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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of West Texas are gathering in |
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Austin to celebrate West Texas Day at the State Capitol on March 31, |
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2009; and |
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WHEREAS, With its epic history--a chronicle of Native |
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Americans contesting for the land with frontier soldiers and |
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settlers, of cow towns and cattle drives supplanting immense herds |
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of buffalo, of oilmen and roughnecks developing the vast petroleum |
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and gas fields of the Permian Basin--this famous region encompasses |
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much of what people most readily associate with the Lone Star State; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The scenic wonders of West Texas include, in the |
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northern reaches, the primordial grasslands of the Llano Estacado, |
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the imposing Caprock escarpment, and the spectacular Palo Duro |
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Canyon, while to the south lie striking landscapes of mountains, |
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deserts, and the steeply cut canyons of the Rio Grande; and |
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WHEREAS, Citizens of West Texas cherish the land and the rich |
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heritage that have shaped them and take pride in the communities and |
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institutions they have established; among their most important |
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creations are many fine institutions of higher learning, including |
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Abilene Christian University and McMurry University in Abilene, |
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West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas Tech University, the |
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Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and Lubbock Christian |
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University in Lubbock, Midland College in Midland, The University |
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of Texas of the Permian Basin and Odessa College in Odessa, and |
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Angelo State University in San Angelo; and |
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WHEREAS, Serving the people of West Texas are a number of |
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modern urban centers; Abilene, established in the 1880s on the line |
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of the Texas and Pacific Railway, has grown from a celebrated cattle |
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town into a thriving city of 115,000; a center for ranching and the |
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petroleum industry, it is also the site of Dyess Air Force Base, |
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home to the B-1 bomber and its crews and a staging area for troops |
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fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan; in 2002, the city gained a |
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dramatic addition to its downtown area with the opening of Frontier |
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Texas! a six-acre, state-of-the-art tourist complex that also |
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serves as the starting point for the Texas Forts Trail, a 650-mile |
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heritage tour through 29 counties; and |
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WHEREAS, Located in the heart of the Panhandle and at the |
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center of the largest natural gas field in the world, Amarillo has |
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built its prosperity on gas, petroleum, agriculture, and cattle; in |
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addition, the city has several major defense plants, including |
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Pantex and Bell Helicopter Textron; residents enjoy such cultural |
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amenities as opera, ballet, symphonic music, theater at the Globe |
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News Center for the Performing Arts, and the Panhandle-Plains |
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Historical Museum, while the nearby Cadillac Ranch ranks as one of |
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the nation's truly unique tourist attractions; and |
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WHEREAS, Lubbock, a center for agribusiness, distribution, |
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and manufacturing, is also widely known for its outstanding medical |
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facilities, for its comprehensive National Ranching Heritage |
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Center, and for a renowned archeological site, the Lubbock Lake |
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Landmark; the birthplace, moreover, of rock and roll legend Buddy |
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Holly, Lubbock has played an influential role in the growth of Texas |
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music, nurturing such artists as Waylon Jennings, Joe Ely, Jimmie |
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Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock; and |
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WHEREAS, Long identified with the oil business, Midland |
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continues to be an administrative and financial center for that |
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industry; its cultural attractions include the Petroleum Museum, |
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the Museum of the Southwest, and the American Airpower Heritage |
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Museum, a world-famous collection of vintage World War II aircraft |
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that was initially developed by the Commemorative Air Force; and |
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WHEREAS, Odessa claims the distinction of being home to the |
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largest inland petrochemical complex in the world; another facet of |
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the community's identity is reflected in the venerable Sandhills |
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Stock Show and Rodeo, the first rodeo of the season for the nearly |
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one thousand men and women competing on the tour of the Professional |
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Rodeo Cowboys Association; the city also boasts a replica of |
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Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Ellen Noel Art Museum, the Parker |
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House Ranching Museum, and the Presidential Museum, the only museum |
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in the United States solely dedicated to the office of the |
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presidency; and |
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WHEREAS, San Angelo's colorful frontier history lives on at |
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Fort Concho, one of the best preserved forts in the country and now |
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a national historic landmark; at one time the largest range cattle |
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shipping station in the United States, San Angelo continues to be a |
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national leader in the processing and shipping of wool and mohair, |
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while it also benefits from a highly diversified industrial sector; |
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Goodfellow Air Force Base, established at San Angelo in 1940, |
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further contributes to the city's economy, as well as to the |
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nation's defense; and |
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WHEREAS, With its striking vistas, abundant natural |
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resources, and energetic, hardworking people, West Texas is engaged |
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in building a future that promises to be as dynamic and exciting as |
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its storied past; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby recognize March 31, 2009, as West Texas Day at the State |
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Capitol and extend sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and |
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memorable visit to all those who have traveled here for this special |
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occasion. |