Growing the performing arts in Taylor

TAYLOR — For years, the city has enjoyed an established fine-arts scene, including numerous gallery openings, resident artists and working studio tours.

Now, interest in the performing arts in Taylor is also taking off.

From a nascent foundation dedicated to fostering a variety of live performances to an inaugural comedy showcase, local supporters are working to bring more live entertainment to downtown.

TAYLOR THEATER FOUNDATION

The newly formed Taylor Theater Foundation is helping produce and promote live productions locally through the efforts of residents, artists, educators and community supporters.

“The Taylor Theater Foundation aims to help bring more theater, music, educational programming and community-based performances to Taylor while building a lasting foundation for the arts in the city,” said Michael Kaspar, founder and president.

According to members, the foundation is still in the formative stage and will focus on the rich history of Taylor and eastern Williamson County.

The group aims to connect residents to the people, places and history that shaped the area.

“We’re not as advanced as the Palace in Georgetown, but we have to start somewhere,” said treasurer and founding member Peter L’Heureux The foundation’s objective is to serve the community through education and performance initiatives, sponsors said.

“Taylor is a city with strong traditions, growing energy and a deep sense of place. Yet when it comes to theater and live performance, there is still much to build,” Kaspar said.

The foundation wants to create more opportunities for performing arts groups in Taylor as the city grows.

With a goal to draw from the bustling arts scene in nearby Austin, foundation members would like to see a performing arts troupe set up in Taylor.

“Talent and enthusiasm are essential, but so are space, storage and a place to call home,” said Kaspar.

One such group is the Stage Presence Players, area actors who bring scenes from local history to life.

The foundation is working to address the troupe’s long-term needs that could make ongoing theater productions in Taylor possible.

To help the foundation, monetary contributions can be sent to: Taylor Theater Foundation, 219 E. Eighth St., Taylor, TX 76574.

New board members are also being sought. Reach out to L’Heureux at cuisinemondiale1@gmail.com or Kaspar at MikeKaspar@aol.com.

STAGE PRESENCE PLAYERS

Established in 2015 by the late Kristi Treitler, the Stage Presence Players are a group of actors from Austin, Pflugerville and Round Rock who combine their talents for historical-interpretation performances.

A nonprofit since 2019, the livetheater production company has acted as historical interpreters at the First Historic Farm Day at the Lutonsky-Kelley Farm in 2025. The site south of town on CR 405 dates from 1900 and was designated a Family Land Heritage Honoree Property in 2019.

This spring, the troupe reenacted six pivotal periods from Taylor’s 150year history. Attendees at the Taylor Conservation and Heritage Society’s Marcella Schoener Award reception enjoyed scenes from Taylor’s railroad beginnings and the life of Taylor native Gov. Dan Moody to the 1950s with poodle skirts and movie theater matinees.

“The Stage Presence Players wowed the crowd with a creative, unexpected performance that turned Taylor’s 150th anniversary into something truly special,” said society member Pam Wareham.

For two weekends in June, the Stage Presence Players performed “The Secondto- Last Chance Ladies League,” a comedy by Jones Hope Wooten, at the Listening Room at St. James’ Episcopal Church, 602 Davis St.

YOUTH THEATER IN TAYLOR

One of the Taylor Theater Foundation’s areas of focus is youth theater. Members want to introduce students to theater production and performances that are both fun and educational, they said.

In June, the foundation completed its first joint theater workshop with the Boys & Girls Club of East Williamson County. The two-week event gave middle-school students a chance to collaborate on the creative process.

During the program, sponsors said students gained confidence as they learned the basics of theater production from set and costume design to acting. Based in Murphy Park, the students utilized the indoor and outdoor spaces to create and practice.

Foundation members said cultural institutions are not built overnight. They require community interest, persistence and partnership to support sustainable works.

“While productions and performances remain important, the larger goal is to serve Taylor through cultural programming that is rooted in place, open to collaboration and accessible to the community,” Kaspar said.

COMEDYSHOWCASE ATBLACKSPARROW

Comedic talents from a wide variety of showbiz backgrounds are also heading to Taylor to help create some laughs and spice up the nightlife.

The Dare Buzzard Comedy Showcase will land at the Black Sparrow Music Parlor July 24 featuring Austin-based comedians with more tours promised as the year rolls out.

The Black Sparrow is at 113 W. Second St.

“The idea is to bring a carefully curated stand-up show to a true listeningroom environment; focused, intentional and built for people who want to experience comedy up close, without having to drive into Austin to find it,” said Brandt Rydell, the organizer of Dare Buzzard Comedy.

After an initial start in July, performances are planned to continue through the end of the year. Rydell hopes the showcase will become a recurring part of Taylor’s downtown arts and nightlife scene.

The first Dare Buzzard Comedy showcase boasts comedic talents who have performed on Comedy Central, SXSW, New York Comedy Festival, NBC Stand-Up, Caroline’s on Broadway in New York, New York Comedy Club, The Comedy Store in West Hollywood and Austin’s live comedy scene, including Comedy Mothership, Creek and the Cave, and Kill Tony, an Austin-based podcast.

The second Dare Buzzard Comedy showcase is scheduled for Aug. 14, and future acts will be every second Friday evening through December.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, available through blacksparrowmusicparlor.com.

When it comes to theater and live performance, there is still much to build.”

— MICHAEL KASPAR

TAYLOR THEATER FOUNDATION

Coupland competitors play worldwide

COUPLAND – It came to the United States from Australia in the 1970s and has been played in Central Texas since the 1980s, but odds are most locals have never heard of polocrosse.

Similar to lacrosse but played on horseback, polocrosse is a sport that can be enjoyed at any age and any skill level. The Lone Star Polocrosse Club near Coupland is one of only two clubs in Texas registered with the American Polocrosse Association.

The other is in Alamo, Texas. Prissy Rummel comes from a long family line of polocrosse players. She is a past president with the Lone Star club and is still active with the group. Her sister’s family, the Poldracks, own the land where the club’s playing field sits at 6101 FM 1466.

Her children grew up in the sport as did many of her extended family members.

Rummel retired from competition in 2010 after winning her fight against breast cancer. Achieving success is something she’s used to. She rode for many U.S. national teams, claiming international victories at least 10 times.

Her sport has taken her around the world competing and giving clinics as far away as Australia, South Africa and Uruguay.

“Years ago, Texas had a bigger playing population than it does now. There were clubs in Plano and the Magnolia area, Conroe area,” she said. “There used to be clubs in Johnson City and Hunt. There are still a few players in those areas, but they don’t have full teams. But they’ll come down here and play.”

WORLDWIDE ATTRACTION

Polocrosse has over 6,000 registered players worldwide, compared to almost 24,000 competing in polo. Both sports are played on horseback, and that’s about where the similarities end.

Polocrosse is known as an easy sport for a rider to get involved with. Each participant only needs one horse. Rather than a hard ball and mallet, riders use a sponge-rubber ball and racquets that look like lacrosse sticks with a small net on a long pole.

Goals are made when the ball is thrown through opponents’ goalposts.

Players from across the region brought their trailers and horses to the Coupland playing field or “pitch” April 4-5 for the club’s annual tournament, the Jon Weber Classic. The established competition was renamed in 2000 to honor Weber, a Lone Star club player and coach who died of a heart attack during a polocrosse game in Hunt.

The Jon Weber Classic helps raise funds for local players selected for national teams traveling around the world. The worldwide polocrosse community has exchange programs that help riders find housing with local players when they travel to other countries. The hosting countries also provide mounts for the riders, since competitors travel without their horses.

I have met the best people through this

sport.”

— AUBREY SHUTTLES RIDER Aubrey Shuttles of Thrall has been playing since she was big enough to sit on a horse. The 20-year-old is considered by some to be among the best female players in the sport. She graduated in May from Texas State University with a degree in geography and environmental studies and is weaving in job hunting with travel for polocrosse competitions.

Shuttles competed in an international under-21 tournament against the United Kingdom in May, held in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The U.S. team prevailed, winning two out of three matches in the series.

The U.K. team named Shuttles as the U.S. Best Lady Player for the series.

In July, Shuttles and her brother Haydon will be heading to Ireland to compete as part of the under-21 U.S. versus Ireland tournament. The players will fly in and practice on their borrowed mounts, then do some sightseeing and socializing with the Irish players before they face off for three matches over July 10-12.

“I have been lucky enough to travel and get to experience the world through playing this sport,” Aubrey Shuttles said. “After I graduated high school, I took a gap year and was able to fly to New Zealand and play there for two months and stay with a family friend. Then to Australia and I spent five months playing there. I have met the best people through this sport.”

Her parents, Rob and Heather Shuttles, also met playing polocrosse, she said.

Her father played for a New Mexico team and her mother played for Lone Star. The two met up for friendly competitions, which soon became more than just friendly. Her parents raised her and her brother to play, and the family frequently competes together in local matches.

Aubrey Shuttles hopes she will be chosen for tournaments being played in Zambia, Aug. 14-16 and in Zimbabwe, Aug. 21-23.

TEAMWORK

To be selected for a tournament, players who can travel on the selected dates put their names on a list for consideration. The team coach and other coaches then observe the players during matches and decide which players will represent the U.S.

There are generally six people on a team. The game is played in a series of innings called “chukkas.” There are six chukkas lasting six to eight minutes each, depending on the tournament directors, with two minutes in-between. The teammates alternate, with three playing one chukka and the other three in the next chukka.

The events where one nation competes against another are called World Cup Test Matches. The International Polocrosse Council holds a World Cup competition every four years.

The next one is in 2028. The eight countries that are full members of the IPC participate in the World Cup: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, U.K., U.S., Zambia and Zimbabwe. There are at least 18 countries where the sport is played, including Norway, Uruguay, Chile and Canada, and those countries hold their own tournaments.

GETTING THE HORSES IN TUNE

The tournaments aren’t just for the hardcore players. The sport has an A through E system, where A signifies the highest level of play. Frequently matches are held for competitors playing at a lower ranking as well.

The A-E ranking system allows players to get to know the game and rise up through the levels at their own pace. It also allows the horses to learn what is expected. Players talk about getting “attitude” from their horse if they miss a catch, and other quirks that tell them the horse has its own ideas about how the game should be played.

“The horses love it, a bunch of them really get it. They learn how to play and know what they’re doing, and have strategies and stuff,” Shuttles said. “They know their jobs and the really good ones have their own opinions about what you should be doing.”

Shuttles added she and her horse have had to learn to work as a team, but they still sometimes disagree on when she should make a move.

Melissa O’Reilly, a veterinarian who frequently acts as the animal welfare officer at polocrosse matches, has experienced horses becoming mentally involved in the sport. Her husband, Patrick, bought a mare named Iba to train in polocrosse. The mare was being sold because the previous owner wanted to use her in barrel racing but the horse just “didn’t seem interested.”

Patrick took the horse for her first polocrosse training practice at the Lone Star club, and said that even after the practice when she was resting outside her trailer, Iba was not ready to quit.

“Some of the players were still practicing on the field, and Patrick told me that Iba kept absolutely focused on them, even calling out to the horses on the field, as she pushed on her lead rope to try and drag Patrick back out to the field. She absolutely loves the sport,” O’Reilly said.

The veterinarian says the ability to start at lower levels where play is slower makes for a great training environment; horses can learn maneuvers without feeling pushed. That allows owners to get a feel for whether the horse is enjoying the sport.

“The horses have to enjoy running up behind and passing their competitors as well as being willing to contact and push another horse shoulder to shoulder,” O’Reilly said. “A horse needs to have trust in their rider that the rider will keep them from harm’s way, and they also need to have the heart it takes to chase after that ball or defensively chase down an opposing horse and rider team.”

