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Music on the Square summer concerts start June 8
The Music on the Square summer concerts start on Friday, June 8, on the Courthouse lawn. These free concerts start at 6:30 p.m. each Friday, with the exception of First Fridays, in June, July and August. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, grab dinner-to-go from a local restaurant, and enjoy an evening of great live music.
Here’s the lineup:
- June 8: Jeremy McBee
- June 15: Georgetown Fire Department Pipes & Drums
- June 22: Bluegrass Showmen
- June 29: Xander Ortiz
- July 13: Lexxi Garza
- July 20: Wilson String Band
- July 27: The Staylyns
- Aug. 10: Roland Waits & The Wayward Travelers
- Aug. 17: Mr. Thrill (Engelbert Humperdinck and Neil Diamond songs)
- Aug. 24: Steel Country Outlaws
- Aug. 31: Them Duqaines
Concerts are sponsored by the Georgetown Convention and Visitors Bureau and The Williamson Museum.
For a complete schedule, go to the Georgetown Convention and Visitors Bureau website at VisitGeorgetown.com.
GTX Residents: Free Spay/Neuter Clinic for Cats
Kitten season is in full swing, and there are plenty of babies to visit and adopt. To keep the kitten population from becoming overwhelming, the Georgetown Animal Shelter is holding the third and final free spay/neuter clinic for cats on June 23. The goal of the clinics is to reduce the cat population in Georgetown. This is the sixth year that the shelter has offered free spay/neuter clinics for cats, and it seems to be making a difference in the number of kittens ending up at the shelter.
Spay and neuter surgeries and a rabies vaccination will be provided at no charge. Other services available at the clinic include a combo test (feline AIDS/leukemia test) for $20, an FVRCP vaccine for $5, microchip for $10, e-collar for $10, pain medication for $5, or cat carrier for $5.
Appointments are required for the free clinics, which are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and are not necessarily for low-income cat owners. Cats or kittens must be at least three months old.
The clinic is offered only for cats whose owners live in the Georgetown City Limits, so bring your driver’s license or other form of ID that shows your current address.
Additionally, the shelter continues to offer low-cost vaccine clinics every few months, which are walk-up clinics for vaccinations only (not spay/neuter surgeries). Dates for the shot clinics can be found at pets.georgetown.org/programs/low-cost-shots.
Call (512) 930-3592 to schedule your cat for surgery. All spay or neuter surgeries will be done by a licensed veterinarian.
The spay and neuter clinic will be held at the City of Georgetown Animal Shelter at 110 W.L. Walden Drive near the McMaster Athletic Fields. Contact the shelter at (512) 930-3592 or by email at animalsvc@georgetown.org. The City of Georgetown Animal Shelter website is pets.georgetown.org.
City receives recognition for transparency from Texas Comptroller
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced the City of Georgetown is the latest local government entity to achieve specific transparency goals through the Comptroller’s Transparency Stars program. Georgetown received a star in the area of debt obligations, which recognizes entities whose websites show visual and narrative detail on outstanding debt, tax-supported debt obligations, historical bond elections and more.
“By providing taxpayers with essential debt information in a variety of formats, Georgetown has shown a true commitment to Texas taxpayers. This effort achieves the goals set by our Transparency Stars program,” Hegar said. “I am pleased to award Georgetown a star for its accomplishments.”
The Transparency Stars recognizes local government entities that provide easy online access to important financial data. Georgetown is one of 27 cities in Texas to receive the debt obligations star.
Georgetown’s debt transparency website is finance.georgetown.org/debt-transparency. The site features access to financial reports, graphs of financial information, and downloadable data on the City’s debt obligations.
The Comptroller’s office launched the Transparency Stars program in March 2016 to recognize cities, counties and school districts making important strides to greater government transparency. Local government entities can apply for stars in the areas of traditional finances, contracts and procurement, economic development, public pensions, and debt obligations.
After receiving an initial star for Traditional Finances, remaining stars may be awarded in any order. The City received the Traditional Finances star in 2017. For more information on the program, including specific guidelines and information on how to apply, visit the Comptroller’s Transparency Stars website at comptroller.texas.gov/transparency/local/stars.
Garey Park Grand Opening Celebration planned for June 9
The City will celebrate the grand opening of Garey Park on June 9 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
“We are excited to celebrate the opening of this green oasis within our city that is sure to become a regional destination for outdoor recreation and special events,” Mayor Dale Ross said. “We hope many of you are able to join us for this historic event.”
