TITLE: Recognizing March 12, 2013, as Balch Springs Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing March 12, 2013, as Balch Springs Day at the State Capitol.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Residents and community leaders from Balch Springs are gathering at the State Capitol on March 12, 2013, to take part in Balch Springs Day, and this occasion provides a welcome opportunity to honor the history and achievements of this notable North Texas community; and WHEREAS, The city traces its history to the 1870s, when John Balch, who had fought for the independence of Texas at the Battle of San Jacinto and other engagements, settled in the area with his family; his land contained a permanent spring that became a gathering place for nearby residents, and the settlement that took shape over the following decades was named for him and this vital water source; and WHEREAS, Balch Springs was incorporated in 1953, when approximately 3,000 people lived there; the population rose in the decades that followed, with an increasing number of manufacturing companies and other businesses opening their doors; and WHEREAS, Today, this bustling city is home to more than 24,000 people and serves as a southeastern gateway to the Metroplex; it offers convenient access to the surrounding area as well as to major interstate and international transportation routes, and its location, combined with its forward-looking civic leadership and productive workforce, has attracted numerous companies, including a number of firms in the telecommunications industry; and WHEREAS, Quality of life is another factor in the city's growth, and numerous residents have been drawn by its thriving community atmosphere, highly regarded schools, and myriad options for housing, entertainment, and recreation; and WHEREAS, Balch Springs offers an inviting mixture of small-town charm and big-city convenience, and its many contributions to the Lone Star State deserve to be honored and celebrated; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize March 12, 2013, as Balch Springs Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a productive and enjoyable time in Austin. Rose Burkett Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 806 was adopted by the House on March 12, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House