While any sport involving horses can be dangerous for the animal or the rider, polocrosse has some built-in protocols that help reduce injury. Horses are only allowed to compete for 54 minutes a day during tournaments. Because they alternate chukkas, horse and rider get to rest as often as they play and only go full-out for a few minutes at a time. Horses and riders wear protective gear. And the spongy ball means getting hit with an errant throw won’t cause an injury.

O’Reilly said the sport has made improvements over the years that mirror current changes in other sporthorse industries to uphold equine welfare. She expects the sport to continue striving to reach higher standards, citing the United States Equestrian Federation and the United States Pony Clubs as good examples.

She personally would like to see increased efforts to promote a “Best Conditioned Horse” award at tournaments, encouraging pre-event evaluations as well as ones immediately after heavy exertion. She believes this would benefit not only the horses but the sport as a whole. She would also like to see emergency contact information posted on every stall or pen that a horse will be staying in unattended or overnight.

“Horses will be horses, and sometimes they manage to get loose from their pens or start to show signs of colic,” O’Reilly said. “While every sport has its risks, especially when horses are involved, I feel fortunate that most injuries that happen on the field are not career limiting, and that the ‘freak catastrophes’ are far and few between.”

Any healthy horse can be a polocrosse horse, just as people of any age can learn to play, riders said.

To learn more, visit the Lone Star Polocrosse Club at facebook.com/lonestarpolocrosse or check out americanpolocrosse.org.

FLYING THE FRIENDLY SKIES OF EAST WILCO

Bustling airports seeing more flights

Central Texas is a global destination for birdwatching, with more than 400 species observed in the area, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

In addition to martins and warblers, the sky over Williamson County is filled with other types of winged wonders: helicopters, corporate jets, crop dusters, military aircraft and private planes crisscross the clouds, departing from numerous local, privately owned airstrips as well as the Taylor Municipal Airport.

In the Taylor and Hutto area, much of the air traffic is commercial.

Corporate planes and helicopters land at Taylor’s city-owned airport, 303 Airport Road. Airplane and helicopter flying classes are held there, too. There is a heliport for executive helicopter service just west of Hutto. Crop dusters frequently take off from private airstrips. The plane often seen carrying advertising banners launches from the Taylor airport.

The Taylor airport is also home to a branch of AirLife Texas, a medical helicopter service. Airlife Texas opened its Taylor helicopter base in December 2025. It is a division of Air Methods helicopter transport, one of the nation’s leading emergency air medical service providers.

WE’RE AIRBORNE

Although it’s not nearly the size of Austin Bergstrom International Airport, the Taylor Municipal Airport stays busy, officials said.

The airport has 64 hangars on-site. All are currently being used and there is a long waiting list of hopeful renters. Airport Manager Stacey Batch reported there were 58,984 total airport operations (takeoffs and landings) from the facility in 2025. The facility sold 47,707 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel, which more than doubled from the previous year.

“The Taylor Municipal Airport provides aviation access for businesses, corporate travelers and general aviation users, allowing the city to connect to regional and statewide markets,” Batch said. “The airport is officially classified by the Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Division as a general-aviation business service airport. What that means is the airport doesn’t provide your typical commercial airline service, but instead serves general aviation aircraft including private, corporate and charter aircraft.”

Batch shared some data from the Texas Department of Transportation regarding the airport, which is designated by the Federal Aviation Administration as “T74.” The data is drawn from an economic impact study done in 2018, which a TxDOT spokesman said was in the process of being updated.

Even though the data predates Taylor’s current industrial boom and economic growth, the numbers are significant, officials said.

The state study estimated the airport’s total annual economic impact in 2018 at $6.33 million. The report showed the airport supports 74 jobs with an annual payroll of $1.83 million.

Today, with Samsung Austin Semiconductor and the Hutto Megasite leading a full host of international companies flocking to the area, having a conveniently located airport could be a competitive boon for the city, officials said.

“While it may not be the benefit that makes or breaks an economic development deal, (the airport) is certainly icing on the cake for those who would like quick access in and out of the city to visit their facilities without having to travel to Austin,” said Daniel Seguin, executive director of Community Services.

In 2024, the city contracted with Woolpert, an international design and development company, to create an airport master plan. The study found the 80-yearold facility needed major upgrades and recommended improvements to the airstrip and surrounding facilities totaling about $69 million over a 20-year span.

The consulting firm recommended the runway be extended by at least 1,000 feet to meet the length needed for jet aircraft, construct a new terminal building of at least 6,250 square feet, and add at least 66,000 square feet of hangar space to meet the demands of future tenants.

RISING HIGHER

Efrain Lopez, a former Taylor Airport Advisory Board member, said while the facility is a great benefit for the city, the potential is there for it to become much more.

Lopez owns Taylor Aviation Services, tavservices.com, an aircraft maintenance and repair shop at the Taylor airport.

Lopez has been in aviation since 1982 and has lived in Taylor since 2005. He bought the mechanic business from its previous owner seven years ago and has been watching as Taylor loses ground to the Austin Executive Airport, which opened in 2011, and the Georgetown Executive Airport, or GTU, which is older than Taylor’s airport.

Both executive airports have longer runway lengths and can accept larger aircraft. Austin Executive Airport also has extended amenities for corporate pilots, who are often stuck for hours or even overnight between their arrival and when their clients want to return home. Entertainment rooms, a weather room, a comfortable lounge, massage chairs and help to book lodging for overnight stays are part of the services offered to visiting pilots.

Taylor Municipal Airport has a small pilots’ lounge area in a 1950s-era Quonset hut where pilots can wait, but it needs upgraded décor and added services, Lopez said.

“It’s just not up to the times and you have these corporate people that want better, especially when it is offered to them not far down the road. By all means, I don’t mean anything in a bad way. I want this place to grow. But if you’re going to be attracting executive people, they’re not going to come to this place where they have to pump their own fuel,” Lopez said.

The business owner agrees with much of what is in the consulting firm’s marketing plan, affirming that more hangars and a longer runway will go a long way toward helping move Taylor’s airport to the next level.

Lopez said the combination of affordable, available planes and economic growth in the area is creating an environment where Taylor could capitalize on an underserved market and bring more business to the city and the airport.

“It’s not that they’re chomping at the bit to come here. It’s just that they’re chomping at the bit to find anyplace to keep their airplane out of the weather. If we were to build another 100 hangars they would be immediately gobbled up,” he said. “This place is definitely in the spot for tremendous growth if we keep up with it. If not, we’ll stay behind.”

Taylor Aviation Services provides onsite services that help corporate pilots and private aircraft owners keep their planes in the air. Everything from new tires and required annual check-ups to full engine replacements can be done in the TAS hangar. The city airport is also home to businesses that work on aircraft navigation systems and on helicopter repair, all important services for an airport to offer.

The requirement to do thorough yearly checkups and routine preventive maintenance is what helps to keep older planes flying.

The oldest plane Lopez’s shop is working on is currently a 1953 model, but he knows many people who are flying World War II-era craft. Lopez said while he has seen 1960s aircraft purchased for as little as $15,000, once the mechanical and restoration work is done the total investment could be $50,000.

“It was probably cost prohibitive back in the day, but now there are a lot of people who have the means to afford an aircraft,” Lopez said.

YOUR OWN LANDING STRIP

A person with as little as 10 acres of land can create a landing strip for a small aircraft, according to Taylor native and pilot Dayton Dabbs. He is a corporate pilot and owner of Lone Star Magni Gyro, facebook.com/dayton.dabbs.

He trains gyroplane pilots in his spare time and has flown his gyro around the country.

“Aviation is not something that is necessarily just for the rich or affluent,” he said. “There’s plenty of folks out there flying $15,000 airplanes that they maintain and operate for really not much more than what it costs to own a boat, or any other sort of a recreational vehicle.”

Dabbs started taking flying lessons at age 14 and got his pilot’s certification at 17. He currently is one of only five people in the United States authorized by the FAA as a certification examiner for gyroplane pilot licenses.

The lifelong flight enthusiast has flown his gyro from Taylor to Los Angeles to New York and back. In 2017, Dabbs and three other gyroplane pilots flew to Havana.

According to the group, they were the first U.S. flyers in 60 years to legally cross the Straits of Florida and land in Cuba under visual flight rules. They were also the first to leave in that manner.

The round-trip to the island took about 40 hours of flight time spread over six days, Dabbs said. Gyroplanes can travel about 300 miles before refueling and the average speed is 90-100 miles per hour.

“The reason you fly a gyroplane is not to get from point A to point B quickly. It’s actually a pretty slow aircraft, but it flies low enough to where you can see all the sights. The maneuverability is incredible. It really is just as close to being Superman as you can get,” he said.

In addition to recreational use, gyroplanes are sometimes used by police departments because of their ability to fly at low altitudes.

Dabbs agrees more people are now able to afford to own and fly an aircraft and hopes to see a growing interest in recreational flying and pilot training among locals.

“I would love to encourage children, teenagers. If they dream of aviation, it is very achievable and they are capable of doing it,” Dabbs said.

One of the largest impediments to owning an aircraft is finding a hangar to house it near an airstrip. Dabbs said this is why many people opt to build their own airstrip and hangar. While registering a small private airstrip or helipad with the FAA is considered a best practice, it is not required. There are few obstacles other than owning adequate land.

Hangar communities such as Cross Country Estates just north of Hutto allow multiple residential properties to share resources. The subdivision features 29 homes with hangars or airplane tie-downs on lots from 1 to 5 acres, each with its own taxiway access to a shared 2,500-foot airstrip.

MANY REWARDS TO FLYING

Taylor native Tim Mikeska has spent 50 years working in emergency services. He has served on the Taylor Airport Advisory Board and is the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Airport Support Network representative for the area.

Mikeska volunteers to provide compassionate flights for nonprofit organizations such as Pilots N Paws, pilotsnpaws.org.

In 2023, Mikeska flew an emergency flight to rescue a pup named Paco who was scheduled for euthanasia in a kill-shelter in the Rio Grande Valley. Working together, Valley Dog Rescue and Austin Pets Alive had found a home for Paco in Colorado, but someone was needed to pick up the dog immediately before his date with death.

Mikeska literally swooped in to save the day.

“For me, as a pilot, the greatest satisfaction is knowing that a seat in that airplane can change someone’s day, their future or even their life,” he said. “I don’t love flying because it lets me escape the world. I love flying because it allows me to reach more of it. It’s worth all the expense of owning an airplane when you can touch people and pets’ lives like this.”

It really is just as close to being Superman as you can

get.”

— DAYTON DABBS PILOT

At 6-feet 4-inches tall, this is literally true for Dennis Gustav Levitin, a Danish-born street muralist, Taylor Press cartoonist, hip-hop performer and dedicated dad, who often towers over the people around him.

But if that weren’t enough, for many years Levitin could also be seen walking through downtown Taylor clad in a Spider-Man onesie with his son, Mikail, now 12.

“When my son was young, I was aware that he was not going to be 4 or 5 or 6 again, so I had fun with him,” Levitin said. “It was for me and Mikail. Both of us would go all dressed up for movie premieres at the Howard (Theatre) for ‘Star Wars’ and other movies .. . but Spider-Man was just our thing.”

Levitin credits his native Denmark for a diverse childhood filled with theater, playing outside, dressing up in costumes and more, which later inspired his parenting as well as a career as a counselor for at-risk youth through a Danish afterschool program.

“I used a lot of my imagination there,” Levitin said. “I was drawing for the kids. We were playing Lego and making swords out of foam. We were making graffiti and doing anti-bullying campaigns.”

Levitin, who is part Jewish, said his family escaped the Holocaust during World War II by fleeing to Sweden.

Though Levitin was raised in a secular home and wasn’t even told about his ancestry until he was a teenager due to family fears of antisemitism and trauma, he has since studied the Torah and explores the Jewish faith through his art and music.

