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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, The 70th anniversary of Wonderland Amusement Park in |
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| 6 | 7 | | Amarillo in 2021 offers a welcome opportunity to pay tribute to its |
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| 7 | 8 | | proud legacy of providing wholesome family entertainment to the |
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| 8 | 9 | | young at heart of all ages; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, In the early 1950s, Paul and Alethea Roads moved |
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| 10 | 11 | | from San Angelo to Amarillo to fulfill their dream of starting an |
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| 11 | 12 | | amusement park; with help from the City of Amarillo Parks and |
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| 12 | 13 | | Recreation Department, they opened what was then known as Kiddie |
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| 13 | 14 | | Land on August 12, 1951; all three original rides, the Hershell |
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| 14 | 15 | | Kiddie Boat Ride, the Lil' Dipper Roller Coaster, and the Kiddie Car |
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| 15 | 16 | | Ride, were built by Mr. Roads; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Despite the immediate success of the park, Mr. Roads |
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| 17 | 18 | | continued to work a day job at Amarillo Air Force Base, but after a |
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| 18 | 19 | | decade, he was able to devote himself to the park full-time; in |
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| 19 | 20 | | 1969, the couple added several new rides, including bumper cars, |
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| 20 | 21 | | and renamed the business Wonderland Amusement Park; over the years, |
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| 21 | 22 | | many new rides were added, including the popular Fantastic Journey, |
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| 22 | 23 | | hand-built by Mr. Roads; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, Today Wonderland attracts more than 200,000 |
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| 24 | 25 | | visitors a year with such exciting rides as the Texas Tornado, the |
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| 25 | 26 | | Rattlesnake River, the Pipeline Plunge, and the Fiesta Swing, as |
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| 26 | 27 | | well as a merry-go-round and a scenic train ride; the park also |
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| 27 | 28 | | features arcade games and a miniature golf course; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Roads passed away in 2003, and Mrs. Roads died |
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| 29 | 30 | | in 2016, but the business remains in the family; it is currently run |
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| 30 | 31 | | by the couple's daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Paul Borchardt, |
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| 31 | 32 | | who have developed the business into the third-largest amusement |
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| 32 | 33 | | park in the Lone Star State; the Borchardts are assisted by their |
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| 33 | 34 | | daughter, Rebecca Parker, a certified public accountant who serves |
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| 34 | 35 | | as the park's controller and whose children have also worked at the |
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| 35 | 36 | | park, representing the fourth generation of the family to |
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| 36 | 37 | | contribute to the business; and |
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| 37 | 38 | | WHEREAS, For seven decades, Wonderland Amusement Park has |
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| 38 | 39 | | been both a successful family enterprise and one of the iconic |
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| 39 | 40 | | destinations for family fun in Amarillo, and it is a pleasure to pay |
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| 40 | 41 | | tribute to a beloved Texas Panhandle institution on this milestone |
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| 41 | 42 | | occasion; now, therefore, be it |
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| 42 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 43 | 44 | | Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby commemorate the 70th |
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| 44 | 45 | | anniversary of Wonderland Amusement Park and extend to all those |
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| 45 | 46 | | associated with the park sincere best wishes for continued success; |
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| 46 | 47 | | and, be it further |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 48 | 49 | | prepared for the park as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 49 | 50 | | House of Representatives. |
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