Repetition Problems and Punctuation Problems

There's no need to repeat words too close together when they're implicit in one idea and needed for another, as in the following example:

"Since opening its doors in 1909, the historic and elegant St. Anthony has accommodated legendary personalities, including presidents and Hollywood's "Golden Era" celebrities. The elegant décor and historic value are present today to offer guests timeless elegance, comfort, modern conveniences, and a great location to experience the River Walk. Be a part of San Antonio's Grand Tradition, and reserve your place in history today."

Why tell the reader that the hotel is historic and elegant when the décor and value are better served by those words, especially when the reader will get the idea in general from the mention of the year of the hotel's opening and the reference to "presidents and Hollywood's "Golden Era" celebrities"? And why use "elegant" and "elegance" in the same sentence? The use of the word "history" in the last sentence works because it's tying in the readers with the guests in the first sentence to cause the readers to be even more interested in staying there on a visit to the city.

With changes, the paragraph reads

Since opening its doors in 1909, the St. Anthony has accommodated legendary personalities, including presidents and Hollywood's "Golden Era" celebrities. The elegant décor and historic value are present today to offer guests timeless glamour, comfort, modern conveniences, and a great location to experience the River Walk. Be part of San Antonio's Grand Tradition, and reserve your place in history today.

Repetition can also occur in ideas, rather than words, as in this sentence:

"With the support and commitment of so many community stakeholders, we continue to thrive as a competitive urban center, without losing sight of our historical roots."

The idea of history is inherent in the word "roots" as used in this context, so why include it?

The sentence without repetition reads

With the support and commitment of so many community stakeholders, we continue to thrive as a competitive urban center, without losing sight of our roots.

The semi-colon is for separating independent clauses. Any other use, such as in the following examples, doesn't communicate well:

"Our citizens come from diverse backgrounds, yet we were unified in a single promise; a promise for a better life here in our Kyle community."

Why the semi-colon? The words after it do not make up an independent clause, and besides being incorrect, the semi-colon certainly doesn't convey the strength of the idea that the author is looking for. There is, of course, more than one way to correct the problem, but the sentence as written below has the impact the writer seeks:

Our citizens come from diverse backgrounds, yet we were unified in a single promise: a promise for a better life here in our Kyle community.

(Why the past tense--"we were unified"? Shouldn't they still be "unified in a single promise" or has the sell-by date come and gone?)

Semi-c0lons do not belong in lists of things:

"The district features a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center; a dual-language magnet program at two elementary campuses; advanced placement courses and a variety of career and tech courses at the secondary level; and music, art, library, and computer lab included in the weekly rotation at the elementary level."

Don't underestimate the readers--they can find their way through the listings when there is correct punctuation:

The district features a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center, a dual-language magnet program at two elementary campuses, advanced placement courses and a variety of career and tech courses at the secondary level, and music, art, library, and computer lab included in the weekly rotation at the elementary level.