By Luna                                                H.R. No. 279
         76R6295 JBR-F                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to join
 1-2     the citizens of Corpus Christi in the joyous celebration of Corpus
 1-3     Christi Day on February 24, 1999; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, First settled as a frontier trading post in 1839,
 1-5     Corpus Christi is now the 74th largest city in the nation and the
 1-6     eighth largest community in Texas, and, happily, it has managed to
 1-7     attain that status without sacrificing the delightful quality of
 1-8     life that remains one of its chief attractions; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, A vacationer's paradise, it is located near the
1-10     Padre Island National Seashore and has long been regarded as one of
1-11     the state's most popular coastal playground communities and the
1-12     recreational center of South Texas; and
1-13           WHEREAS, This beautiful seaside city has also earned
1-14     distinction as the deepest port in the state and as the fifth
1-15     busiest in the nation; its major cargoes are oil and refined
1-16     products, chemicals, bulk materials, and agricultural products, and
1-17     the vessels that ply the area transported more than 81 million tons
1-18     of freight to and from all ports of the world in 1996; and
1-19           WHEREAS, The bay area enjoys a bright economic forecast and
1-20     is creating new jobs faster than either the state or national
1-21     average; moreover, Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend region
1-22     continue to attract new residents, as roughly 500,000 people have
1-23     come to make their home in this lovely and desirable region; and
1-24           WHEREAS, The city is doubly proud to host two excellent
 2-1     centers for higher education, Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi,
 2-2     and Del Mar College; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, The community draws many visitors who come to enjoy
 2-4     its wide array of cultural activities, including the Texas State
 2-5     Aquarium, the Corpus Christi Watergarden, the ships of Christopher
 2-6     Columbus, the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, the Art Museum of
 2-7     South Texas, the Bayfront Arts and Science Park, the Harbor
 2-8     Playhouse, and the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History,
 2-9     which houses the highly acclaimed Spanish Shipwreck Collection; and
2-10           WHEREAS, Corpus Christi is also famous for its widely popular
2-11     festivals, including the Texas Jazz Festival, renowned as one of
2-12     the longest-running festivals of its kind in the country, and
2-13     Bayfest, an annual waterfront event that regularly draws crowds of
2-14     150,000; throughout the year, the Corpus Christi Greyhound Race
2-15     Track provides tourists and South Texans much enjoyment as well;
2-16     and
2-17           WHEREAS, Rich in culture and tradition, Corpus Christi is a
2-18     prosperous, forward-looking community and a leading participant in
2-19     the state's dynamic growth, and it gives the Texas House of
2-20     Representatives great pleasure to join with our fellow citizens in
2-21     saluting this fine Texas community; now, therefore, be it
2-22           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-23     Legislature hereby recognize February 24, 1999, as Corpus Christi
2-24     Day at the Capitol and extend best wishes to all its citizens on
2-25     this noteworthy occasion; and, be it further
2-26           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-27     prepared for the citizens of Corpus Christi as an expression of
 3-1     high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.