79R2543 JTR-D By: Berman H.C.R. No. 19CONCURRENT RESOLUTION WHEREAS, Many residents of Tyler will be in Austin to celebrate Tyler Days at the State Capitol from February 28 to March 1, 2005, and this festive occasion offers an ideal opportunity to extol the city's many virtues; and WHEREAS, Nestled among the Piney Woods of East Texas, Tyler's great natural beauty goes hand in hand with the energy and amenities of a bustling modern city, and its residents take justifiable pride in their remarkable hometown; and WHEREAS, Tyler has through the years benefited greatly from the region's abundant natural resources, and agriculture has long provided a strong foundation for the local economy; cotton was originally the predominant cash crop, but by the turn of the century the area was shipping 100 railroad cars of peaches a day and more strawberries than the rest of the state combined; and WHEREAS, A devastating peach blight in 1902 soon revealed itself a blessing in disguise, as farmers turned to growing roses that are now Tyler's most famous export; by the 1940s, more than half the nation's rosebushes came from Tyler, and today the city is renowned as the home of the Texas Rose Festival and the Municipal Rose Garden and Museum; and WHEREAS, In 1930, the area's sandy loam yielded up a different kind of bounty when the East Texas oil field was discovered, and the petroleum industry quickly became a mainstay of the local economy, joined more recently by manufacturing and the timber industry; and WHEREAS, Tyler is also acknowledged to be the area's preeminent medical and educational center, and the presence of numerous state-of-the-art health care facilities contributes greatly to the well-being of local citizens, while the city's top-flight colleges and university open new vistas of learning and opportunity to thousands of students each year; and WHEREAS, The city's recreational options are many and varied, and visitors may choose such diverse and appealing destinations as the Caldwell Zoo, the Carnegie History Center, Hudnall Planetarium, and the Tyler Museum of Art, while fishing and boating enthusiasts can pursue their pleasures at Lakes Palestine, Tyler, and Tyler East; and WHEREAS, Tyler's greatest asset continues to be its dynamic and friendly citizens, and even as they look back with pride and affection on the city's notable past, they eagerly embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate February 28 to March 1, 2005, as Tyler Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a memorable and enjoyable visit to Austin.