SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 251
WHEREAS, Citizens from Amarillo and other communities
located in the Texas Panhandle are visiting Austin on February
24, 2009, to pay tribute to their region's rich heritage and to
celebrate Panhandle Day at the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, The Panhandle is a thriving region of the state
and home to one of the oldest inhabited places in Texas;
stretching through the northern part of the region is Palo Duro
Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the country, which boasts
spectacular views and reveals through its exposed strata a
geologic record spanning 250 million years; and
WHEREAS, Rich in history, the region is also known for its
traditional ranch lands, crop and meat production, large
stretches of oil and gas reserves, major industry, and a
nationally recognized workforce; and
WHEREAS, Amarillo, the principal northern city of the
Panhandle, is a dynamic urban center with a population of almost
175,000 and a wide array of cultural amenities; contributing to
Amarillo's economic vitality are a Bell Helicopter tilt-rotor
assembly center, where the V-22 Osprey and the US101 presidential
helicopters are assembled, as well as the only
assembly-disassembly plant for the nation's nuclear weapons
arsenal, a facility operated by BWXT Pantex for the United States
Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration;
and
WHEREAS, A region of many exemplary citizens and community
leaders, the Texas Panhandle is also home to excellent
educational institutions; the Texas Tech University System,
including its medical, law, and pharmacy schools, and West Texas
A&M University are among the premier institutions in Texas and
boast ever-increasing enrollments, nationally recognized
programs and faculty, and outstanding graduates; Amarillo
College and South Plains College continue to be among the finest
community colleges in the country, and Wayland Baptist
University, Frank Phillips College, Western Texas College, and
Clarendon College are all outstanding educational institutions
in the area; and
WHEREAS, Outstanding attractions in the region include the
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, which is located on the
campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon and is the largest
history museum in the state, and the Texas Tech University
campus, which is host to many restored structures at the National
Ranching Heritage Center, a 15-acre site tracing the evolution of
ranch architecture and the history of the cattle industry in
Texas; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of the Panhandle region are renowned
for their friendliness and warmth; they have helped to build
vital urban centers that serve not only a large part of Texas but
also of eastern New Mexico; it is a pleasure for the Texas Senate
to pay tribute to the Panhandle of Texas and the region's fine
residents; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st
Legislature, hereby recognize February 24, 2009, as Panhandle
Day at the State Capitol and extend to the delegations in
attendance today and to their fellow citizens sincere
appreciation for their contributions to the Lone Star State; and,
be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
honor of this event.
Seliger
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 18, 2009.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate