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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 120
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Midland and Odessa are |
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gathering in Austin on February 5, 2019, to celebrate |
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Midland-Odessa Day at 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 |
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as 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 |
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in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Odessa began its rapid growth with the discovery |
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of oil in the Permian Basin in the 1920s, and by the 1940s, it had |
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grown from 750 residents to 10,000; by 1929, Midland was home to |
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36 oil companies, and the demand for oil during World War II |
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helped Odessa to develop as a major processor and distributor of |
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petroleum products and to become home to the largest inland |
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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 |
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remains the center for the region's oil processing and |
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distribution; looking to the future, the Midland Development |
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Corporation and the Odessa Development Corporation are working |
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to strengthen and diversify the area's economy; and |
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WHEREAS, Both Midland and Odessa are proud that the Bush |
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presidential families and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush |
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called Midland and Odessa home; 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 and |
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Leadership Library is the only museum in the nation dedicated to |
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the history of the office of the presidency; located right next |
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door is the Ellen Noël Art Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate that |
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features world-class exhibits year-round; the Parker House |
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Museum evokes the life of a prominent Texas ranching family, and |
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the White-Pool House is the first residential home in Odessa and |
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proudly displays items from both the White and Pool families; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy the live |
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productions at the replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on the |
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campus of Odessa College and the Stonehenge replica on the campus |
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of The University of Texas of the Permian Basin; also located in |
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Odessa and enjoyed by more than 10,000 visitors every year is the |
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nation's second-largest meteor crater and the 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 |
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in Odessa, and which pays tribute to the past, current, and |
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future veterans who serve our country so unselfishly; and |
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WHEREAS, Located between Midland and Odessa is the Wagner |
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Noël Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art theater boasting |
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1,800 seats in the main theater and 200 seats in the recital hall; |
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the theater hosts a variety of shows and performances guaranteed |
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to attract all types of audiences; and |
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WHEREAS, Midland's Museum of the Southwest offers displays |
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of the art and archaeology of the American Southwest, as well as |
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the winning Kentucky Derby history of one of Midland's prominent |
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families, and the newly remodeled interactive exhibits in the |
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Permian Basin Petroleum Museum present the geology and history of |
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oil while inspiring future industry players; and |
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WHEREAS, The Midland Army Airfield Museum preserves the |
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history of the largest bombardier training school in World War II |
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history and highlights the impact of West Texans during the war, |
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and the Haley Library and History Center houses the first bell to |
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hang in the Alamo and vast resources of oral and written history |
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of the "cowboy" used by authors and historians to tell their |
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tales; and |
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WHEREAS, The Midland Festival Ballet, the Midland-Odessa |
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Symphony and Chorale, and the award-winning Midland Community |
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Theatre offer live performances that inspire and entertain, and |
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the 99-acre I-20 Wildlife Preserve and Jenna Welch Nature Study |
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Center and 49-acre Sibley Nature Center celebrate the nature and |
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history of the Permian Basin while showcasing the beauty and |
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wildlife of the region; 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 Senate of the State of Texas, 86th |
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Legislature, hereby recognize February 5, 2019, as |
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Midland-Odessa Day at the State Capitol and extend to the |
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visiting delegation best wishes for a memorable and meaningful |
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stay in Austin. |
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Seliger |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on February 5, 2019. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |