It has been said that "There is no substitute for books in the life of a child."  At Canyon Ridge Elementary School, we also know that there is no substitute for a passionate librarian who guides children as they read, learn and explore.  Beverly Golden is truly "the best of the best."  Mrs. Golden celebrated her 20th anniversary as a librarian in NEISD and retired as Canyon Ridge's beloved librarian in June 2011. She was a librarian at Northwood Elementary, Huebner Elementary, and most recently at Canyon Ridge Elementary.  She was honored as NEISD's 2004 Elementary Teacher of the Year.  Mrs. Golden is active in library organizations, serving as a committee member and past chair on the Texas Library Association's 2x2 Reading List.  Bev is a role model and mentor to beginning librarians, a vast resource to her colleagues, a supportive teammate, and a gracious friend, but her greatest contribution is to the children she reaches everyday in the library.  Mrs. Golden has instilled a love of reading in the lives of thousands of students and is always eager to reach every child with a "just right" book.  Chelsea and Natalie deBonoPaula, former students of Mrs. Golden, remember that "she has a great way of describing books.  It seems that no matter what book it is, everyone wants to read it!   If a book isn't available, she can suggest ten more that are just as great! She must read a lot to know about all the books in the library!"  Mrs. Golden is dearly loved in the North East community!

Mrs. Golden loves to travel, spend time with her children and grandchildren, and recently celebrated her 40th wedding anniversary with the love of her life, John "Doc" Golden.  On June 26, 2010, John passed away unexpectedly, but has left a lasting legacy in the lives of his family, friends, and community. A graduate of Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1969, he was commissioned in 1970, serving in the Air Force Veterinary Corps for 27 years.  Dr. Golden worked with military guard dogs and operated a base animal clinic. He was involved in public health and food safety issues, and central to all of his work was the humane treatment of animals.  After retiring, Dr. Golden was director of Palo Alto College's Veterinary Technology Department, teaching a class on laboratory animals and procedures. He enjoyed working with both students and faculty. Student Liz Wood said Dr. Golden “opened a door for us — that we could work in research and better humanity. He absolutely loved what he did. It made us love what we did."  John enjoyed his river property in Spring Branch, Texas, and was devoted to his family. 

The Canyon Ridge community has plans underway to honor Bev and John with "Golden's Garden," an outdoor reading garden located outside the library.  The garden began with an idea to honor John by planting a tree outside the library that Bev could see and remember how much he supported her work with children.  As this idea was shared with colleagues, parents, and students, we were touched by how many people wanted to be involved and it quickly became apparent just how many lives this extraordinary couple has touched.  The vision for Golden's Garden has grown to combine John's love of nature with Bev's passion for reading.  Our vision is to have an outdoor reading garden with boulders and landscaping that would enhance the front of the school and the area outside the library.  

Our design plan has been finalized and construction on Golden's Garden will begin this school year!

Donations to Golden's Garden may be sent to Canyon Ridge PTA- Attn: Golden’s Garden, 20522 Stone Oak Parkway, San Antonio TX 78258.   Financial contributions will help with the purchase of plants and landscaping materials.  

For more information about Golden's Garden, please contact Leigh Anne Roeber (lroebe@neisd.net).