From Our Mayor
Jay F. Feibelman
The City Fiscal Year (F/Y 2010) budget and tax rate was completed and approved in September after required public hearings and council sessions were conducted. We remain very strong fiscally as we move into the future. This year’s tax rate will show an increase to a still very low $0.254808 per $100 valuation of your home. The main reason for the increase is the borrowing of $4 million to take our water system into the future and provide water needs for the projected build out of 3000 homes. This money will provide a 750,000 to 1,000,000 gallon new elevated water storage tank, booster pumps to support the tank, and, at this point probably another water well. The time was right for this action. Interest rates were extremely low, partially due to the excellent credit rating we enjoy and construction companies are still rebounding from the recession. Two other reasons for the increase: Veterans exemptions from property taxes rose from $1,000,000 to $8,000,000 and home appraisals were down across the board. I invite you to explore the internet for adjacent city tax rates proposed for the coming year. You will be pleased when you make the comparison.
Hope your summer was good and the future even better. Thanks for your support.

Welcome to Garden Ridge
New Residents:
Those listed and families:

Matthew Bayne
Phillip & Farah Edge
Terry & Mercedes Evans
James & Gale Ingram
Wes & Tiffany Kleckley
David & Elsa Luna
Bryan & Helen Stansrud
Steve & Yvette Toth
Chip & Sandy Utterback

Note: Newcomers are identified by water service records. Consequently, not all names in the household will appear. Those not appearing are also welcomed! The City of Garden Ridge requires that all dogs and cats be registered. Call 651-6831 for information.

Wanted:
A Few Good Scouts!
Cub Scout Pack 828 in Garden Ridge is looking for boys in the 1st—5th grades who love adventure and having fun!
For details contact:
Ethan Emmons at 210-651-4633 or
by email at: veemmons@swbell.net

Image by PC Man

THANK YOU !!
Bracken VFD Firefighter’s Festival 
The Bracken Volunteer Fire Department extends our sincere thanks and appreciation to EVERYONE who supported the Firefighter’s Festival: the volunteer work crews who set up, cooked, cleaned, and staffed the auction, serving stations, and sales desks; the individuals and businesses who donated cash, supplies, and prizes; and the community members who came and opened their wallets to help Bracken raise the funds to continue serving the public in a first class manner.  THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

NEW RESTAURANT
Ariana’s Mexican Kitchen & Market
23210 FM 3009 Garden Ridge, Texas 78266
Phone: (210) 651-3322
Call in orders welcome
HOURS:
Tuesday - Friday 6:30 am - 2 pm
Wednesday - Friday 5:30 pm - 8 pm
Saturday 7 am — 2 pm
Sunday & Monday Closed

TXDOT Advisory
TXDOT and its contractors will begin widening FM 3009 in October 2009.
FM 3009 will be widened from IH-35 to FM 2252 in Comal County.
The $17.6 million project will widen the road to 4 and 6 lanes with raised medians. Improvements will include overpasses of the 2 railroads crossing FM 3009. Work is estimated to complete September 2012.
For more information call Maggie Rios at (210) 615-5836 or 667-3616.

Holiday A’Fair Marketplace
Saturday, October 17, 2009
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Admission $2 includes 2 raffle tickets
at Garden Ridge Community Center

A show of 40+ unique vendors/artists featuring handcrafted jewelry, sculptures, fiber art, ceramics, metalwork, photography and other special items. Also included are raffle items and a silent auction. Food will be available for purchase at lunchtime. Shopping can make you really hungry!

Garden Ridge Women's Club and
The Knotty Knotters Quilting Group has been working all year to prepare some delightful items to sell, especially gift items for the upcoming holidays. So, come get started on your holiday shopping needs and help support our local charities. All profits will benefit charities, including the Children's Advocacy Center of Comal County and RACAP (Randolph Area Christian Assistance Program).
Please support Raffle Sales and other activities! All proceeds to charity!
For more information call:
Tanya Haddad at 210-651-9241

Halloween Haunted House
Garden Ridge Police Department and Public Works will host a Fall Festival at the Jay Feibelman Community Center on October 31, 2009 7pm -11pm, providing food, fun and activities in a safe environment. The Dracula’s Castle themed large Haunted House will provide entertainment for the older crowd while a children’s event will include games and an age appropriate haunted room. A costume contest will provide prizes. Canyon High, Clements High and Smithson Valley High, Theater Arts, PALS and the Criminal Justice students are assisting with this fun production. The event is free to the public with the Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni serving a great hot dog, chips and drink meal for $2.00 per person.
If you are interested in working or donating to this event, please contact:
Detective O’Conner at 210-651 6441.

