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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents from Collin County are gathering in Austin |
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on March 28 and 29, 2017, to celebrate Collin County Days at the |
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State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Collin County is one of the largest and |
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fastest-growing counties in the state; more than 90 percent of its |
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workforce over the age of 25 hold a high school diploma and about |
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half have earned at least a bachelor's degree; such highly skilled |
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workers also make the county a leader in job growth; and |
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WHEREAS, With a population of 277,000, Plano is the largest |
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city in the county and home to six Fortune 1000 companies, including |
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JC Penney, Alliance Data Systems, Cinemark Holdings, Dr Pepper |
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Snapple Group, Rent-A-Center, and Denbury Resources; Toyota has |
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established its North American headquarters in Plano, as has Hilti |
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Corporation; the city has been named the number one Best Place to |
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Live in America and the Best Place to Live in Texas by Money |
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magazine, the number one city to find a job by WalletHub, and the |
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fifth-ranked 2016 Best Performing City by the Milken Institute; |
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this thriving municipality boasts nationally recognized schools, |
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award-winning parks, a lively historic downtown district, and |
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multicultural neighborhoods that appeal equally to families, young |
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singles, and retirees; its excellent restaurants, vibrant shopping |
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districts, exciting entertainment venues, and active local arts |
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scene all contribute to the city's high quality of life; and |
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WHEREAS, County seat and home of the McKinney National |
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Airport, the city of McKinney hosts such major employers as the |
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aerospace division of Raytheon Company, Encore Wire Corporation, |
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Emerson Process Management, and Torchmark Corporation; recent |
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relocations include Service First Mortgage and Aramark's first |
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"clean room" in Texas; furthermore, the city's historic downtown |
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encompasses more than 130 boutiques, and it earned the ranking of #1 |
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Best Place to Live 2014 from Money magazine; and |
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WHEREAS, Allen is a dynamic and welcoming home to more than |
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98,000 residents and has been ranked among the safest, most |
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affordable, and most family-friendly cities nationwide, and the |
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city continues enhancing the Texas workforce through the addition |
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and expansion of such international companies as KONE, IntelliEPI, |
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and WatchGuard Video; in 2016, the city received the coveted |
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National Recreation and Park Association Gold Medal award for its |
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creation and stewardship of more than 1,100 acres of parkland, 67 |
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parks and facilities, and 62 miles of hike-and-bike trails; |
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moreover, its volunteer efforts were recognized with the 2016 Keep |
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Texas Beautiful Governor's Community Achievement Award for efforts |
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in environmental education, community beautification, and litter |
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prevention; and |
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WHEREAS, Defining "Progress in Motion," Frisco is one of the |
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fastest-growing cities in the country and the fastest-growing |
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community over the past decade, according to the United States |
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census bureau; it has maintained its quality of life amid rapid |
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development, and the Dallas Morning News named Frisco among its top |
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10 suburbs for schools, safety, families with children, young |
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adults, empty nesters, and "Best Overall" neighborhoods; known for |
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top-notch public safety services, the city received the highest |
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rating for fire protection, and it enjoys one of the lowest crime |
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rates, as well as low taxes; this once-small town is home to Collin |
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College, Preston Ridge Campus, world-class venues, and five |
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professional sports teams, namely the Frisco Roughriders, Dallas |
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Stars, FC Dallas, Texas Legends, and Dallas Cowboys; active |
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residents have access to 49 parks, 86 miles of trails, and an |
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athletic center featuring an outdoor water park; health care |
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facilities include three hospitals, and the favorable business |
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climate supports more than nine million square feet of retail and |
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restaurants; among the cultural amenities are three museums and |
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hundreds of public and private art installations displayed |
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throughout Frisco's approximately 70-square-mile area; and |
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WHEREAS, The City of Wylie, Wylie Independent School |
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District, Wylie Chamber of Commerce, and Wylie Economic Development |
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Corporation work in concert to build a strong community that |
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strives to honor the past, embrace the present, and plan for the |
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future, while valuing unity, relationships, and trust, as evidenced |
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by a recent report naming Wylie the best small city in the country |
