TITLE: Recognizing February 21, 2013, as Aransas County Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing February 21, 2013, as Aransas County Day at the State Capitol.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Aransas County are gathering in Austin to celebrate Aransas County Day at the State Capitol on February 21, 2013; and WHEREAS, This region of thousand-year-old oaks, coastal prairie, and sandy beaches was first inhabited by native peoples 8,000 years ago; and WHEREAS, In 1828, the Mexican government awarded an empresario grant to bring in settlers from Ireland and Mexico, and not long after the Civil War, the towns of Fulton and Rockport were founded as ports for the cattle business; Aransas County was formed in 1871 and named after a Spanish palace; and WHEREAS, Aransas County is the gateway to the 116,000-acre Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, where the amazing whooping cranes spend the winter, and Goose Island State Park, which has over 200,000 visitors annually; and WHEREAS, Rockport and Fulton Harbors are the home ports of many popular boating excursions for birders, dolphin watchers, and devotees of deep-sea and bay fishing, while the beautifully lit Fulton Harbor Pier and 8,690-foot-long Copano Bay Pier offer first-rate opportunities for angling; and WHEREAS, The county's history is evoked by the 19th century Fulton Mansion and the 1870s Victorian-style Aransas County History Center, while the official Texas Maritime Museum in Rockport celebrates the marine heritage of the Lone Star State; the Rockport Center for the Arts is a hub for the region's thriving cultural scene, which includes such festive annual events as the Bountiful Bowl Pottery Fair, the Fulton Oysterfest, the Rockport Film Festival, the HummerBird Festival, LaMardi Gras, the 4th of July Art Show, and the annual Rockport Festival of Wines; and WHEREAS, Blessed with more magnificent bays than land, more redfish and trout than cars, and a chamber of commerce with a five-star rating, Aransas County is one of the treasures of the Lone Star State, and its citizens may indeed take great pride in their heritage and look forward to a future filled with opportunity and good times; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 21, 2013, as Aransas County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a memorable and meaningful visit to Austin. Morrison Hunter Herrero Lozano Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 463 was adopted by the House on February 21, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House