One reason for Levitin’s fascination with comic book characters also has to do with discovering the Jewish identity of some of the creators of his favorite childhood superheroes.

“A lot of the forerunners in this business were American Jewish immigrants, European immigrants, who came over here,” he said. “The men who formed Superman were Hungarian immigrants, and Stan Lee (the creator of Spider-Man) is also Jewish.”

Levitin said he immigrated to Taylor for love in 2009. However, he stayed even after the relationship did not work out for his son’s sake and for the many people in town who had become like family.

“Taylor is wonderful,” Levitin said. “I can’t say anything negative about the community.”

Levitin’s colorful cartoon illustrations and murals can be seen all over town, including on the walls of Old Taylor High, in the courtyard of Black Sparrow Music Parlor, on the garden door of St. James’ Episcopal Church and in other locales.

Black Sparrow owner Shannon Bagent, who has hired Levitin to work her door during live music performances for many years, said Levitin has become a lifelong friend.

“I feel like he has supported me more than me supporting him,” Bagent said. “He has provided art at no cost to me for my venue, which adds artistic integrity to the place. Not to mention he’s my only door guy. He has never not shown up. He has never been late.”

But Bagent didn’t know how good of a rapper Levitin was until he performed during an open mic night about a year into his working there, she said.

“He said, ‘Drop the beat, Shannon,’” Bagent recalled. “And I did drop the beat. And he became this superhero-type stretched out across the stage, with his arms out and legs spread out in the most charismatic physical cadence.”

“It just blew my mind,” she added. Levitin even played a role in the genesis of Potter’s Alley several years ago after befriending several building owners. They wanted to clean up the alley and encouraged him to paint on their rear exterior walls and even collaborate with them on several art projects.

The alley is located behind the McCrory Timmerman Building at Second and North Main streets.

“One day a guy who owns a building (on Potter’s Alley) sees me doing graffiti and street art with my chalk stuff, and he likes the art,” Levitin said. “I did not ask to paint on his wall. I did not have any plans on doing graffiti on the buildings downtown, but it was requested by people who like this type of art.”

Fellow artist Judy Blundell, the owner of the McCrory Timmerman Building, was one of those people. Blundell said she hired Levitin as a kitchen cook for a delicatessen she used to run and has had him illustrate a dog on the back of the structure along the alley among other art projects over the years for different events and exhibitions.

“He is a talented artist, and he is more than anything, I think, willing to do whatever it takes to keep his son safe,” said Blundell.

“He’s one of those guys who is always open,” she added. “He doesn’t seem to have a ‘too-hard’ basket.”

Jason Hennington, the former editor of the Taylor Press and now a Hutto High School educator, said during the COVID-19 pandemic, Levitin jumped at the chance to create a semiautobiographical cartoon strip featuring him and his son, which still runs every Sunday in the newspaper.

“I was like, ‘Hey, a comic book would be great if you could do that for the paper,’” Hennington said. “And he was just like, ‘Just tell me what you want, and we will go from there.’” Since that time, Levitin has used the medium to have fun and to show his creativity — but also to raise awareness about local issues, Hennington said.

“He did one where he and Mikail were over by one of the parks, and apparently there had been people who had run over turtles and messed with them,” Hennington said. “In the cartoon, he and Mikail saved a turtle, and then at the end of it, Mikail was like, ‘Hey, these animals are here too. This is their home.’” Levitin also volunteers with Taylor Press’ annual 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament to support local scholarships and nonprofits.

“He is basically the director of the youth part,” said Hennington, the tournament’s organizer. “He makes sure all the games go on, he makes sure everybody that needs to play is there and ready, and he keeps all the scores.”

Despite being a Scandinavian-born graffiti artist, Hennington said Levitin has become an integral part of the Taylor community — and he is glad to have him as a friend.

“At first it was like, ‘Hmm, who is this guy again, and where is he from?’” Hennington said. “I asked him a couple of times, ‘How did you end up in Taylor?’ And he would go through the whole thing. And then I’d be like ‘OK, with everything that happened to you, this is where you are supposed to be. There is a reason you are here.’”

Developers have planted the seeds of growth through arrangements with area cities and plat approvals for numerous new subdivisions in the unincorporated areas of the county.

Less expensive land outside Travis County has been pushing developers further into surrounding counties such as Williamson, Bastrop and Hays for several years.

Demand, in East Wilco in particular, is expected to boom as workers seek homes closer to a host of new employers in the area including a Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. semiconductor foundry, suppliers to the South Korean chipmaker and service and manufacturing companies catering to the artificial intelligence boom.

Between January and April, 994 residential building permits were filed for Williamson County, according to HBW Inc., which collects and analyzes construction data for Texas and Florida.

In 2025, there were 2,609 permits filed in the county, according to HBW. That made up 3.5% of all permits in Texas last year and nearly a third of all permits in the greater Austin metro area.

“Williamson County continues to attract sustained development interest due to land availability, infrastructure expansion and relative affordability compared to central Austin,” HBW reported. “While overall permit volume is lower than Houston or Dallas, the capital region remains strategically important for factors including but not limited to employment growth, technology-sector expansion and long-term population inflow.” In Taylor, there are 1,400 new residential units across several developments and more than 900 more under construction, according to statistics provided by the city.

A TALE OF EAST WILCO CITIES

By early this year, additional projects are expected to break ground on at least 140 more houses.

“For a community with 6,000 residential units, that is quite the rapid growth, and we expect this growth to continue to speed up,” said Daniel Seguin, Taylor’s executive director of community services.

He said the number of new housing developments should accelerate even more after the city finishes updating the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code updates.

Hutto, which has the advantage of being closer to Austin and on the Texas 130 toll road, was recently named the 13th fastest growing city in Texas by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The 7.9% increase in Hutto’s population from July 2024 to July 2025 puts the city at 46,000 residents, up from about 27,000 in the 2020 Census.

The growth is prompted by the proximity to Austin and the employment boom, said planners.

While there are at least a dozen new subdivisions actively expanding or in the works in Hutto and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, the scope of some is much larger than in Taylor, sporting more largescale mixed-use projects with residential real estate a big part of the mix.

For example, Wolfe Property Holdings is working on a 257-acre project called Gateway at Hutto. There are 68 acres set aside for 285 stand-alone houses. Total residential units including townhomes and apartments come to 1,140 at the intersection of CR 137 and East Wilco Highway.

Even small East Wilco cities are getting in on the action.

Thrall, which boasts a population of less than 900 residents, is surrounded on three sides by land owned by the Stiles Farm Foundation operated as an experimental site of the Texas A&M University Agricultural Extension Service.

Another large tract of family-owned land won’t be for sale anytime soon and that doesn’t leave a lot of room to grow. However, Countryside Estates, which launched its first phase in 2018, is moving forward with another section.

There are another 97 houses planned for the next stage, said Melissa Perry, city secretary for Thrall.

That could increase the city population by a few hundred people, but without much area to develop, a population explosion isn’t expected.

“We will stay a small town, even with Samsung jobs” in neighboring Taylor, Perry said.

While Granger, a city of about 1,200 people, isn’t the epicenter of the residential growth boom, city leaders know it will eventually come their way.

For now, there is one development platted for more than 100 homes, but it has been on the books for years with some infrastructure in place, said Christy CavnessBradshaw, Granger city administrator.

“There is more and more coming this way,” CavnessBradshaw said, noting development outside the city limits to the south along Texas 95. “It’s going to create more city needs, but it could lead to more businesses. It’s coming whether we like it or not.”

SAYING NO TO ANNEXATION

In the unincorporated areas of Williamson County, there is a slew of activity, some of which is spurred by a state law that allows landowners to pull out of city annexations.

That makes the development subject to only county codes and agreements. The requirements of municipalities can be more variable depending on the makeup of the planning and zoning boards and city councils of various cities.

Developers argue they can offer better value to homebuyers outside the city limits, but they are on the hook for providing key infrastructure that cities would normally provide developments inside their ETJ.

Creating those services, say proponents of pulling out of the sphere of city government influences, sometimes come at a hefty price tag or long after residents have moved in.

Much of that planned growth in the region is in East Williamson County.

There were 23 approved preliminary plats for new subdivisions in the unincorporated areas of the county in fiscal year 2024. The county engineer for Williamson County recorded 62 approved final plats for subdivisions in the same year.

There were more filings in 2025, when 30 preliminary plats for subdivisions were OK’d by the county. Approved final plats for the year totaled 51, according to statistics provided by county officials.

“Preliminary plats can be large and have multiple phases,” said County Engineer Adam Boatright in a written statement. “They are more of an indicator of future development that is in the process but may not have started construction.”

Because there needs to be a way to provide and govern infrastructure for subdivisions in the unincorporated areas, it is common to form a municipal utility district, or a MUD.

There were 15 such districts created from Oct. 1, 2023, through the end of September 2025, with 10 of those MUDs located in East Williamson County.

As of late February, there were nine pending MUD creations, with five located in Precinct 4 in East Wilco, according to the county.

“In the last 22 months, just over six square miles of property in Wilco has been covered by new MUDs,” Boatright wrote. Representing 3,860 acres, “that equates to enough property for over 30,000 additional residents.”

The housing market in Williamson County showed mixed signals in April with the number of houses sold in the month down 1.3% to 878 compared to the same month last year.

The median sales price declined 4.1% to $412,490, according to data from the Austin Board of Realtors and Unlock MLS.

Travis County home prices remain high compared to the region, with an April median sales price of $505,000, 1.9% less than last April.

That affordability issue continues to drive new home development into neighboring counties.

“In April, the rise in sale – both year-over-year and month-over-month – indicates that buyers are purchasing homes because it is a good investment,” said ABoR President John Crowe. “At the same time, affordability remains one of the biggest challenges facing Central Texas families. That’s why expanding housing supply at a variety of accessible price points remains so important.”

STANDING TALL IN TAYLOR New Gov. Dan Moody statue unveiled, Juneteenth rodeo exhibit opens

TAYLOR — The year 2026 marks the city’s 150th birthday observance. To celebrate, the Dan Moody Museum is showcasing its long-awaited bronze statue of Moody, a Taylor native and the youngest governor of Texas.

The unveiling took place this month at the museum, 114 W. Ninth S.

Joe Kenney of Georgetown created the life-size image. Moody stood 6-feet 1-inch tall.

The museum is in the 1887 home built by the Robertson family when they moved to Taylor from Eastern Tennessee. When Dan’l Moody (Dan Moody’s father) married Nancy Robertson in 1890, he moved into the house, and they started a family.

Meanwhile, Taylor is also observing its ties to African American culture with an exhibition downtown paying homage to Black rodeo stars as part of Juneteenth celebrations.

ABOUTDANMOODY

Daniel James Moody was born on June 1, 1893, in Taylor. He graduated from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1914.

Before he became governor of Texas at 33, he was the youngest district attorney in Williamson County and made a name for himself successfully trying a case against the Ku Klux Klan.

In 1924, he sent four members of the KKK to prison. The next year, he was elected Texas attorney general.

During the time Moody served as the state’s top prosecutor, he investigated former state Gov. James E. Ferguson and his wife, Miriam A. “Ma” Ferguson, who was serving as governor at the time.

In 1927, Moody defeated Ma Ferguson in a runoff election to become the 30th governor of the Lone Star State.

Moody served two terms from 1927 to 1931. Afterward, he returned to private practice in Austin. He died on May 22, 1966, and is buried at the Texas State Cemetery.

FROM IDEA TO INSTALLATION

It has taken about 10 years from idea to installation for the sculpture of Moody to become reality.

The Friends of the Moody Museum — a nonprofit that supports the museum’s preservation, community outreach and events — spearheaded the statue initiative.

According to Susan Komandosky, Advisory Board chairwoman for the museum, the initial meeting with sculptor Kenney occurred in 2017. Then the Friends went to work raising funds.

“Our original plan was to raise the money and have the statue by 2020, but we all know what happened that year,” said Komandosky, referring to the COVID-19 outbreak that brought so many operations to a standstill.

But now “the statue will stand on a plaza situated on the east side of the front lawn at the museum, covered with bricks and a granite plaque listing the major donors,” she added.

According to Komandosky, the plaza was provided by the city, with funding for the sculpture paid by the Friends of the Moody Museum and “many generous donors.”

SCULPTOR JOE KENNEY

After retiring as the chief executive officer of a health management company he founded, Kenney started sculpting in earnest in 2001. He studied at the University of Oklahoma and the Loveland Colorado Academy of Fine Arts after receiving his master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Minnesota earlier in his career.

The Friends supplied images, and then Kenney went to work crafting a piece worth of a former Texas governor.

“The sculpture is standing in a traditional Greek and Roman posture, presenting an open and dignified figure,” Kenney said.

ARTISTIC PROCESS

Kenney uses ZBrush, a virtual 3D digital sculpting and painting tool, to create his bronze artwork. This method eliminates the need for a ladder or crawling under large statues.

Kenney can also reduce or enlarge a statue for another casting. He doesn’t have to physically store the molds at this studio.

According to Kenney, it takes about the same amount of time to sculpt in clay as it does on his computer.

“It is basically the same process, except in clay to make a change, the artists cut the clay or add more. Digital has a history and auto-save feature; if I decide I am not happy with the results, I can go back to the file created prior,” the artist said.

THE PYROLOGY FOUNDRY AND STUDIO

Located in Bastrop, the Pyrology Foundry and Studio crafted the bronze.

After an artist is pleased with his or her sculpture, the Pyrology Foundry artisans handle the next step. The foundry can use the lost-wax method to cast bronze sculptures, a 6,500-year-old method or a variation utilizing a 3D-printed original.

First, the artisans at the foundry create a mold using the artist’s clay or polymer material by covering it in several thin layers of silicone rubber, then adding a plaster housing. Next, hot wax is poured into the mold, where it cools and hardens.

The foundry has then created a wax duplicate of the original sculpture. Then, a foundry artisan fixes flaws in the casting and adds exit channels for the molten bronze to flow during the casting process.

Next, the wax sculpture is dipped into a ceramic slurry until it reaches a half inch in thickness. It is then finished with silica sand and allowed to dry, in a process called investing.

After investing, the ceramic mold with the wax inside is heated in a kiln. The interior wax melts, creating a mold in the void.

According to Kenney, the foundry made high-resolution 3D prints of his Moody statue using a proprietary polymer material, similar to the lost-wax process.

The 3D print is an alternative to creating a ceramic mold and then a wax positive to burn out of a shell.

Bronze blocks are placed inside a graphite crucible, then moved to a furnace and heated to 2,000 degrees.

Once molten, the metal is removed and poured into the sculpture’s mold and left to cool for 24 hours.

The ceramic mold is removed by chipping or sandblasting, and the bronze exit channels are removed. To apply a patina, the foundry uses chemicals and heat; the sculpture’s bronze reacts and oxidizes.

For the debut of Taylor’s Moody statue, the foundry transported and installed the piece at the museum.

LEARNMOREABOUTMOODY

The museum is open 2-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It is free to enter and offers tours. For additional information, visit moodymuseum.com.

According to staffers, there are several books to learn more about the 30th governor of Texas.

• “

10 Dollars to Hate”

by Patricia Bernstein offers a broad explanation of the Ku Klux Klan and its power in the 1920s.

• “

You Can’t Do That, Dan Moody!”

is a 1998 young-adult biography and later a play by Ken Anderson, a former prosecutor and state district judge.

• “ Dan Moody, Crusader for Justice,” a 2008 follow-up by Anderson and a more comprehensive biography and legal history.

• “

Klan on Trial,”

a 2017 short movie written by television personality Chet Garner and Emily Treadway. The latter is a reporter for the Taylor Press and a contributor to East Wilco Insider.

SOUL CIRCUIT: JUNETEENTH RODEOS IN TEXAS EXHIBIT

The McCrory Timmerman Gallery and the Dickey Museum & Multicultural Center will host “Soul Circuit: Juneteenth Rodeos in Texas,” an art exhibit honoring Juneteenth.

The exhibit illustrates the network of Black rodeos across Texas with 43 blackand-white framed photographs.

Based on the book “Juneteenth Rodeo” by photographer Sarah Bird, the exhibit was organized by the Neill-Cochran House Museum of Austin and presented in partnership with Humanities Texas.

“This opportunity to elevate Black culture through storytelling is 100% in alignment with the mission of the Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center,” said Nakevia Miller, executive director of the museum. ‘We look forward to ensuring that the stories, traditions and art of East Williamson County are remembered, celebrated and elevated.”

“Soul Circuit: Juneteenth Rodeos in Texas” runs through July 15 at the McCrory Timmerman Gallery, 112 W.

Second St.

As Hutto and Taylor both plan celebrations in 2026 to mark 150 years of existence, a look back at the historical record and interviews with local historians highlight 10 of what are considered the most important or consequential events in each town’s development.

TAYLOR

JUNE 1876 THE INTERNATIONAL & GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD

The International & Great Northern Railroad arrived in Taylor and created a city.

Through its New York and Texas Land Co., the railroad began selling lots on the north side of Taylor and laid out streets, parks and a town square, according to reports.

The town, originally dubbed “Taylorsville,” was named after Edward Moses Taylor, a railroad official.

Immigrants including Czechs, Germans and Swedes moved to town, which would grow into a major center for cotton, cattle and grain.

FEB 1879 GREAT FIRE OF 1879

On Feb. 25, 1879, 29 out of 32 buildings burned down, but this offered an opportunity for rebirth, said former Mayor Brandt Rydell.

“It was kind of a ramshackle railroad town with quick construction and wooden structures that were hastily put together, so it was ripe for a conflagration,” Rydell said.

“They learned their lessons, and they came in with brick and stone which, to this day, is the defining characteristic of the architectural identity of downtown Taylor.”

Rydell is a member of the Taylor Conservation and Heritage Society.

1882-1883 THE MISSOURI-KANSAS-TEXAS RAILROAD ARRIVES

The arrival of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, or MKT, linked Central Texas to critical points north, including Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, and Kansas City, essentially ending the historic Chisholm Trail cattle drive, said Dan Doss, a member of the Williamson County Historical Commission.

“Instead of ranchers driving their cattle all the way into Kansas, they could now just drive them over into Taylor,” he said. “It was a transport hub, and they would put them on the train, and there was a stockyard down there on First Street where the cattle got loaded.”

EARLY 1900S COTTON BOOM

At the turn of the 20th century, Taylor was known as the largest inland cotton market in the world, Rydell said.

“You can go all through Taylor, and people see these beautiful old homes and large estates, which are the vestiges of the incredible wealth that was here during that time,” he added.

Despite the declining importance of rail in the later 20th century, Taylor remained the biggest city in Williamson County until the 1980s, he added.

1921 FLOOD OF 1921

In September 1921, more than 23 inches of rain fell in less than a 24-hour period. According to reports, bridges were washed away, railroads were cut off and more than 90 residents perished.

Doss said this historic flood caused the Legislature to enact changes that prioritized flood control and building safer bridges.

1922 STARDOM FOR TAYLOR’S BILL PICKETT

Legendary African American rodeo cowboy Bill Pickett performed alongside Will Rogers and Buffalo Bill Cody as part of the 101 Ranch Wild West Show during the early 1900s, including for celebrities and heads of state. In 1922, Pickett starred as himself in “The Bull Dogger” film. Pickett pioneered a unique maneuver used even today by rodeo cowboys to bring down bulls.

1923 DAN MOODY PROSECUTES THE KKK Taylor native Dan Moody, then district attorney for Travis and Williamson counties, secured convictions against four Klansmen from Taylor accused of brutally beating and tarring a White man. In 1927, Moody would become the youngest governor in Texas’ history at age 33.

1924 THE TAYLOR DUCKS ARE BORN

The origin of the Taylor High School mascot comes from the last name of 1920s-era Coach C.R. Drake, which also means “adult male duck.”

“The 1924 (football) season had been especially rainy,” according to Tim Crow, a retired spokesman for the Taylor Independent School District. “And fans began to say the team looked like a flock of ducks on the muddy field…For the remainder of Drake’s tenure, the team was referred to as ‘Drake’s Ducks.’”

1953 JAMES L. DICKEY HONORED

During the height of segregation, James L. Dickey, a Black physician, received from White city leaders the award for “Most Outstanding Man of the Year for 1952” honoring his vaccination efforts during a typhoid outbreak as well as for other achievements — garnering worldwide press coverage.

2021 SAMSUNG AUSTIN SEMICONDUCTOR ANNOUNCED

On Nov. 23, 2021, the South Korean manufacturing giant Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced it was building a $17 billion facility in Taylor to be known as Samsung Austin Semiconductor.

“This was the single most significant and consequential development for the economy of this area since the railroad came through in 1876,” said Rydell, who served as Taylor mayor from 2017-2024. “So rail took us through most of the first 150 years of the town’s existence, and we can point to the railroad as the key driver in Taylor’s success and prosperity, and I think we are going to see that now with Samsung and high-tech in general being the driver for the next 150 years.” 1854-1855 1854 OR EARLY 1855 ADAM ORGAIN ARRIVES

HUTTO

Adam Orgain is credited with being one of Hutto’s first settlers, and in 2022, government leaders named a 65-acre park, located at 1001 CR 137, in his honor.

The 17-year-old African American slave probably lived in a one-room cabin in the grasslands north of Brushy Creek, now downtown Hutto, to tend the cattle of his master, Sterling Orgain, officials said.

1862 JAMES EMORY HUTTO

James Emory Hutto is the town’s founder and namesake.

In 1862, Hutto purchased 200 acres of blackland prairie along Brushy Creek, followed by an additional 300 acres in 1870. Hutto would go on to become a successful cattleman and cotton grower, said Hutto resident and history commission member Jon Stephenson.

1876 INTERNATIONAL & GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD

On April 17, 1876, Hutto and others sold easements for the International & Great Northern Railroad to lay its tracks, which would soon run from Hearn through Milam and Williamson Counties with stops in Taylor, Hutto and eventually Austin.

“The old steam engines in 1876 had to have water every ten to 25 miles for steam locomotion to power the engine with people and freight and cars,” Doss said. “At those stations, you would see water towers, which was why the railroad created so many stops. Towns were created all over America because of the trains coming through.”

In the same year, railroad officials bought an additional 50 acres on the north side of the tracks from Hutto and named the train stop “Hutto Station,” said local historian and former Hutto Mayor Mike Fowler.

1878 LOTS SOLD AS THE TOWN GROWS

Hutto and the Orgain family sold lots on the south side of the tracks and saw the town start to expand.

“Before Hutto was established in 1876, families lived along Brushy Creek, but with the railroad, a lot of the people moved into town because they saw the economic opportunities of being near the railroad,” Stephenson said.

New development included a oneroom schoolhouse, a saloon, a church, a post office, a general store and a lumber business, according to reports.

POST 1880S COTTON BOOM

Between 1880-1890, many immigrants, especially from Sweden, began to arrive in the area to grow cotton.

”Cotton was by then commonly called ‘the white gold of Texas,’” Fowler said. “Many new faces were to be seen in the area as a new community developed very rapidly. It was reported that Hutto had 200 residents, a school, three churches and five cotton gins by 1884.”

