The Open
Morning, Georgetown. 👋
The weekend rain did its job (one to five inches around the county, and no damage reported), the mornings finally feel like October, and Market Days is back on the Square this Saturday. This week we have a puppy with a badge, a fundraiser that made grown adults cry in the best way, and a correction I owe you about The Junction. Let's go.
A Little Good News: GPD's newest officer has four legs and no name
The Georgetown Police Department just added a new member to its K9 team, and he is very good. He's a Belgian Malinois, a little over a year old, hand picked from a group of dogs brought over from Poland, and he's been putting in weeks of training to get ready for the job.
Once he's on duty, he'll help find drugs, track suspects, and search for missing people. Which means some day he may be the reason a lost kid or a wandering grandparent gets home safe.
Here's the best part: he doesn't have a name yet. His handler, Officer Ashley Wall, gets to pick it. Which brings me to this week's Your Turn (scroll down).
The Week Ahead
Fri 10/9 and Sat 10/10 · Fireworks at Sweet Eats, 14400 E. State Hwy 29. The Fall Festival runs fireworks every Friday and Saturday night in October (except Halloween), and the corn maze and pumpkin patch go through Nov. 8.
Sat 10/10 · Second Saturday Market Days on the Square, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. About 125,000 people came through last year, so park early. Bonus: All Things Wild Rehab will have its animal ambassadors at the northwest corner of Eighth and Main. Bring the kids by.
Sat 10/10 · Wolf Ranch Farmers Market, 1015 W. University Ave. Free pumpkins for kids to decorate.
Friday nights · Eagles football. Schedule at gisdathletics.org.
Mon 10/19 · Early voting starts and runs through Oct. 30. Voter registration closed Oct. 5.
Looking ahead · Fri 10/23 · Southwestern's big groundbreaking. More in The Big Thing below.
Something we missed? Hit reply. The tip line is always open.
Eat and Drink: A correction about The Junction
I need to own something plainly. In several issues this summer, I told you The Junction at 210 Blue Springs Blvd. opened on Aug. 18. It did not. It is still under construction, and the developer now expects it to open in November.
What happened: a source I relied on listed a planned opening date as if it had already happened, and I didn't confirm it with the developer. That's on me. Going forward, I won't call any business "open" in this newsletter until I've confirmed it with the business itself or someone who has actually walked through the door. If you drove out there because of me, I'm sorry.
Now the good part, because it does sound like a fun place once it's done. According to Matt Marshall of Cooley Capital, the dining hall will be run by the group behind Mexican Sugar, Ida Claire, and Whiskey Cake. Inside: a bar, a Sweet Lemon "Little Lemon" Cafe, and four kitchens. Outside: a stage, a turf lawn, private cabanas, and pickleball. Some of the vendor names I shared earlier may not be final, so treat those as "we'll see."
I'll tell you when it's really open. I'll have confirmed it first.
One more on the food front: Texas Roadhouse is still on track for a planned Nov. 16 opening at 2209 N. I-35.
The Big Thing: Southwestern breaks ground on its 560 acres on Oct. 23
Southwestern University and the City of Georgetown will break ground on Oct. 23 on the 560 acre development east of campus, and if you've driven University Ave. lately you may have already noticed: grading started in early October.
The very first building out of the ground will be the City of Georgetown's new Customer Service Center, funded by the 2023 bond voters approved. Phase one sits southwest of Old Smith Creek Road and Smith Creek Road along University Ave.
Long term, the plan is a mixed use neighborhood: places to live, work, eat, and gather, tied to a university that has called Georgetown home since 1873. Back in Issue #6 we mentioned the public art plans for the project, and this is the moment it starts to become real dirt and real buildings. It's one of the biggest pieces of the city's future taking shape, and it's happening right next door to downtown.
Local Spotlight: CASA of Williamson County
If you've never heard of CASA, here's the short version. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. They're trained community volunteers who get assigned to a child in foster care and stick with that one kid through the court process, making sure someone is paying attention to what that child actually needs. For a lot of these kids, their CASA volunteer is the one steady adult in a year full of changes.
On Sept. 26, CASA of Williamson County held its third annual Wine, Women and Shoes fundraiser (nautical theme this year, and people went all in), and it raised more than $340,000 for local kids. If you look through the Sun's photos, you'll spot a few happy tears. Understandable.
This pairs nicely with Isaiah 117 House from Issue #11. If foster kids are a cause close to your heart, becoming a CASA volunteer is one of the most direct ways to help. You can learn more at casawilco.org.
Know a Georgetown person or group doing quiet, great work? Hit reply and nominate them.
The Roundup
A win for Sun City: the county cut the Somerset Hills road district's debt capacity to $53 million, a big step down that many Sun City neighbors had pushed for.
rideGTX fares may go up: the city is considering changes to cut program costs, including raising fares from $4 to $5. Worth a heads up if you or a parent rides regularly.
Parks and rec has a permanent leader: the department's interim director has been named to the role for good.
Budget breakdown: County Commissioner Kevin Pitts held a District 5 town hall on Sept. 28 walking residents through the Georgetown budget, school taxes, and the county jail.
The rain: one to five inches fell across the area over the weekend, with no damage reported. The lawns say thank you.
Your Turn
Thank you to everyone who answered last week's question about Blue Hole. The cliffs and the shade were the clear winners. [UPDATE WITH REAL REPLIES]
This week's question is an easy one and a fun one: What should GPD's new K9 be named? Officer Wall gets the final say, but I'll pass along the best Georgetown suggestions. Hit reply with your pick.
The Sign-off
That's the Buzz. If this made your morning a little better, forward it to one neighbor. That's genuinely how this thing grows. And if someone sent it to you, you can subscribe free at gtownbuzz.com.
See you on the Square, Armand
GTown Buzz, your weekly buzz on Georgetown, TX Got a tip? Just hit reply.