WHEREAS, January 23, 2007, marked the sesquicentennial of the City of Vancouver, Washington; and
     WHEREAS, Vancouver has played a prominent role in the history of the State with notable events including the founding of Fort Vancouver in 1825, which served as the capital of the Hudson's Bay Company's Northwest fur trading empire; the first military post in the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver Barracks, which served as the headquarters of the United States military in the Pacific Northwest; being home to Officers Row, the first "neighborhood" in the Pacific Northwest; serving as the landing site, at Pearson Airfield, of the first transpolar flight; and the location of the Kaiser Shipyards, begun in 1942, to support the World War II efforts; and
     WHEREAS, Through Vancouver Barracks, the City has been home to some of the most notable figures in military history including General George C. Marshall, General Ulysses S. Grant, General Oliver Otis Howard, and General Benjamin Bonneville; and
     WHEREAS, Vancouver has been, in the past, and continues to be, a forward thinking, innovative community that was home to the first street lights and telephones in the Northwest, the first county library system in the State, the location of the first Hilton hotel in the world with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, and whose award-winning trails system has helped earn it a designation as one of the most walkable cities in the United States; and
     WHEREAS, Vancouver is currently the 4th largest city in the State and serves as a social and economic hub for Southwest Washington; and
     WHEREAS, The City of Vancouver plans a yearlong series of events to celebrate its 150th anniversary kicked off by Mayor Royce Pollard's State of the City address on January 23rd and including a community picnic, a citywide bike ride with the Mayor, and a special 150th exhibit at the Clark County Historic Museum;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Washington congratulate America's Vancouver on reaching its 150th Anniversary; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the City of Vancouver.