SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 251

WHEREAS, Citizens from Amarillo and other communities located in the Texas Panhandle are visiting Austin on February 24, 2009, to pay tribute to their region's rich heritage and to celebrate Panhandle Day at the State Capitol; and

WHEREAS, The Panhandle is a thriving region of the state and home to one of the oldest inhabited places in Texas; stretching through the northern part of the region is Palo Duro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the country, which boasts spectacular views and reveals through its exposed strata a geologic record spanning 250 million years; and

WHEREAS, Rich in history, the region is also known for its traditional ranch lands, crop and meat production, large stretches of oil and gas reserves, major industry, and a nationally recognized workforce; and

WHEREAS, Amarillo, the principal northern city of the Panhandle, is a dynamic urban center with a population of almost 175,000 and a wide array of cultural amenities; contributing to Amarillo's economic vitality are a Bell Helicopter tilt-rotor assembly center, where the V-22 Osprey and the US101 presidential helicopters are assembled, as well as the only assembly-disassembly plant for the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal, a facility operated by BWXT Pantex for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration; and

WHEREAS, A region of many exemplary citizens and community leaders, the Texas Panhandle is also home to excellent educational institutions; the Texas Tech University System, including its medical, law, and pharmacy schools, and West Texas A&M University are among the premier institutions in Texas and boast ever-increasing enrollments, nationally recognized programs and faculty, and outstanding graduates; Amarillo College and South Plains College continue to be among the finest community colleges in the country, and Wayland Baptist University, Frank Phillips College, Western Texas College, and Clarendon College are all outstanding educational institutions in the area; and

WHEREAS, Outstanding attractions in the region include the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, which is located on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon and is the largest history museum in the state, and the Texas Tech University campus, which is host to many restored structures at the National Ranching Heritage Center, a 15-acre site tracing the evolution of ranch architecture and the history of the cattle industry in Texas; and

WHEREAS, The citizens of the Panhandle region are renowned for their friendliness and warmth; they have helped to build vital urban centers that serve not only a large part of Texas but also of eastern New Mexico; it is a pleasure for the Texas Senate to pay tribute to the Panhandle of Texas and the region's fine residents; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st Legislature, hereby recognize February 24, 2009, as Panhandle Day at the State Capitol and extend to the delegations in attendance today and to their fellow citizens sincere appreciation for their contributions to the Lone Star State; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor of this event.

Seliger

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 18, 2009.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate