TITLE: Recognizing February 22, 2011, as Panhandle Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing February 22, 2011, as Panhandle Day at the State Capitol.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Residents of the Texas Panhandle are gathering in Austin on February 22, 2011, to pay tribute to their region's rich heritage and to celebrate Panhandle Day at the State Capitol; and WHEREAS, One of the oldest inhabited areas of Texas, where vast grasslands once thrived, the Panhandle is crossed by the Canadian and Red Rivers, rests over the southern tip of the Ogallala Aquifer, and offers breathtaking views of Palo Duro Canyon; in the 1880s, three million acres of Panhandle land that was traded by the state to finance construction of a new Texas Capitol became known as the XIT Ranch; and WHEREAS, Ranching became central to the Panhandle's culture and economy in the late 19th century, and the arrival of the railroads and dryland farming techniques expanded the role of wheat and cotton farming; the discovery of oil and natural gas in the 1920s further diversified the economic base, and today, ranching, farming, and the petroleum industry continue to be important to the region; and WHEREAS, Amarillo, in Potter and Randall Counties, is essential to the prosperity of the Panhandle with Tyson Foods, Bell Helicopter, B&W Pantex, and two health care systems all serving as major employers; in addition to the city of Hereford, which is regarded by many as the "Beef Capital of the World," other bedrock communities in the Panhandle include Borger, Cactus, Canyon, Childress, Clarendon, Dalhart, Dumas, Groom, Gruver, Pampa, Panhandle, Plainview, Skellytown, Stratford, Texhoma, and Whitedeer; and WHEREAS, The Panhandle is home to such premier educational institutions as the Texas Tech University System, with its schools of medicine and pharmacy, and West Texas A&M University, both of which boast nationally recognized programs and faculty; Amarillo College and South Plains College continue to be among the finest community colleges in the country, and Wayland Baptist University, Frank Phillips College, and Clarendon College also offer an outstanding education; and WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy a range of attractions, including the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in Texas, as well as the Amarillo Museum of Art, the public art installation Cadillac Ranch, and the American Quarter Horse Association's international headquarters; other cultural assets include the Lone Star Ballet and the Amarillo Symphony; and WHEREAS, Renowned for their hospitality, strong work ethic, and resilience, the citizens of the Texas Panhandle may take great pride in all they have done to make their region one of the treasures of the Lone Star State, and it is a pleasure to pay tribute to the Panhandle of Texas and the region's fine residents; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 22, 2011, as Panhandle Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting guests sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. Price Smithee Chisum Landtroop 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. 504 was adopted by the House on February 22, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House