MERRY CHRISTMAS

Red Skelton's Christmas Special at Opera House

It's A Wonderful Life The Musical

A Note from Art of Chocolate on The Granbury Square

Specializing in Chocolate and Wine Pairings!



If you haven't already visited our shop on the historic downtown Square, or if you haven't been in lately, we invite you to do so during this upcoming holiday season. As always, we specialize in gourmet handmade chocolates and fine boutique wines. We also carry Christian inspired artwork and wine related home décor. We now carry Bella Toscana wine, chocolate and food servers made from heavy Italian metal works and Tuscan tiles and marble! Bella Toscana makes a beautiful upscale gift for your loved one or best friend.



Should your business desire custom gift baskets of wine and chocolate, please see us before December 1st for the best selection of employee and customer appreciation ideas. Baskets range from $25.00 and up and we can add in your business pamphlets or brochures.



We look forward to serving you this wonderful holiday season in Granbury. The merchants and shops on the Square really do need the local community's support at this time. Please consider all of us for your gift needs!



Robert & Tammy Anderson

Chocolatier

Chocolate...Proof that God is Good...Very Good!

The Art of Chocolate Shoppe

115 East Pearl Street, Ste C

Granbury, Texas 76048

Phone: 817-579-0075

E-mail: ArtOfChocolate@sbcglobal.net

Web: TheArtOfChocolateShoppe.com

GRANBURY GHOST TOUR

Click on this link to watch FoxNews4 clip on Granbury Ghost Tours


http://mail.granburyhomes.net/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbuzz.yahoo.com%2Farticle%2F1%3A7f9947cc6da8e8b845e5b59e2a06576c%3Aec408471b290ec7958b726b47d21187d%2FLone-Star-Adventure-Ghost-Tour

Southern Living Article October Issue

A Tuna Christmas

"BAREFOOT IN THE PARK" at Granbury Opera Housse

Granbury High School Football Schedule 2010

Veteran Falls Memorial

The builder for the Veteran Falls Memorial under construction on Hwy. 51 west of Granbury recently gave a program that updated the progress of this unique memorial. Having traveled down Hwy. 51 west of Granbury several times and viewing the progress, is first appears that there has not been much work done. But that is definitely not the case. The majority of the work is in fact completed and the project is nearing the final stages.

The problem is that the project has slowed because they have currently run out of funds. According to the program presenter who is doing the work they need about $39,000 dollars to complete the project.

Below is additional information concerning the project, with contact information and they have a website, http://www.veteranfalls.com/, with information.

This area will become a public park on completion, and will become a great access to the community.

They are currently raising funds through donations, selling t-shirts, stickers and other fundraising activities to try and finish this project this fall. They would certainly appreciate any help completing this project.

GHS Graduates Come Together

Well it's a sad time for some of our past graduates of GHS. They have had another tragic abrupt passing of one their own. A much loved young man Lorenzo Mercado Jr. had his life ended in an accident just a little over a week ago. But I am here to rejoice in the fact that he was a christian and is now with the Lord. I am also proud to say that his fellow classmates came together and honored his memory and gave much support to Lorenzo's family. If you know of the circumstances you know here was another young man who was involved in the horrible accident. This is where I am so very proud of our graduates, our children. They have reached out to offer love and compassion to Taylor. He needs unconditional love right now and I know that God will bless all who show it. May the Lord's comfort and peace be with Lorenzo's family and all who knew and loved him. And may all of us learn something from Lorenzo's family who also have shown much forgiveness and compassion through this very difficult time.

"CATS" Granbury Opera House

OPERATION SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Can you believe it? Summer vacation is already half over and the start of a brand new school year is just around the corner! The volunteers of Operation School Supplies, Inc are busy getting ready for this year's distribution of school supplies. In 2009, with the help of our faithful supporters, we distributed school supplies to approximately 2000 needy Hood County children in PreK through 12th grade. Distribution this year is set for August 19, 2010.

