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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Val Verde County are gathering in |
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Austin on April 12, 2017, to celebrate Val Verde County Day at the |
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State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, The brushlands along the Rio Grande were first |
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inhabited more than 6,000 years ago by native peoples whose cave |
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paintings are still visible; the Spanish arrived in the 1590s, |
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encountering the Lipan Apaches and the Comanches, and in the 1850s |
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and after the Civil War, a series of military camps were set up in |
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the area; and |
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WHEREAS, The community of San Felipe Del Rio was founded in |
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1868, and Val Verde County was organized in 1885; that same year, |
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the colorful Judge Roy Bean was elected justice of the peace in |
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Langtry, where he became known as "the Law West of the Pecos," |
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making his distinctive rulings from the Jersey Lilly Saloon; and |
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WHEREAS, County seat Del Rio today is a cultural center for |
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the area; it is home to campuses of Southwest Texas Junior College |
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and Sul Ross State University, as well as to the Upstagers Community |
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Theatre, which presents several productions each year; and |
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WHEREAS, Since its earliest days, Val Verde County has been a |
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center for sheep and goat ranching, and the wool and mohair |
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industries continue to be central to its economy; other important |
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employers include Laughlin Air Force Base, the U.S. Border Patrol, |
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and the National Park Service; and |
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WHEREAS, Tourism and trade with Mexico are also part of the |
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life of the county; opportunities for boating, fishing, birding, |
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and hiking are afforded by the Amistad National Recreation Area, |
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and the Whitehead Memorial Museum in Del Rio and the Judge Roy Bean |
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Visitor Center in Langtry attract visitors interested in the |
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heritage of the county's frontier days; and |
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WHEREAS, Celebrating their rich history as they work to build |
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an even brighter future, the people of Val Verde County may take |
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great pride in the important role their unique region continues to |
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play in the story of the Lone Star State; 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 April 12, 2017, as Val Verde 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 meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |