Here are some artist renderings of Storybook Grove, a new $2.1 million children’s reading park just north of the Temple Public Library.

Little gems will be included in Places & Spaces funding

DAVID STONE | July 30, 2022

Temple likely will embark on a massive $75 million parks improvement plan between 2023 and 2027 that will create new recreational areas and improve dozens of existing parks and trails, including some of the city’s smallest play areas.

Tiny pocket parks such as Colquitt Park off Hickory and secluded Nettles Park in the city’s Garden District neighborhood will get significant changes. These parks are among Temple’s smallest, but both are popular places for families with young kids.

“I love Colquitt Park,” said Temple City Manager Brynn Myers. “As a mother, I love the fact that it has a fence around it. The park butts up against busy Hickory, and the fence adds a layer of safety.”

The upcoming “Places & Spaces” capital improvement plan includes $169,200 in upgrades for Colquitt, including the replacement of aging playground equipment.

Places & Spaces improvements will be funded by Certificates of Obligation bonds, Myers said. Certificate of Obligation debt is similar to General Obligation bonds in their usage and retirement but do not require voter authorization and are not used for refunding debt.

The Nettles Park plan is still in the planning stage, but Myers said big changes are coming to the park commonly known as “secret park.”

“We want to capitalize on the ‘secret’ moniker and create and English Secret Garden,” she said. “Of course it will still be Nettles Park, but we would like to model it after a formal English garden.”

An improved Nettles Park will feature privacy fencing, a hedge wall, a maze-like hedge feature and a play lawn,” she said. Crepe myrtle trees would be used along park boundaries.

Improvements to Nettles Park carry an estimated price of $211,500.

One of the biggest little gems featured in Places & Spaces is the creation of the long anticipated Storybook Grove on Barton Avenue just north of Temple Public Library. The book-character themed park will serve as an outdoor reading area for children and library programs.

The trail through Storybook Grove will include functional statues of popular children’s characters from Charlotte’s Web, Very Hungry Caterpillar, Winnie the Pooh, Curious George, James and the Giant Peach, Where the Wild Things Are and Dr. Seuss books.

The property is home to massive oak trees and open spaces, as well as a small parking area. Storybook Grove could be a starting point for a Temple Art Walk that would take pedestrians on a tour of Downtown’s art projects.

The Places & Spaces budget includes $2.1 million for creating Storybook Grove, plus another $750,000 for public art that may be used on the Art Walk or on other city-owned property.

REMINDER: Moravian Glory open house today

A new exhibit, Moravian Glory: Preserving Our Brilliance is open at the Czech Heritage Museum & Genealogy Center in Temple, and an official reception will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday (today). The exhibit runs through Oct. 1

BELL COUNTY OUTDOORS

Belton Lake fishing

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 7.18 feet low.

• The strong all-morning white bass topwater bite which ran for a solid two weeks is over. Some light topwater is still happening at dawn and dusk. Otherwise, fish must now be found with sonar. Downrigging with #12 and #13 Pet Spoons is an excellent search tactic. Once fish are found, anglers can capitalize by working MAL Dense Lures (white body/chartreuse tail) vertically or horizontally. Doing so with Garmin LiveScope is particularly effective. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

• Largemouth bass are good early morning on topwaters. As the day progresses they are moving to the drops and to the treetops in 15-20 feet or water. Wacky worms and Texas rigs are working well. The night bite continues to stay good with jigs being the best. Report by Cord Zahn, Belton tournament organizer.

• Crappie are good in 18-25 feet of water off points and brush with Dan’s jigs tipped with minnows. Report by Zach Minnix, Jig N Jerk Guide Service.

Stillhouse Hollow fishing

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 7.27 feet low.

