SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 697

	WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to 
recognize April 27, 2005, as Big Spring Area Day at the Capitol; a 
West Texas city with a rich history, Big Spring is known for its 
brilliant skies and earnest hospitality, and the "Big Sky,
Big Heart" community stands ready to move into the future; and

	WHEREAS, Big Spring is the regional hub for a variety of 
health-care services, including the Big Spring State Hospital, 
which furnishes psychiatric inpatient services for 57 West Texas 
counties and provides mental health care to the Veteran's 
Administration Hospital for West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona; 
and

	WHEREAS, West Texas Centers for Mental Health and Mental 
Retardation supports an area of 23 counties with a wide array of 
mental health and mental retardation services, as well as early 
childhood intervention assistance to more than 2,200 individuals 
each year; and

	WHEREAS, One of the first homes of its kind, Lamun-Lusk-Sanchez
State Veterans Home continues to provide long-term care for 
veterans and their spouses, allowing them to reside in dignity and 
comfort in their senior years; and 

	WHEREAS, Big Spring maintains a vital oil and gas industry, 
and its citizens recently enjoyed a citywide celebration of the 
75th anniversary of the Big Spring Alon Refinery; agriculture and 
ranching remain the cornerstones of the city's economy, but the 
importance of economic diversity has brought teleservices, 
plastics, and composites manufacturing to the area; and

	WHEREAS, Educational excellence is paramount to the 
citizens of Big Spring; Howard College and Southwest Collegiate 
Institute for the Deaf provide essential programs for a skilled 
workforce; students from Big Spring, Coahoma, and Forsan 
Independent School Districts are encouraged to acquire skills 
and education needed to meet future personal and economic goals; 
and

	WHEREAS, The Colorado River Municipal Water District was 
created by the 51st Texas Legislature to provide a dependable 
source of water supply to its member cities, and for the last 56 
years the district has successfully carried out that mission by 
never having rationed water to the more than 425,000 people it 
serves in West Texas; and

	WHEREAS, Big Spring offers its citizens the possibility of 
job opportunities, educational advancement, and recreational 
activities; the city and its citizens have made important 
contributions to the vitality and prosperity of Texas; now, 
therefore, be it

	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
79th Legislature, hereby extend to the citizens of Big Spring, 
Forsan, and Coahoma best wishes for a delightful Big Spring Area 
Day at the Capitol; and, be it further

	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for 
them as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate.
                                                                         Seliger




________________________________ 
    President of the Senate
 
    I hereby certify that the 
above Resolution was adopted by 
the Senate on April 27, 2005.



________________________________ 
    Secretary of the Senate



________________________________ 
     Member, Texas Senate