Bill Text: TX HR231 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing February 1, 2011, as McAllen Day at the State Capitol.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Passed) 2011-02-02 - Reported enrolled [HR231 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HR231-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 231 | ||
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| WHEREAS, Residents of McAllen are gathering at the State | ||
| Capitol on February 1, 2011, to celebrate their community's | ||
| contributions to the vitality of the Lone Star State; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The development of present-day McAllen began in 1797 | ||
| when Spanish settler Jose Manuel Gomez founded the Santa Anita | ||
| Ranch in what is now southern Hidalgo County; the ranch grew in size | ||
| and was eventually inherited by Mr. Gomez's great-granddaughter, | ||
| Salome Balli, who married John McAllen; together they continued to | ||
| add to the property and renamed it McAllen Ranch; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 1904, the St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico | ||
| Railroad arrived, and that same year, Mr. McAllen and other early | ||
| settlers established the McAllen Townsite Company, along with a | ||
| community named for John McAllen; other developers founded East | ||
| McAllen in 1907, and the two towns eventually merged and became home | ||
| to several businesses, churches, residences, and a newspaper; by | ||
| 1920, the city was home to some 6,000 residents; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Over the last four decades, McAllen has grown into a | ||
| center for business, commerce, and government in the Rio Grande | ||
| Valley, and it is part of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan | ||
| statistical areas in the country; in 2009, Forbes magazine ranked | ||
| McAllen as the top mid-sized city in the nation for population and | ||
| job growth; CNNMoney.com has listed McAllen as one of the best | ||
| places in the country to live and invest, and Moody's Analytics | ||
| ranked the city number one for job growth for 2008-2013; such | ||
| designations continue a trend of recognition for McAllen dating | ||
| back to at least 1996, when it was named an All-America City; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A vibrant cultural center, McAllen is home to the | ||
| International Museum of Art and Science, which serves as a showcase | ||
| for traveling exhibitions, loaned works from the Smithsonian | ||
| Institution, and an extensive collection of Latin American folk | ||
| art; the city's newly created Arts District holds regular art | ||
| walks, drawing thousands of art enthusiasts monthly; McAllen is | ||
| also a regional hub for banking, shopping, and conventions, thanks | ||
| to La Plaza Mall and the recently opened $75 million convention | ||
| center; moreover, a 123,000-square-foot public library is | ||
| scheduled for completion in summer 2011; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy such festive | ||
| annual events as the Candlelight Posada, the Fourth of July | ||
| Celebration, and PalmFest, and in 2010, the city celebrated its | ||
| third annual New Year's Eve bash, a free, community-wide event; and | ||
| WHEREAS, During 2011, the citizens of McAllen are celebrating | ||
| the city's 100th anniversary as a municipality, and they may indeed | ||
| take great pride in their city, which has played a significant role | ||
| in the annals of Texas history; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby recognize February 1, 2011, as McAllen Day at | ||
| the State Capitol and extend to all McAllen residents who are | ||
| present on this day sincere best wishes for a memorable visit to | ||
| Austin. | ||
| Gonzales of Hidalgo | ||
| Pena | ||
| Munoz, Jr. | ||
| Martinez | ||
| Guillen | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 231 was adopted by the House on | ||
| February 1, 2011, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