• A very consistent morning white bass bite is taking place on Stillhouse. Fish are typically found in the greatest numbers between 35-45 feet of water. Downrigging with #12 and #13 Pet Spoons is an excellent search tactic. Once fish are found, anglers can capitalize by working MAL Dense Lures, with a white body and chartreuse tail, vertically or horizontally. Doing so with Garmin LiveScope is particularly effective. Largemouth bass continue to school sporadically on topwater over open water, feeding on shad. This typically kicks off around 7:30 a.m. and wanes around 9:30 a.m. Small, clear baits, like soft plastic grubs are working well when thrown fast and accurately while the fish are still near the surface disturbance created. Larger bass continue to haunt the deep hydrilla edge around 22-24 feet of water with dark soft plastics presented with Texas or Carolina rigs. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Birdwatching in Bell

• White-winged dove, European starlings, common ravens and Canada geese are among the birds spotted in Bell County in the past several days. For a complete list of what has been recorded at eBird in our summertime skies, click this link:

BIRDS IN BELL THIS WEEK

¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues

The latest exhibit, Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues, will be on exhibit at Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum through Oct. 8.

Moravian Glory: Preserving Our Brilliance

A new exhibit, Moravian Glory: Preserving Our Brilliance is open at the Czech Heritage Museum & Genealogy Center in Temple, and an official reception will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday (today). The exhibit runs through Oct. 1

Saturday, July 30

• Moravian Glory reception at Czech Heritage Museum & Genealogy Center.  4-7 p.m. See this exhibit that chronicles the life of a Moravian woman.

• A Very Corky’s Variety Show featuring live performances by Justin Moreno, Mystica Fiora, Noah Johnson and The Magical World of Jeffrey Jester. 8 p.m. Visit www.tourtemple.com for tickets

• Midnight Tradesmen live at Barrow Brewing. 8 p.m.

• Guys and Dolls at Temple Civic Theatre. A odd-ball romantic comedy directed by Dr. Sara Harris Baker.  For tickets and showtimes, visit

  https://templecivictheatre.com

• Salado Legends at Tablerock. Salado Legends, is an outdoor musical written by Salado resident playwright Jackie Mills. It was chosen by the Library of Congress to serve as a record of life in America during the 1850’s and “to preserve our nation’s diverse cultural traditions for generations of Americans, present, and future. Meal: 7:15. Show, 8:15. Tickets: centraltexastickets.org

• Niles City live at Bo’s Barn. 9 p.m.

• Texas Red’s Name that Tune Bingo at Bold Republic Brewing. 7 p.m.

• 4-Hour Temple Wine Trail Tour with Tour Temple. 3-7 p.m.

• Comedy Showcase at Corky’s Beer & Wine. 8-10 p.m.

Sunday, July 31

• Central Texas Film Society Monthly Movie & Discussion presents Jaws at CAC. 2 p.m. “When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Long Island, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.”

• Martian Folk live at Fire Street Pizza in Belton. Noon.

• Guys and Dolls at Temple Civic Theatre. A odd-ball romantic comedy directed by Dr. Sara Harris Baker.  For tickets and showtimes, visit

  https://templecivictheatre.com

• Summer Lecture Series at 2 p.m. at Barrow Brewing Co. Music by The High Country Flyers at 4 p.m.

Monday, August 1

• $1 Summer movies at The Beltonian Theatre. 10 a.m., 1, p.m. 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday. Storks

• Trash to Treasure Totes, Sammons Community Center. 1 p.m. Go green and create a unique tote bag from plastic bags! Becca Bash will be teaching this fun and creative way to recycle and reuse those endless plastic grocery bags that get stashed away to create a beautiful, one-of-a-kind bag that could have a variety of uses. Watch that bag evolve into your own creation. Knowledge of basic crochet stitch is encouraged. A size K crochet hook is recommended. For more information, call 254.298.5403.

• Second Look Book Club at Temple Public Library. 6 p.m.

Tuesday, August 2

• Tai Chi at Sammons Community Center. 3 p.m. This ancient Chinese exercise and martial art promote vitality, balance, strength, and longevity. This on-going course is adaptable for all levels of mobility. Led by Christopher Dow, who has practiced this and related Chi Kung exercise forms for 42 years. For more information, call 254.298.5403.

• O’Pen Mic Night at O’Briens Irish Pub. 8 to midnight. O'Briens Open Mic Is Back! Every Tuesday 8 p.m. This is an acoustic open mic. will be using our in house sound system! Come on out and let's have fun!

