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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of the Texas Panhandle are gathering in |
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Austin on February 22, 2011, to pay tribute to their region's rich |
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heritage and to celebrate Panhandle Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the oldest inhabited areas of Texas, where |
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vast grasslands once thrived, the Panhandle is crossed by the |
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Canadian and Red Rivers, rests over the southern tip of the Ogallala |
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Aquifer, and offers breathtaking views of Palo Duro Canyon; in the |
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1880s, three million acres of Panhandle land that was traded by the |
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state to finance construction of a new Texas Capitol became known as |
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the XIT Ranch; and |
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WHEREAS, Ranching became central to the Panhandle's culture |
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and economy in the late 19th century, and the arrival of the |
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railroads and dryland farming techniques expanded the role of wheat |
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and cotton farming; the discovery of oil and natural gas in the |
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1920s further diversified the economic base, and today, ranching, |
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farming, and the petroleum industry continue to be important to the |
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region; and |
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WHEREAS, Amarillo, in Potter and Randall Counties, is |
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essential to the prosperity of the Panhandle with Tyson Foods, Bell |
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Helicopter, B&W Pantex, and two health care systems all serving as |
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major employers; in addition to the city of Hereford, which is |
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regarded by many as the "Beef Capital of the World," other bedrock |
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communities in the Panhandle include Borger, Cactus, Canyon, |
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Childress, Clarendon, Dalhart, Dumas, Groom, Gruver, Pampa, |
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Panhandle, Plainview, Skellytown, Stratford, Texhoma, and |
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Whitedeer; and |
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WHEREAS, The Panhandle is home to such premier educational |
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institutions as the Texas Tech University System, with its schools |
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of medicine and pharmacy, and West Texas A&M University, both of |
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which boast nationally recognized programs and faculty; Amarillo |
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College and South Plains College continue to be among the finest |
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community colleges in the country, and Wayland Baptist University, |
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Frank Phillips College, and Clarendon College also offer an |
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outstanding education; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy a range of |
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attractions, including the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the |
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largest history museum in Texas, as well as the Amarillo Museum of |
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Art, the public art installation Cadillac Ranch, and the American |
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Quarter Horse Association's international headquarters; other |
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cultural assets include the Lone Star Ballet and the Amarillo |
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Symphony; and |
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WHEREAS, Renowned for their hospitality, strong work ethic, |
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and resilience, the citizens of the Texas Panhandle may take great |
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pride in all they have done to make their region one of the |
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treasures of the Lone Star State, and it is a pleasure to pay |
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tribute to the Panhandle of Texas and the region's fine residents; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 22, 2011, as Panhandle Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to the visiting guests sincere best |
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wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |