By Chisum H.R. No. 427 77R8521 WMS-F R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is pleased to 1-2 join the citizens of the Texas Panhandle in recognizing March 7, 1-3 2001, as Panhandle Day at the State Capitol; and 1-4 WHEREAS, A breathtaking region in Texas, the Panhandle is 1-5 rich in history and scenic plains and is home to a host of cities 1-6 offering a wide array of opportunities; and 1-7 WHEREAS, The area is a combination of traditional ranch lands 1-8 unchanged for centuries, High Plains agriculture, and large 1-9 stretches of oil and gas reserves; and 1-10 WHEREAS, A glimpse of the region's past is provided by the 1-11 Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum located on the campus of West 1-12 Texas A&M University; the museum offers visitors an intriguing 1-13 overview of life in the Old West; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Since 1995, the Amarillo National Research Center, 1-15 an Amarillo-based university research consortium, has provided 1-16 Texas universities with more than $32.5 million for research and 1-17 has represented the interests of the State of Texas with the 1-18 Department of Energy; and 1-19 WHEREAS, The Panhandle city of Amarillo was chosen from a 1-20 nationwide search as the city to house the Bell Helicopter Textron 1-21 Incorporated Tiltrotor Assembly Center; the center is the first 1-22 major aircraft manufacturing facility to be built in Texas in 1-23 decades; and 1-24 WHEREAS, The state's well-known Palo Duro Canyon State Park 2-1 is located in the heart of the Panhandle; the park's arresting 2-2 scenic canyon contains rocks spanning 200 million years of geologic 2-3 time; and 2-4 WHEREAS, With more than 400,000 residents, the Panhandle 2-5 offers the opportunities and vitality generated by modern cities 2-6 and industry, yet its natural beauty and spectacular scenery remain 2-7 unchanged; now, therefore, be it 2-8 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas 2-9 Legislature hereby commend the residents of the Panhandle on their 2-10 many contributions to our state and extend to them best wishes for 2-11 a joyous Panhandle Day at the State Capitol.