SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 614

WHEREAS, Proud residents of Val Verde County are gathering in Austin on April 12, 2017, to celebrate Val Verde County Day at the State Capitol; and

WHEREAS, Situated in southwest Texas along the Rio Grande, early settlers were drawn to Val Verde County by the numerous springs that flowed in the area and drained into the Pecos and Devils Rivers; the community of San Felipe Del Rio was established in 1868, and in 1883, the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railway brought new settlers to the region; the county was formally organized two years later with Del Rio as the county seat; and

WHEREAS, Amistad Dam and Reservoir, a joint project between the United States and Mexico, is bounded by Val Verde County and the Mexican state of Coahuila; Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing connects Del Rio and its sister city across the border, Ciudad Acuña, and the Amistad National Recreation Area provides visitors with opportunities for boating, fishing, birding, and hiking; and

WHEREAS, Laughlin Air Force Base, home of the 47th Flying Training Wing of the Air Education Training Command, is also important to Val Verde County; the facility commands a flying operation that exceeds 80,000 flying hours and 51,000 sorties each year, and it is home to the second-largest active air fleet in the United States Air Force; and

WHEREAS, Del Rio is a cultural center for the area and is home to campuses of Southwest Texas Junior College and Sul Ross State University; residents and visitors alike enjoy learning about the county's frontier days at the Whitehead Memorial Museum in Del Rio, while another point of interest is Langtry, in the western part of the county, where the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center has been created out of the historic Jersey Lilly Saloon, which is where Judge Bean made his distinctive rulings and gained notoriety as the "Law West of the Pecos"; and

WHEREAS, The people of Val Verde County may take great pride in their rich history as they work together to build an even brighter future, and it is indeed fitting to honor them and their unique region of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th Legislature, hereby recognize April 12, 2017, as Val Verde County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin.

Uresti

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on April 12, 2017.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate