Founders Day is tomorrow, Oct. 11!

Are you ready to celebrate? The City and the Burleson Heritage Foundation are putting the finishing touches on the schedule for the 22nd annual Founders Day, slated for Saturday, Oct. 11, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. in Old Town Burleson (124 W. Ellison St.). The historic festival includes western gunfighters, antique appraisals, car/truck/motorcycle show, tractors, arts and crafts, great food, games, and children's activities (including bounce houses). There will be two stages featuring entertainment. Vendor booths will stretch down Ellison, from Warren Street to Main Street. The day starts with a walking parade at 9 a.m. and ends with a concert by Sonny Burgess, a Country Music Association artist winner and Texas Country Music Hall of Famer, at 4 p.m. Don't miss the champion fiddlers, wood carving, leather work, and more! If you want to be a vendor and you haven't applied yet, the application is available online or you can stop by the Burleson Visitors Center and Museum at 124 W. Ellison St., 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday.

Burleson ranks in top 5 for Best Places for Young Families in Texas

Burleson ranked fourth in a field of 100-plus cities and towns as the Best Places for Young Families in Texas, according to a consumer advocacy website. The top five includes Frisco, Friendswood, Allen, Burleson and Mansfield. Only places with a population over 25,000 residents were analyzed. The criteria for the honors include public school excellence, home affordability and growth and prosperity. Lower home values and housing costs in Burleson make Burleson the most affordable city in the Top 10. The city is also flexing its business muscles with more than $100 million in new business projects including Dallas-Fort Worth's only H-E-B Plus!, AxoGen biomedical distribution facility, and Chicken Express' corporate headquarters. More 

Connect with Council at Founders Day

And then there were three! Look for these three Burleson City Council members at Saturday's Founders Day celebration in Old Town Burleson. Councilmembers Stuart Gillaspie, Jerry Allen and Matt Aiken will host Connect with Council as part of the Oct. 11 Founders Day. Bring your questions and comments and share with them your thoughts about the Burleson community. The Founders Day event is 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Connect with Council is 10 a.m.-noon. Look for the councilmembers around the Burleson Visitors Center and Museum, 124 W. Ellison St. (at the corner of Ellison and Wilson streets).

Tarrant County enacts 90-day burn ban

Oct. 11, 4 p.m., it's Sonny Burgess

It's a Texas thing-that firm, confident handshake with the warm twinkle in his eye. It's a growin' up poor thing-standing in his own two boots, reliable as the sun coming up. It's definitely a musical thing-like a tree that's fed from its roots and grows strong and tall in a most delightful way. It's a lot of things that come down to one thing-one man-Sonny Burgess. That's how the Country Music Association artist winner and Texas Country Music Hall of Famer is described on the Great American Country website. Burgess is headlining the Oct. 11 Founders Day concert, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. in the parking lot at the corner of Warren Street and Renfro Street in Burleson. Burgess' catalog of albums includes four stellar releases "When In Texas," "Stronger," "Have You Got A Song Like That" and "All About The Ride." Check out his music, then get yourself to Old Town Burleson, Saturday, Oct. 11, 4 p.m.-6 p.m., to hear Sonny Burgess in person.

What's coming to town?

Do you want to know where homes are being built and where businesses are coming in? Check out the City's September 2014 Building Permit Activity Report.

You have two chances to hear Valerie's Music Texas Fiddle Orchestra Oct. 11

Keep an eye out for those fiddlers! Valerie's Music Texas Fiddle Orchestra - 20 plus members - will be playing old time Texas fiddle music in front of Burleson City Hall at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Founders Day celebration. The members range in age from four to 70. If you miss that show, the fiddlers will make a second appearance, across the street, at 2:45 p.m. on the City stage in the parking lot at the corner of Warren Street and Renfro Street. Check out the video that the Fort Worth Star Telegram did recently with the orchestra. 

Campout and Fishing Adventures is back!

It's time to bait that hook, cast that line, and cross your fingers for a bite. The City's Parks and Recreation Department is hosting the popular Far Out Family Campout and Fishing Adventures Friday/Saturday, Oct. 17-18, at Bailey Lake. The overnight event kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday and wraps up at 8 a.m. Saturday. The cost is $10 per family of five (if you register by Oct. 16) or $15 at the event. You can sign up at the BRiCk, 550 N.W. Summercrest Blvd. Each child at the event must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Don't miss the family fun at Bailey Lake! More 

Monday meeting addresses state's transportation challenges

State Rep. Rob Orr and the Greater Johnson County Transportation Coalition will host a meeting on Monday, Oct. 13, to discuss Proposition #1. The proposition, which is on the Nov. 4, 2014, ballot, addresses the state's transportation challenges. Speaking on Oct. 13 will be Rep. Orr, the Honorable Joe Pickett/chairman of the select committee on transportation funding, and Bill Meadows/chairman of the North Texas High Speed Rail Commission. The meeting will take place at Venue 510 at 510 SW Wilshire Blvd. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the one-hour meeting starts at 6 p.m. To learn more about the proposition go to the Texas Department of Transportation website. 

It's time to clean out the garage and media room

Get ready for the City's household hazardous waste collection, electronic recycling, and paper shredding event Nov. 8, at the old service center, 133 N. Main St. The event is 9 a.m.-11 a.m. and is only available to residents (proof of residency including a City water or solid waste bill is required). Household hazardous waste items are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Electronics and appliances (except for TVs) will be taken for free. TVs will not be accepted. There is no fee for paper shredding, but you are limited to three boxes per vehicle. For more information, call David Lenartowicz, the City's environmental specialist, at 817-426-9842.

Keep trick-or-treaters safe

Several groups and neighborhoods are hosting festivities on Oct. 31. What can you do to keep your children safe and what can drivers do to keep trick-or-treaters safe? Costumes should be bright and reflective. If they are not, you can add reflective tape or striping to the costumes and the trick or treat bags to make them more visible. Make sure the costumes are flame resistant. Opt for non-toxic makeup and decorative hats that fit snuggly. Trick or treaters and the adults should carry flashlights with fresh batteries. Carry a fully charged cell phone, stay in a group and communicate the route. Check next week's E-Newsletter for more tips!

Trick-or-treaters will take over Old Town Oct. 25

Old Town will be taken over by superheroes, princesses, and more on Saturday, Oct. 25, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. for the City's seventh annual free Burleson Old Town Boo Bash. Children, birth-12 years old, will arrive in their favorite Halloween costumes - trick-or-treat bags in hand - for the ultimate in trick or treating. Local businesses, churches, and civic groups set up booths and decorate their vehicles for trunk-or-treat fun. Children will enjoy free candy, games, bounce houses, a pumpkin patch full of free pumpkins to decorate, and a costume parade. If you want to be a vendor, go to the City website for the application. For more information, call the BRiCk at 817-426-9104 or 817-426-9112.