WEDNESDAY NOVEMEBER 11, 2021

TEMPLE COLLEGE FINE ARTS PERFORMANCES

Fall concerts to begin Nov. 16 at TC

Our Town Temple

It’s concert season at Temple College, and in the next 10 days their will be performances by the Chorale, Syphonic Band and Opera Workshop.

TC Chorale to perform Nov. 16

The Temple College Chorale will present a concert titled “Voice Dance” on Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center on the Temple College campus. 

The program will feature songs with a theme of dancing. Selections will include John Gardner’s arrangement of the holiday carol “Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day,” the title song “Voice Dance” by Greg Jasperse, and several selections from Johannes Brahms’ masterwork, “Liebeslieder Waltzer” (Love Song Waltzes). The Brahms selections will be accompanied by 4-hand piano played by Wayne Bachus and Brian Tanaka.

The Temple College Chorale is an auditioned choral ensemble that includes students from Temple College and Texas A&M University – Central Texas, as well as community members. It is conducted by Dr. Sara Harris Baker, director of the Fine Arts Division and director of choral activities at Temple College.

Admission to the concert is $5 for adults. It is free for students with IDs and members of the Temple College Alumni and Friends Association. Proceeds will support scholarships for music students at Temple College.

TC Symphonic Band to perform Nov. 18

The Temple College Symphonic Band will present a concert titled “Fall Back to Band (Returning to the ‘New’ Normal)” on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center on the Temple College campus.

The program will feature iconic pieces for wind ensemble from composers such as John Barnes Chance, Norman Dello Joio, Gustav Holst, Robert Jager, Alfred Reed and Eric Whitacre. The band will also perform works by J.S. Bach, Eric Whitacre and Arturo Marquez that have been adapted for wind ensemble. 

The concert will be the debut of the band’s new conductor, Dr. Glen Alan Brumbach. Dr. Brumbach is an assistant professor of music at Texas A&M University − Central Texas, where he teaches applied trumpet, music history, conducting, music education and brass methods classes. He also serves as Temple College’s applied trumpet instructor.

The Temple College Symphonic Band is comprised of music students from Temple College and Texas A&M University − Central Texas, some high school students, professional musicians and adults who love playing their instrument.

Admission to the concert is $5 for adults. It is free for students and members of the Temple College Alumni and Friends Association. Proceeds will support scholarships for music students at Temple College.

‘Mostly Mozart’ show set for Nov. 19-20

The Temple College Opera Workshop class, also known as Opera in a Box, will present a show titled “Mostly Mozart” on Friday, Nov. 19, and Saturday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Jackson-Graeter Backstage Theatre.

Vocal students from the Temple College Music Department, as well as students in the Bachelor of Music program at Texas A&M University-Central Texas, will present scenes from some of Mozart’s best and most beloved operas including “The Marriage of Figaro” and “The Magic Flute”. They also will present additional scenes from popular operas of the early 18th and late 19th centuries.

Opera in a Box is directed by Teri Johnson and accompanied by David Perez-Guerra.

The show is $5 for adults and free for students and members of the Temple College Alumni and Friends Association. Proceeds will support scholarships for music students at Temple College.

The Backstage Theatre is located in the Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center.

For more information about any of these concerts and upcoming events sponsored by the Temple College Fine Arts Division, call (254) 298-8555 or visit www.templejc.edu.

Alleged soup thrower banned from cafe

Our Town Temple

A disgruntled customer who threw hot soup at a Temple restaurant employee is in hot water with local police.

“We do not condone this type of behavior and hold our citizens to the highest standard,” Deputy Chief Allen Teston said. “If a citizen believes they have received poor service we advise them to remain civil until the problem is resolved.”

The lunch-hour disturbance occurred at Sol De Jalisco, 4201 S. General Bruce Dr.

According to police, a woman called to complain about an order she had picked up, then returned to the restaurant and started a verbal altercation.

The woman told the employee that the soup she had picked up was hot and a plastic lid on the container had melted. She then threw the soup at the employee and left the restaurant.

The employee was not injured, but the alleged soup thrower has been banned from the restaurant and charges are pending.

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POSTCARD FROM THE PAST

A parade makes its way down South 1st Street in 1956. Locals of the day referred to this block as Pie Street because some of the best pies in town could be purchased at Veterans Cafe, The Elite and Bell Baking Co.

FLASHBACK: TEMPLE’S CHINESE MANSION

A Temple newspaper reported in July 1914 that “Temple is fast becoming a city of fine residences. Within the past year the Dr. Woodson, W.A. Barclay, A.L. Flint residences have been built, each costing more than $15,000 and before another year rolls around there will be two others costing over this sum.” The Woodson Home, nicknamed The Chinese Mansion, was completed by the end of 1915 and still stands as a reflection of the Woodsons’ world travels in its eclectic architectural design.

1914 home still a city landmark

By DENISE KARIMKHANI, special to Our Town Temple

James Madison Woodson was born in Oak Hill, Alabama, but his family moved to Milam County, Texas, when he was two years old. Following in the footsteps of his father, Woodson attended medical school, and upon the completion of his studies, partnered and practiced in Temple with his father, Dr. William M. Woodson. In 1905, he took charge of the eye, ear, nose, and throat department of the newly-organized Scott and White Hospital.

In 1892 he married Anna Maria Burbank of New Orleans, and after moving to Temple, Mrs. Woodson became active in civic affairs, including charter membership in the Women’s Study Club, Arno Art League, Daughters of the American Revolution, and Colonial Dames. She was active in the Parent-Teachers Association and taught a children’s Sunday School class.

Construction on the Woodson home began in 1914 in North Park, an area outside the city limits of Temple. While visiting her sister, Memie Burbank DeSilva in Rock Island, Illinois, Mrs. Woodson was intrigued by the design elements of the Robert Wagner house and hired a well-known Chicago-area architect, Olof Z. Cervin, to create her dream home.

The style of the house was described as a blend of prairie and Oriental craftsman style with a mix of elements from Danish, Spanish, Mexican, and Egyptian Revival designs. It was originally called a “Japanese villa” because of its Oriental elements including pagoda-style rooftops, Japanese-galley dining room, and fishpond/fountain in the foyer. However, during World War II, the name was changed to ‘Chinese mansion’ to avoid association with the enemy country.

The floor plan was 18,000 square feet, including a 3,600 square-foot basement which housed a 10,000-gallon cistern to collect rainwater. All the main rooms branched from the central atrium, and there were forty rooms in all. There were seven bedrooms and four and one-half baths, a drawing room, tearoom, sun parlor, library, and patio. A full ballroom with fifty windows was located on the top floor. Cervin may have been the first to use reinforced concrete in buildings, and he employed such in the foundation and outer walls of the house which were 18-inches thick. The home was steam heated and cooled.

Mrs. Woodson was a gardening enthusiast and created a unique space spanning four acres on what is now the area from West Lamar Avenue to West Nugent, between North 13th Street to North 11th Street. Miniature pagodas, a buddha statue, and bamboo gave the area an exotic feel. An outdoor amphitheater provided a space for the Woodsons’ theatrical productions.

The Woodsons held an open house on New Year’s Day of 1915. In attendance was a “full contingent of their friendship list” as well as Mrs. Woodson’s sister, Mrs. Joseph DeSilva of Rock Island, Illinois, who made her first Temple visit. According to the Temple Daily Telegram’s society column, “from 2 until 6 callers were in an unbroken line of presentation while the passage through the rooms was a continuous compliment to the new home and to the bon esprit of the occasion. The processional was made upstairs and down, members of the house party having been assigned to escort the guests from the basement following the olden idea of the blessing of the home with the good wishes of friends left everywhere.” Following a brief rest, the festivities resumed with the younger set enjoying a dancing party led by Palmer and Jamie Woodson and their cousin, Miss Mary Burbank. A grand march led to the basement where an orchestra and high spirits contributed to “an evening of exuberant pleasure.”

The Woodson house became a social and civic center for the town, opened frequently to guests for parties but also for church and club meetings and cultural offerings. On July 4, 1915, a dance was held to honor guests of Miss Mary Burbank who returned home from school.

