The Circle C Child Development Center - Personalized Austin Preschool

A longtime business presence in the Austin, TX, community, Gary Bradley created a number of area residential developments, including the Circle C Ranch. This groundbreaking suburban development encompasses schools, recreational facilities, and extensive hiking and biking opportunities in protected parkland. Gary Bradley also contributed to a first-of-its-kind child development center that benefits community members throughout Austin, TX. 

A private, nonprofit organization established in 1994 as part of the neighborhood’s master plan, the Circle C Child Development Center provides preschool children with family-centered education designed to meet age-specific needs. Children start in the full-time program as young as eight weeks old, with part-time offerings beginning at age two and continuing through age five.

Fully accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Center emphasizes personalized attention and educational continuity. It has one of the lowest teacher turnover rates among preschool centers nationwide. The school values core principles such as building confidence, respect, and character in children and teaching them to develop a sense of wonder.

Riverbend’s Remembrance Gardens

 


Independent developer Gary Bradley has been active in his Austin, TX, community since the late 1970s, having donated the most parkland of any developer in central Texas history. One of Gary Bradley’s major accomplishments was his land donation to the pastor Dr. Gerald Mann, who built Riverbend Church on the property. From there, the two created an innovative cremation cemetery, Remembrance Gardens at Riverbend, which provides an innovative alternative to classical cemeteries by inviting a form of remembrance that does not require a traditional grave.

Located in Austin, TX, Remembrance Gardens is a gorgeous piece of land in and around the Riverbend Canyon. Its Memorial Pavilion is a sheltered area with traditional niches for urns and memorial walls designed for remembrance and quiet meditation. The Terrace Garden is a collection of pathways winding through the canyon, past waterfalls and quiet pools. The Rose Garden, overlooking the waterfalls, provides bench niches, memorial pavers, and ground interments for ashes.

The gardens provide an innovative alternative to classical cemeteries by inviting a form of remembrance that does not require a traditional grave.

Wildflower Center Encourages Cultivation of Native Plants at Home

As an independent developer in Austin, TX, Gary Bradley has been involved in numerous community initiatives. He has donated land to build Riverbend Church, helped to create Trinity Episcopal School, and played a key role in constructing the MoPac expressway. Among Gary Bradley’s contributions, he purchased the Austin, TX, property that became Circle C, home of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

The Wildflower Center was set up by former first lady Lady Bird Johnson in 1982, together with actress Helen Hayes, in order to promote awareness of and provide conservation for the beautiful native plants that are at risk of extinction in the United States.

Native wildflowers are not only beautiful but also play an important role in local ecology. These plants protect the soil, contribute to water conservation, and provide habitats for local wildlife. Urban development increasingly threatens these important plants, and this can have major environmental impacts over time.

Residents can, however, cultivate backyard gardens in such a way that promotes the growth of these naturally occurring plants. The Wildflower Center provides information to help determine which native species would be best cultivated where you live. Promoting the growth of these natural plant species not only helps to protect your local natural environment but also contributes to water conservation, reduces weeds in your garden, and cuts down on mowing costs. To learn more, visit www.wildflower.org.

Grey Rock Golf Club Offers a Sporting Paradise

In the early 1980s, Austin, TX, real estate developer Gary Bradley began work on what would become one of his most notable projects--Circle C Ranch, just southwest of the city. The community has since become a luxurious place for discerning Texans to make their homes. Gary Bradley’s vision of a master-planned community that offers access to the best-available public schools and amenities also is directly adjacent to Grey Rock Golf Club, one of the state’s best courses.

Grey Rock operates an 18-hole course set among the green hill country of southwest Austin.

The late Jay Morrish, a past president of the American Society of Golf Club Architects and himself a world-renowned designer, served as the course architect for Grey Rock. His course winds through stands of majestic oak trees, nature-focused backdrop for a game. The trees are, however, more than just scenery. They also provide a number of intricate challenges to even the most seasoned golfers.

A par 4, the first hole offers the first challenge. Its position steers players between trees and water, with a high bank and substantial bunkers. The fifth hole offers a similar terrain, with the bunkers presenting the main obstacle. The fifth hole’s dogleg left and uneven surfaces offer further chances to prove one’s skill and agility. And the whole back nine is filled with doglegs, with the final hole--a par 4--providing particular challenges for long hitters.

