TITLE: Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington.

SUMMARY: Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Six Flags Over Texas is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011; located in Arlington, the park has entertained an estimated 100 million people since its opening on August 5, 1961; and WHEREAS, Founded by Angus G. Wynne, Jr., of the Great Southwest Corporation with the help of Arlington mayor Tom Vandergriff, Six Flags Over Texas was named for the six countries whose flags have flown over Texas land: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America; the park has been so successful it has become a model for the regional park industry, and today there are 19 Six Flags theme parks in North America; and WHEREAS, Six Flags Over Texas is credited with helping Arlington to attract the Texas Rangers major league baseball team and then Cowboys Stadium, thus enabling Arlington to host the World Series and the Super Bowl; a leading employer in Arlington and Tarrant County, the park hires 3,500 seasonal and part-time workers annually; and WHEREAS, Through a series of special programs, Six Flags supports many nonprofit organizations that work to make a difference in their communities, and among the groups benefiting from this support are the Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Make a Wish Foundation; and WHEREAS, With 13 roller coasters, more than at any other theme park in the south, Six Flags Over Texas has been chosen to host the 2011 annual convention of the American Coaster Enthusiasts; and WHEREAS, Six Flags Over Texas has taken its place as a part of Texas history even as its owners look forward to the next half-century, and it is a pleasure to recognize the site of fond memories for so many Lone Star State families; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of Six Flags Over Texas and extend to all those associated with the park sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Six Flags Over Texas as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Nash Straus Gonzales of Williamson Morrison Aliseda Gonzalez Munoz, Jr. Allen Gooden Murphy Alonzo Guillen Naishtat Alvarado Gutierrez Nash Anchia Hamilton Oliveira Anderson of Dallas Hancock Orr Anderson of McLennan Hardcastle Otto Aycock Harless Parker Beck Harper-Brown Patrick Berman Hartnett Paxton Bohac Hernandez Luna Pena Bonnen Hilderbran Perry Branch Hochberg Phillips Brown Hopson Pickett Burkett Howard of Fort Bend Pitts Burnam Howard of Travis Price Button Huberty Quintanilla Cain Hughes Raymond Callegari Hunter Reynolds Carter Isaac Riddle Castro Jackson Ritter Chisum Johnson Rodriguez Christian Keffer Schwertner Coleman King of Parker Scott Cook King of Taylor Sheets Craddick King of Zavala Sheffield Creighton Kleinschmidt Shelton Crownover Kolkhorst Simpson Darby Kuempel Smith of Harris Davis of Dallas Landtroop Smith of Tarrant J. Davis of Harris Larson Smithee S. Davis of Harris Laubenberg Solomons Deshotel Lavender Strama Driver Legler Taylor of Collin Dukes Lewis Taylor of Galveston Dutton Lozano Thompson Eiland Lucio III Torres Eissler Lyne Truitt Elkins Madden Turner Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey Farrar Margo Villarreal Fletcher Marquez Vo Flynn Martinez Walle Frullo Martinez Fischer Weber Gallego McClendon White Garza Menendez Woolley Geren Miles Workman Giddings Miller of Comal Zedler Gonzales of Hidalgo Miller of Erath Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1489 was adopted by the House on May 4, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House