The newspaper described the exotic setting: “Conditions ideal for the summer dance are presented by the J.M. Woodson house in North Park with its broad tiled verandas, the great elevation which permits the sweep of refreshing night winds, its rare beauty of surroundings including palm and fountain rooms, the most enticing spots imaginable for the tete-a-tete. Firefly lanterns were hung and the punch bowl with sandwiches placed.”

Dr. Woodson died in 1930, and Mrs. Woodson remained in the home until her death in 1962. The family sold the home in 1964. The home is currently owned by Gary Gosney, a Temple veterinarian.

The Temple Historic Preservation Committee recognized the house as a landmark in 2010.

WHAT’S HAPPENING, CENTRAL TEXAS?

Central Texas largest and most complete calendar of event:

November

November 10, Wednesday - School-Age Story Time for K-3rd Grade at Temple Public Library. Features short film, stories and constructive play. 4:15 to 4:45 p.m.

November 11, Thursday - Veterans Day Celebration and Patriot Way Brick Walk sign dedication. 8:30 a.m.

November 11, Friday - The College of Visual & Performing Arts presents One Voice in concert. Sue & Frank Mayborn Performing Arts Center, Baugh Performance Hall. 7:30 p.m.

November 13, Saturday - 2nd annual Blue Santa Toy Run at Fire Base Brewing. 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

November 13, Saturday - Preschool Story Time at Temple Public Library. 10:30 a.m.

November 11-14 - "Our Town," a Pulitzer Prize winning play by Thornton Wilder, Temple High School, Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. More information at: http://www.ThespiansR.Us

November 11-14 - The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Beltonian Theatre, 6 p.m.

November 12, Friday - Bike Night at Horny Toad Harley. Live music by Scratch 3, beer, giveaways. 6-8 p.m.

November 13, Saturday - "Tea with the Princesses" with the Belton High School Magic Belles; 10am and 1pm at North Belton Middle School. Visit beltonmagicbelles.com for info.

November 13, Saturday - Market in the Vines. Take a walk through the vines and shop with over 50 vendors! Free to the public. 3 Texans Winery. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

November 13, Saturday - Downtown Temple November Market. his will be our second to last market of the year and just in time to start your holiday shopping for all your friends and family. From soaps to jewelry, baked goods & jams, even custom wood working items, our market has something for everyone. 2 N. Main, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

November 13, Saturday - A Night in Vegas…St. Mary’s Catholic School Casino Night. Live auction, silent auction, games, drawings. Benefits the school’s educational programs. Cultural Activities Center. 6 p.m.

November 14, Sunday - St. Mary’s Traditional Turkey Dinner, KC Hall at 2218 W. Ave D, limited seating or to go plates, $12 plate includes Turkey, dressing, roll, gravy, coleslaw, green beans, cranberry sauce and dessert. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

November 16, Tuesday - The Temple College Chorale will present a concert titled “Voice Dance” at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center on the Temple College campus. 

November 16, Tuesday - Tarok Card Party & Lessons. Czech Heritage Museum. 7-9 p.m.

November 18, Thursday - The Temple College Symphonic Band will present “Fall Back to Band (Returning to the ‘New’ Normal)” at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center on the Temple College campus.

November 18, Thursday - Turkey Day Table Art. Need some centerpieces for your big Thanksgiving dinner? What’s better than an adorable handmade craft made by your little turkey? Kids will make different types of table art for you to display. Register at templeparks.com. Open to ages 2-6. $7 per child.

November 19, Friday -  Yuletide Tour of Homes. To purchase tickets, visit www.TempleChildrensMuseum.org/events.

November 19, Friday - Book Cellar Investigation. $20 per person. 8 p.m. to 11:55 p.m.

November 19, Friday - Justin Hewitt at O’Briens. 9 p.m.

November 19-20 - The Temple College Opera Workshop class, also known as Opera in a Box, will present a show titled “Mostly Mozart” on Friday, Nov. 19, and Saturday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Jackson-Graeter Backstage Theatre.

November 19 through January 15 - Facing the Inferno wildfire photo exhibit opens at Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum.

November 20, Saturday - Casey Donahew at Bell County Expo Center’s Assembly Hall.

November 20, Saturday - Facing the Inferno wildfire exhibit opens at Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum.

November 20, Saturday - Game Show Night by Texas Red at Fire Base Brewing. 7-9 p.m.