The goal of Operation School Supplies, Inc. is to provide school supplies to identified underprivileged children of Hood County. The vision of Operation School Supplies, Inc. is that every child will arrive on the first day of school with his/her backpack full of school supplies...ready to learn and ready to suceed. It takes a lot of time, planning and money to ensure that all needy children in Hood County get their "bright beginning" by having their school supplies in time for their first day of school.

We deeply appreciate all the support you have given to the children of Hood County in the past and hope you will be able to support us again this year by a donation of cash, school supplies or volunteer your time on the day of distribution. Just $25 will send a child back to school with all the supplies they need. you may mail your donations to Operation School Supplies, Inc, PO Box 2403, Granbury, TX 76048. Operation school Supplies, Inc. is a non-porfit organization and your contributions are tax deductible.

To volunteer, please call Virginia Connor 817-573-2454. We will begin packaging school supplies on August 9, 2010. This will be during the day, so if you are able to help please call and Virginia can set you a time to come.

Thank you and God Bless!!

Micky Shearon
President, Operation School Supplies
817-408-5273
micky_shearon@sbcglobal.net

"RUMORS" A NEIL SIMON PLAY BY COMMUNITY THEATER

GRANBURY JULY FOURTH CELEBRATION

BLOOD DRIVE June 29

BLOOD DRIVE JUNE 29 11-4

Tammy Turner, owner of The Hair Company, has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgekins Lymphoma. May 1, she went to MD Anderson in Houston to have surgery. She has to have 5 rounds of Chemo. Tammy has a sister who lives in Houston, so she is staying with her in between treatments. She is doing well .

The Hair Company is having a Blood Drive June 29, 11 AM-4 PM. It is by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please call The Hair Company at 817-573-8161 to schedule an appointment. The Hair Company is located next to Chicken Express.

Please pray for Tammy, husband Bruce, and son Mason.
Thank you

4th of July in Granbury

Come celebrate the Fourth of July in Granbury! Festivities start on Friday the 2nd. Come see the arts and and crafts on the square, drink lemonade and eat a hot dog.
See the parade on the 3rd at 10 am. Drink more lemonade and eat more hot dogs and enjoy some ice cream from one of our diners on the square. There will be a Sunday morning service on the City Beach at 9:30. More crafts on the square, a Ranch Rodeo at Reunion Grounds at 6:00 pm and of course what we are most famous for, the finale-----FIREWORKS!!!!! at dusk.
This a great way to have some family fun! To read all the details go to the Granbury Chamber of Commerce website at www.granburychamber.com

GRANBURY SEALS SWIM TEAM

S.E.A.L.S NEWS SPLASH
MEET INFORMATION Attached One of the Coaches or Stacie will lead the caravan meeting at Acton Baptist Church on Hwy 167 in Acton. We will be leaving at 6:00 AM. Warm-ups begin at 7:00 AM. Meet begins at 8:00 AM.
The SEALS are celebrating our 5th year of living in 21 century and communicating on -line. We provide the newsletter, meet information, entries & results on-line. This not only saves trees, it helps our budget. The SEALS run on a very tight budget and we are always trying to improve our processes. We realize not everyone is on-line, and we will have hard copy newsletters for those individuals. Please add our website to your favorites list: Sealsswimteam.org. The weekly newsletters will be posted here, as well as maps to the circuit meets, meet results, and other pertinent swimming info.
We’ve had a great week and a half practice! We have a lot of new swimmers this year, and that makes for a fun and exciting season. We also want to say WELCOME BACK to our returnees.
Just a reminder… All fees and forms are due. Anyone who has not completed the paperwork will not be able to swim on Saturday.
Swimsuits:
JoLynn Decker, "the swimsuit lady" spoke with our vendor and was told the suits would be in this week. Watch the communication board outside for the BIG Arrival
SAFETY:
In order to provide a safe environment for our swimmers and their family, we have developed a system of whistles to clear the pool in case of emergency. One whistle indicates inclement weather; please proceed calmly and quickly to the overhang by the concession stand. Three whistle bursts please proceed calmly to the bleachers.
PARENTS: We ask that you remind your children to wait inside the pool area (fenced area) to be picked up, and please come inside the fence to get them. We want to keep the kids safe, and if they sit outside the pool area, coaches or parent volunteers cannot see them. We appreciate your understanding that the safety of the children is a high priority.
Event Sign-up’s:
Sign-ups will be done every Monday & Tuesday. Pink & Blue sheets will be posted on the lockers each week. Swimmers are listed alphabetical. (Girls on Pink / Boys on Blue). Please (x) your event or tell us you will not be attending the meet. Swimmers can mark 3 individual events. If they want to do a relay, circle the individual event they will give up to swim a relay. You must be willing to stay until the end of the meet to do a free relay.
NEW SWIMMERS: Please keep this newsletter for the season. It contains valuable information you can refer back to during the season.
FLUIDS:
Even though you are surrounded by water, you can still become dehydrated, especially during hot weather or stuffy indoor pools. Dehydration of as little as two percent of body weight can hurt your performance. Unfortunately, thirst is not a good indicator of how much fluid a swimmer needs. To prevent dehydration, you must drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after a workout or competition. Research has shown that consuming carbohydrates along with fluids can help maintain performance during training sessions. A properly formulated sports drink provides fluids and will be a more convenient way of getting carbohydrates without eating solid foods. Here are some hydration tips:
 Weigh in before and after training and drink at least two cups of fluid for every pound of weight lost.
 Keep a fluid bottle by the side of the pool when working out and drink between repeats and sets.
 Choose sports drinks like Gatorade that tastes good, stimulates fluid absorption in the body, maintains proper fluid balance in the body and provides energy to working muscles.
 Avoid carbonated drinks, which can cause stomach bloating and may reduce fluid intake.
STANDARD MEET INFORMATION: (New swimmers: keep this handy)
SWIMMERS AND PARENTS are expected to conduct themselves respectfully at all times, especially during meets. The SEALS take great pride in its high level of good sportsmanship. Swimmers should sit together at meets. Please respect the property of others and clean up your area before leaving. Some parents have canopies, which will be set up close to each other to define an area. If you have any questions during a meet, please feel free to ask one of the parent volunteers. If it is necessary, they will get the coach. Please do NOT direct your questions to meet officials.
Once relays are made, we will send out the entry list via e-mail. It is suggested that swimmers write their event numbers on the back of their hands in ink before the meet begins so they will know their event numbers. This helps them to take the responsibility of recognizing their own events. Please do NOT ask the coaches for event numbers. We will have parent volunteers at the meets for those who do not have internet or need help. It is important to listen carefully for your event numbers and report immediately to the ready bench when called. Coach Janet will have a brief meeting before the meet begins.
WHAT TO TAKE TO SWIM MEETS:
1. Lawn chairs, sun screen, umbrellas/canopies/small tents
2. Sleeping bags or picnic blankets
3. Towels (minimum of two) or chamois
4. Goggles and swim cap
5. T-shirt and shorts to protect swim suits from excessive wear
6. Quiet games such as cards, board games and small electronic games. Radios and tape players without earphones are discouraged.
7. Books, magazines, newspaper
A snack bar or concession stand is usually available at each swim meet. However, you may want to bring your own drinks, snacks, etc. Feel free to bring your own lunch if you desire.
FOOD:
The best plan is to eat foods that contain lots of carbohydrates, low to moderate amounts of protein, and even less fat. Keep in mind the following guidelines:
 High-fat and high protein foods take longer to digest than carbohydrate foods and if eaten a few hours before exercising, can contribute to indigestion, nausea and vomiting.
 To have a relatively empty stomach while exercising or competing, you should eat no sooner than 1 to four hours before practice or competition.
 Eating sugary foods such as candy and honey right before you swim does not provide quick energy.
EATING BEFORE COMPETITION:
1-2 Hours Before:
 · Fruit or vegetable juice
 · Fresh Fruit
2-3 Hours Before:
 Fruit or vegetable juice
 Fresh Fruit
 Breads, bagels, English muffins (No margarine or cream cheese)

3-4 Hours Before:
 Fruit or vegetable juice
 Fresh Fruit
 Breads, bagels, English muffins (No margarine or cream cheese)
 Peanut Butter, lean meat, low fat cheese
 Low fat yogurt
 Baked potato
 Cereal with low-fat milk
 Pasta with tomato sauce
ALL DAY MEETS:
What about meets that last all day? Swimming meets can last for several hours and continue for 2 or 3 days. Here are a few tips to prepare for all-day events:
With less than one hour between events, swimmers should consume easy to digest, high carbohydrate foods like fruit juices, bananas, crackers, plain toast or Gatorade, and limit the amount of food.
POST-EVENT MEALS:
Studies show that swimmers who consume 70 grams of carbohydrates (which could be a large bagel, banana or fruit juice) within 30 minutes after exercise, and another 75-100 grams every 2-4 hours thereafter will restore their muscle levels before the next practice or day of the meet. Swimmers who don’t do this will be pretty depleted or tired by the end of a long meet or week of practice.

Granbury Wine Walk

UNIQUELY TEXAS WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL
WILL CAPTIVATE YOUR SENSES

“Wine Walk” To Offer Wine Tastings, Food Vendors,
Live Music, Art Exhibitions and Educational Workshops

Granbury, Texas (April 29, 2010) -- Historic Granbury Texas, known as one of the “the Best Small Towns in Texas”, will be hosting the “Granbury Wine Walk” for the first time on June 4-5, 2010.

The two day event will be held within a two block area around the historic downtown square. Patrons will be able to “See, Sniff, Swirl, and Savor” while walking to different locations to sample food from local restaurants and Texas food vendors, as well as taste Texas wines. Many of the most popular Texas wineries will be sampling, and offering their wines by the bottle for sale. Local herb and produce vendors will be on hand as well.

In addition there will be educational seminars given by leading wine growers and industry experts. There will also be a “People’s Choice” wine competition hosted by Mr. Michael Zerbach, past president of the Texas Wine Growers Association. While choosing their favorite wines, attendees at the Granbury Wine Walk are encouraged to exchange their comments with other Texas wine aficionados at the event and throughout the Blogosphere on Twitter. The event will use the Twitter tag: #GranburyWine) to search and follow these comments.

To enhance the experience of participants, there will a number of live musicians performing during the event. Art exhibits along the Walk will be open during the day, with some wineries present inside the galleries. There will also be cooking demonstrations and opportunities for shopping on the Square.

The cost is $10 per person for one day and $15 per person for two days. Hours are 2pm-8pm (Friday) and 11am-8pm (Saturday). A valid ID must be presented at the ticket booth to purchase a ticket to the event (must be 21 years of age or older). Upon admittance, you will receive a wristband, commemorative wine glass, schedule of events and a location map. For more information, please visit our web site http://www.granburywinewalk.com/. Check us out on Facebook © by searching for Granbury Wine Walk.

Proceeds from the Granbury Wine Walk will go to Signature Kids, a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides Granbury’s youth and children with scholarships, and medical assistance.

Granbury Memorial Day Hometown Fair

Granbury's Memorial Day Hometown Fair Picnic & Grillers Throwdown

May 29th, 30th & 31st

For Information go to http://www.granburysquare.com/

Healthy Kids Summer Lunch Program In Granbury

"This is one of the most caring communities I've ever seen!" That was the comment heard this past summer from the single mom of three small children at one the Healthy Kids Summer Lunch sites. In fact, it's nothing new to hear comments similar to this throughout the summer months in and around the Granbury community. On Thursday, June 3rd, the Healthy Kids Summer Lunch program will begin it's fourth summer of feeding the children of the greater Granbury area a tasty, hot, nutritious lunch.

The Healthy Kids Summer Lunch Program is an outreach initiative of Operation School Supplies in cooperation with a community coalition of local churches and the Granbury ISD Child Nutrition Department that serves lunches to any child, age 18 and under throughout the summer months when school is not in session. All a child has to do to eat is just show up at any one of the sixteen lunch sites located throughout the greater Granbury area.

