Houston is the "Texan of the Year"

Dallas Morning News' "Texan of the Year" ...

For resilience, resourcefulness and good old Texas neighborliness on a scale that did the whole state proud, Houston is the 2005 Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year.

To this day, an estimated 150,000 survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita call the Houston area home, and surveys show that most of them plan to stay. When Katrina hurled them, battered and destitute, onto Houston's doorstep, Houston met the challenge with the largest shelter operation in the nation's history. Singling out Houston is no slight to the scores of other communities that opened their arms to the storms' victims, including those right here in North Texas. They, too, performed nobly and deserve vigorous applause. But the demands on Houston, by dint of simple geography, were of a stunningly higher magnitude.

Talk to the people at the center of the relief effort, and, over and over, you'll hear words that echo those of Issa Dadoush, the city of Houston's director of building services: "These are Americans. They're our neighbors. If not Houston, who else?"

Boosterism aside, I find it hard to argue otherwise. When you listen to Mayor White talk about some of the responses the first day that people started arriving en masse, it's tough to not get just downright misty-eyed. It was one of those rare moments where petty differences fell and community flourished here in H-town. It was also one of those moments where some of the inherent quirks of our town all came together - like a medical center full of highly skilled personnel situated nearby a large, vacant sports facility that we have no idea what to do with these days.

It was an uplifting experience to see so many that came together to help in a situation that you wouldn't wish upon anyone to have to endure. And perhaps the heart of the matter lies just there. Watching a major American city essentially disappear in the aftermath of a natural disaster has to be one of those "There, but for the grace of God go I" moments that Houstonians can relate to.

As with any such lists, here's the remainder of DMN's group for consideration:

No. 2 Lance Armstrong
No. 3: Brooke Army Medical Center
No. 4: Jamie Foxx
No. 5: Ronnie Earle
No. 6: Tom Craddick
No. 7: Robert Rodriguez
No. 8: Kim Mulkey-Robertson
No. 9: Joel Osteen
No. 10: Harriet Miers

Argue over it if you wish. Pink Dome got a plug from the reader nominations. But the only names that stand out as maybe a bit overlooked from here was Mack Brown. Far be it from me to make the case for a T-sip, but let's give credit where it's due - dude's coaching for the national championship in a few of days. I realize that it's "hip" to ignore the stereotypical Texas appreciation of all things football, but come on. Why bother ranking Baylor women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson as highly as they seemed to have done yet not consider the coach who led his team to an undefeated season and a shot at the big ring? It's a bigger school and a sport that more than a few people actually watch.

Ed. page editor Keven Ann Wiley gives an entertaining read on the selection process if you really wanted some inside baseball. Whatever one thinks of the list, I think I speak for most Houstonians in wishing that we have a better followup year than the previous winner: Karl Rove.