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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Aransas County are gathering in |
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Austin to celebrate Aransas County Day at the State Capitol on |
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February 23, 2017; and |
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WHEREAS, This region of thousand-year-old oaks, coastal |
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prairie, and sandy beaches was first inhabited by native peoples |
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8,000 years ago; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1828, the Mexican government awarded an |
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empresario grant to bring in settlers from Ireland and Mexico, and |
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not long after the Civil War, the towns of Fulton and Rockport were |
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founded as ports for the cattle business; Aransas County was formed |
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in 1871 and named after a Spanish palace; and |
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WHEREAS, Aransas County is the gateway to the 116,000-acre |
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Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, where the amazing whooping cranes |
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spend the winter, and Goose Island State Park, which has over |
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200,000 visitors annually; and |
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WHEREAS, Rockport and Fulton Harbors are the home ports of |
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many popular boating excursions for birders, dolphin watchers, and |
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devotees of deep-sea and bay fishing, while the beautifully lit |
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Fulton Harbor Pier and 8,690-foot-long Copano Bay Pier offer |
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first-rate opportunities for angling; and |
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WHEREAS, The county's history is evoked by the 19th century |
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Fulton Mansion and the 1870s Victorian-style Aransas County History |
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Center, while the official Texas Maritime Museum in Rockport |
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celebrates the marine heritage of the Lone Star State; the Rockport |
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Center for the Arts is a hub for the region's thriving cultural |
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scene, which includes such festive annual events as the Bountiful |
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Bowl Pottery Fair, the Fulton Oysterfest, the Rockport Film |
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Festival, the HummerBird Celebration, LaMardi Gras, and the annual |
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Rockport Festival of Wines; and |
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WHEREAS, Blessed with more magnificent bays than land, more |
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redfish and trout than cars, and a chamber of commerce with a |
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five-star rating, Aransas County is one of the treasures of the Lone |
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Star State, and its citizens may indeed take great pride in their |
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heritage and look forward to a future filled with opportunity and |
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good times; now, 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 23, 2017, as Aransas County |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
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sincere best wishes for a memorable and meaningful visit to Austin. |