Widespread Support for Legal Advocacy for Children

Among his many other notable charitable endeavors, Austin, TX, real estate executive Gary Bradley has contributed to the cause of child welfare in his state. In conjunction with his Austin-area projects, he established the first developer-funded early childhood facility in a suburban community. In addition, Gary Bradley collaborated with his local district attorney’s office to pioneer in the creation of a child protection center. Such centers and other advocacy organizations are now commonly found working closely with district attorney’s offices across the nation.

The legal profession’s commitment to child protection is well exemplified in the work of child advocate attorneys. Family courts frequently appoint these professionals to represent the interests of minor children in a number of proceedings, including those involving neglect or abuse. Child advocate attorneys also step in to support children’s interests in cases of divorce, termination of parental rights, and situations in which a child or teen is accused of criminal acts and brought before a juvenile court.

The National Association of Counsel for Children provides official certification for these attorneys. To obtain such credentials, an attorney must have amassed a substantial amount of hours working on behalf of children, in addition to mastering at least 36 hours of continuing education in that category.

Wildflower Center Celebrates Lady Bird Day

Gary Bradley’s notable contributions to charitable organizations include his support for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, located at the eastern border of Circle C Ranch in Austin, TX, the development on which he began construction in the early 1980s. The center, thanks to the generosity of contributors like Gary Bradley, has successfully called public attention to the necessity of conserving the beauty and research potential of the nation’s native plants for more than two decades.

The former First Lady worked with Oscar-winning actress Helen Hayes to start the center in 1982. Since then, its educational programs, its focus on preserving biodiversity, and its support for in-depth research have garnered it praise as a leading organization in its field.

Toward the end of July 2016, the center scheduled a special event to honor its cofounder. At Lady Bird Day, participants were invited to celebrate Mrs. Johnson’s legacy of stewardship that is set to long outlast her 2007 death.

The organizers of Lady Bird Day also offered information about the First Lady’s significant contributions to environmental legislation. The approximately 200 environmentally focused laws enacted during the tenure of Pres. Lyndon Baines Johnson in the mid-1960s included the Highway Beautification Act, whose major provisions remain in force.

The more light-hearted activities planned for Lady Bird Day included floral-themed crafts, a story program, and a creative writing component geared to participants of all ages.

Riverbend Church Continues Mann’s Legacy

More than 25 years ago, prominent Austin, TX, developer Gary Bradley donated 60 acres of land to assist Dr. Gerald Mann in expanding his small church. The gift marked the start of Riverbend Church’s rise to its place as a major congregation in the area. With Gary Bradley’s permission, Dr. Mann went on to expand the Austin, TX, church by selling the land and using the proceeds to purchase another site down the road. The church would go on to attract thousands of members and become a megachurch with a message available to millions through its television broadcasts.

Although Dr. Mann died late in 2015, Riverbend Church continues as a major force in the community. Its invitation to prospective congregants to come just as they are echoes Dr. Mann’s focus on accessibility to today’s people seeking a closer relationship with God. The church extends its outreach efforts in particular to people who feel battered and broken by the stresses of life. Its leadership strives to ensure that its values of diversity and inclusion translate into an atmosphere in which everyone can feel welcome.

Recent events at Riverbend Church include a school supply drive to help underserved children, a global leadership summit, and a congregational trip to the Holy Land.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Preserves the Nation’s Beauty

 


Gary Bradley of Austin, TX, has spent decades at the forefront of the area’s real estate development industry. He has also contributed to a number of charitable causes, including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin. He has served as a major donor to the center, and his development at Circle C Ranch intersects with its eastern portion. Gary Bradley’s contributions to the center exemplify his commitment to his Austin, TX, community.

Lady Bird Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, was the force behind a prominent national campaign designed to beautify America. Her idea was a simple one: that the creation of beauty in unattractive urban landscapes in particular would help people achieve better emotional health and contribute to everyone’s well-being.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center honor continues that tradition. Working with the goal of preserving and promoting beautiful, healthy landscapes, the center serves to educate people of all ages about wildflowers. The center got its start in a project Mrs. Johnson founded with actress Helen Hayes in the early 1980s. Two decades later, it became a research unit of the university.

Today, the center remains an active participant in conservation efforts. It additionally sponsors youth education programs, including Camp Wildflower, which gives elementary school children the opportunity to learn to be botanists and conservationists through participation in a range of investigative outdoor activities.