By 1937, a group of farmers formed a cotton cooperative and stored bales near the railroad. One yard existed northwest of downtown Hutto, by Main and West streets, but it later moved to where The Hutto Co-op currently stands on the west side of town at 420 U.S. 79, Stephenson said.

1886 TORNADO

A major storm in 1886 heavily damaged the new business center of Hutto on the south side of the railroad tracks. In the aftermath, new development relocated to the north side of the tracks.

1900s 20TH CENTURY FIRES

A series of fires, in 1901, 1902, 1916 and 1972 caused the east side of East Street, previously a part of the main commercial drag, to never fully be redeveloped.

“The first two fires led the city to establish a volunteer fire department,” Stephenson said. “Before the 1902 fire, the city had no fire department, only a firebucket brigade.”

1911

HUTTO OFFICIALLY INCORPORATED

By 1911, after Hanstrom and Tinning Water Works drilled the city’s first deepwater well and a new power plant was built, which included electrifying the households of the city, Hutto was ready to incorporate, city officials said.

Willis Dandridge “WD” Holman, a cotton buyer, served as the town’s first mayor.

“The town had gradually grown from 1877-1911, but when the city had its own power source and its own water source, it had developed enough to be incorporated,” Stephenson said. “It led the people to want to have a formal town government to make decisions for how it would continue to be developed, and not just be a drop-off point along the railroad.”

1915

GREAT HIPPO CIRCUS TRAIN ESCAPE

In 1915, a local circus troupe on a railroad train reportedly stopped in Hutto to refuel and water the animals, and during that interval, a hippo escaped from a railcar to nearby Cottonwood Creek, which “flowed beneath the railroad tracks just to the east of the then-Hutto Railroad Depot,” according to Fowler.

“It’s a popular story that became the basis of the identity for the city,” Stephenson added. “But it may be more legend than fact. We have no historically verifiable information to say it ever happened at this point.”

Legend or not, hundreds of hippo statues today dot the city and the animal is the mascot of Hutto High School.

2006

OPENING OF TEXAS 130

With the opening of Texas 130, a toll road that runs parallel to Interstate 35 and connects Hutto to Georgetown, Austin and San Antonio by way of Seguin, Hutto began a period of unprecedented growth which continues to this day.

From the 2000 census, Hutto grew from 1,228 residents to almost 15,000 just 10 years later.

The toll road has allowed residents to find affordable housing with a 30-minute commute to downtown Austin, said Mike Snyder, Hutto’s mayor.

“You can go 80 miles per hour on it, and you can get from here to (Austin Bergstrom International) airport in like 25 minutes,” he said. “I think that allows people to live out here and not have long commutes.”

Today, the city boasts just under 50,000 residents, and the recent arrival of Samsung to the area has only fueled the population boom, Snyder said.

“Really, our biggest milestone has been the unprecedented growth,” Snyder said. “With the last count of the (Hutto Independent School District), there were just over 50 languages spoken in Hutto. We have people from Ukraine, Afghanistan, all over South America and Europe. It’s just an amazing group of people all coming here for the same thing: opportunity.”

A fun guide to Taylor

Swoosh! This year is going by fast and school is nearly over. The kids need something to do this summer, and it would be ideal if it were inexpensive.

From Taylor’s parks to its library to a new theater camp, families will find free activities in June and July. A couple of art camps round out the offering, keeping the kids busy while the mercury climbs.

PARKS AND REC: JUNE FREE SPORTS CLINICS

Taylor’s Parks and Recreation Department will host free sports clinics and events during the break from classes.

School-age kids can join in on the fun from hockey to pickleball, starting June 1.

According to Matt Topham, the city’s recreation coordinator, there is no need to register for any of the summer events or activities.

Here are some free sports clinics for June:

• Hockey on Tuesday and Thursday: June 2 and 4; 9-11 a.m., the Murphy Park Basketball Court, 1600 Veterans Drive

• Football on Tuesday and Thursday: June 9 and 11; 9-11 a.m., Memorial Field, 1213 Davis St.

• Pickleball on Wednesday: June 3 and 10; 9-11 a.m., Murphy Park Pickleball Courts, 1600 Veterans Drive Topham also said a soccer and a tennis clinic are scheduled for June, with details to be announced later.

PARKS AND REC: JUNE SUMMER EVENTS

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will offer family-friendly activities in June, ranging from arts and crafts to movie nights.

• Mini Golf Monday: June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29; 9-11 a.m., Murphy Park Mini Golf Course, 1600 Veterans Drive

• Arts and crafts Wednesday: June 3, 10, 17 and 24; 1-3 p.m., Memorial Field House, 1213 Davis St., in a partnership with the Taylor Public Library

• Splash pad Playday on Friday: June 5,12,19 and 26; 10 a.m. to noon, Heritage Square Park, 401 Main St.

• Summer in the Park Tuesday and Thursday: June 9, 11, 16, 18, 23 and 25, Robinson Park, 1009 E. Martin Luther King Drive

PARKS AND REC: JULY SPORTS AND EVENTS

July events hosted by the Parks and Recreation Department include some that will shift indoors.

• Mini Golf Monday: July 6,13, 20 and 27; 9-11 a.m., Murphy Park Mini Golf Course, 1600 Veterans Drive

• Splash pad Friday: July 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31; 10 a.m. to noon, Heritage Square Park, 401 Main St.

• Basketball Sports Clinic at Taylor Event Center Gym on Tuesday, July 14 and Thursday, July 16; 1 to 3 p.m., 3101 N.

Main St.

• Volleyball Sports Clinic at Taylor Event Center Gym on Tuesday, July 21 and 28 and Thursday, July 23 and 30; 1-3 p.m., 3101 N. Main St.

• Summer in the Park Tuesday and Thursday, July 13, 15, 21, 23, 28 and 30; Robinson Park, 206 S. Dolan Ave. According to Topham, a soccer clinic will also be available in July, with details released at a later time.

POOL AND SPLASH PADS

After a dry summer last year, Taylor has a revitalized pool. Officials said the Doris Roznovak Aquatic Center, 1600 Veterans Drive, is perfect for family fun.

It opens noon May 23, with regular hours Tuesday to Saturday from noon-8 p.m. and Sunday from 1-8 p.m. Adult admission (ages 13 and up) is $4, seniors (60 and older) and children 4 to 12 are $3, with those 3 and younger entering for $2.

There are also city-maintained splash pads.

• Heritage Square Splash Pad, 400 N.

Main St.

• Robinson Park Splash Pad, 206 S.

Dolan Ave.

According to city officials, both splash pads use recirculated water to conserve the resource while providing entertainment.

The system filters and treats water before reusing it, ensuring a safe and sustainable experience for all ages.

TAYLOR PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., will host free family events from June through mid-July. This summer’s theme is dinosaurs.

“We are excited to host programs, see new faces at the library and have a roaring good time this summer,” said Abigail Sachnik, youth services librarian.

According to Rachel Sims, the technical services librarian, there will be crafts on Mondays, movies on Tuesdays, evening story times on Thursdays and teen activities on Fridays.

Each Wednesday, there will be a performer or special event.

“We will also be hosting a summer reading challenge for readers of all ages,” Sims said. Adults and children will be able to win a prize for every two hours spent reading up to 20 hours.”

ARTANDTHEATERCAMPS FOR KIDS

The arts are alive in Taylor this summer for kids. With returning programs at Art Off Center and the Every Time Institute, youths can expand their creative side.

New for summer 2026, the new Taylor Theater Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club of East Williamson County will bring a theater camp for students in grades six to eight.

The Art Off Center is 116 W. Second St., Suite 108; Every Time Institute is 410 W. Seventh St., Suite 203; and the Boys and Girls Club of East Williamson County is at 2500 North Drive.

FREE THEATER CAMP AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB

In a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, the Taylor Theater Foundation will host a free two-week summer theater program this June.

The camp will conclude with a live performance of “The Day the Internet Died.”

The program runs 10 a.m. to noon June 15 to June 26. The program is limited to 20 students.

For more information, contact Mike Kasper at MikeKaspar@aol.com.

ART OFF CENTER

FORCLAYBOOTCAMP

Located along Potter’s Alley, Art Off Center will offer Summer Clay Bootcamp for Kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

According to Melanie Shaw, owner of Art Off Center, the three-day session covers the basic skills of coil building, slab building, pinch pots and decorating with underglazes. Students will be introduced to clay and complete one to three projects per session.

• Summer Clay Bootcamp 1, June 9 to June 11, 10 a.m. to noon

• Summer Clay Bootcamp 2, June 23 to June 25, 10 a.m. to noon

• Summer Clay Bootcamp 3, July 14 to July 16, 10 a.m. to noon

• Summer Clay Bootcamp 4, July 28 to July 30, 10 a.m. to noon Each session is $180 per child ages 5 to 12. The Art Off Center is at 116 W.

Second St., Suite 108.

To register, visit its website at https:// artoffcenter.com/class-registration/.

EVERY TIME INSTITUTE

Nicolas Nadeau owns Every Time Institute, which holds art classes for school-age students and teens. It is located in the Old Taylor High complex.

The classes are “four days of processbased art focused on exploring creativity,” Nadeau said. “Each student is invited to contribute a work of art to our student group show on Saturday, Aug. 15.”

• STUDENTS AGES 7 TO 13

Puppets, Masks and Creatures June 8-June 11, 10 a.m. to noon July 8-July 11, 10 a.m. to noon Exploring the Natural World June 15-June 18, 10 a.m. to noon July 20-July 23, 10 a.m. to noon Anime and Manga

June 22-June 25, 10 a.m. to noon July 27-July 30, 10 a.m. to noon

• TEENS AGES 14 AND OLDER Portrait Painting June 8-June 11, 2-5 p.m. July 8-July 11, 2 -5 p.m.

Drawing and painting from nature June 15-June 18, 2-5 p.m. July 20-July 23, 2-5 p.m.

Anime and manga

June 22-June 25, 2-5 p.m.

July 27-July 30, 2-5 p.m.

All classes are held on the second floor of Old Taylor High, 410 W. Seventh St., Suite 203,. Each class is capped at six students, and materials are provided.

The classes for students 7 to 13 are $200 for the four days.

Teen classes are $250 for the four days. To register, visit the Every Time Institute at https://everytimeinstitute. square.site/.

The Art Off Center is 116 W. Second St., Suite 108; Every Time Institute is 410 W. Seventh St., Suite 203; and the Boys and Girls Club of East Williamson County is at 2500 North Drive.

In a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, the Taylor Theater Foundation will host a free two-week summer theater program this June.

The camp will conclude with a live performance of “The Day the Internet Died.”

The program runs 10 a.m. to noon June 15 to June 26. The program is limited to 20 students.

For more information, contact Mike Kasper at MikeKaspar@aol.com.

ART OFF CENTER

FORCLAYBOOTCAMP

Located along Potter’s Alley, Art Off Center will offer Summer Clay Bootcamp for Kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

According to Melanie Shaw, owner of Art Off Center, the three-day session covers the basic skills of coil building, slab building, pinch pots and decorating with underglazes. Students will be introduced to clay and complete one to three projects per session.

• Summer Clay Bootcamp 1, June 9 to June 11, 10 a.m. to noon

• Summer Clay Bootcamp 2, June 23 to June 25, 10 a.m. to noon

• Summer Clay Bootcamp 3, July 14 to July 16, 10 a.m. to noon

• Summer Clay Bootcamp 4, July 28 to July 30, 10 a.m. to noon Each session is $180 per child ages 5 to 12. The Art Off Center is at 116 W.

Second St., Suite 108.

To register, visit its website at https:// artoffcenter.com/class-registration/.

EVERY TIME INSTITUTE

Nicolas Nadeau owns Every Time Institute, which holds art classes for school-age students and teens. It is located in the Old Taylor High complex.