Healthy Kids started four years ago in response to a growing issue of children in our community - particularly those children that participate in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch program during the school year - being food insecure during the summer months when school was not in session. Through the work of the GISD Child Nutrition Department, the Healthy Kids program is paid for through a combination of state and federal grants specifically targeted at child nutrition for all children, not just children coming from low income households. That means that all children, age 18 and under may participate in the Healthy Kids program.

Each day, starting the week that school is out and continuing throughout the entire summer, hundreds of lunches are prepared at Granbury Middle School by the GISD Child Nutrition Department and are packed in special thermal lunch containers. The lunches are designed to be "kid friendly" while being high in nutritional value. Menu items such as chicken nuggets, steak fingers, burritos, and sweet potato fries just to name a few are among the kids favorites. Each meal comes with a hot entree, a vegetable, a fruit, a healthy dessert, and a choice of either juice or milk.

Starting at around 10:30 each morning, volunteers from more than a dozen area churches converge on Granbury Middle School to pick up the lunches for their respective lunch sites. Each church has an appointed pick up time and serving time at their lunch sites. After the lunches are picked up, literally hundreds of church volunteers head out into the community with their lunches to feed the children in their adopted neighborhoods. Summer 2009 Healthy Kids fed approximately 32,000 children in the greater Granbury area.

But there is so much more going on than just simply feeding a child a healthy lunch, these children are being loved and relationships are being built not only with the children but with the entire family. Many of the churches have expanded their part of the program to include arts and crafts, Backyard Bible Clubs, and learning games at their lunch sites.

This year's Healthy Kids Summer Lunch Program kicks-off on Thursday, June 3rd and runs through Friday, August 6th. If you would like more information on how you can help with or participate in the Healthy Kids program, you can contact Micky Shearon at 817-408-5273 or Norma Wright at 817-279-0313.

Golf Tournament for Christian Womens Job Corp

The tournament was a success. It was a beautiful day to play and lots of money was raised for the Christian Womens Job Corp. Harbor Lakes Golf Club was an excelllent host as always. We always look forward to helping this wonderful cause and many others throughout the year. Keep reading the blog and see what Charlie Parrish and his merry men (and women) are up to next.

Yours Truly,

The Parrish Team

Selling and buying for Granbury

Highway 377 Expansion

Propositions for Granbury and Cresson Corridors

The Reason We Are Asking You
-State & Federal transportation funding has all but dried up
-Your County Court has researched alternative funding sources
-Pass Through Funding (PTF) appears most logical
-Available through State of Texas- 80% reimbursable
-Based on traffic volume over surface of project
-Estimated cost of 377 commerical portion of project is $45,000,000

The Way PTF Works

-Local governments assumer financial and management responsibility over their own projects
-A guarantor contract is signed with State (TxDOT) for reimbursement over 15 years following completion
-A $3,000,000 payment is made to the County when the project begins. (Helps defray right-of-way costs)
-Additional payments are make annually, based on traffic counts following contruction (Additional $31,000,000 max)

Advantages- Granbury US 377

-Relieve current congestion on 377 corridor through Granbury
-New traffic interchanges at BU377 and SH 144
-Greatly improved appearance with raised and grass covered boulevards
-Light controlled turns and dedicated turn lanes
-Dedicated right turn (east bound) lane from 144 to 377
-NO NEW TAXES
-Increased safety
-Project already approved by TxDOT for PTF

Cresson Traffic Corridor

-In City of Cresson, US 377 and Fort Worth & Western Railway intersection continues to be a bottleneck and a point of danger
-This site impacts virtually every person traveling to or from the Metroplex
-TxDOT is currently doing a Phase 1 engineering and environmental impact sudy on the intersection to be completed in about 1 year
-The study will identify 1 of the current 5 potential solutions to solving this challenge
-Costs to plan, design and construct the Cresson portion of the 377 corridor is $30,000,000
-It is not considerated part of the orginal PTF previously defined
-If approved, ti will give the Court persmission and direction to seek additonal funding from both State and Federal sources

