Bloomin' opens tonight
Santa Fe Plaza event features bands on two stages, family friendly fun
Glen Templeton will be one of the performers at Lil’ Bit o’ Bloomin’.
Our Town Temple
Everything’s blooming these days in Temple, including weekend fun.
Lil’ Bit o’ Bloomin’ — a modified version of the popular Bloomin’ Temple Festival — opens tonight with a free family friendly experience that includes two stages, food and shopping opportunities.
One of the highlights of the festival — especially for the littles — is a kids zone and two interactive art exhibits where visitors can showcase their creative talents.
The two-day fair will be at Santa Fe Plaza, The Yard Food Truck Plaza and Santa Fe Market Trail.
Roel Martinez will take to the CEFCO Stage at 6 p.m. tonight, and Lance Wade Thomas will perform on the Mac Haik Stage at 7. The Hometown Boys play at 8 on the CEFCO, and the final band of the night is Glen Templeton at 8:45 on the Mac Haik Stage.
Saturday’s events start at 11 a.m. and the Kids Zone opens at noon. Vendors, food trucks and strolling entertainment will be featured throughout the day.
Saturday’s music will include Ben Hatton at 4:45, Alexis McLaughlin at 5, Saints Eleven at 6, Taylor Branch & The Lone Star Ramblers at 6:45, LC Rocks at 7:30 and The Last Bandoleros at 8:45 p.m.
There will be several Downtown road closures and adjustments for Lil’ Bit o’ Bloomin’:
Today at noon
Partial road closure of W. Ave. A, from S. 5th St. to S. 7th St.
Today at 3 p.m.
Partial road closure of S. 5th St., from W. Central Ave. to W. Ave. A.
Partial road closure of S. 7th St., from W. Central Ave. to W. Ave. A.
Partial road closure of S. 9th St., from W. Central Ave. to W. Ave. A. This road will reopen at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 29 for access to event parking lots only.
Partial road closure of S. 11th St., from W. Central Ave. to W. Ave. A.
Partial road closure of W. Ave. B, from Gandy’s Barber Shop parking lot, located at 201 S. 1st St., through the 3rd St. bridge.
3rd St. will remain open, but event guests will not be able to access event parking lots from 3rd St.
A new polysomnography certification program begins June 6 at Temple College. Registration opens May 9 and financial assistance is available for 30 students. Courtesy photo
New sleep program awakens
Average pay for a certified sleep tech is $22 per hour, and financial aid is available.
By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple
A new Temple College certification program that begins June 6 could open student eyes to a future as a sleep technician.
The nine-week polysomnography course is designed to train technicians to administer sleep studies and determine if a patient has sleep apnea or any other sleep disorder.
“Eventually we plan to offer an Associate’s degree in polysomnography, but we’re starting with the certification program,” said Julie Escamilla, director of Workforce Education at TC.
Registration for the new program begins May 9, and Escamilla said funding is available to assist 30 students.
“We’re excited about this new offering,” she said. “Only two other community colleges in Texas have the program, and we were able to obtain a state grant to help our students financially.”
According to Escamilla, polysomnography is a growing field.
“The average starting salary for a sleep technician is $22 an hour, and our local partners — Baylor Scott & White and the VA — have great benefits,” she said. “Typically, a sleep technician will work three 12-hour shifts per week and the work is at night.”
The program includes 80 hours of classroom training, plus 30 hours working as an intern at Baylor Scott & White, the Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center or another partner facility.
For now, the course will be held in existing classrooms at Temple College but eventually will move to the expanded Health Sciences Center made possible by the passage of a May 2021 bond. The new center and three other buildings at TC are expected to be operational by 2026.
“We will have designated space in the new building for the polysomnography program,” she said. “It will include labs for training students to conduct sleep studies on volunteers.”
Escamilla said Jesus Castillo will be director of the new sleep disorder program, and Lisa Murray is helping to develop the needed curriculum.
There are no prerequisite requirements for taking the certification training, Escamilla said. Students must have either graduated from high school or have a GED, have a photo ID and be up to date on their immunizations.
“Students can get started in a new career by getting certified, and then they can come back and get their Associate’s degree. That degree will open the door for higher pay and more opportunity.”
To register or learn more about the polysomnography program — and to apply for financial assistance — call (254) 298-8625 or email BCE@templejc.edu.
Julie Escamilla, director of Business & Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Temple College, said money is available to assist 30 students interested in the new polysomnography certification program. David Stone photo
FRIDAY | APRIL 29, 2022
today’s best bets
Wade Ralston live at Fire Base Brewing. 6:30 pm.
Karaoke Night at Corky's. Songs start at 8 p.m.
To include your events in What’s Happening, email information to OurTownTemple@gmail.com. Photos are welcome to for use in the publication as space permits!
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