H.R. No. 815
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The recent retirement of Joseph Pickle in April 1995
    1-2  marked the end of an era for his friends and colleagues on the
    1-3  board of directors of the Colorado River Municipal Water District,
    1-4  which he served with distinction as secretary-treasurer for nearly
    1-5  50 years; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, The district's first and only secretary-treasurer to
    1-7  date, Mr. Pickle was an employee of the Big Spring Herald when he
    1-8  attended the fledgling water district's organizational meeting in
    1-9  1946; at the request of the chairman, he agreed to take the minutes
   1-10  of the meeting, undoubtedly with little idea at the time that he
   1-11  would perform this important function regularly for 4-1/2 decades;
   1-12  and
   1-13        WHEREAS, After the water district was formally created by
   1-14  state law, the board appointed Mr. Pickle to serve as its official
   1-15  secretary-treasurer, and throughout the ensuing decades he has
   1-16  discharged this task admirably, producing more than 11 volumes of
   1-17  minutes during his long tenure, which convey the full history of
   1-18  the district in lively and accurate detail; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, In addition to his duties with the board, this
   1-20  skillful journalist continued to work at the Big Spring Herald and
   1-21  retired from the newspaper business in 1975 as editor of the paper;
   1-22  and
   1-23        WHEREAS, At this juncture in his professional life, he
   1-24  accepted full-time employment with the water district, beginning a
    2-1  second highly successful career as the district's media liaison,
    2-2  while continuing to faithfully record the minutes of each board
    2-3  meeting; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, Mr. Pickle is renowned in Big Spring for his
    2-5  encyclopedic knowledge of local history garnered from his years as
    2-6  a newspaperman, and he has authored a book on the history of the
    2-7  area entitled Getting Started; his erudition proved an invaluable
    2-8  asset to the board in carrying out its diverse functions and his
    2-9  departure from the district will leave a void that will be
   2-10  difficult to fill; and
   2-11        WHEREAS, Throughout his remarkable tenure, Joseph Pickle
   2-12  contributed immeasurably to the success of the Colorado River
   2-13  Municipal Water District and, though his sage presence will be
   2-14  sorely missed, his many friends and colleagues will take great
   2-15  pleasure in knowing that he is enjoying a happy and well-deserved
   2-16  retirement; now, therefore, be it
   2-17        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-18  Legislature hereby commend Joseph Pickle for his extraordinary
   2-19  service to the Colorado River Municipal Water District and extend
   2-20  to him warmest best wishes on the occasion of his retirement; and,
   2-21  be it further
   2-22        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-23  prepared for Mr. Pickle as an expression of highest regard by the
   2-24  Texas House of Representatives.