Cresson-Challenges

-There are 59 accidents per year at this intersection
-Beginning this year- traffic counts in Cresson will reach 35 to 36,000 per day
-More than 13% of all traffic transversing that intersection are trucks
-Only major ground route from Granbury to Fort Worth Level 1 and 1 Trauma Centers
-Represents 78% of available escape routing for evacuation in the event of Comance Peak emergency

For Additonal Maps or Information Contact

Hood County Judge 817-579-3200
Hood County Commissioner 817-579-3300
Election Adminstrator 817-408-2525

ELECTION IS MAY 8

Spring Golf Classic- Christian Women's Job Corps of Granbury

Spring Gof Classic Benefiting Christian Women's Job Corps of Granbury

April 23, 2010 Harbor Lakes Golf Club

11:00 AM Registration

1:00 PM Shotgun Start

2010 Title Sponsor is Winston Properties

Mission Statement of CWJC

The mission of the Christian Women's Job Corps of Granbury is to educate, motivate and encourage success in women.

CWJC of Granbury offers:

Education in a classroom setting including Bible study, computer training, communication skills, family life classes, health and nutrition, money management, job readiness, and enhanced curriculum.

Bluebonnets in Granbury 2010

Love Granbury Kindess Explosion

Warning!! The greater Granbury area is getting to experience a Kindness Explosion this coming weekend, April 16th and 17th! It's the 4th Annual Love Granbury Kindness Explosion. So exactly what is "Love Granbury Kindness Explosion?"

Well, it's really simple - Love Granbury is all about the unified local church being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in tangible ways in the community and loving people into a relationship with Him. The primary component of the Love Granbury model is an annual event we call "Kindness Explosion". The Kindness Explosion is a two-day event that focuses on what Jesus told us was the two greatest commandments…to love God with all that we are, and to love all others as we love ourselves. During the Kindness Explosion weekend, local churches of varied denominational backgrounds come together to love God through worship as one unified Body of Christ. This year's event kicks off this Friday evening at 7:00pm at Acton Baptist Church with a community wide worship service. All local churches are invited to attend and worship together! On Friday evening Love Granbury is very excited to welcome Dr. Al Tizon, Professor of Holistic Ministry at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University and Director of Word & Deed Network (http://mail.granburyhomes.net/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worddeednetwork.org%2F) as our special speaker for the evening.

Then on Saturday morning, each congregation goes out to love the community through acts of humble community service - all to the glory of God! These community service projects can be in the form of free car washes, mowing yards, roadside litter pick up, passing out soft drinks and many other types of community service, all free of charge and with no strings attached. Most importantly, they serve as a powerful and tangible expression of God’s love for everyone in our community. In other words, being the Good News…Sharing the Good News! We call this the "Kindness Explosion." The Kindness Explosion event starts at 10:00am as members from nearly twenty local congregations fan out all over the greater Granbury area performing various community service (Kindness) projects. Look for people all over town wearing the distinctive white 'Love Granbury' tee-shirts with the big red heart on the back." The Kindness Explosion event will wrap up Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm with a celebration service at Acton Baptist Church.

We believe that there is no greater witness to a lost and hurting world than the church, as one unified body of Believers, reaching out in genuine love and compassion to the community tThrough humble acts of kindness. In fact, our mission is - through the overflow of love from a unified Body of Christ - to help our community see who and how God truly is (1 John 4:12)!! We seek to redefine the church in our community by actively planting seeds of God's unconditional love in the hearts of every man, woman and child in this community!

Cotton Patch Donation to United Way of Hood Cty

10 days X 10% = 100% for United Way of Hood County!

COTTON PATCH IS DONATING 10 % OF ALL FOOD BILLS TO UNITED WAY OF HOOD COUNTY!
+++ EACH DAY IS A DESIGNATED SCHOOL DAY AND SOME GISD SCHOOL WILL WIN
FREE MEALS FOR EVERY STUDENT & STAFF MEMBER. +++ ONE CLASS WILL WIN A PRIVATE PARTY!

