transitioned from a TRADOC to a
FORSCOM installation; and
WHEREAS, Dedicated to making their city an even better place
to live and work, El Paso citizens voted in favor of three "quality
of life" bond propositions in 2012, approving $473,250,000 for
projects by one of the largest voting margins for such proposals in
any city in the nation; and
WHEREAS, El Paso is a vibrant, bilingual community; its
residents enjoy a thriving fine arts community, exemplary
educational institutions, and many cultural and historical
resources and museums; and
WHEREAS, El Paso Days at the State Capitol provide an
opportunity to honor El Paso and its rich heritage, which today is
enjoyed by residents and vacationers of all ages; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 12 and 13, 2013, as El Paso
Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation
sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit to Austin.