Park gates will open at 9 a.m. for the event that will feature tours of Garey House, food trucks, pony rides, a petting zoo, fly fishing demos from the San Gabriel Fly Fishers, information from the Good Water Master Naturalists about wildlife viewing and the nature trail along the river, a temporary tattoo station from the Georgetown Public Library and more. The Georgetown Animal Shelter and Ride On Center for Kids will also be at the park for the opening event.
The ribbon cutting will be at 10 a.m., and other activities will be available throughout the event. The park will remain open to visitors until 8 p.m.
Amenities at the park include a playground, a splash pad, a dog park, an equestrian arena, the Garey House event space, pavilions, two fishing ponds, 4.7 miles of hiking trails, and 4.2 miles of equestrian trails.
At 525-acres, Garey Park is one of the largest city parks in the state and is roughly 1.5 times the size of Zilker Park in Austin. To maintain and plan programs for the City’s largest park, Garey Park will be staffed with six full-time and three part-time employees, including a park foreman, recreation coordinator, recreation specialist and group sales and servicing coordinator.
To help offset some of the operating and maintenance costs, there will be an entry fee for residents of $5 for two people, and for nonresidents of $10 for two people. Each additional person will be $2. The City is also offering annual park passes for $100 for residents and $150 nonresidents. These fees only cover a portion of the City’s annual operating costs and will allow the City to run this regional park in a manner in which Georgetown and the Garey family can be proud.
Park entrance fees will be waived for the first two weeks of operations. Park admission fees will begin on June 25. No admission fees will be collected on Tuesdays from Sept. 1-May 31. Park hours are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. from April 1-Sept. 30 and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. from Oct. 1-March 31.
The park, which is located along the South San Gabriel River at 6450 RM 2243, was donated by Jack and Camille Garey in 2004 along with $5 million for park development. In 2008 Georgetown voters approved a bond for an additional $10 million for the park’s construction. The total project cost of $15 million included $1.5 million for design and $13.5 million for construction.
For more information about the park, visit parks.georgetown.org/gareypark.
Breakfast Bites: New Ways of Connecting with Old Buildings
The next Breakfast Bites meeting on May 30 will feature Emily Koller, on the topic of New Ways of Connecting with Old Buildings. The informal meeting opens at 8 a.m. in the Friends Room at the Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. Eighth St. The talk will start at 8:30 a.m. Coffee and light breakfast snacks will be provided.
Koller will provide an overview of DowntownTX.org, a place-based real estate tool for historic downtowns. Georgetown was one of the first Main Street cities to be featured on the site. The website is designed as a statewide resource for investors, downtown developers, entrepreneurs, as well as community-minded individuals looking to be part of downtown’s transformation.
Koller works with the Texas Historical Commission as a planner to develop the Town Square Initiative and assist Texas Main Street cities with their downtown planning needs. She has worked as a Main Street director for an urban program on Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and as a city planner in Tulsa and San Marcos.
At the May 30 meeting, there will be updates from City staff on:
- Art Center and Public Library events
- Convention and Visitors Bureau updates
- City Hall campus project update
Also, learn about updates from downtown partner organizations and find out about new businesses in the downtown district that have opened or are under construction.
Breakfast Bites is a quarterly meeting of the Georgetown Main Street Program. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29, to Kim McAuliffe, downtown development manager for the City of Georgetown, at (512) 930-2027 or at kim.mcauliffe@georgetown.org.
City Council District 1 election results
The Williamson County Elections office as of 10:04 p.m. on May 5 has posted final unofficial voting results for the City Council election on May 5 in Georgetown.
These are the unofficial voting results as of 10:04 p.m. with 27 of 27 polling locations reporting:
| Race | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
| District 1 | Anna Eby | 137 | 53.52 |
| Mary Calixtro | 119 | 46.48 |
To see a complete May 5, 2018, election results, go to wilco.org/elections.
Crack seal street resurfacing in Sun City starts May 10
The City of Georgetown Public Works Department will begin street crack sealing operations on Thursday, May 10, on streets in Sun City. Hours of work will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The work is scheduled to be complete in areas indicated by Friday, June 1. The work is weather-dependent and rain days will extend the duration of the project.
Residential streets included in the crack seal application include those in Sun City neighborhoods 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 35, 36, 60, and 63. These neighborhoods include those along Del Webb Boulevard between Williams Drive and Berry Creek, as well as some neighborhoods along Whispering Wind Drive. (Click on map to see larger version.)
