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.