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MENTION UNITED WAY & YOU ARE THERE TO HELP A SCHOOL WIN. EVERY DAY ALL DAY - LUNCH & DINNER - EXCLUDING TIPS!

COTTON PATCH IS DOING MATCHING FUNDS, SO WE ANTICIPATE A BIG DONATION!

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!


UNITED WAY SUPPORTS 19 AGENCIES IN HOOD COUNTY!

The dates for this event are April 12 to 22

CHRIST IS RISEN

A WALK IN THE PARK

Fountains, Towering trees, beautiful architecture, bridges; yes, a walk in Shanley Park is beautiful in the springtime!
My family and I recently enjoyed a sunny day picnic in the park. We enjoyed visiting with an artisan who was carving wooden Santa’s and collectibles as she drew inspiration from nature. The children enjoyed watching the water in Lambert Branch Creek, catching glimpses of little fish and turtles sunning on a log. We walked on down the Moments in Time Hike & Bike Trail to find a grandfather teaching his granddaughter to ride her bicycle without the training wheels! This trail is dedicated to the history of Granbury and the markers are so interesting to read. It was nice to pay honor the Jim Burks memorial for firefighters as the children played on the fire engine playground. On our way back, we noticed a father and son meandering down the creek in their canoe. The bridges make a wonderful backdrop for family photos!

Granbury is home to many wonderful parks and recreational areas. City Beach Park offers a day at the beach! Hewlett Park offers a wonderful pavilion and playground. Don’t forget Granbury City Park with the wooden play yard, ball fields, swimming pool and pavilion.

Yes, Granbury is a wonderful place to live, work and play!


Live Well – Be Healthy – Play More – Experience Parks!

General Granbury's Birthday Celebration

On the Historic Square March 20th 9 AM to 5 PM & March 21st 10AM to 5 PM

FREE ADMISSION

Square will be open!

Come and Visit

Happy St. Patrick's Day

"The Butler Did It Again" at Granbury Opera House

For Ticket information 817-573-9191

Granbury’s Brazos Drive-in on list of TEXAS’ endangered places.

The nonprofit Preservation Texas Inc. recently listed seven places in Texas as endangered places. Among those listed is the Brazos Drive-In in Granbury. A landmark in the area that first opened in 1952, it is now only one of only 12 drive-in theaters still in operation
in Texas. When it opened in the 1950’s on Hwy. 377, now W. Pearl St., there were about 400 drive-in theaters in Texas. It seemed there was one in most every town of any size and some had multiple screens.



Since 2004 Preservation Texas has been releasing a list of endangered historic places.
One purpose of releasing the list to bring attention to various historic places, many of which are in need of repair and which may lack the funding or support to make those needed repairs.

In addition to the Brazos Drive-In, this years list included Herff Farm in Boerne; Old Llano County Jail; the Swenson Swimming Pool and Bathhouse in Spur, the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in La Porte; the Austin Women’s Club in Austin: and downtown Austin’s historic assets.

The Swenson Swimming Pool and Bathhouse in Spur has been a popular spot since 1937, but leaks last summer forced it to close after only a few weeks. The Herff Farm, which is a part of the Cibolo Nature Center, is a two-story limestone farm home built in 1883, but needs substantial repairs before being opened to the public.

Let’s hope that these historic and unique places that are part of our Texas Heritage can be saved. And if you are in Granbury check out the Brazos Drive-In on evening.

Planning for the Future in the Middle of Tough Times

One of the biggest challenges faced by any community is the necessity to continue planning for the future while in the midst of troubled economic times, particularly when it comes to planning for our children's future. This is especially true when it come to our children's education.

The Granbury ISD Board of Trustees recently moved forward with plans to purchase a ten acre tract of land at the corner of Old Granbury Road and Peck Road for the future construction of an elementary campus. While there are no plans currently being discussed by the School Board relative to the actual construction of a campus, the property is strategically located in an area that has shown steady and sustained residential growth over the past six or seven years.

An elementary campus located in this area would not only provide the local residents with a "neighborhood school," but would also serve to alleviate crowding issues at a number of existing campuses. Clearly this would prove beneficial to a large portion of Granbury ISD patrons.

