|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
WHEREAS, The 70th anniversary of Wonderland Amusement Park in |
|
Amarillo in 2021 offers a welcome opportunity to pay tribute to its |
|
proud legacy of providing wholesome family entertainment to the |
|
young at heart of all ages; and |
|
WHEREAS, In the early 1950s, Paul and Alethea Roads moved |
|
from San Angelo to Amarillo to fulfill their dream of starting an |
|
amusement park; with help from the City of Amarillo Parks and |
|
Recreation Department, they opened what was then known as Kiddie |
|
Land on August 12, 1951; all three original rides, the Hershell |
|
Kiddie Boat Ride, the Lil' Dipper Roller Coaster, and the Kiddie Car |
|
Ride, were built by Mr. Roads; and |
|
WHEREAS, Despite the immediate success of the park, Mr. Roads |
|
continued to work a day job at Amarillo Air Force Base, but after a |
|
decade, he was able to devote himself to the park full-time; in |
|
1969, the couple added several new rides, including bumper cars, |
|
and renamed the business Wonderland Amusement Park; over the years, |
|
many new rides were added, including the popular Fantastic Journey, |
|
hand-built by Mr. Roads; and |
|
WHEREAS, Today Wonderland attracts more than 200,000 |
|
visitors a year with such exciting rides as the Texas Tornado, the |
|
Rattlesnake River, the Pipeline Plunge, and the Fiesta Swing, as |
|
well as a merry-go-round and a scenic train ride; the park also |
|
features arcade games and a miniature golf course; and |
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Roads passed away in 2003, and Mrs. Roads died |
|
in 2016, but the business remains in the family; it is currently run |
|
by the couple's daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Paul Borchardt, |
|
who have developed the business into the third-largest amusement |
|
park in the Lone Star State; the Borchardts are assisted by their |
|
daughter, Rebecca Parker, a certified public accountant who serves |
|
as the park's controller and whose children have also worked at the |
|
park, representing the fourth generation of the family to |
|
contribute to the business; and |
|
WHEREAS, For seven decades, Wonderland Amusement Park has |
|
been both a successful family enterprise and one of the iconic |
|
destinations for family fun in Amarillo, and it is a pleasure to pay |
|
tribute to a beloved Texas Panhandle institution on this milestone |
|
occasion; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
|
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby commemorate the 70th |
|
anniversary of Wonderland Amusement Park and extend to all those |
|
associated with the park sincere best wishes for continued success; |
|
and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
prepared for the park as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
|
House of Representatives. |