Bracken VFD
General Membership Meeting
The annual Bracken Volunteer Fire Department General Membership meeting is Tuesday, October 13, 2009, at 7:00 pm at the Central Station (23600 FM 3009). Some of the items on the agenda are Election of Board Members, Financial Status Report, and ESD 6 Report. Nominations for board positions will be accepted from the floor. If you have any questions about the board positions and/or you are interested in serving on the BVFD Board, contact Mark Schroeder at 830-609-3450. Membership dues must be paid up in order to vote and may be paid at the meeting. All members are invited to attend.

Northeast Bible Church
Community Events
Annual Fall Festival
October 31, 2009, 6-8 pm
Please join us for fun, games, and of course candy!
Blood Drive
November 1, 2009, 8 am - 1 pm.
The South Texas Blood Mobile will be in the front parking lot of Northeast Bible Church. We invite all who would like and are able to give blood to visit our parking lot on this day.
Please call the church office (651-5462) for any questions or information you may need.

Library Footnotes
by Lynn Dean
On November 1, the library will eliminate its Tuesday and Thursday evening hours. Lack of volunteers and patrons has necessitated this change. We will revisit this issue next spring to determine if we have enough positive interest in the longer opening hours and enough volunteers to staff the library. All other open hours remain the same.
We can check your loan history, and for $0.25 per page, print a copy for you.
New books to check out:
South of Broad, the new book from Prince of Tides author Pat Conroy.
Washington’s Lady, a historical novel about Martha Washington by Nancy Moser. She has also written historical fiction of Jane Austen and Mozart’s sister.
The Last Lecture, the true story written by Professor Randy Pausch, before his death from cancer.
Remember that we want your requests for books, DVDs, and audio books.
Please visit us and see the entire selection of material we have recently acquired and visit our newly reorganized sales room..

Important Numbers

City Hall 210-651-6632
Lost Pet 210-651-6831
Police Department 210-651-6441

Garden Ridge Lions Club
Fish Fry/BBQ/Auction
Saturday October 3 from 3pm - 9pm
at the Garden Ridge Community Center.
The annual Garden Ridge Lions Club Fish Fry/Barbeque/Auction features an excellent dinner prepared by your local Lions Club, raffle, super raffle, and silent and live auctions. The live auction is expected to have some 80 items, including power tools, small appliances, electronics, dinners at selected restaurants, and more. We will also offer live entertainment by “Three Hits & a Miss”. All proceeds are donated to charity.
Come join us for a fun experience. Please invite your friends and help make this fundraiser a success. For additional information, call 210-654-9202.

Triumphant LutheranChurch
Annual Oktoberfest
Saturday October 17th from 4pm
Residents of Garden Ridge are cordially invited to attend Triumphant Lutheran Church’s Annual Oktoberfest Celebration. Saturday, October 17th, starting at 4 pm. There will be children’s activities including a moon bounce, dunking booths, and cake walk. We will also have a silent auction, raffles, and great music by the Bavarian Dutchmen. A
BBQ supper served starting at 5 pm.
For those who wish to attend, there will be a short “casual dress” worship service beginning at 5pm. As always the community is also welcome to join us for Sunday Worship Services at 8:30 and 11:00 am.
So come join us at 21315 Bat Cave Road. For more information call 210-651-9090.

Garden Ridge Area
Republican Club
The Republican Club is meeting
Monday, October 12 at 7 pm in the Community Center. The upcoming Constitutional Amendment Election and other items will be discussed. Everyone is invited to attend. Call Charles Flink at 210-651-6631 with questions.

QUARRY HAPPENINGS
On Sep 14, 2009 the Quarry Commission held its monthly meeting. The Commission reviewed and analyzed the blasting data from Aug 09. There were five blasts in Aug; four on the Blank property northwest of the main pit and one in the South Texas Aggregate pit. None of the blast data in August were significant, but the commission received two Citizen’s Blast Reports about the blast on Aug 18th and one complaint about the blast on Aug 13th. At one complainant’s request, members of the commission will meet with the complainant to discuss his concerns. Another report suggested more emphasis be put on controlling the frequency, vice the strength of the blasts.

If you wish to obtain information about the quarry or a specific blast or have comments for the Quarry Commission, contact city Hall at 651-6632 or visit the Quarry home page, or the citizen’s blast reports.

As the majority of blasting in now being conducted on the Blank property, which is closer to Georg Ranch, the Commission is interested in placing a seismograph on a citizen’s property in George Ranch. Citizens who are willing and interested in having quarry blasts monitored at their residence should contact a member of the Quarry Commission or call City Hall 210-651-6632. Citizens are invited to attend the next Quarry Commission meeting on October 12 at 7 pm.

Coming Events
Go to the Calendar.

Significant City Council
Go to Council Actions.

Grapevine Deadline
Grapevine Deadline. Submissions for the November GRAPEVINE need to be turned in no later than October 15th.

Chollo Cactus