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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, In March 2017, Juluis and Wanda Brooks closed the |
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| 6 | 7 | | doors of their popular Midland restaurant, Brooks Bar-B-Que, for |
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| 7 | 8 | | the final time, after nearly four decades of service; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Married in 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks moved to |
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| 9 | 10 | | Midland in 1966, and in 1979, Mr. Brooks used $5,000 in savings and |
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| 10 | 11 | | his experience in retail to open Brooks Bar-B-Que on Texas Avenue; |
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| 11 | 12 | | Mrs. Brooks quit her job with the Midland Independent School |
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| 12 | 13 | | District to join him in the enterprise; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, As the restaurant began to thrive, the couple opened |
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| 14 | 15 | | two more locations, one on Andrews Highway in the mid-1980s and |
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| 15 | 16 | | another at Mission Square Plaza in the mid-1990s; when the original |
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| 16 | 17 | | and only still-operating location burned down in 2009, Mr. Brooks |
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| 17 | 18 | | rebuilt and reopened in 2010; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Despite the business's name, its signature menu item |
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| 19 | 20 | | was not barbecue but rather Mr. Brooks's famous Fatburger, with a |
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| 20 | 21 | | patty too wide for the bun; moreover, Mrs. Brooks's homemade |
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| 21 | 22 | | coconut, lemon meringue, chocolate, and pecan pies attained |
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| 22 | 23 | | legendary status among numerous Midland residents; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Brooks also served his community as a Midland |
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| 24 | 25 | | City Council member for nearly 10 years; during that time, he was |
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| 25 | 26 | | the city's first African American mayor pro tem, and he played a |
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| 26 | 27 | | vital role in the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. |
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| 27 | 28 | | Community Center and in the local programs organized in observance |
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| 28 | 29 | | of the MLK Day holiday; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Throughout its history, the business was a family |
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| 30 | 31 | | affair; the couple's children and grandchildren worked for Brooks |
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| 31 | 32 | | Bar-B-Que, with son Rowland managing one of the locations and |
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| 32 | 33 | | daughter Natasha spending much of her early life working at the |
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| 33 | 34 | | restaurants as well before becoming the senior city attorney for |
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| 34 | 35 | | Odessa; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Independent, family-owned businesses that reflect |
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| 36 | 37 | | the spirit of their locales add richness and flavor to Texas |
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| 37 | 38 | | communities, and Juluis and Wanda Brooks may take great pride in |
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| 38 | 39 | | their successful 38-year tenure as restaurateurs as they embark on |
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| 39 | 40 | | the next exciting chapter of their lives; now, therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | Legislature hereby honor Juluis and Wanda Brooks for their long |
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| 42 | 43 | | service to the Midland area through their Brooks Bar-B-Que |
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| 43 | 44 | | restaurants and extend to them sincere best wishes for the future; |
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| 44 | 45 | | and, be it further |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 46 | 47 | | prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Brooks as an expression of high regard by |
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| 47 | 48 | | the Texas House of Representatives. |
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