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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Midland and Odessa are gathering |
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in Austin from February 6-8, 2023, to celebrate Midland-Odessa Days |
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at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Set only 20 miles apart in the ranching and oil |
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country of West Texas, these vibrant Texas cities got their start as |
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stops on the Texas and Pacific Railway in the 1880s; by 1890, |
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Midland was one of the most important centers for shipping cattle in |
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Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Odessa began its rapid growth with the discovery of |
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oil in the Permian Basin in the 1920s, and by 1929, Midland was home |
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to 36 oil companies; today, Midland continues to be the financial |
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and administrative capital of the Permian Basin, while Odessa |
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remains the center for the region's oil processing and |
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distribution; and |
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WHEREAS, Midland and Odessa are the primary cities located in |
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the Permian Basin; the region accounts for nearly 40 percent of oil |
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production in the United States, and its vast reserves have helped |
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establish the country as the largest oil and gas producer in the |
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world; and |
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WHEREAS, Odessa and Midland boast many fine historical and |
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cultural attractions; in Odessa, the Presidential Archives and |
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Leadership Library is the only museum in the nation dedicated to the |
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history of the office of the presidency; the families of both Bush |
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presidents have called Midland and Odessa home, and the archive |
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features a restored house where the Bush family once resided; and |
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WHEREAS, The Ellen Noël Art Museum, one of only two |
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Smithsonian affiliates in Texas, features world-class exhibits |
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year-round, and the Haley Memorial Library & History Center houses |
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the first bell to hang in the Alamo, as well as vast resources of |
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oral and written history about the cowboy; and |
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WHEREAS, Situated between Midland and Odessa is the Wagner |
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Noël Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art facility boasting a |
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total of 2,000 seats between its theater and recital hall, which |
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brings in myriad shows to impress a variety of audiences; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy the Stonehenge |
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replica on the campus of The University of Texas of the Permian |
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Basin, as well as live productions at the replica of Shakespeare's |
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Globe Theatre on the campus of Odessa College; furthermore, the |
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Midland Festival Ballet, the West Texas Symphony, and the |
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award-winning Midland Community Theatre offer live performances |
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that inspire and entertain; and |
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WHEREAS, The I-20 Wildlife Preserve Jenna Welch Nature Study |
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Center and the Sibley Nature Center celebrate the nature and |
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history of the Permian Basin while showcasing the beauty and |
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wildlife of the region; furthermore, Odessa is home to the Odessa |
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Spire, a 1950s architecture sign that was refurbished in 2019 and is |
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known as the tallest lighted public art structure in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, The Historic White-Pool House is the first |
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residential home in Odessa and proudly displays items from both the |
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White and Pool families; also located in Odessa and enjoyed by more |
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than 10,000 visitors every year is the nation's second-largest |
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meteor crater and adjoining museum; and |
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WHEREAS, Midland's Museum of the Southwest offers displays of |
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the art and archaeology of the American Southwest, as well as the |
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winning Kentucky Derby history of one of Midland's prominent |
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families; the interactive exhibits of the Permian Basin Petroleum |
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Museum present the geology and history of oil while helping to |
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inspire entrepreneurs of the future; and |
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WHEREAS, Odessa features the Chris Kyle Memorial Plaza, which |
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honors the former Navy SEAL who was born in Odessa, and also pays |
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tribute to past, current, and future veterans who have served our |
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country so unselfishly; the Midland Army Air Field Museum preserves |
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the history of the largest bombardier training school in |
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World War II and also highlights the contributions that West Texans |
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made to the war effort; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than a century, the dynamic cities of |
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Midland and Odessa have been at the economic and cultural hub of |
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West Texas, and their citizens continue to celebrate their rich |
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history as they work hard to build a prosperous future; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 6-8, 2023, as Midland-Odessa |
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Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation best |
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wishes for an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin. |