Title
To honor and recognize the 200th Birthday of the City of Columbus.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus, Ohio was founded February 14, 1812 to serve as the state capitol for Ohio; and
WHEREAS, early settlers like Lucas Sullivant, who created the first community of Franklinton, realized the economic potential and geographic advantages of its Columbus' location; and
WHEREAS, like America itself, Columbus is a city built by immigrants who came to central Ohio in search of a better quality of life for themselves and their families; and
WHEREAS, Columbus has grown and transformed itself into a thriving metropolitan center for business, education, the arts and culture; and
WHEREAS, Columbus is a city of distinctive neighborhoods that blend together seamlessly to form a rich and wonderful community; and
WHEREAS, Columbus boasts a long list of institutions and attractions that have recently been named #1 in America including the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Center of Science and Industry, and the Columbus Metropolitan Library System; and
WHEREAS, Columbus is home to five Fourtune 500 companies including Nationwide Insurance, American Electric Power, Limited Brands, Momentive Specialty Chemical, and Big Lots; and
WHEREAS, Columbus has always been a community of innovation thanks to such groups as Battelle Memorial Institution, where the bar code and compact disc where invented, to the companies that comprise TechColumbus, a leading high-tech incubator for small and startup companies; and
WHEREAS, Columbus and the central Ohio region boasts more than 40 colleges and universities with an estimated 142,000 graduate and undergraduate students; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus has joined regional partners like Columbus2020, the Columbus Chamber, and Experience Columbus to instill a greater sense of pride in our accomplishments as a community and more aggressively market Columbus to the nation and the world; and
WHEREAS, Columbus is an inclusive community that celebrates the diversity of our residents and recognizes the unique qualities that make us all special; and
WHEREAS, Columbus hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year to come to enjoy regional and national attractions such as the Arts Fest, Jazz and Ribfest, Pride Festival, and the Arnold Fitness Classic; and
WHEREAS, Columbus is internationally recognized sports teams including athletes at The Ohio State University, Columbus Blue Jackets, Triple-A Champion Columbus Clippers, and Columbus Crew; and
WHEREAS, Columbus is a community that will continue to be on the forefront of social, economic and technological changes that will propel our residents into another 200 years of prosperity; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL BY THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this City Council hereby recognizes the 200th Birthday of the City of Columbus and encourages all residents to participate in one or more of dozens of events designed to honor and celebrate this great city.