By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple

After two years of postponements, rescheduling and refunds, the travel industry is really going places.

More people are vaccinated and feeling confident, and a real-deal vacation is in the works for a growing number of people nationwide and in Temple.

“People are traveling,” said Julie Ruiz, owner of Love Travel Group in Downtown Temple. “My husband and I never stopped. During COVID we went to destinations I have never been to, and we met one-on-one with our destination partners. You might say I filled my jar of knowledge.”

The world is once again on the move, and most Temple-area travelers are looking for quick, easy-to-get-to destinations.

“Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica are huge right now,” Ruiz said. “I’m also booking trips to Tahiti and Bora Bora. The situation in Europe with the Russian invasion is slowing travel to that part of the world.”

Ruiz has lived in the Temple area for 25 years and opened Love Group Travel in 2016, but she has been traveling for years.

“My husband was in the Navy, and we traveled,” she said. “I made travel arrangements for a spouses group as a volunteer, and I fell in love with making vacation plans.”

“I was on a trip to the South Pacific that I organized with about 35 ladies — one was my accountant. She told me I was good at arranging trips and should consider doing it full time. I thought about it, then went back to school to study travel and the hospitality industry.”

While COVID slowed bookings to a crawl, Ruiz gained experience shuffling trip plans and processing refunds.

“It’s part of the job, and I wanted to take care of my customers,” she said. “A lot of people book trips online, and they don’t get that personal touch. I made sure all of my customers were taken care of. Now, people are again making travel plans.”

“I try to curate unique travel designs that will create lasting memories for each and every client,” Ruiz said with a smile. “Simply tell me where you want to go and I’ll help figure out the rest. People trust me to handle the arrangements, and I can honestly say I’ve never had an unhappy customer.”

Ruiz said about half of her customers are looking for a safe destination they can get to quickly and be pampered.

“Domestic travel is the safest, but my clients aren’t afraid,” she said. “Mexico is a really hot choice right now, and Jamaica and Costa Rica also are popular.”

While about half of her clients are looking for the quick getaway, the other 50 percent are seeking a little adventure.

“These are the people who are looking to pack as much as possible in their travel time,” she said. “Hiking to Machu Picchu, excursions to the Galapagos Islands, biking, diving…they want an adventure.”

After a year or two of staying away, many travelers are ready to set sail for new destinations.

“Cruising is definitely back, but many people are favoring smaller ships,” she said. “Luxury ships that hold fewer than 300 people are popular.”

Ruiz said the bulk of her business consists of individuals, families and private groups. She does on occasion organize public trips, and most of those of departing out of Dallas.

“It’s wonderful that people are exploring the world again, and I’m glad to be part of it,” she said.

“My team relies on a network of very seasoned travel advisors who have not only visited fantastic destinations, but most have lived abroad and can provide unique perspectives. The adventures of travel are truly enhanced by sharing the experience with others.”  

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TUESDAY | MARCH 1, 2022

“Transplantations,” a photo exhibit by Dallas-based Leah Gose, will be on exhibit during the month of March at the Temple College Art Gallery.

Gose photo exhibit begins this week at Temple College Art Gallery

By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple

“Transplantations,” a new photo series by Leah Gose, will be the featured exhibit during March at the Temple College Art Gallery.

The gallery is located inside the Visual Arts Complex at the intersection of Avenue U and South 5th Street.

“Leah is a visual artist specializing in photography,” said Arthur Fields, associate professor of Visual Arts at Temple College and director of the art gallery. “Transplantations is a series of about 20 photographs, many taken at roadside rest areas.”

According to Fields, the imagery in the exhibit is created using a combination of analogue, alternative and digital photographic processes.

“The work contains elements of truth and fiction, resembling vague memories and the reconstruction of events,” he said.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, “transplantations” is defined as “the movement of transfer of someone or something to another place or situation.”

“Our connection to a specific place is made up of our experience with its physicality, an awareness of its history and an emotional reaction, positive or negative to its meanings and memories,” Gose said.

“In general, this sense of place defines our relationship with the world and with each other,” she said. “It provides a foundation for both individual and communal identity and can become an intimate and deeply personal experience.”

“However, having never lived in one place for more than 6 years, the concept of ‘home’ has always been elusive for me,” the artist explained. “My nomadic lifestyle has removed my internal sense of place as it would define ‘home’ for others. I am untethered — lost in a variety of landscapes not connected to family, place, or purpose.”  

“This series of photographic collages uses personal connections to multiple landscapes in my search for home,” Gose continued. “The images are duplicitous in their connection to place while they also continue to search for a meaningful place — they represent both familiar and nostalgic scenes while still leaving the viewer feeling like an outsider.”

“These visual transplantations reflect feeling lost and my inability to ground myself as I move through various landscapes in my desire to find home and stability,” she said. 

Temple population tops 85,261

By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple

Temple’s population has grown by more than 19,000 people since 2010, according to the latest figures released by the US Census Bureau.

The city now has a population of 85,261 people, up nearly 30 percent from the 66,102 reported after the 2010 count.

Temple is the 48th largest city in Texas and the 410th largest in the US, and the city’s annual growth rate is 2.74 percent, according to the Census Bureau.

According to the report, the average income in Temple is $72,953 and the city has an overall poverty rate of 16.11 percent. The median age in Temple is 34.2 — 33.2 for males and 35.1 for females.

The latest Census estimates say the racial composition of Temple is:

• White: 53.53 percent;

• Hispanic: 21.55 percent;

• African American: 15.66 percent;

• Two or more races: 4.6 percent;

• Some other race: 2.3 percent;

• Asian: 2.01 percent;

• American Indian and Alaskan Native: 0.32 percent;

• Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 0.03 percent.

The average Temple family consists of 3.32 people.

As far as education is concerned, more than 26 percent of the city’s residents graduated from high school or obtained a GED but did not further their education. Nearly 25 percent of Temple residents have some college education, 9.93 percent have an Associates degree and 18.08 percent have a Bachelors degree. Nearly 11 percent of Temple residents have a graduate degree.

English is the lone language spoken in 83.6 percent of Temple homes.

Of the 39,119 white people in Temple, 4,145 live in poverty, and 3,980 of the 19,589 Hispanics are at or below the poverty level. For blacks, 3,329 of 11,398 residents live in poverty.

Of the 12 largest US cities, five are now in Texas. Houston continues to rank fourth with 2.3 million people, and San Antonio is sixth with 1.6 million. Dallas ranks ninth with 1.34 million, Austin 10th with 1.028 million and Fort Worth 12th with 958,692.

Three Central Texas cities — Killeen, Round Rock and Waco — are ranked among the Top 200 largest US cities by population. Killeen has a population of 160,615 and is the 168th largest US city. Round Rock is 189th with 146,941 people, and Waco is 196th with 143,286 residents.

Fire Chief: Blaze started by discarded fireplace ashes threatens Temple homes

Our Town Temple

A fire apparently started by someone dumping hot fireplace ashes in a backyard was extinguished after threatening several homes at the intersection of Ridgeview and Kendra Drive.

“Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from backyards and fences of six different homes,” Temple Fire Chief Mitch Randles said. Three of the threatened homes are on Kendra, the other three on Ridgeview.

Temple Fire & Rescue investigators believe the fire started at 820 Kendra Drive. The fire was reported at 11:07 a.m. and was under control by 11:24, Randles said.

Election Day in Bell County

Today is Election Day, and the Bell County Elections Department is encouraging voters to let its new wait times app help them navigate the process.

The new app, which can be found at BellCountyTX.com/Voting allows users to locate nearby voting centers and get an estimate of the expected wait times at each location. Another key piece of information included in the app is the last edit date for the estimated wait times.

Elections officials say that wait times have been consistently at or below five minutes during early voting. However, on Election Day that is likely to change.

Bell County will be offering voters 41 choices for Election Day voting centers. As was the case during early voting, voters may cast their ballot at any of those locations, regardless of their precinct of residence.

“The beauty of the voting center model is that if a person lives in Belton and works in Killeen, they may vote in either location and be given their precinct’s ballot at the polling site,” Shay Luedeke, Interim Elections Administrator, said.

Polls will open Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. and remain open until 7:00 p.m. A complete list of voting locations is included below:

Site 1, Belton Nazarene Church, 1701 Sparta Road, Belton, Texas 76513

Site 2, Belton Annex, 550 E. 2nd Ave., Belton, Texas 76513

Site 3, Belton Annex North, 1605 N. Main St, Belton, TX 76513

Site 4, Belton Senior Center, 842 S. Mitchell, Belton, Texas 76513

Site 5, Morgan's Point Event Center, 60 Morgan's Point Blvd., Morgan's Point Resort, Texas 76513

Site 6, Bliss Community Center, 109 South Evans, Little River/Academy, Texas 76554

Site 7, Liberty Christian Center, 4107 Westcliff Rd Killeen, Texas 76543

Site 8, Holland City Hall, 102 West Travis Street, Holland, Texas 76534

Site 9, Anderson Chapel A.M.E. Church, 1000 Jefferis Ave., Killeen, Texas 76543

Site 10, J.W. Sims Community Center, 408 North 10th St., Nolanville, Texas 76559

Site 11, VFW Post 3892, 201 VFW Dr., Harker Heights, Texas 76548

Site 12, Harker Heights Parks & Recreation Center, 307 Millers Crossing, Harker Heights, Texas 76548

