84R6899 BPG-F
 
  By: Frullo H.R. No. 401
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Many notable citizens of Lubbock are visiting Austin
  on February 24, 2015, to pay tribute to their city's rich heritage
  and to celebrate Lubbock Day at the State Capitol; and
         WHEREAS, A thriving region of the state, the Lubbock area is
  one of the oldest inhabited places in Texas; archeologists have
  discovered evidence of some 12,000 years of continuous habitation
  at the Lubbock Lake Landmark site, a national historic and state
  archeological preserve; and
         WHEREAS, The City of Lubbock was incorporated on March 16,
  1909, and railroads stimulated the city's growth as a trade center;
  residents also wanted the benefits of an institution of higher
  learning, and when legislation creating Texas Technological
  College was passed in 1923, the site selection committee, impressed
  by the enthusiasm and hospitality of local citizens, chose Lubbock
  for its location; and
         WHEREAS, Today a community of almost 240,000 people, Lubbock
  is home to the Texas Tech University System and its flagship campus
  as well as to two other public universities and a public community
  college; together, they draw more than 53,000 students to the city
  each year, making a significant impact on the local economy;
  approximately 10,000 young Texans graduate in Lubbock each year,
  and 30 percent of residents over the age of 25 hold at least a
  bachelor's degree; and
         WHEREAS, Fostering a dynamic business environment, Lubbock
  has a regional labor force of more than 207,000, and the cost of
  doing business continues to rank as one of the lowest in the nation,
  due to affordable land, wage rates, electric and natural gas
  utilities, property taxes, and living expenses; and
         WHEREAS, Lubbock is consistently recognized by national
  organizations for its business-friendly atmosphere; it was ranked
  seventh in the 2014 Forbes list of "Opportunity Cities" based on low
  cost of living, cultural offerings, and the strength of the
  business community; in addition, it has been named a top city for
  professional women and for young entrepreneurs seeking to start a
  business; and
         WHEREAS, Noted for its diverse economy, the city draws its
  strength from agribusiness, manufacturing, and commerce, as well as
  from educational facilities and medical infrastructure considered
  the most extensive to be found between Dallas and Phoenix; with the
  growth of cotton culture on the High Plains, Lubbock has become one
  of the world's primary centers for the processing of cottonseed and
  hybrid grain sorghum seed; and
         WHEREAS, The economy is deeply rooted in cotton farming, and
  Lubbock remains home to the world's largest contiguous cotton
  patch; the area also features several major, award-winning wineries
  and vineyards, which produce more than 70 percent of all the state's
  wine grapes; and
         WHEREAS, This vibrant city also offers a wealth of
  recreational opportunities and cultural institutions, among them
  the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, the Lubbock Civic Ballet, the
  Museum and Planetarium of Texas Tech University, and the Silent
  Wings Museum; plans are well advanced for a new, state-of-the-art
  performing arts center to be named after local legend and Rock 'n'
  Roll Hall of Famer Buddy Holly; and
         WHEREAS, City leaders meticulously planned infrastructure to
  create neighborhood parks and ensure the smooth flow of traffic;
  surrounded by five major highways, Lubbock is nicknamed the "Hub
  City," and it aims to continue that legacy through the eventual
  Interstate 27 expansion, a mayoral initiative to relieve congestion
  on other Texas highways that run through town; and
         WHEREAS, Those desiring a glimpse of the frontier can find it
  in the restored structures at the Ranching Heritage Center, a
  15-acre site tracing the evolution of ranch architecture and the
  history of the cattle industry; the region's history is also
  celebrated at the Bayer Museum of Agriculture; and
         WHEREAS, A host of talented musicians have hailed from the
  Lubbock area, among them Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, the Maines
  family, Virgil Johnson and the Velvets, Waylon Jennings, Tanya
  Tucker, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Pat Green, and Butch Hancock;
  their rich and diverse contributions have earned Lubbock and West
  Texas state designation as the official "Music Crossroads of
  Texas"; and
         WHEREAS, Lubbock's thriving business community is
  represented by the largest business federation on the Texas South
  Plains, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, which has promoted the
  prosperity of the Lubbock area for more than a century; achieving
  great success from its earliest days, it recruited out-of-state
  farmers to till the fertile soils of the Llano Estacado, secured
  railroad service, founded the South Plains Fair, and drafted and
  delivered the application that would result in the establishment of
  Texas Technological College, which today thrives as the heart of
  the Texas Tech University System; and
         WHEREAS, The chamber was also instrumental in establishing
  Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport and Reese Air Force
  Base, as well as the revolutionary market-driven Chamber Employer
  Health Plan, which is now a national model; moreover, its efforts
  have been key in the development of outstanding transportation
  infrastructure; committed to revitalizing the community and its
  downtown, the chamber oversees the efforts of Imagine Lubbock
  Together, a private-public partnership; it is the nation's first
  and only chamber to be twice 5-Star Accredited and twice named
  Chamber of the Year; and
         WHEREAS, The delegation visiting the Capitol today includes
  proud members of the chamber's 40th Leadership Lubbock Class, who
  represent the future business and community leaders of Lubbock; and
         WHEREAS, Truly keeping faith with the founders of their West
  Texas community, the citizens of Lubbock are renowned for their
  friendliness and warmth as well as their hardiness and
  determination, and they have helped to build a vital urban center
  that serves not only a large part of West Texas but also eastern New
  Mexico; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
  Legislature hereby recognize February 24, 2015, as Lubbock Day at
  the State Capitol and extend to the members of the visiting
  delegation and all their fellow citizens sincere appreciation for
  the bright luster they add to the Lone Star State.