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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, Members of the Texas Midwest Community Network are |
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| 6 | 7 | | visiting the State Capitol on February 4, 2019; and |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Founded in 1994, TMCN grew out of a business forum |
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| 8 | 9 | | sponsored by Abilene Reporter-News, the Abilene Chamber of |
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| 9 | 10 | | Commerce, and West Texas Utilities; participants recognized that |
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| 10 | 11 | | they could better address the economic challenges of the day by |
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| 11 | 12 | | uniting the efforts of small towns and rural communities across the |
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| 12 | 13 | | region; demonstrating a strong spirit of cooperation, they formed a |
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| 13 | 14 | | network of 28 community members in a 20-county area surrounding |
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| 14 | 15 | | Abilene and began to share ideas and resources; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, The organization received early financial support |
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| 16 | 17 | | from Texas Rural Communities; today, it is supported by membership |
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| 17 | 18 | | dues, programming, partnerships, and the publication of an annual |
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| 18 | 19 | | travel guide; it has grown to include 51 communities in 31 |
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| 19 | 20 | | contiguous counties and focuses on community development, |
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| 20 | 21 | | marketing for economic development and tourism, events for |
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| 21 | 22 | | leadership development and resource connections, and communication |
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| 22 | 23 | | with public officials on issues confronting the region; fostering |
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| 23 | 24 | | greater civic engagement among area citizens, it encourages |
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| 24 | 25 | | community-wide participation in its networking events; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Over the course of a quarter century, the Texas |
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| 26 | 27 | | Midwest Community Network has provided a dynamic venue for regional |
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| 27 | 28 | | cooperation, and in so doing, it has amplified the important |
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| 28 | 29 | | concerns of small towns and contributed significantly to their |
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| 29 | 30 | | prosperity and cohesion; now, therefore, be it |
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| 30 | 31 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 31 | 32 | | Legislature hereby recognize the members of the Texas Midwest |
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| 32 | 33 | | Community Network on the occasion of their visit to the State |
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| 33 | 34 | | Capitol and extend to them sincere best wishes for continued |
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| 34 | 35 | | success; and, be it further |
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| 35 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 36 | 37 | | prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 37 | 38 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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