• $1 Summer movies at The Beltonian Theatre. 10 a.m., 1, p.m. 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday. Storks

• Mystique & Mayhem at Temple Public Library. 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Do you enjoy storytelling and problem-solving? Join us for a new adventure every month! Great for ages 7–11. First Floor | Teen Space

• Trivia Night at Fire Street Pizza in Belton. There will be 6 rounds of themed trivia to test your knowledge of all things trivia! Other categories will include Movies, Sports, music, and more! Play from your phone! FREE to play! Join anytime. Winners walk away with FSP swag, free pizzas and bragging rights! 6 p.m.

• Trivia Night at J Cowboy, 7:30 p.m.

• STEM Team at Temple Public Library. 4:15 p.m.

• Baby Bookworms (0-12 months) at Temple Public Library. 11 a.m.

• Karaoke at Green Door. 9 p.m.

Wednesday, August 3

• Toddler Story Time (12-36 months) at Temple Public Library. 10:15 a.m.

• Preschool Story Time (ages 3-5) at Temple Public Library, 11:15 a.m.

• School Aged Story Time (K-3rd Grade) at Temple Public Library. 4:15 p.m.

• Kid Movie Night on the Lawn at Treno’s Pizzeria. 5 p.m.

• Trivia at Green Door. 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

• Mystique & Mayhem at Temple Public Library. 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Do you enjoy storytelling and problem-solving? Join us for a new adventure every month! Great for ages 7–11. First Floor | Teen Space

• Musicians Open Mic Night at Corky’s. 7 p.m.

Thursday, August 4

• Toddler Story Time (12-36 months) at Temple Public Library. 10:15 a.m.

• Preschool Story Time (ages 3-5) at Temple Public Library. 10:15 a.m.

• Dungeons & Dragons at Temple Public Library. 5 p.m.

• Back-to-School Teacher Appreciation Party at FoxDog. 4 p.m. We LOVE our teachers! All teachers, paraprofessionals and school staff will get 15 percent off their tab with a valid school ID

• Karaoke at Bo’s Barn. 8:30 p.m.

• Trivia Night at Fire Base Brewing.

• ‘Bring Your Own Songs’ Open Mic Night at Knead Peace. 7-10 p.m., Originals Night for all those singer/songwriter types out there. No cover tonight. Feel free to bring a chair, hammock, picnic blanket, snacks and cooler. Family friendly event!

• Trivia Night at Fire Street Pizza in Belton. There will be 6 rounds of themed trivia to test your knowledge of all things trivia! Other categories will include Movies, Sports, music, and more! Play from your phone! FREE to play! Join anytime. Winners walk away with FSP swag, free pizzas and bragging rights! 6 p.m.

Friday, August 5

• The choral group Las Voces will present The Faure’ Requiem at Christ Episcopal Church in Temple at 7 p.m. Tickets and additional information are available at LasVocesDebut.eventbrite.com

• Sing-A-Long Piano Show at Green Door every Friday at 10

• Plein Visions in Miniature: A collection of work by the Outdoor Painters Society at Cultural Events Center. Reception is at 5 p.m. on August 5. Art and refreshments. Elegant Savagery by Aaron White. The Trees Speak to Me by Linda Nickell. Western art by Mat Tindell.

• Summer Sizzle Seltzer at Santa Fe Plaza sponsored by Texas Polar Bottling Co. Food trucks from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Outdoor market from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Live music featuring Kin Faux, a Texas Red Dirt Country band.

• Savor Latin Night at Ras Kitchen. Join us to learn the foundation and basic Latin dance moves of salsa and bachata. Then take what you've learn for a night of social dancing. 7-11 p.m.

• Come dance to Branded Heart at Bo’s Barn. 8 p.m.

• Guys and Dolls at Temple Civic Theatre. A odd-ball romantic comedy directed by Dr. Sara Harris Baker.  For tickets and showtimes, visit

  https://templecivictheatre.com

First Friday activities, bands, deals and dinners throughout Downtown Temple.