WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 16, 2022

• HIGHLIGHTERS to participate in prestigious Charles Mingus Virtual Festival

• LAUNCH TEMPLE to help entrepreneurs start new local businesses

• SCIENCE CHALLENGE winners to earn $4,000 scholarships to Temple College

• Apparently, folks, the FRITO BANDITO has struck again: Earlier this week there wasn’t a bag of Fritos to be found in Temple

• WHAT’S HAPPENING? Events Calendar — New activities added daily

• THE LINKS — News from everywhere!

Gus and Woodrow ride along a mesa in this 1988 photo captured by Bill Wittliff.

Exhibit rides into town next month

By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple

On Feb. 5, 1989, an estimated 26 million homes tuned in to watch Lonesome Dove, and America was immediately captivated by the story of two former Texas Rangers portrayed by Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones.

Now, 33 years later, Gus and Woodrow are coming to Temple in a collection of black-and-white framed photos captured by the late Bill Wittliff, renowned photographer, writer, and co-executive producer of the popular Western mini-series.

Lonesome Dove: The Photo Exhibit will debut at the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum on March 25.

“This is our first truly Texas-centric exhibit we have hosted since we started our temporary exhibit program,” said Angela McCleaf, museum curator. “The story is centered around the small Texas border town of Lonesome Dove, and most of the filming took place at Moody Ranch, just a few miles south of Del Rio.”

“These behind-the-scenes images are a great way to celebrate the much-loved Lonesome Dove story,” she said.

The exhibit — it will be at the museum through June 25 — is part of The Wittliff Collection, a Lonesome Dove photo gallery based at Texas State University.

The exhibit’s 55 character portraits and action shots were captured by Wittliff, who also adapted the novel by Larry McMurtry into an award-winning television program.

Lonesome Dove is an epic tale of two aging Rangers who drive a herd of stolen cattle 2,500 miles from the Rio Grande to Montana to found the first ranch there. While the show captured the public’s imagination, Wittliff captured the sweeping vistas and landscapes of filming locations.

The exhibit was created in 2017, but this is its first time in Temple. The man who inspired Duvall’s Gus, however, has deep Temple roots.

Gus was perfected after Duval met with former Temple resident and NFL Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh. While preparing for his role, Duvall visited Baugh at his West Texas ranch.

Duvall said he spent an afternoon listening to Baugh’s drawl and observing his hand gestures as he spun stories.

“In two hours, Sammy Baugh gave me the finishing touches for Capt. Augustus McCrae, and he didn’t even know it.”

Baugh was born on a farm just outside Temple and grew up here. As a teen, he moved to Sweetwater and became a gridiron legend.

The current featured exhibit at Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum is Aliento a Tequila, a photo exhibit featuring the work of Texas artist Joel Salcido. The exhibit, which translates as The Spirit of Tequila, will be at the museum through mid March.

Robert Duvall, in the role of Capt. Augustus McCrae, takes a moment on the set of Lonesome Dove in this 1988 photo by Bill Wittliff.

Bill Wittliff captured “Stolen Horses” on location during the filming of Lonesome Dove in 1988. The photo is one of 55 that will be on display at the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum starting next month.

Prestigious Charles Mingus Virtual Festival to feature THS Highlighters

Our Town Temple

The Highlighters — Temple High School’s jazz ensemble — has been selected to perform in the 2022 Charles Mingus Virtual Festival.

The Highlighters’ performance will be broadcast online Saturday, Feb. 19, and will re-air twice over the weekend. The initial broadcast will be between 1:45 and 4 p.m. The showcase will be rebroadcast on the Mingus Institute Facebook page on Sunday, Feb. 20, and Monday, Feb. 21, during the same time frame.

Viewers can access the showcase of performances through the Mingus Institute’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/charlesmingus.

The Highlighters are one of just six high school bands selected to perform in the Big Band category of the national festival. Only 15 total groups were selected to perform in three different categories during the festival.

Selected groups were chosen based on video submissions. The Highlighters video includes performances of Mingus’ “Boogie Stop Shuffle” and “Haitian Fight Song.”

“It is a very cool feeling just to be in the conversation with the other five schools that were chosen,” said Marcos Duran, director of the Temple Highlighters. “The kids are excited because it is a testament to their hard work, and it is really cool to see their efforts being recognized by people outside of the Temple area.”

“Our students also will get a chance to hear the other performances, and our kids learn so much from hearing other people play,” Duran said. “It will also give them some confidence and reassurance to hear how they sound compared to some of the other performers.”

Members of the Highlighters ensemble are excited about the upcoming virtual performance.

“It is such a surreal moment for me because I used to go to jazz band concerts and I always wanted to be in the Highlighters when I was growing up,” said sophomore trumpet player Naizyrh White. 

“And now, to get that opportunity and to make some history and share my expression through my instrument is something I will never forget,” he said.

The Charles Mingus Festival is hosted by the New School Music Conservatory and the Charles Mingus Institute. The event is held in conjunction with a music workshop for participating bands and is typically held in-person.

The recent spike in COVID cases forced the festival to return to a virtual format for the second straight year. That means the Temple students will not get the chance to travel to New York, but it also means the Highlighters’ performance could be seen by a much larger audience through the Facebook broadcast.

“It is crazy to think about that,” said sophomore saxophonist Makale Edwards. “If we were in New York, maybe only that crowd would get a chance to hear us. To have it broadcast throughout the world is a big deal and hopefully our talent will be noticed by more people this way.”

The workshop portion of the festival will give the Temple students a chance to learn from professional musicians. And while the honor of being selected means a great deal to everyone in the band, there is more to the experience of being in the Highlighters. The chance to be creative and share in those musical moments with their bandmates may mean just as much to some of these students.

“Playing with this band and being in the moment, it is wonderful and amazing, honestly,” said sophomore bassist Gray Baker. “This is a way for me to get so much emotion and energy out and not all teenagers have a way to get that out. I am able to put it into my music.”

This is the second major honor received by the Temple Highlighters this school year. The 2020-2021 Highlighters were honored as a National Winner in the Mark of Excellence/National Jazz Honors Project when those awards were announced in September. The group was one of just three high school jazz ensembles to receive National Winner recognition.

Program to help entrepreneurs launch new local businesses

By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple

A new program will provide free small-business training, mentorship, networking and funding for some local entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners.

Launch Temple is a group effort between the Rotary Club of Temple-South, the Rotary Club of Temple, Temple College and kiva.org.

The 10-week program — modeled after similar efforts in Detroit and Raleigh, N.C. — will help participants develop a business plan and provide a mentor to guide them for six months.

“We are very excited about this new program,” said Tom Gerik, president of the Rotary Club of Temple-South. “Launch Temple will provide a great foundation of knowledge to help these entrepreneurs get off on the right foot. We are really looking forward to seeing all of the successful small businesses that come out of the program.”

One of the partners, kiva.org, is a San Francisco-based international nonprofit that uses crowdfunding to offer financing to want-to-be business owners in need of a helping hand. In other words, private individuals donate through kiva.org to create a “loan” that provides funding for new businesses and farms.

“The Rotary Club of Temple is very excited to be a partner in this program,” said club President Rod Henry. “Rotary International has always made economic development a priority.”

“This program stands to support that goal and will provide a positive impact on the local economy,” he said.

The program is completely free for participants. Online applications will be accepted through Feb. 28, and selected applicants will be notified of their status by mid-March.

Classes will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesdays beginning April 6, and graduation is scheduled for June 8. Sessions will be held at Temple College.

For additional information or to apply, visit www.LaunchTemple.com or call (254) 298-5997.

Science Challenge winners receive $4,000 scholarships to Temple College

By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple

Temple College has a challenge for future scientists hoping to further their education next fall.

The college is launching its inaugural Science Challenge on March 11, a program designed to introduce area high school seniors to science opportunities at the Temple school, according to Dr. John McClain, Challenge coordinator.

The program will consist of both a written exam and a three-part laboratory experience that encompasses biology, chemistry, geology and physics.

