SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 249
WHEREAS, The Texas Senate is pleased to recognize February
21, 2013, as Viva San Antonio Day at the State Capitol and welcome
the visiting delegation from the Alamo City; and
WHEREAS, The history of San Antonio can be traced back to
1691, when a group of Spanish explorers and missionaries came
upon a river and named it San Antonio, in honor of Saint Anthony,
whose feast day was being celebrated; and
WHEREAS, The city was founded in 1718 by Father Antonio
Olivares; he established Mission San Antonio de Valero, which
would become etched in the annals of history in 1836 as the Alamo,
the site where 189 brave individuals held the mission for 13 days
against an army of some 4,000 Mexican soldiers; and
WHEREAS, The cry "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying
point of the Texas Revolution; today, the Alamo is a shrine and
museum and is widely recognized as the cradle of Texas liberty;
and
WHEREAS, San Antonio became formally incorporated in 1837,
when the fledgling Republic of Texas granted the city a charter;
the city has since retained its sense of history and tradition
while carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress; it has served
and continues to serve as a crossroads and a meeting place, where
the rich sounds and cultural influences of Native Americans, Old
Mexico, Germans, the Wild West, African Americans, and the Deep
South mingle and merge; and
WHEREAS, The city has a proud military heritage; great
military figures like Pershing, Stilwell, Krueger, LeMay,
Chennault, and Eisenhower served at San Antonio military
institutions, including Fort Sam Houston, the headquarters for
the United States Army North and United States Army South, and
Randolph Air Force Base, the home of the Air Education and
Training Command; in addition, San Antonio is the site of
Lackland Air Force Base, the largest training wing in the United
States Air Force, and San Antonio Military Health System, home of
all United States military medical training; and
WHEREAS, Recent years have brought remarkable economic
development to San Antonio as its skilled workforce, excellent
institutions of public and higher education, and quality of life
have attracted some important corporate business and industry to
the city; and
WHEREAS, The chambers of commerce serve as leading
advocates for the business community and are dedicated to
building and sustaining San Antonio's diverse and prosperous
economy, particularly in the major local industries such as
health care, manufacturing, aerospace, information technology,
and cyber security; and
WHEREAS, Millions of visitors a year delight in the
discovery of San Antonio; in addition to the Alamo, highlights
include La Villita, San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio Missions
Trail, and the famed Paseo del Rio, better known as "The
Riverwalk"; among the other attractions that make San Antonio one
of the top tourist destinations in the country are SeaWorld San
Antonio and the Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park as well as the
PGA Tour Valero Texas Open, the Alamo Bowl, and the four-time
world champion San Antonio Spurs; and
WHEREAS, In April 2013, the city will once again celebrate
Fiesta San Antonio, the biggest 11-day party in the state; first
held 120 years ago, the event was founded by a group of ladies who
decorated horse-drawn carriages for a parade in front of the
Alamo and battled with flower blossoms instead of bullets to
honor the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto; and
WHEREAS, San Antonio is truly one of the treasures of the
Lone Star State, and Viva San Antonio Day provides a welcome
opportunity to honor the city and its many fine residents; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
83rd Legislature, hereby recognize February 21, 2013, as Viva
San Antonio Day at the State Capitol and extend to the members of
the visiting delegation best wishes for a memorable visit; and,
be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
honor of Viva San Antonio Day.
Van de Putte, Campbell,
Uresti, Zaffirini
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 19, 2013.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate