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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, During the weeks that followed the mass shooting at |
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| 6 | 7 | | the Cielo Vista Walmart in El Paso on August 3, 2019, the Zaragoza |
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| 7 | 8 | | Rotary Club partnered with El Paso City Council member Henry Rivera |
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| 8 | 9 | | to maintain the temporary memorial that was created to honor the 22 |
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| 9 | 10 | | people who lost their lives on that tragic day; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, To commemorate those who were killed in the horrific |
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| 11 | 12 | | attack, El Pasoans began visiting and bringing flowers, candles, |
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| 12 | 13 | | stuffed animals, signs, and other items to a makeshift memorial |
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| 13 | 14 | | overlooking the Walmart parking lot; soon after, El Paso City |
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| 14 | 15 | | Representative Henry Rivera recognized the need to tidy up the |
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| 15 | 16 | | memorial, and he went on to enlist the help of the Zaragoza Rotary |
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| 16 | 17 | | Club of El Paso, which volunteered to make weekly visits to the site |
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| 17 | 18 | | before a permanent structure could be established; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Rotary Club volunteers removed wilting flowers from |
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| 19 | 20 | | the memorial, which were then taken to the El Paso Zoo to be |
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| 20 | 21 | | recycled into compost; the organization continued performing this |
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| 21 | 22 | | service until the store reopened on November 14 and the memorial was |
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| 22 | 23 | | removed; on November 23, a permanent monument called the "Grand |
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| 23 | 24 | | Candela," a 30-foot-tall illuminated obelisk, was unveiled and |
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| 24 | 25 | | dedicated to each of the victims and survivors of the tragedy; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, In the immediate aftermath of the horrific events of |
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| 26 | 27 | | August 3, 2019, El Pasoans gathered at the makeshift memorial to |
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| 27 | 28 | | mourn and pay their respects to the innocent people whose lives were |
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| 28 | 29 | | cut short by an appalling act of violence, and Representative Henry |
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| 29 | 30 | | Rivera and the Zaragoza Rotary Club are deserving of praise for |
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| 30 | 31 | | their commitment to ensuring that the site received the care that it |
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| 31 | 32 | | deserved; now, therefore, be it |
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| 32 | 33 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 33 | 34 | | Legislature hereby commend El Paso City Representative Henry Rivera |
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| 34 | 35 | | and the Zaragoza Rotary Club of El Paso for their efforts to |
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| 35 | 36 | | maintain the temporary memorial at the Cielo Vista Walmart in El |
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| 36 | 37 | | Paso and extend to them sincere best wishes for the future; and, be |
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| 37 | 38 | | it further |
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| 38 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 39 | 40 | | prepared for Representative Rivera and the Zaragoza Rotary Club as |
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| 40 | 41 | | an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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