Site 13, Salado Church of Christ Activities Center 217 N. Stagecoach Rd., Salado, TX 76571

Site 15, Jackson Professional Learning Center, 902 Rev R A Abercrombie Dr, Killeen, TX 76543

Site 16, Killeen Senior Center @ Lions Club Park, 1700 E. Stan Schlueter Loop, Killeen, Texas 76542

Site 17, Grace Christian Center, 1401 E. Elms Rd., Killeen, Texas 76542

Site 18, St. Paul Chong Hasang Catholic Church 1000 E FM 2410 Harker Heights, Texas 76548

Site 19, First Baptist Church of Trimmier, 6405 Chaparral Road, Killeen, Texas 76542

Site 20, Troy Community Center, 201 East Main Troy, TX 76579

Site 21, VFW Post 1820, 3302 Airport Road, Temple, Texas 76504

Site 22, Northside Church of Christ, 3401 N. 3rd Street, Temple, Texas 76501

Site 23, A & E Storage, 4970 E Highway 190, Temple, Texas 76502

Site 24, Cross Church on Birdcreek, 2202 Birdcreek Drive, Temple, Texas 76502

Site 25, Immanuel Baptist Church, 1401 W. Central, Temple, Texas 76504

Site 26, Wilson Parks & Recreation Center, 2205 Curtis B. Elliott Drive, Temple, Texas 76501

Site 27, Temple ISD Administration Bldg., 401 Santa Fe Way, Temple, TX 76501

Site 28, Temple College Pavilion - Leopard Room, Room 2800, 130 E. Marvin R Felder Drive, Temple, Texas 76504

Site 29, St. Joseph Catholic Church Fellowship Hall, 20120 Farm to Market Road 485, Burlington, TX 76519

Site 30, First Baptist Church of Moffat, 13929 Moffat Road, Temple, Texas 76502

Site 31, First Baptist Church of Rogers, 5 Prairie, Rogers, TX 76569

Site 32, First Church of the Nazarene, 5000 South 31st St. Temple, Texas 76502

Site 33, 3275 Boys Ranch Road, Kempner, Texas 76539

Site 34, Robert M. Shoemaker High School, 3302 Clear Creek Road, Killeen, Texas 76541

Site 35, Killeen Annex, 304 Priest Dr., Killeen, Texas 76541

Site 36, Central Fire Station, 201 South 28th Street, Killeen, Texas 76541

Site 37, Skyline Baptist Church, 906 Trimmier Rd., Killeen, Texas 76541

Site 38, West Bell Water Supply Office, 4201 Chaparral Road, Killeen, Texas 76540

Site 39, Killeen Utilities Department, 210 W. Avenue C, Killeen, Texas 76541

Site 40, Sugar Loaf Elementary School, 1517 Barbara Ln., Killeen, Texas 76549

Site 41, Roy J. Smith Middle School, 6000 Brushy Creek Dr., Killeen, Texas 76549

Site 42, Western Hills Elementary School, 600 Arapaho Dr, Temple, TX 76504

NEWS FROM EVERYWHERE

Where did Temple Sanitarium, and later Scott & White Hospital, buy its milk in the 1920s, 30s and 40s?

ANSWER IS AT END OF TODAY’S ISSUE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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!

On this day in 1861, the 2 1/2-year history of the Butterfield Overland Mail in Texas came to an end. The Butterfield line began operations on September 15, 1858. It carried passengers and mail between St. Louis, Memphis, and San Francisco, a distance of 2,795 miles. A government contract called for the company to carry letter mail twice weekly in both directions in four-horse coaches, or spring wagons suitable for carrying passengers. Each trip was to be completed in twenty-five days. The postage rate was ten cents per half ounce. Passenger fare was $200 each way. Stage service in Texas was terminated in March 1861, when an agreement was made to modify the contract and move the route northward out of the state.

Our Town TUNES

OurTownTemple@gmail.com | (254) 231-1574

TODAY’S TEMPLE TRIVIA ANSWER: The 440-acred Hospital Dairy, located in present day Western Hills, was owned by Scott & White and provided much of the milk, eggs and meat used by the hospital. The farm sold to a Waco-based dairy in the early 1950s and closed a short time later.

Today in the Our Town Temple Facebook group, we’re talking about memorable moments on Suicide Hill. Join the conversation!