The classes are “four days of processbased art focused on exploring creativity,” Nadeau said. “Each student is invited to contribute a work of art to our student group show on Saturday, Aug. 15.”

• STUDENTS AGES 7 TO 13

Puppets, Masks and Creatures June 8-June 11, 10 a.m. to noon July 8-July 11, 10 a.m. to noon Exploring the Natural World June 15-June 18, 10 a.m. to noon July 20-July 23, 10 a.m. to noon Anime and Manga

June 22-June 25, 10 a.m. to noon July 27-July 30, 10 a.m. to noon

• TEENS AGES 14 AND OLDER Portrait Painting June 8-June 11, 2-5 p.m. July 8-July 11, 2 -5 p.m.

Drawing and painting from nature June 15-June 18, 2-5 p.m. July 20-July 23, 2-5 p.m.

Anime and manga

June 22-June 25, 2-5 p.m.

July 27-July 30, 2-5 p.m.

All classes are held on the second floor of Old Taylor High, 410 W. Seventh St., Suite 203,. Each class is capped at six students, and materials are provided.

The classes for students 7 to 13 are $200 for the four days.

Teen classes are $250 for the four days. To register, visit the Every Time Institute at https://everytimeinstitute. square.site/.

TAYLOR — Outgoing Mayor Dwayne Ariola — a Navy veteran — knows how to run a tight ship, and he spent his political career trying to bring some of that discipline to City Hall. 

This year he chose not to run for office May 2 as the city for the first time switched to a voter-elected mayoral system. 

Before voters approved the change in 2024 to the City Charter, the City Council — not the people — chose the mayor from within their own ranks. 

Ariola has served on the council since 2017. He was selected as the city’s chief executive by his fellow council members after his reelection in May 2024 on an at at-large ticket. 

Jim Buzan was elected Taylor’s new mayor by popular vote on May 2. He will be sworn in on May 12, which will be Ariola’s final day as mayor. Buzan’s first council meeting is May 14. 

But this isn’t the last the people will see of him, Ariola said. 

“I tell people my calendar is going from 150% full to 110% full because I just like being involved in a lot of different things,” added the military veteran and businessman. 

SERVICE ABOVE ALL 

After graduating from Taylor High School in 1985, Ariola enlisted in the Navy and quickly climbed the ranks. 

His career included serving on submarines in San Diego and Pearl Harbor. He worked as a submarine mechanic and helped design fast-attack underwater vessels. When he retired in 2005, he was chief of boat on the USS Albany, which was recognized with the Battle E Award as the Best Submarine for the Atlantic Fleet. 

Ariola honors his military career by serving as the vice commander of American Legion Post 39. He also has a full-time job at Burkert Fluid Control Systems, an international company specializing in measurement and control technology for fluids and gases. Ariola is the area sales manager overseeing Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. 

Still, he said his experiences in the highly regimented area of military service and the highly efficient arena of private enterprise did not quite prepare him for the disorder he found when he took his first seat on the council dais nearly a decade ago. 

DESCENT INTO CHAOS 

The veteran city leader recalls pre-2020 city operations as lacking formalized organizational systems. He described a situation where the Public Works Department wasn’t tracking which roads were being fixed and city growth was not being directed with the vision of master-planning documents. 

He set his sights on bringing city efficiencies in line. He lists one of his greatest accomplishments as having each department today know their clearly defined goals and objectives. 

“In my day job, if something’s broke I recommend how to fix it and it’s done. In (the) City Council world, you identify the problem, put it on a priority list, put it on the capital-improvements list, put it on a funding list, hopefully it gets approved and then it gets incorporated so far down the road,” the erstwhile mayor said. 

Ariola said the working relationship with fellow council members can either help the city move forward or stymie growth. 

“You can’t just throw a hand grenade over the wall and say, ‘Here’s what’s wrong, y’all need to fix it,’” he said. “You gotta come up with the solutions and it makes it a whole lot easier if you get buyin from your other council members and staff members.” 

In large part, he said he has successfully completed his goals. 

The city adopted a comprehensive plan in 2021 and is currently revamping it. A downtown master plan as well as drainage, water and wastewater and fire-services master plans have been developed during Ariola’s time on the council. 

Others including the parks master plan are scheduled to be updated soon. 

“When you’re requesting funds from different entities, they’re not just going to send you a check, because hey, you put your name on the list,” he said. “I mean, you gotta have master plans. Nobody with a checkbook will listen to you unless you have a master plan.” 

CREATING A LEGACY 

Other than streamlining city operations, Ariola is proud to have been part of the leadership team that heralded a major new chapter in Taylor’s history. The town of 18,000 situated on the Blackland Prairie has transitioned from primarily agrarian and small businesses to a high-tech hub expanding at light speed including bringing Samsung Austin Semiconductor to town. 

Top of his list: Bringing jobs to town, he said. 

During an address at the recent groundbreaking for Gradiant Technology Park, Ariola said such projects will reverse the trend where Taylor “exported its people” to jobs in Austin. 

NOT EVERYONE’S A FAN 

Though he has helped lead the city through an era of sometimes dizzying development, Ariola noted he has his detractors. Some of his critics have said a change in city leadership is needed to focus more on social equality, lower taxes and nonpartisanship at City Hall. 

The Blueprint Data Centers project, which has been protested by some neighbors on the south side of town, was granted economic incentives by the city last year. The development is currently under litigation. 

Ariola also faced criticism last year when he declined to sign a proclamation supporting Pride Week observances, although local events went off as planned. The event led to a change in the city’s proclamation policies. Now, only a preapproved list of city-sponsored events can receive proclamations. 

So the big question: With all the controversy, why seek public office in the first place? 

The city statesman believes that if you don’t like what’s happening, you should step up and change it, even if it means exposing yourself to all the “hate and discontent and just the craziness” of being the town’s top official. 

“I absolutely love Taylor, Texas. It’s my hometown,” Ariola said. “You know, prior to Samsung, we were never going to stay small because FM 3349 was already approved and the farmland was just going to become too expensive.” 

He added, “I own my home. I’m not a small business owner and I have no other land so, you know, all my decisions were for the best of the community.” 

MORE TIME FOR FAMILY AND HEALTH 

Even though Ariola is putting down his mayoral gavel, he isn’t giving up his workaholic ways. 

At 59, he plans to continue full-time employment for at least five more years. He said the traveling he does for his job is an extra benefit in his marriage, allowing him and his wife, Alice Marie, to get away together. 

He and his spouse spend time with their grown children Koby, Joanna and Jennifer and a 4-year-old grandchild. There is extended family in the area, so Ariola will have more time for birthday parties and get-togethers.

Shortly after announcing he would not seek another term as mayor, Ariola also announced he had been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. With a family history of the disease, he said he has been conscientious about regular testing.

He had a procedure to remove a mass in March and doctors said no further treatment is needed aside from monitoring.

He encourages all men aged 50 or older to get regular prostate-cancer testing as the disease has a high survivability rate when caught early.

GRATITUDE FROM HIZZONER

The military veteran and public servant

took a few moments to reflect on the contributions of city staffers, a job he said is thankless.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a better staff in my nine years. Not that the others weren’t the right people at that particular time, but for our current situation, with... all these changes coming,” he said.

“Our council is very well diverse in their expertise and the staff that we’ve brought on know their business, the downtown people know their business. Permitting people know their business. I mean, it’s just, it’s quite impressive.”

And while Ariola no longer will chair council sessions at City Hall, he doesn’t see himself slowing down. He intends to take a larger role in the renovation of the American Legion Hall.

He also wants to find time to reconnect with old Navy shipmates. And maybe, just maybe, he might start jotting down a few notes to write a book on his adventures navigating the choppy waters of small-town government.

— DWAYNE ARIOLA MAYOR, CITY OF TAYLOR

This year, as the cities of Hutto and Taylor celebrate their 150th anniversaries, many credit the arrival of the railroad as the catalyst for the economic boom that enriched eastern Williamson County during the late 19th century.

However, the Czechs and the Swedes — two immigrant groups known for their industriousness, farming skills and unique cultural traditions — also fueled the growth of the region during that era.

“Taylor was founded in 1876 when the railroad was built, and 30 years later, it was the biggest town in the county,” said Jon Stephenson, a member of the Williamson County Historical Commission. “That was driven mostly by immigrant populations.”

THESWEDES

According to the commission, the earliest wave of Swedish immigrants came to Texas in the mid 19th century at the behest of Swante Magnus Swenson, the first modern-era Swedish settler who arrived in America in 1836.

After becoming a successful self-made plantation owner and businessman, in 1847 Swenson returned to Sweden to recruit families to work on his farms for a year in exchange for free passage to Texas, alongside his uncle and business partner, Swante Palm, county officials said.

“It turned into this pipeline of Swedes from the same area of Sweden coming to Texas,” Stephenson said.

Many of these newcomers settled between Round Rock, Hutto and Taylor.

“They were hardworking farmers, and they were hospitable neighbors,” Stephenson said. “They fit right in with the other Anglo settlers in the county, but they also were a close-knit group who looked out for each other.”

Georgetown resident Larry Olson said his grandparents, Anna and Anton Olson, who owned a 184-acre farm near Taylor, would often recount the hardships their families had endured prior to immigrating to the United States in the early 1900s.

“Sweden was agrarian, and a third of the population left from 1880 to 1920,” said Olson, whose Anna+Anton Olson Legacy Foundation currently funds local nonprofits in honor of his late grandparents. “Grandpa would tell me that they had to make soup out of birch bark sometimes. They hadn’t industrialized, so the population had gotten really big but the opportunities weren’t there and there was a shortage of food.”

By the 1880s, Swedes had become the largest immigrant group in Williamson County, settling around Georgetown, Palm Valley, Hutto, Taylor, New Sweden and beyond.

“If you look at the census, the 1880, 1900 and 1910 census, the Swedes are the most dominant group of immigrants born in a foreign land,” Stephenson said.

These Swedes not only farmed, but also became “businessmen, service people, you can go down the list,” Stephenson said. “Some were tailors, watchmakers and jewelers. They just fit right into this growing county. ”

Former Taylor Mayor Brandt Rydell, who is half-Swedish, remembers hearing the Scandinavian language spoken at the Hutto Lutheran Church, previously known as Hutto Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church, during his youth.

“Growing up in the 1970s, there were certain times of the year with certain services where a hymn would be sung in Swedish, and there were enough Swedish speakers in the congregation from the older generation that the church would be filled with the sound of a Swedish hymn,” Rydell recalled.

These days, Hutto Lutheran is a thriving congregation that continues to recognize its Swedish roots despite changing demographics, he added.

“I am just amazed at the vitality, but there is barely a hint at the Swedish heritage of it,” he said. “My family is about what is left, but they still honor the origins and the traditions.”

One way is by celebrating Saint Lucia, a Swedish holiday observed on Dec. 13.

“It is a winter tradition, with a candlelight procession, and they serve these saffron buns,” Rydell said. “The kids pass it out. The girls are dressed in white, with one with candles in her hair, and the others are like the attendants. And the boys are called star boys with (conical) caps… One aspect of Santa Lucia is the children in the family are supposed to serve their parents breakfast in bed.”

Rydell said he loved his grandmother’s homemade rye bread and other baked items. However, one tradition he avoided was her “lutefisk,” a dried white cod fish soaked in lye and buried in ash.

“It becomes this gelatinous texture,” he said with a laugh. “It’s a very involved process and not delicious, but it’s a reminder of how hard folks had it.”

Olson also has memories of his grandma’s limpa rye bread and buttery cookies.

“When we were up there we would always go on Saturday nights to see her sister Ellen at her farm in Hare,” Olson said. “They were Swansons, and we were Olsons, and so both the sisters made these Swedish spritz cookies, a kind of a white cookie, that they would put in these funnels and push them out and make shapes. They would make those cookies in the shapes of S’s and O’s.”

