| 1 | 1 | | 84R9478 KSM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Morrison H.R. No. 568 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Proud residents of Aransas County are gathering in |
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| 7 | 7 | | Austin to celebrate Aransas County Day at the State Capitol on |
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| 8 | 8 | | February 25, 2015; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, This region of thousand-year-old oaks, coastal |
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| 10 | 10 | | prairie, and sandy beaches was first inhabited by native peoples |
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| 11 | 11 | | 8,000 years ago; and |
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| 12 | 12 | | WHEREAS, In 1828, the Mexican government awarded an |
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| 13 | 13 | | empresario grant to bring in settlers from Ireland and Mexico, and |
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| 14 | 14 | | not long after the Civil War, the towns of Fulton and Rockport were |
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| 15 | 15 | | founded as ports for the cattle business; Aransas County was formed |
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| 16 | 16 | | in 1871 and named after a Spanish palace; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Aransas County is the gateway to the 116,000-acre |
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| 18 | 18 | | Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, where the amazing whooping cranes |
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| 19 | 19 | | spend the winter, and Goose Island State Park, which has over |
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| 20 | 20 | | 200,000 visitors annually; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Rockport and Fulton Harbors are the home ports of |
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| 22 | 22 | | many popular boating excursions for birders, dolphin watchers, and |
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| 23 | 23 | | devotees of deep-sea and bay fishing, while the beautifully lit |
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| 24 | 24 | | Fulton Harbor Pier and 8,690-foot-long Copano Bay Pier offer |
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| 25 | 25 | | first-rate opportunities for angling; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, The county's history is evoked by the 19th century |
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| 27 | 27 | | Fulton Mansion and the 1870s Victorian-style Aransas County History |
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| 28 | 28 | | Center, while the official Texas Maritime Museum in Rockport |
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| 29 | 29 | | celebrates the marine heritage of the Lone Star State; the Rockport |
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| 30 | 30 | | Center for the Arts is a hub for the region's thriving cultural |
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| 31 | 31 | | scene, which includes such festive annual events as the Bountiful |
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| 32 | 32 | | Bowl Pottery Fair, the Fulton Oysterfest, the Rockport Film |
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| 33 | 33 | | Festival, the HummerBird Celebration, LaMardi Gras, and the annual |
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| 34 | 34 | | Rockport Festival of Wines; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Blessed with more magnificent bays than land, more |
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| 36 | 36 | | redfish and trout than cars, and a chamber of commerce with a |
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| 37 | 37 | | five-star rating, Aransas County is one of the treasures of the Lone |
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| 38 | 38 | | Star State, and its citizens may indeed take great pride in their |
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| 39 | 39 | | heritage and look forward to a future filled with opportunity and |
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| 40 | 40 | | good times; now, therefore, be it |
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| 41 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 42 | 42 | | Legislature hereby recognize February 25, 2015, as Aransas County |
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| 43 | 43 | | Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
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| 44 | 44 | | sincere best wishes for a memorable and meaningful visit to Austin. |
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