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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud citizens of Ellis County are gathering at the |
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State Capitol on February 27, 2007, to celebrate Ellis County Day; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, First inhabited by the Tonkawa tribe, the region was |
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settled by Europeans in the mid-19th century; Ellis County was |
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officially incorporated on December 20, 1849, and named for Richard |
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Ellis, who was president of the Convention of 1836 that led to the |
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independence of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Many Czechs, Hungarians, and Germans settled in the |
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county in the 1850s and raised cattle on the rolling Blackland |
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Prairie; with the arrival of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad |
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in 1872, growing cotton came to dominate the economy; and |
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WHEREAS, Today the county's diversified economy is based on |
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agribusiness and industry; cotton and ranching continue to be |
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important, along with the raising of wheat, sorghum, and turf |
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grass; the county is also important in the manufacture of cement and |
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steel and has become a major warehousing and distribution hub; and |
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WHEREAS, County seat Waxahachie is widely known as the |
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Gingerbread City, for its lovely Victorian homes and its |
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picturesque county courthouse; many films have been shot in the |
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city, including the Academy Award-winning Places in the Heart, |
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which was written and directed by Waxahachie native Robert Benton; |
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half a million visitors each year are drawn by such events as the |
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Scarborough Faire Renaissance Festival and the Crape Myrtle |
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Festival; and |
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WHEREAS, Waxahachie's thriving business community includes |
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the Walgreen's distribution center, the Rock-Tenn Company, |
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Saint-Gobain Containers, the Owens-Corning fiberglass insulation |
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plant, Victron Energy, International Extrusion, Georgia Pacific, |
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the U.S. Aluminum Corporation, Burleson Honey, and Dartco of Texas; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Ennis, known as the Bluebonnet City, is home to the |
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Railroad and Cultural Heritage Museum; every Memorial Day weekend, |
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the city hosts the National Polka Festival, a celebration of the |
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city's Czech heritage; the Texas Motorplex, the renowned |
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drag-racing facility, hosts 75 events annually, drawing half a |
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million people; and |
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WHEREAS, The city's progressive economy has drawn such |
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industries as Sterilite Corporation, Elk Corporation of Texas, |
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Leggett & Platt Corporation, Ennis Extruded Products, Texas Ennis |
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Business Forms, Schirm USA, Inc., Suez Energy Resources, JTEKT, |
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Sherwin-Williams, and the CVS Pharmacy distribution center, as well |
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as the soon-to-open ADS and the National Envelope Corporation; and |
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WHEREAS, Once known as the Cement Capital of Texas, |
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Midlothian is now also home to such industries as Chapparal Steel, |
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TXI, the MidTexas International Center, Holcim-Texas, Ash Grove |
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Texas, Toys-R-Us, and the Target distribution center, as well as a |
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new satellite campus for Navarro College; it has become a popular |
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location for families, with its excellent school system and safe, |
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small-town ambiance; and |
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WHEREAS, Red Oak, the "Gateway to Ellis County," balances the |
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charm and comfort of small-town life with convenient access to the |
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Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, and its flourishing economy, |
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sustained residential growth, low crime rate, and award-winning |
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school district make it a wonderful place to raise a family; and |
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WHEREAS, Dynamic and picturesque Ellis County is one of the |
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great assets of the Lone Star State; its hardworking and innovative |
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residents cherish their history and heritage even as they look |
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forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 27, 2007, as Ellis County Day |
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at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation best |
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wishes for an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin. |
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Pitts |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 536 was adopted by the House on |
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February 27, 2007, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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