THECZECHS

According to the historians, Czech immigration to Williamson County began in the 1880s, primarily from the historical Czech lands of Moravia and Bohemia, which are now currently part of Czechia, or the Czech Republic.

Though Czechs originally settled in the San Antonio area earlier in the 1800s, these newcomers were drawn to Taylor, Granger and Corn Hill because of the “abundance of good, relatively inexpensive farmland and the rich, blackland prairie soil,” Stephenson said.

Many of these new Williamson County residents were fleeing poverty and political instability in their homeland, he added.

“There was just this political turmoil over there,” Stephenson said. “People in Europe craved land. Land was very hard to come by.”

The Czechs had large, close-knit family units centered around farm life and a strong Christian faith, officials said.

Taylor businessman Tim Mikeska, the CEO of Mikeska’s Bar-B-Q Inc. and the owner of Mikeska Brands USA, echoed this assertion.

“In the 1880s and 1890s in Moravia, it was a difficult time, and everybody was poor,” said Mikeska, whose greatgrandfathers emigrated to the area in the 1890s. “People like my family were sharecroppers because they didn’t own any property.”

However, Texas offered a different way of life — and new opportunities.

Many of these immigrants became landowners, business founders and important members of the community through participation in churches, schools and social clubs, Mikeska said.

Prominent area churches with deep Czech roots today include Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius Church in Granger, as well as St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church and Taylor Brethren Church in Taylor.

Czechs also formed meat clubs, through which they used their butchering and traditional sausage-making skills honed in the Old World.

“Back then, there was no refrigeration so when you processed an animal you had to do something with it quick,” Mikeska said. “My great-grandfather would go out in the community and butcher other people’s animals: cattle, hogs, goats, sheep, ducks, geese, everything. They were butchers and they were very skilled at what they did.”

Over time, this turned into a popular family barbecue business that was even featured in Texas Monthly magazine.

“My grandfather John taught all six of his sons how to butcher animals by taking them to the beef club in Taylor,” he added. “This evolved into butcher shops and markets, and that evolved into barbecue and catering, and that has evolved into wholesale food distribution in 26 states.”

These days, the Mikeska brand just began offering a sausage wrapped in a pastry from a generations-old family recipe, which Mikeska emphasizes isn’t a “kolache.”

Despite what some marketing campaigns might have you believe, the kolach is a Czech pastry stuffed with sweet fillings, not meat.

“Let’s get this straight,” Mikeska said with a laugh. “Kolach is one, and kolache is plural for more than one. You can call it a pig in a blanket or you can call it a sausage kolache, but we find that very offensive. That would be like if you called a tortilla a frisbee. The thing that we put meat into in a pastry is called a klobasnek.”

Though the Czech influence has faded somewhat, Granger still had its own Czech-language newspaper called The Našinec, which means “fellow countrymen,” printed until 2018, said Monica Stojaník, the town’s former mayor.

In addition, the local radio station in Taylor played Czech music on Sunday afternoons and daily until the early 2000s, she added.

Still, the Czech folk-music tradition continues in the area through the Taylor Czech Chorus, which often performs lively songs at Heritage Square Park and many other area venues, said Stojaník, who speaks, reads and writes Czech and serves as the nonprofit organization’s spokeswoman.

“We do polkas and waltzes, and we also do some spiritual music called polka Masses,” Stojaník said.

In addition, Stojaník can often be found wearing a kroj, which is a traditional folk costume featuring lace and ribbons, while sharing the Czech flag and other items at various area elementary schools, family reunions and more.

“I’m going to be honest,” Stojaník said. “I am so proud of my Czech heritage.”

SEEDS FOR THE FUTURE

These days, visitors to eastern Williamson County are more likely to hear Korean spoken than any other language besides English or Spanish, thanks to the recent arrival of Samsung Austin Semiconductor to Taylor.

Nevertheless, the cultural impact of the Czechs and the Swedes can still be felt to this day, the descendants of the pioneers said.

“It’s amazing,” Mikeska said. “My family risked everything to get on a ship and spend six to eight weeks at sea to come to a country where they could not speak the language, but they saw the opportunity and they saw the freedom.”

He added, “The dreams of my father and our grandfathers built the foundation, and today the Mikeska name stands as proof that faith, hard work and opportunity in this country can turn humble beginnings in a small village in Moravia into a legacy that serves thousands of people and hundreds of restaurants across America.”

For his part, Olson said his Swedish grandparents instilled in him a love of his heritage, an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to help area nonprofits grow stronger.

Since Anna+Anton was founded in 2021, nearly $1 million in grants have been given to local charities, including the Boys and Girls Club of East Williamson County and The Greater Taylor Foundation to fund their recent communitywide needs assessment.

Olson said that as eastern Williamson County continues to grow, he wants to make sure no one gets left behind.

But he also wants the Olson name to live on.

“I’m kind of the last of the clan, and I have been looking at ways to recognize their names,” Olson said of his immigrant grandparents. “When I am no longer here, I didn’t want their names to disappear. They were just too important to me.”

TAYLOR — With its neon sign looming over the 300 block of North Main Street, the Howard Theatre has weathered wars, droughts and the Great Winter Storm of 2021.

Drawing on community and family support to bring it back to life, the venerable cinema after major funding drives and hard work by organizers opened after a closure of a few years for limited showings in the spring.

Everyone who has been in town for any length of time has a story about the Howard. It might be attending a kids’ birthday party with cartoons flickering on the big screen or a nervous first date decades ago.

The venue has always welcomed neighbors for family-friendly entertainment downtown.

“We dressed up for superhero movies and ‘Star Wars’ premieres. Being able to do such a nostalgic thing with my son meant the world to me. We have cried together in that theater, laughed and grown up there through the years,” said Dennis Levitin, a movie enthusiast and cartoon artist, including inking strips for the Taylor Press.

THEOLDHOWARD,THERITAAND THENEWHOWARD:AHISTORY

According to Cinema Treasures, an online website documenting theaters across the U.S for 25 years, the original Howard Theater was located on the west side of Main Street, now Taylor Sporting Goods.

Opened in 1924 by Howard Bland, it showed first-run movies.

Bland debuted another theater on the east side of Main Street in 1940 to show B-run movies, naming it The Rita. In the 1950s, Bland closed the Old Howard and rebranded the Rita, adding the Art Deco neon sign announcing the new Howard Theatre.

In the 1970s, the theater went from one to two screens by adding a stage and a wall at the end of the balcony, creating a smaller upstairs theater and a larger downstairs theater. It was a staple for movie-watching residents for decades.

In 2020, the Howard shuttered during the pandemic. When it did reopen, two small pipes burst, flooding the new seats and the carpet.

Shortly after, the former owners wanted out.

With more passion for preserving the space than funds, Taylor entrepreneur Channing Kingery-Boles took over ownership in 2023. With a newly formed nonprofit board, Kingery-Boles spearheaded the effort to reopen the theater, assisted by donations and volunteers.

NOWSHOWING

Earlier this spring, the Howard Theatre began showing second-run movies on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Starting Friday nights with a 7 p.m. movie, followed by dual movie times on Saturdays and Sundays with a matinee and evening showing, the screen comes to life with classics and fan favorites.

The theater is currently operating the main downstairs chamber, outfitted with 97 widely spaced seats, including four seats accessible to the mobility challenged. The space between the rows is generous, with some close to 4 feet apart.

With its budget-friendly pricing, a second-run movie is $5 per person for a matinee and $8 per person for an evening showing. The concessions are also a bargain, with a large bag of popcorn running $4 and a soda for just two bucks.

Some of the recent second runs have included “Back to the Future,” “Grease,” “E.T. the Extra-terrestrial” and “Top Gun.”

WHATARESECOND-RUNMOVIES?

Soon after purchasing the Howard, Kingery-Boles learned about the movie business, like how films are distributed and the types of theaters. With one screen in a historic property, the way forward became clear.

According to Kingery-Boles, the first-run theater model didn’t work for the Taylor cinema, where the distribution company takes a high percentage of the box-office sales, especially since the Howard has one screen and would have to run the same movie for a month.

However, with a second-run movie, theater owners pay a licensing fee to show the film, which is more economical, she explained. As in most theaters, the concession stand is an important income stream, as are special events.

In addition to second-run movies, the Howard plans to offer free screenings of public domain movies over the summer. These classic films are over 100 years old and are no longer protected by trademark, copyright or a patent.

COMINGSOON:FILMFESTIVALS

According to Kingery-Boles, the Howard Theatre will host the She Speaks Film Festival on Sept. 18 and Sept. 19 to celebrate “bold, inspiring stories” created by women.

“When we came and toured then met all the different women who basically keep the downtown commerce of Taylor running, it was just kind of a no-brainer being a female-centered festival,” said Sarah Joy Byington, local filmmaker and sponsor manager for the She Speaks Film Festival.

CINEPHILESSTRESSWHYCINEMAS AREIMPORTANT

According to four-time Oscar-winning director Sean Baker, “Watching a film in a theater with an audience is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together, scream in fright together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together. And in a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever. It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home.”

Kingery-Boles echoed the sentiment. “We are building a sense of community and want people to have fun,” she said.

HOLDANEVENTATTHEHOWARD

As a community cinema, the Howard Theatre will continue to host events, private showings and benefits including corporate gatherings, like team building, to fundraisers and private movie nights.

The theater also airs bring-your-own DVDs and Blue-ray videos.

According to Kingery-Boles, a couple’s movie night from Monday to Thursday costs $99, and parties for up to 10 people are $150.

For larger events, the charge can range from $250 to $499 and above.

GETYOURTICKETS

According to Kingery-Boles, theater staff aim to announce movies three weeks in advance via the theater’s website, https:// www.howardtheatre.com/ or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Howard-Theatre-100063459013477/.

Tickets are available online or at the box office at 306 Main St., and the theater accepts cards and cash.

Three out of four of these young offenders return to the criminal-justice system within three years.

Williamson County officials are trying to reverse that trend.

The Transformative Justice Program, hailed as “unique” among criminaljustice professionals, is giving young-adult offenders a second chance at redemption and a productive life instead of a cell and a cot.

“If you had a school and you only succeeded with 25% of the students, you wouldn’t keep doing the same thing, but that’s what the criminal-justice system has been doing for decades,” said District Attorney Shawn Dick.

About 10 years ago, Elizabeth Henneke, founder and chief executive officer of the Lone Star Justice Alliance, proposed the idea of the Transformative Justice Program to Dick and 277th state District Court Judge Stacey Mathews, whose docket includes cases involving juveniles, or those 16 and under charged with a crime.

Dick and Mathews both agreed the system needed to change and decided the change would start with them.

Mathews and prosecutor Stephen Hesse noted the county already had a strong diversion program for juvenile offenders, but those slightly older were falling through the cracks of the justice system.

“It seemed to me that if we extended that (youth program) into young adulthood and provided some of the same services that we were able to give to juveniles … we would reduce criminality and recidivism,” Hesse said.

Dick and Mathews spent several years gathering all the key partners and components to create a program.

One piece of this multifaceted puzzle included extensive research. To receive state funding, the Legislature wanted data, but Mathews said there was none at the time.

“There had never been any randomized controlled study in the criminal-justice system that we’re aware of or that our researchers were aware of,” Mathews said.

The judge compared the research they needed to that of medical trials. They had to receive approval from ethics boards and program participants had to sign consent forms.

“It was a very interesting process because it’s humans we’re looking at and that’s what makes this work so critical,” Mathews said.

Georges Naufal and Emily Naiser from the Texas A&M University’s Public Policy Research Institute became involved with the TJ project in 2018.

