R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, On April 25, 2001, residents from Katy are gathering
1-2 in Austin to celebrate Katy Day at the State Capitol; and
1-3 WHEREAS, First settled in 1872, Katy was originally known as
1-4 Cane Island and its present-day name is derived from the Missouri,
1-5 Kansas, and Texas Railroad; the city was formally incorporated in
1-6 1945 and is located in parts of Harris, Waller, and Fort Bend
1-7 counties; and
1-8 WHEREAS, In its infancy, the town relied on its plentiful
1-9 crops of cotton, peanuts, and corn to prosper, but Katy underwent
1-10 an enormous change when William Eule introduced rice farming in
1-11 1901; moreover, the discovery well of the Katy gas field was
1-12 drilled in 1934 and during World War II the size of the reserves
1-13 and proximity to Houston-area refineries combined to make the city
1-14 the most important gas-condensate field in the country; and
1-15 WHEREAS, Today, the city remains an important rail and
1-16 agricultural center and is also known for having one of the largest
1-17 gas fields in the Lone Star State; and
1-18 WHEREAS, The town is home to Heritage Park, with a number of
1-19 restored historical buildings, made possible by the Katy Heritage
1-20 Society, and the Katy Veterans Memorial Museum, which features
1-21 military exhibits of every foreign conflict involving the United
1-22 States; and
1-23 WHEREAS, Residents of this fine city enjoy upholding its
1-24 heritage with the celebration of the Katy Rice Harvest Festival,
2-1 being held this year on October 13 and 14, and the annual Texas
2-2 SummerFest and Balloon Classic, during which more than 50 hot air
2-3 balloons will compete for the Southwest Regional Championship; in
2-4 addition, numerous parks in the city provide year-round
2-5 opportunities for a wide range of recreational activities; and
2-6 WHEREAS, The award-winning Katy Independent School District
2-7 provides young Texans with a top-notch education and is considered
2-8 one of the strongest and most competitive school districts in the
2-9 state, as is exemplified by the Taylor High School academic
2-10 decathlon team, which has won the state title for five consecutive
2-11 years and numerous national championships; in addition, the Cinco
2-12 Ranch High School Cougar Stars Drill Team was honored for its
2-13 academic prowess as a result of its members' cumulative 4.0 grade
2-14 point average, which is the highest in the 43-year history of the
2-15 American Dance/Drill Team; and
2-16 WHEREAS, Katy ISD is home to a number of exceptional athletic
2-17 programs as well; Faith West Academy and Katy High School won state
2-18 football titles in Class 3A and Class 5A Division 2, respectively,
2-19 while Taylor High School took the Class 5A boys' state swimming
2-20 crown and produced state runners-up in tennis and girls' soccer;
2-21 and
2-22 WHEREAS, Mayde Creek High School also has much to be proud
2-23 of, including junior Zack Wood, who saved a man's life and was
2-24 honored with a national lifesaving award for his selfless act of
2-25 heroism; and
2-26 WHEREAS, This charming town prides itself on making sure
2-27 "You'll love Katy," and such organizations as Katy VFW Post No.
3-1 9182 contribute to making the community special; the post has been
3-2 honored for its exemplary community service, with national awards
3-3 in 1999 and 2000; and
3-4 WHEREAS, The city has also figured prominently in the lives
3-5 of a number of talented local citizens who have gained national
3-6 attention; accomplished actress Renee Zellweger is a native of Katy
3-7 who won a 2001 Golden Globe Award for her sterling performance in
3-8 Nurse Betty and is currently starring in the highly acclaimed
3-9 Bridget Jones's Diary; country western superstar Clint Black also
3-10 grew up in Katy and has won nearly every accolade imaginable and
3-11 been honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame for his
3-12 outstanding contributions to music and entertainment; and
3-13 WHEREAS, Situated a scant 25 miles west of downtown Houston,
3-14 Katy has all the benefits of a big city while offering its
3-15 residents the community life of a small town; the citizens of Katy
3-16 are embracing the myriad challenges and opportunities of the future
3-17 while continuing to build on their history, and it is indeed most
3-18 appropriate to pay tribute to them at this time; now, therefore, be
3-19 it
3-20 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
3-21 Legislature hereby recognize April 25, 2001, as Katy Day at the
3-22 State Capitol and extend to the delegation here today sincere best
3-23 wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit.
Callegari
Heflin
Howard
Williams
Nixon
Laney Goodman Merritt
Alexander Goolsby Miller
Allen Gray Moreno of Harris
Averitt Green Moreno of El Paso
Bailey Grusendorf Morrison
Berman Gutierrez Mowery
Bonnen Haggerty Naishtat
Bosse Hamric Najera
Brimer Hardcastle Nixon
Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Noriega
Brown of Brazos Hawley Oliveira
Burnam Heflin Olivo
Callegari Hilbert Pickett
Capelo Hilderbran Pitts
Carter Hill Puente
Chavez Hinojosa Ramsay
Chisum Hochberg Rangel
Christian Hodge Raymond
Clark Homer Reyna of Bexar
Coleman Hope Reyna of Dallas
Cook Hopson Ritter
Corte Howard Sadler
Counts Hunter Salinas
Crabb Hupp Seaman
Craddick Isett Shields
Crownover Janek Smith
Danburg Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Davis of Harris Jones of Bexar Solis
Davis of Dallas Jones of Dallas Solomons
Delisi Junell Swinford
Denny Keel Talton
Deshotel Keffer Telford
Driver King of Parker Thompson
Dukes King of Uvalde Tillery
Dunnam Kitchen Truitt
Dutton Kolkhorst Turner of Coleman
Edwards Krusee Turner of Harris
Ehrhardt Kuempel Uher
Eiland Lewis of Tarrant Uresti
Elkins Lewis of Orange Villarreal
Ellis Longoria Walker
Farabee Luna West
Farrar McCall Williams
Flores McClendon Wilson
Gallego McReynolds Wise
Garcia Madden Wohlgemuth
George Marchant Wolens
Geren Martinez Fischer Woolley
Giddings Maxey Yarbrough
Glaze Menendez Zbranek
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 820 was adopted by the House on April
25, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House