November 20, Saturday - Belton Market Days. Downtown Belton. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

November 20, Saturday - The Gathering. Native American music, dancing, food. Bring a lawn chair or blanket for picnicking and fun. Yetti Polk Park in Belton. 11 a.m.

November 21, Sunday – Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), free movie at Cultural Activities Center. King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles. Shrubberies not required.  The event will include a pre and post-movie discussion with Professor Dr. Joseph Taberlet. 2 p.m.

November 25, Thursday - Thanksgiving Outdoor Movie Night at Barrow Brewing in Salado. “A Christmas Story.” 6 p.m.

November 27-28 - Kris Kringle Mart presented by KC Council 3444, 2218 W. Avenue D, Temple. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

December

December 2 — Die Hard at The Beltonian. It IS. a Christmas movie!. 6 p.m.

December 3, Friday - Sammy G’s Toy Drive Block Party at Fire Base Brewing. 7 p.m.

December 3-5 — Disney’s Aladdin Jr. at Temple Civic Theatre.

December 4, Saturday - Barrow Brewing Christmas Market, Salado. Noon.

December 4, Saturday - Santa at the Depot, Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum, 5-8 p.m.

December 4, Saturday - Lance Wade Thomas rocks O’Briens. 9 p.m.

December 4, Saturday - Temple Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concert featuring soprano Priscilla Santana and tenor Brian Joyce. Temple High School. 7:30 p.m.

December 4, Saturday - Chisholm Trail Christmas Ball featuring Rick Trevino. Bell County Expo Center. 6 p.m.

December 4-5 - Kris Kringle Mart presented by KC Council 3444, 2218 W. Avenue D, Temple. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

December 6, Monday - The 75th Annual Christmas Parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. This year's theme is “The Magic of a Traditional Christmas." Details will be made available on templeparks.com.

December 10, Friday - TISD Jazz Band – Merry Christmas and All That Jazz at Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy Auditorium, 5:30 p.m.

December 10, Friday - Bone at O’Briens. 9 p.m.

December 10-12 — Disney’s Aladdin Jr. at Temple Civic Theatre.

December 11, Saturday — Downtown Temple Holiday Market & Food Truck Frenzy. We are excited to partner our market with a Food Truck Event! Come join us and support local businesses in our area! 2 N. Main Street. 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

December 11, Saturday - 5th annual Holiday Extravaganza at the Troy Community Center. Shop with local small businesses. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

December 11, Saturday - Tucka Texas Takeover with LJ Echols, Fat Daddy and Mr. Smoke. VFW Post 1820, Temple. 7 p.m.

December 12, Sunday - Temple High School Band Winter Concert in the THS Auditorium, 2:00 p.m.

December 13, Monday - Temple High School Orchestra Christmas Concert at THS Auditorium, 7 p.m.

December 14, Tuesday - Temple High School Choir Holiday Gift at THS Auditorium. 7:30 p.m.

December 17, Friday - Matt Cearley & The Rowdy Few, O’Briens. 9 p.m.

December 19, Sunday – When Harry Met Sally… (1989), free movie at Cultural Activities Center. Boy meets girl, boy sees other girls, and girl sees other boys.  Maybe boy and girl should have seen each other.  “I’ll have what she’s having.”  The event will include a pre and post-movie discussion with Dr. Joseph Taberlet. 2 p.m.

December 23, Thursday - Santa & Elvis at Fire Street Pizza. 6-9 p.m.

December 31 - January 1 - Texas Elite Pole Vaulting. The Expo Explosion, the second largest indoor pole vaulting event in the country. Bell County Expo Center’s Garth Arena.

December 31, Friday - New Year’s Eve at O’Briens with the Jason Custer Band. 10 p.m.

December 31, Friday - New Year’s Eve at Bo’s Barn with the Craig Howell Band. 9 p.m.

January

January 29, Saturday - Parker McCollum Red Dirt Mardi Gras at Bell County Expo. 8 p.m.

LIST YOUR EVENT! Email info to OurTownTemple@gmail.com with “What’s Happening” in the subject line. Keep it short and sweet — what, when and where. You may include a short description. You must include a phone number for verification purposes. The phone number will not be published unless requested by submitter.

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