We bid farewell to summer and welcome in fall with its milder temperatures. Hard to believe but trees are already starting to shed their leaves. Speaking of farewells, September saw us bid farewell to our City Manager, Andrea Gardner. Ms. Gardner did an outstanding job during her tenure here and we wish her much success in her future endeavors. We also said goodbye to Councilwoman King who regrettably moved from Watauga. We thank her for her years of dedication to our city and wish her the best of luck.

A quick recap of September events; Our 20 year commemoration of the 9/11 was outstanding. Kudos to our Fire and Police departments. If you were unable to attend the video is available online for viewing. We had another successful “Clear the Shelters” event. Thank you to the staff and volunteers for helping find new homes for many of our animals. City Council approved our new budget and closing out September we held the Mayors Book Club. Stuart Little was the book and we had quite a conversation on it. The library will be posting the book title and next meeting date soon.

World Teacher Day is October 5^th and Watauga recognized our teachers with a proclamation at the September 27^th Special Council Meeting and we encourage our community to express the appreciation and support by displaying a light blue ribbon outside their homes and businesses.

October 18^th starts early voting in Tarrant County for November elections. Yes, it’s that time again. One of the most important rights we have as Americans is the right to vote. Many important issues on the ballot this time around.  Be informed and make your vote your voice. See the Tarrant County website for all the details on voting dates, times and locations. October 4^th is the last day to register to vote and early voting runs October 18^th  to the 29^th.

Fire Safety Week is October 3^rd thru the 9^th. Also, starting Monday October 4^th (and every Monday thru December 27^th) the Watauga Fire Department will host a pop up COVID 19 vaccination clinics (8am to 12 noon) at the Hector F. Garcia Community Center. Check their Facebook page for more information. Fire Safety Week is October 3^rd thru the 9^th.

And of course, we have Halloween this month. We are looking for a bigger turnout than we had last year under the shadow of COVID, so be on the lookout for all the little ghosts and goblins that will be out and about.

Let’s keep Watauga “A Great Place to Live”