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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Midland and Odessa are gathering |
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in Austin from February 6 to 8, 2023, to celebrate Midland-Odessa |
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Days 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 as |
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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 in |
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Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Odessa began its rapid growth with the discovery of |
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oil in the Permian Basin in the 1920s, and by 1929, Midland was home |
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to 36 oil companies; today, Midland continues to be the financial |
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and 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; and |
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WHEREAS, Midland and Odessa are the primary cities located in |
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the Permian Basin, which is one of the largest oil producing regions |
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in the world and accounts for 40 percent of production in the United |
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States; 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 the |
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history of the office of the presidency; the families of both Bush |
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presidents have called Midland and Odessa home, and the archive |
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features a restored house where the Bush family once resided; and |
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WHEREAS, The Ellen Noël Art Museum, one of only two |
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Smithsonian affiliates in Texas, features world-class exhibits |
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year-round, and the Parker House Museum evokes the life of a |
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prominent Texas ranching family; the Haley Memorial Library & |
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History Center houses the first bell to hang in the Alamo and vast |
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resources of oral and written archives about the cowboy and the |
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American Southwest; and |
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WHEREAS, Situated between Midland and Odessa is the Wagner |
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Noël Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art facility boasting a |
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total of 2,000 seats between its theater and recital hall, which |
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brings in myriad shows to impress a variety of audiences; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy the Stonehenge |
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replica on The University of Texas of the Permian Basin campus, as |
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well as live productions at the replica of Shakespeare's Globe |
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Theatre on the campus of Odessa College; furthermore, the Midland |
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Festival Ballet, the West Texas Symphony, and the award-winning |
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Midland Community Theatre offer live performances that inspire and |
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entertain; and |
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WHEREAS, The 99-acre I-20 Wildlife Preserve Jenna Welch |
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Nature Study Center and the 49-acre Sibley Nature Center celebrate |
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the nature and history of the Permian Basin while showcasing the |
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beauty and wildlife of the region; Odessa is host to the Spire, a |
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1950s mid-century architecture sign that was refurbished in 2019 |
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and is the tallest lighted public art structure in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, The White-Pool House is the first residential home |
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in Odessa and proudly displays items from both the White and Pool |
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families; also located in Odessa and enjoyed by more than 10,000 |
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visitors every year is the nation's second-largest meteor crater |
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and its adjoining museum; and |
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WHEREAS, Midland's Museum of the Southwest offers displays of |
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the art and archaeology of the American Southwest, as well as the |
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winning Kentucky Derby history of one of Midland's prominent |
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families; the interactive exhibits in the Permian Basin Petroleum |
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Museum present the geology and history of oil while helping inspire |
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entrepreneurs of the future; and |
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WHEREAS, Odessa features the Chris Kyle Memorial Plaza, which |
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honors the former Navy SEAL who was born in Odessa, and which pays |
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tribute to the past, current, and future veterans who have served |
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our country so unselfishly; the Midland Army Air Field Museum |
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preserves the history of the largest bombardier training school |
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during World War II and also highlights the contributions that West |
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Texans made to the war effort; 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 88th Texas Legislature |
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hereby recognize February 6-8, 2023, as Midland-Odessa Days at the |
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State Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the visiting delegation. |