Crack sealing is a cost-effective method that helps to preserve and prolong overall pavement life. This work is in preparation for a High Performance Pavement Sealant program planned for later this summer. The sealant is a new product to be used in Georgetown with a track record of good results in other cities.
There will be minimal delays to traffic and driveway access of 15 to 30 minutes while the product is being applied and curing. Work will not occur on scheduled solid waste or recycling collection days.
Georgetown Public Library wins National Medal
The Institute of Museum and Library Services today announced the Georgetown Public Library as one of 10 recipients of the 2018 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. The award will be presented at an event at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., in May.
Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross shared the National Medal award announcement at a public reception at the Georgetown Public Library on May 1. The reception was held in the lobby of the Public Library, 402 W. Eighth St.
At the Georgetown Public Library, patrons encounter three words as they enter the building: Engage, Enlighten, Empower. This is the mission statement that drives the library to serve as a catalyst for community wellbeing and enrichment. Library staff reimagine and reinvent the library through patron-centric library services, innovative partnerships with organizations and agencies, and creative, engaging programming.
“Winning the 2018 IMLS National Medal is truly an honor for our library and community,” Georgetown Public Library Director Eric Lashley said. “It is rewarding for our staff, volunteers, and community partners to be recognized at the national level for our efforts to engage, enlighten, and empower our community.”
Selected from 29 national finalists, the 2018 National Medal for Museum and Library Service winners represent institutions that provide dynamic programming and services that exceed expected levels of service. Through their community outreach, these institutions bring about change that touches the lives of individuals and helps communities thrive. The San Antonio Public Library is the only other public library in Texas to have won the IMLS National Medal in the past.
“It is a pleasure to recognize the 10 distinctive recipients of the National Medal of Museum and Library Service,” IMLS Director Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew said. “Through their programs, services, and partnerships, these institutions exemplify the many ways that libraries and museums are positively transforming communities across the nation.”
As part of the ceremony and celebration, Georgetown community member Rosie Rocke will travel to Washington, D.C., with Lashley to accept the National Medal on behalf of Georgetown Public Library and provide a personal account of the power the library has had in the community. After Rocke’s husband died in 2013, the library became her safe haven. The super-volunteer notes that “the library was my grief counselor. It made my transition to a widow easier.”
Following the ceremony, StoryCorps—a national nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans—will visit the Georgetown Public Library and provide an opportunity for Georgetown community members to share stories of how the library has affected their lives. These stories are preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
To see the list of 2018 National Medal recipients and learn more about the National Medal, visit www.imls.gov.
City, nonprofits celebrate Preservation Month in May
In May, the City of Georgetown, The Williamson Museum, and Preservation Georgetown will host a series of Preservation Month events in Georgetown to celebrate Preservation Month.
Events include:
- May 1: Rededication of the Emzy Taylor historical marker at 5:30 p.m. at Seventh Street and Austin Avenue in front of Burger University.
- May 5: Plein Air Painting with Preservation Georgetown at Grace Heritage Center, 817 S. Main St.
- May 12: Historic Walking Tours at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., beginning at Founders Park, 814 S. Church St.
- May 17: Texas Treasures Award presented by the Main Street Program during Preservation Georgetown’s Third Thursday event. Two businesses that have operated in Georgetown for more than 50 years will be recognized.
- May 19: “Marking History,” highlighting historical figures around downtown, The Williamson Museum
Preservation Month helps celebrate preservation projects throughout the city, including the rehabilitation of Grace Heritage Center and Founders Park, which were completed last year.
To join the theme of Preservation Month, take a “This Place Matters” photo at a place you love and post it on social media. Download a sign at savingplaces.org. Go to williamsonmuseum.org or georgetownheritagesociety.org for details on events. More information about the City’s historic resources can be found at historic.georgetown.org.
Adults with Disabilities Dance at Georgetown Community Center on May 4
The City of Georgetown Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a dance for adults age 18 and older with disabilities Friday, May 4, from 6-8 p.m. at the Georgetown Community Center, 445 E. Morrow St. The theme is Fiesta.
Admission is $5 for participants and includes a meal. Advanced registration is recommended. Only cash or check will be taken at the door. There is no charge for family members or caregivers, and they must remain present at all times.
For more information and to register, call (512) 930-3596 or visit parks.georgetown.org.
Upcoming dances:
Aug. 3
All Stars
Oct. 26
Haunted Mansion
