SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 174
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
welcome the citizens from Amarillo and other communities located
in the Texas Panhandle who are visiting Austin on February 17,
2015, 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 is home to one of the oldest inhabited places in Texas; Palo
Duro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the country, stretches
through the northern part of the region, 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 areas 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 190,000 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 UH-1Y and AH-1Z helicopters are assembled, as well as
the only assembly-disassembly plant for the nation's nuclear
weapons arsenal, a facility operated by B&W 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 continues to be among the finest community colleges in
the country, and Wayland Baptist University, Frank Phillips
College, and Clarendon College are all outstanding educational
institutions in the area; and
WHEREAS, 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 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,
84th Legislature, hereby recognize February 17, 2015, 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 special day.
Seliger
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 17, 2015.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate