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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, On April 15, 2009, people from across Winkler County |
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are traveling to the State Capitol to celebrate their county's |
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heritage and to share with fellow Texans their history, traditions, |
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and achievements; and |
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WHEREAS, The Anasazi were the earliest known people in the |
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Winkler County area; in the 1880s, cattlemen established large |
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ranches on free state land and Winkler County was carved out of part |
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of Tom Green County; its name honors Clinton M. Winkler, a member of |
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the state legislature and justice of the Court of Civil Appeals; and |
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WHEREAS, On April 5, 1910, the county was officially |
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organized, and the town of Kermit, named after Theodore Roosevelt's |
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son, was chosen as the county seat; the discovery of oil nearby in |
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1926 brought so many people that many residents lived in tents and |
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makeshift shelters, and a new town, Winkler, also sprang up; when |
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the postal authorities advised that another town in Texas had |
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already claimed that name, it was swiftly shortened to Wink; and |
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WHEREAS, During the early boom years, Wink acquired a |
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reputation as a wild, freewheeling place; now, although its economy |
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is still based on the petroleum industry and ranching, it is perhaps |
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better known as the hometown of music legend Roy Orbison; his first |
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band, the Wink Westerners, made its radio debut on Kermit station |
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KERB, and the Roy Orbison Museum is today one of the town's most |
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interesting attractions; Kermit gained celebrity luster more |
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recently when the Disney company threw a 50th birthday party there |
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for beloved Muppet Kermit the Frog; the town made national |
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headlines as it celebrated in style, renaming a street in honor of |
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the Sesame Street star and repainting the water tower with his |
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likeness; and |
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WHEREAS, Winkler County holds a notable place in frontier |
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history, and through the years, its towns have demonstrated a |
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unique West Texas flair; its residents can indeed take pride in this |
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colorful past as they look forward to a bright future; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 15, 2009, as Winkler County Day |
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at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere |
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best wishes for an enjoyable and productive visit to Austin. |
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Lewis |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1316 was adopted by the House on April |
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15, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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