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in which to raise a family, and the hottest suburb in Texas; Wylie |
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fosters a spirit of cooperation, and with a thriving business |
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environment and outstanding schools, it is a place people treasure |
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and proudly call home; and |
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WHEREAS, The city of Richardson, which is known globally for |
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its high-tech business leadership, is home to the Telecom Corridor |
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area; Richardson offers a high quality of life, a diverse array of |
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neighborhoods, and easy access to a multimodal transportation |
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infrastructure; the city has repeatedly been recognized as one of |
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the top places to live, work, and obtain an education by national |
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and local media, and it remains dedicated to continued improvement |
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as well as to the principles of open government and two-way |
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communication with residents; and |
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WHEREAS, The city of Murphy, an affluent residential |
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community in southeastern Collin County, has maintained its |
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designation as a top 10 Best Suburb by D magazine since the |
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inception of the ratings; Murphy boasts over 219 acres of parkland, |
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and it has rich community programs along with a culturally diverse, |
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highly educated population of over 20,000; exciting new businesses |
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have joined an engaging business community, and residents take |
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pride in the city's ranking as the third-safest city in North Texas |
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and the fifth safest in the state; and |
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WHEREAS, Recognized by D magazine as a top 10 suburb, Prosper |
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issued 669 single-family housing permits in 2016, and the city has |
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1.1 million square feet of commercial development under |
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construction with an additional 530,000 square feet of shovel-ready |
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projects due to break ground in 2017; it is home to several top |
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housing developers, including Blue Star Development, LandPlan |
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Development, and Terra Verde Group; the Prosper Independent School |
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District has been voted by the Dallas Morning News as one of the Top |
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10 Places to Work in Dallas/Fort Worth for three consecutive years, |
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and the district continues to be one of the state and national |
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leaders in student growth; moreover, the city's outstanding police |
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department offers such community outreach and crime prevention |
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programs as Citizens on Patrol, the Citizens Police Academy, the |
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Community Safety Initiative, and Smart911; and |
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WHEREAS, Having been a platinum-level Scenic City in Texas |
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since 2011, Fairview has also been recognized as a Tree City USA and |
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earned a 2011 Growing Green Cities Award, and it is home to the |
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first street in Texas to be illuminated by LED lighting; the town is |
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a three-time recipient of the Texas Municipal League Municipal |
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Excellence Award, and it earned a Certificate of Achievement for |
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Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance |
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Officers Association for fiscal years ending in 2014 and 2015; |
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moreover, the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association |
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honored Fairview with a Certificate of Achievement for Planning |
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Excellence in 2015 and 2016, and the town's Veterans Park has been |
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recognized with a Patriotic Achievement Award from the Military |
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Order of the World Wars; Fairview also features two of the Top 25 |
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Best School Districts in Texas as ranked by Niche.com; and |
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WHEREAS, The crossroads of the developing transportation |
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corridor in northern Collin County, Celina is growing rapidly while |
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retaining its respect for the traditional values of family and |
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heritage; its school district is rich in academic and athletic |
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achievement, with the Celina Bobcats earning pride of place as the |
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winners of eight state football championships; and |
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WHEREAS, Lucas has maintained a peaceful, rural lifestyle, |
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helping to sustain a high quality of life for its citizens; the city |
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is pleased to offer 25 miles of trails along Lake Lavon for |
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equestrian enthusiasts and continues to focus on wildlife habitat |
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preservation, making it the perfect home for the Blackland Prairie |
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Raptor Center; moreover, exceptional schools and a vibrant |
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residential market, combined with one of the lowest tax rates in |
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Collin County, make Lucas an excellent value for its residents; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Parker are proud to be living in D |
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magazine's number two suburb in the DFW Metroplex, and they also |
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enjoy a low municipal tax rate, as well as a AAA bond rating; the |
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residents number about 4,500, and they cherish their uniquely |
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"country" lifestyle; characterized by its large lots and |
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comfortable atmosphere, Parker is known to millions of television |
