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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Midland and Odessa are gathering |
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in Austin on February 7, 2017, to celebrate Midland-Odessa Day at |
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the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Set only 20 miles apart in the ranching and oil |
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country of West Texas, these vibrant Texas cities got their start as |
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stops on the Texas and Pacific Railway in the 1880s; by 1890, |
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Midland was one of the most important centers for shipping cattle in |
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Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Odessa began its rapid growth with the discovery of |
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oil in the Permian Basin in the 1920s, and by the 1940s, it had grown |
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from 750 residents to 10,000; by 1929, Midland was home to 36 oil |
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companies, and the demand for oil during World War II helped Odessa |
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develop as a major processor and distributor of petroleum products, |
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home to the largest inland petrochemical complex in the world; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Midland continues to be the financial and |
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administrative capital of the Permian Basin, while Odessa remains |
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the center for the region's oil processing and distribution; |
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looking to the future, the Midland Development Corporation and the |
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Odessa Development Corporation are working to strengthen and |
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diversify the area's economy; and |
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WHEREAS, Odessa and Midland boast many fine historical and |
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cultural attractions; in Odessa, the Presidential Archives & |
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Leadership Library is the only museum in the nation dedicated to the |
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history of the office of the presidency; the families of both Bush |
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presidents have called Midland and Odessa home, and the archive |
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features a restored house where the Bush family once resided; |
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additionally, the Ellen Noël Art Museum, one of only two |
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Smithsonian affiliates in Texas, features world-class exhibits |
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year-round, and the Parker House Ranching Museum evokes the way of |
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life of a prominent Texas ranching family; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy the Stonehenge |
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replica on the campus of The University of Texas of the Permian |
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Basin, as well as live productions at the replica of Shakespeare's |
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Globe Theatre on the campus of Odessa College; the White-Pool house |
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is the first residential home in Odessa and proudly displays items |
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from both the White and Pool families; also located in Odessa and |
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enjoyed by more than 10,000 visitors every year is the nation's |
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second-largest meteor crater and adjoining museum; and |
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WHEREAS, Odessa's newest attraction is the Chris Kyle |
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Memorial Plaza, which honors the former Navy SEAL who was born in |
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Odessa, and also pays tribute to past, current, and future veterans |
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who have served our country so unselfishly; and |
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WHEREAS, Situated between Midland and Odessa is the Wagner |
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Noël Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art facility boasting a |
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total of 2,000 seats between its theater and recital hall, which |
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brings in myriad shows to impress a variety of audiences; and |
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WHEREAS, Midland's Museum of the Southwest offers displays of |
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the art and archaeology of the American Southwest, as well as the |
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winning Kentucky Derby history of one of Midland's prominent |
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families; the newly remodeled interactive exhibits of the Permian |
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Basin Petroleum Museum present the geology and history of oil while |
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inspiring entrepreneurs of the future; and |
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WHEREAS, The Midland Army Air Field Museum preserves the |
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history of the largest bombardier training school in World War II |
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and also highlights the contributions that West Texans made to the |
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war effort; the Haley Memorial Library & History Center houses the |
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first bell to hang in the Alamo, as well as vast resources of oral |
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and written history about the cowboy; furthermore, the Midland |
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Festival Ballet, the Midland-Odessa Symphony and Chorale, and the |
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award-winning Midland Community Theatre offer live performances |
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that inspire and entertain; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than a century, the dynamic cities of |
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Midland and Odessa have been at the economic and cultural hub of |
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West Texas, and their citizens continue to celebrate their rich |
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history as they work hard to build a prosperous future; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 7, 2017, as Midland-Odessa |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation best |
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wishes for a meaningful and enjoyable stay in Austin. |