“This is something we’ve been contemplating for a while,” McClain said. “It’s been on the back burner for four or five years. We are trying to improve the academic opportunities for our students.”

According to McClain, Temple College will be awarding three scholarships to the winners of the Science Challenge.

“We will present one $4,000 scholarship for each of the three categories — life sciences, geosciences and physical sciences,” he said.

“The winners will receive $1,000 per semester for four semesters if they attend Temple College and work toward an associate’s of science degree,” he said. “That money goes a long way.”

Since this is TC’s first year of hosting the Science Challenge, McClain said he doesn’t really know how many participants will be competing.

“We hope to have around 200 enroll,” he said. “It’s open to all students in our service area.”

That includes students in Temple and Belton ISDs, students attending private schools located inside the Temple city limits, plus students in Academy-Little River, Troy, Holland, Rogers, Salado, Buckholts, Bartlett, Thorndale, Cameron, Rockdale, Granger, Hutto, Taylor, Rosebud-Lott and Thrall.

McClain said the scholarships are for high school kids who will be entering Temple College this fall, but high school juniors are welcome to compete as well — they just won’t be eligible for the scholarships.

“We hope to generate more partnerships in the community that support students at TC,” he said. “We want to expose these students to research activities and have them mentored by someone in the field they are interested in pursuing. We really hope to take these kids under our wings.”

For more information regarding the Science Challenge, please email john.mcclain@templejc.edu

To register, visit https://www.templejc.edu/science-challenge/.

EDITORIAL: Food shortages are frustrating some Temple shoppers

By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple

Apparently, folks, the Frito Bandito has struck again: Earlier this week there wasn’t a bag of Fritos to be found in Temple.

Just ask Amanda Sheppard. She’s been craving Frito pie lately, but she keeps coming up an ingredient short.

“Who in the hell is taking all the Fritos,” Amanda asked in a Facebook post. “I’ve been to four grocery stores and they are all out. No Fritos anywhere.”

She’s not alone. Amanda’s rant quickly drew nearly 700 likes and more than 350 comments from people trying to help satisfy her craving. Many of those responding had also been on a corn-chip quest — the situation was dire.

Walmart? Out.

H-E-B? Out.

Aldi’s? Out.

Natural Grocers? They don’t carry Fritos but they’ve been out of Bearitos corn chips for a while.

CVS, Dollar General, Big Lots? Out, out and out.

So, why are Fritos and corn chips in general so hard to find? According to industry experts, supply chain disruptions are affecting most products, just not all at once.

“We don’t have a problem with farms producing enough food, we have problems with not enough labor in the supply chains between the farms and the consumers,” said Paul Lightfoot, president and founder of BrightFarms.

Since the start of the pandemic, workers in many industries have been quitting their jobs in high numbers. Food workers across the supply chain are facing burnout from working through outbreaks while being pushed to work harder to meet increased demand.

“The food industry continues to adapt to a shifting marketplace, but the bottom line is that we must have access to a stable workforce in order to adequately meet the demands of American consumers,” said Greg Ferrara, president and CEO of the National Grocers Association.

It’s not easy to predict where and when products will be out of stock, because a number of compounding factors adding to disruptions are specific to some foods and regions.

For instance, backlogs at the country’s ports is another important factor, even for some foods that are produced domestically. Baking companies are struggling to import the spices and seeds they normally purchase from India, for example, while Texas fruit, vegetable and grain farmers who typically replace a tractor tire within a day are now having to wait a week for a tire to be shipped.

The cold snap that moved through Central Texas earlier this month probably didn’t help the Frito cause. Many area residents made chili — putting Fritos in high demand.

At some point, Fritos and other items will once again fill supermarket shelves. But until then, shoppers like Amanda — and the rest of us — will have to make do with what is in stock.

“I have been in need of Fritos since the beginning of February to make me some Frito pie,” Amanda told Our Town Temple. “I’ve been to H-E-B four times this month and have had no luck — not even the H-E-B brand of corn chip.”

“No other chip can make a Frito pie,” she explained. “It must be Fritos or another corn chip.”

Frito Lay did not respond to phone calls and emails sent Monday.

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