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viewers as the home of the legendary Southfork Ranch from Dallas; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, One of the fastest-growing cities in the Dallas/Fort |
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Worth Metroplex, the city of Anna is a family-friendly community |
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with hometown appeal; its residents enjoy an unhurried and friendly |
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atmosphere, with safe neighborhoods, excellent schools, and access |
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to many urban amenities; local businesses benefit from affordable |
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real estate, a low cost of doing business, a well-educated |
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workforce, an active chamber of commerce, and dedicated consumers; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Farmersville, located 15 miles east of McKinney, |
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took its name from the primary occupation of its original |
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residents; established in 1849 as a settlement on the |
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Jefferson-McKinney Road and near the Republic of Texas National |
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Road, the town was incorporated in 1873; agriculture kept pace as it |
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became a trade center, and in the 1930s, Farmersville shipped over |
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1,000 carloads of onions annually, earning the nickname "Onion |
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Capital of North Texas"; the city may be best known for native son |
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Audie Murphy, who listed Farmersville as his hometown when he |
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enlisted in the army during WWII and returned home to a hero's |
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welcome in 1945; he had earned every army citation for valor, was a |
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recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, and was posthumously |
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awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor; Farmersville has a |
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nationally recognized Main Street Program, with many historic |
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downtown buildings, eateries, and shopping attractions; near the |
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restored Onion Shed is the trailhead for the 130-mile Northeast |
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Texas Trail, a beautiful site for walking, hiking, and bicycling; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Settled in the mid-1850s, the city of Lavon is |
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nestled along the southeastern shore of Lake Lavon; more than 3,000 |
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residents enjoy the friendliness of the small-town atmosphere |
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combined with the benefits of living near an exciting metro area; |
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the city's growing parks and trail system, planned capital |
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improvements, pursuit of quality retail and commercial businesses, |
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and commitment to service contribute to the outstanding quality of |
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life; and |
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WHEREAS, Other communities add much to Collin County's |
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allure; the growing community of Blue Ridge is committed to |
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revitalizing its downtown, while the people of Josephine are proud |
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of their active volunteer fire department, which not only protects |
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the community but hosts such popular annual events as the Easter egg |
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hunt and the Christmas parade; and |
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WHEREAS, Also contributing to the development of Collin |
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County are the residents of Copeville, Lowry Crossing, Melissa, |
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Nevada, New Hope, Princeton, Royse City, Sachse, St. Paul, |
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Westminster, and Weston, along with parts of Dallas and Garland, |
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and these communities play an important part in the county's |
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flourishing, diversified economy and its quality of life; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of this notable North Texas county are |
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working to preserve the best of their past even as they look forward |
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to a bright and promising future, and they are sure to figure |
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prominently in the growth and prosperity of the Lone Star State in |
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the years ahead; 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 March 28 and 29, 2017, as Collin |
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County Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting |
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delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay |
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in Austin. |
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Laubenberg |
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Shaheen |
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Leach |
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Holland |
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Sanford |
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Allen |
Gonzales of Williamson |
Ortega |
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Alonzo |
González of El Paso |
Paddie |
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Anderson of Dallas |
Guillen |
Perez |
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Anderson of McLennan |
Gutierrez |
Phelan |
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Biedermann |
Howard |
Reynolds |
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Bonnen of Brazoria |
Isaac |
Rodriguez of Bexar |
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Bonnen of Galveston |
Israel |
Rodriguez of Travis |
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Burkett |
Johnson of Dallas |
Romero, Jr. |
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Burns |
Johnson of Harris |
Rose |
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Cain |
King of Hemphill |
Schofield |
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Canales |
King of Parker |
Schubert |
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Capriglione |
King of Uvalde |
Shaheen |
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Cosper |
Landgraf |
Stephenson |
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Davis of Dallas |
Longoria |
Thompson of Brazoria |
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Davis of Harris |
Lozano |
Thompson of Harris |
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Dean |
Lucio III |
Tinderholt |
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Gervin-Hawkins |
Nevárez |
Zedler |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1128 was adopted by the House on March |
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29, 2017, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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