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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, In March 2017, Juluis and Wanda Brooks closed the |
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doors of their popular Midland restaurant, Brooks Bar-B-Que, for |
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the final time, after nearly four decades of service; and |
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WHEREAS, Married in 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks moved to |
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Midland in 1966, and in 1979, Mr. Brooks used $5,000 in savings and |
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his experience in retail to open Brooks Bar-B-Que on Texas Avenue; |
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Mrs. Brooks quit her job with the Midland Independent School |
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District to join him in the enterprise; and |
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WHEREAS, As the restaurant began to thrive, the couple opened |
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two more locations, one on Andrews Highway in the mid-1980s and |
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another at Mission Square Plaza in the mid-1990s; when the original |
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and only still-operating location burned down in 2009, Mr. Brooks |
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rebuilt and reopened in 2010; and |
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WHEREAS, Despite the business's name, its signature menu item |
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was not barbecue but rather Mr. Brooks's famous Fatburger, with a |
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patty too wide for the bun; moreover, Mrs. Brooks's homemade |
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coconut, lemon meringue, chocolate, and pecan pies attained |
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legendary status among numerous Midland residents; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Brooks also served his community as a Midland |
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City Council member for nearly 10 years; during that time, he was |
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the city's first African American mayor pro tem, and he played a |
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vital role in the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. |
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Community Center and in the local programs organized in observance |
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of the MLK Day holiday; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout its history, the business was a family |
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affair; the couple's children and grandchildren worked for Brooks |
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Bar-B-Que, with son Rowland managing one of the locations and |
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daughter Natasha spending much of her early life working at the |
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restaurants as well before becoming the senior city attorney for |
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Odessa; and |
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WHEREAS, Independent, family-owned businesses that reflect |
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the spirit of their locales add richness and flavor to Texas |
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communities, and Juluis and Wanda Brooks may take great pride in |
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their successful 38-year tenure as restaurateurs as they embark on |
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the next exciting chapter of their lives; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Juluis and Wanda Brooks for their long |
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service to the Midland area through their Brooks Bar-B-Que |
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restaurants and extend to them sincere best wishes for the future; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Brooks as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |
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Craddick |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1378 was adopted by the House on April |
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27, 2017, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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