This is encouraging news in a number of different ways, not the least of which is the fact that younger families with school age children continue to locate in the Granbury area in spite of the recent economic downturn. With the promise of new educational facilities strategically located in the high growth areas, this should continue to make Granbury an attractive area to potential home buyers.

As always there are financial considerations that must factor into any ultimate decision the School Board makes about facilities, and that will effect the timing of future construction, but the long range planning of the school district relative to facilities should reap positive dividends for the greater Granbury area for years to come.



Sincerely,
Micky Shearon

The Lake is Up!

Well I know that every one is tired of the cool weather but, we all have to be grateful for all the rain and how it will effect our lake. We have had a record rainfall and that means the lake is up!As we know Granbury is the place to be in the spring and summer for fun. The boats, the jetskis, the wakeboards and all the various water sports including fishing, really make this community boom. There is nothing like Lake Granbury when the weather is warm. People, tell your friends to plan their vacation time now and take a trip to the lake. They can stay at one of our many beautiful Bed and Breakfasts. While here they can shop, dine and take in a live show on the Historic Square. I am looking forward to seeing all the folks having a good time and enjoying this lovely town as much as I have for the last 20 years.

THE SHACK author William P. Young at TCU

Is God Really This Good? an Evening with William P. Young
One of the age old questions of faith is the character and nature of God, particularly in the face of a world wracked with suffering and pain. In his book, The Shack, William Paul Young imaginatively and creatively answers this question in life-giving ways that challenge rigid concepts of God and what it means to be in right relationship with the divine. Wrapping stories that have emerged from The Shack and from his own life, Paul Young addresses the question of who is this God, really? And who are 'we' to this God?

William Young will be speaking at TCU Ed Landreth Auditorium on February 11, 2010 at 7 PM

For Ticket information www.brite.tcu.edu/shack

Granbury News Week of January 20th

This Week in Granbury

If you have not been downtown recently you are missing all of the construction around the Courthouse. Things are a pretty big mess with all of the drilling for the geothermal system which will heat and cool the Courthouse after the renovations are completed.

The problem the downtown merchants are having is dealing with no parking around the Courthouse and putting up with all the noise and mess. There is still plenty of parking behind the Opera House and a block east of the Square so make sure and visit your favorite store.

I am sure with the recent reports in the paper about the decrease in sales tax revenues, the local merchants are feeling the pinch and the construction is certainly not helping. Also with the reduction in drilling in the Barnett Shale, many of the people that worked in that sector are no longer here, although I certainly do not miss the traffic, they did spend locally with the merchants and especially the restaurants.

So spend local and help the merchants and restaurants, plus the tax dollars will stay in Hood County.

Recent News:

The local War Memorial Waterfall to honor that died in Afghanistan and Iraq has been in the news recently. Seems that the funding has run out for the project and construction is stopped. The project was reported as being about 85 percent complete. The project has been quite an undertaking and will be the centerpiece of park on land donated by a developer in the area.

If you are out west of Granbury on 377, check it out and let’s hope that they are able to obtain the funding necessary to complete the work.

The Good Ole Days!

2010, don’t you love the sound of that!
Time for a change, something new and different - are you ready?
Do you remember “The Good Ole Days? “ Guess what, they are back according to Barbara Corcoran the real estate contributor on NBC’s Today Show and CNBC. Barbara proclaimed on January 3, 2010 that in regard to real estate, these are the good ole days! Lots of housing inventory to choose from, low interest rates, “cheap money” stabilized markets, what are you waiting for! This is the time to buy.

Her advise for buyers is to buy now, within the low, not to try to sharp shoot the market, or wait for the bottom to fall out.
We welcome you to become a regular reader for our blog. We like to share information about opportunities and new upcoming events in Granbury as well as hot topics in real estate. We also welcome your comments

Perspective

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son,

"How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah, " said the son.
"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered:
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added,
"Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.
Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

Pass this on to friends and acquaintances and help them refresh their perspective and appreciation.

"Life is too short and friends are too few."