The data-collection period began in earnest in November 2020. From 2018 to 2020, Naufal said they had to determine what research design was feasible for project evaluation, what data existed, how the program would function and how outcomes would be captured.

Initially, Dallas County was also in the study as officials there attempted a similar program, but due to a lack of funding and other resources they dropped out.

“The TJ program is complex. It’s not easy to set up and manage,” Naufal said. “Building successful programs like this one relies on a variety of community services and committed stakeholders.”

Naiser added, “The Transformative Justice Program in Williamson County has proven to be quite unique.”

Participants must be nonviolent felony offenders, but TJ is not a one-size-fits-all rehabilitation program. The goal is much larger and broader than that.

“It’s teaching these youth about accountability, about their role in our community, about how to be a productive member of society, but it’s also about giving them an individualized treatment plan so that they have the tools they need to succeed in life,” Dick said.

Some of the tools include mental health and drug counseling, parenting classes for those participants with children and life skills such as resume building, budgeting and furthering their education.

It is a requirement that participants have their general education diploma before they can graduate from the program.

“And then we really require them to do something else. Like attending Austin Community College or training and certification programs,” Dick said. “Why would a program like ours settle for anything less? These kids should be encouraged to go to trade school, go to college, go to graduate school. The whole world is still in front of them.”

From the first day, Dick said TJ case managers and lawyers work to get these young adults invested in their future.

HOWITWORKS;NOTEASY

Transformative justice works faster than the standard criminal-justice system, authorities said. Once offenders decide to participate in the program, many remain in jail less than one day.

“There’s research about how every day, every hour somebody is sitting in jail negatively affects lives,” said Jo Poenitzsch, an attorney at the TJ facility.

Once the paperwork is signed, the offender receives an immediate personal recognizance bond to get out of jail, then they promptly meet with someone from the program.

Poenitzsch pointed out in the regular criminal-justice system offenders who bond out can hire legal counsel or get a court-appointed attorney, but they may not meet with their lawyer that day and they will not have a court date for a month or more.

Some of the young adults do “moan” about the amount of work and length of time the TJ program takes, but “I remind them that regular probation is a minimum of three years,” Poenitzsch said.

Dick acknowledged TJ isn’t easy. It involves three different phases and takes 10-18 months to complete.

“It’s a lot of work, but if you can get an emerging adult to think long-term, the results for their life are night and day,” he said.

In phase one, current needs and immediate challenges are evaluated and addressed, such as mental-health issues and substance-abuse problems.

Unlike many other programs, a substance-abuse relapse is not an immediate dismissal from TJ.

Case manager Marc Ruiz said, “We expect them to have a relapse and have those issues. That’s why we have the counseling. That’s why we have the substance-abuse program that we’ve got.”

Ruiz said the program also uses a relapse as a chance for accountability, allowing the young adult to be honest.

“When they realize they’re not going back to jail, they have more ‘buy’ into the program,” Ruiz said That leads to phase two, the step toward positive change in outlook and direction.

During phase three, participants focus on the growth they have made and look outward toward helping others in their community.

The program teaches the emerging adults that they are also accountable to their community.

“They have to give something back,” Mathews said.

Before the program’s introduction, the arrested young adults posed a risk to society and to themselves, the district attorney said.

“These youth that were coming out of the justice system were harming themselves and the community,” Dick said. “They were becoming a burden and a drain on our society and tax base.”

Now, they are learning the benefit of community service, but TJ participants will not be out on the side of the road picking up trash—unless they want to.

Mathews said the program does not want to dole out service hours to fill up time but offer something that gets the young adults interested and actively engaged in looking beyond themselves to help others.

“What we’re trying to do for this population is to be that community, teach them what community means. And then it becomes their turn. Now they get to go out into their community and make it better,” Mathews said.

Many participants did not recognize themselves as part of a community before becoming a part of TJ.

“They were just shocked at how even the judge and the prosecutor, how everybody, wanted to learn about them and wanted to help them and actually did care about them,” Poenitzsch said.

THE FRUITS OF SUCCESS

Successful graduation includes having their offense expunged from the court record, in addition to the new skills they will have learned and tools they will have developed to create a different path in life.

Today, the progam has a graduation rate of 60%, but officials want that figure to be much higher.

“I’d like 100%,” Poenitzsch said, adding she knows that’s not likely for any program.

Still, officials acknowledged the numbers are higher than those found in the traditional justice system.

Naufal and Naiser concluded if the young adults could make it through TJ’s first 200 days, they were more likely to complete the program.

“Our system is very individual based. You have to figure out what the needs are for each emerging adult that comes in, each treatment program plan, each accountability plan is based on them and their case and their needs,” Dick said. “It’s challenging because you’ve got to find all of these different resources and different ways to help different people, but I think the individualized nature is also what leads to the success.”

During the Feb. 6 session of Williamson County Commissioners Court, Dick, Matthews, Naufal and Naiser shared their findings and data.

The program received permission from the county’s representatives to apply for a fiscal year 2027 grant through the state Criminal Justice Grants Program for $164,000, with commissioners agreeing to contribute matching funds.

The funding is budgeted for the purchase of a new software system and salaries for a program director and case manager.

For more information and ways to help or donate, visit tj-wc.org.

In 1876 the International-Great Northern Railroad steamed into Williamson County and established depots not far from Austin that would become the cities of Taylor and Hutto.

Now, 150 years later, both municipalities are commemorating the importance of the railroad in 2026 with sesquicentennial celebrations.

Yet at the same, the railroads that created an economic boon for East Wilco in the 19th century — while still vital — pose plenty of challenges for the fast-growing county in the 21st century as the population expands, roads are built to accommodate more autos and new industries locate to the region, officials said.

“We as citizens can complain about blocking the crossings or the long permitting and approval processes, but we also know that trying to get any changes made from (Union Pacific Railroad) is a battle … Don’t expect to win the fight,” said Scott Murrah, an engineer whose local projects have faced delays from Union Pacific.

Union Pacific officials declined to comment directly for the story, but did send this response: “Communities developing projects on or near Union Pacific right of way can start the process by reaching out to our public projects team on our website, where you can find detailed information on how the process works.”

The railroad provided this link: www. up.com/communities/public-projects.

According to local historians, without the railroad Hutto, Taylor and many other Central Texas towns might not exist.

“We had several pioneer families around here and about all they could do was survive. But when the railroad came it meant you could be a farmer and you could grow something like cotton and get it to market,” said Don Doss, a member of the Williamson County Historic Commission.

Doss added, “That made it possible for a lot of people to make money and raise a family and build a house and that was very viable for a long time.”

The railroad connected Williamson County to the rest of the United States and the Port of Houston, igniting a boom in the cotton industry. In the early 1900s, Doss said, the county was the secondlargest producer of cotton in Texas and the state was the largest producer of cotton in the world.

Houston shipped more cotton than any other port on the planet.

“Without the railroads, Williamson County could have been like a lot of the counties you see now in East Texas where they only have small rural towns and no real industrial growth ... at least until Austin grew up,” Doss said.

A MIXED BLESSING

In the 21st century, the local tracks are now owned and operated by Union Pacific. BNSF Railway has trackage rights on the UP rails through the area. There is also an Amtrak stop in Taylor for passenger transport.

Cotton is no longer the economic driver for east Williamson County, but freight trains still run the rails through the cities. While the towns initially relied on the railroad for survival, in 2026 the rails are a mixed blessing for the growing communities, according to some local leaders.

HUTTOAND EMERGENCY PLANNING

In Hutto, where the train tracks bisect the city as they run parallel to U.S. 79, the train affects all parts of life from the daily commute to school to transportation and logistics for first responders. The tracks cross several major intersections and have an impact on 79, a main transportation artery through the city.

An average of 15 trains pass through Hutto each day.

“In a fast-growing district like (the) Hutto Independent School District, rail lines don’t just mark history—they actively shape the present. They influence where schools can be built, how students are transported safely, and how long students spend on the bus,” said Hutto ISD board Chairwoman Amy English.

English said district buses cross the railroad tracks more than 40,000 times a year. By law, the transport vehicles must stop at every railroad crossing. Hutto ISD is working to secure a secondary transportation hub on the other side of the tracks from the current facility that will cut the number of railroad crossings nearly in half.

In addition to the inconvenience of adding to travel time, waiting for a train to pass could have disastrous results during an emergency.

Police Chief Jeffrey Yarbrough said his department works to keep patrol officers available in different sectors of the city so residents aren’t waiting on a response when patrol cars are stuck at crossings.

Hutto Fire Rescue has stations on both sides of the tracks to get crews to scenes faster.

The railroad presents unique hazards that require specialized planning and training.

“The railroad running through Hutto is an important factor in how Hutto Fire Rescue plans and delivers emergency services. Trains can occasionally block crossings, which could potentially delay response times,” said spokeswoman Cassie Balderas. “Having four strategically located stations throughout our service area ensures that emergency resources can reach calls from multiple directions, even when trains are present.”

According to Balderas, fire crews coordinate efforts with other Williamson County agencies and regularly train for a range of incidents that could occur along the tracks, including derailment of cars carrying passengers, hazardous-materials shipments and other unknown cargos.

The department responded to three railroad crossing accidents in 2024 and one in 2025.

Overall, there were 40 reported incidents or accidents from 2021-2025 with four fatalities in Williamson County, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

LONG DELAYS IN THRALL

Trains are regulated by federal law, and there are no state laws that limit how long a stopped train can block an intersection. Trains have been known to block the two crossings in Thrall for more than an hour at a time, cutting off access between 79 and the schools, forcing buses, parents and other commuters to find alternate routes miles out of their way, according to residents and officials.

GRANGERAND

THE WATERLINE WOES

In Granger, trains frequently block the tracks for up to 30 minutes at a time but on rare occasions the three crossings have been rendered impassable for days, according to Murrah, president of 5M Associates, a firm that has worked with Granger and several other cities in Williamson County.

“We do understand the importance of the railroad and its effect on our surrounding economy, but the Granger community does not benefit directly from the railroad’s presence,” Murrah said.

Granger is divided in half by the railroad, which follows Texas 95. The city has two parallel tracks through town and is used as a passing zone for northbound and southbound trains.

Murrah said the close proximity of the crossings usually means that all three are blocked when one train has to wait for an oncoming train.

While freight trains can move fast, Union Pacific can be a slow-moving bureaucracy, Granger officials said.

Getting approval to go under or over the tracks can add months and in some cases years to a project.

In Granger, Murrah’s company ran into delays while installing a new water line that crossed under the tracks. The holdup kept the Granger Secondary School from opening until March due to a lack of accessible water.

“The permit for the bore under the railroad cost the city about $17,000 and took about three months for approval ... this was just to get permission to bore under the railroad,” Murrah said.

When the drilling hit an unexpected snag and a second hole bored into groundwater, UP halted all operations and required the city to hire a geotechnical engineering firm to perform groundpenetrating radar services.

The revised drawings took four months to complete and another three months to receive UP approval.

Murrah believes it might have taken even longer for the railroad company to approve the revised permit, but Mayor Bruce Waggoner contacted District 52 state Rep. Caroline Harris Davila and her office made inquiries with Union Pacific.

He believes her support helped speed the process by several months.

“For small cities like Granger, the (Union Pacific Railroad) is the 800-pound gorilla that the city has to live with,” Murrah said.

EASTWILCOHIGHWAY

Granger hasn’t been the only government entity to call on state or U.S. leaders for help when working with Union Pacific.

In September 2024, Williamson County Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles faced delays on a pair of bridges crossing over the tracks on FM 3349 as part of the East Wilco Highway.

For many long months drivers traveling on 79 between Hutto and Taylor saw the skeletons of unfinished bridges with no work being done because the permit to cross the tracks had not been approved.

With the project already behind, Boles said he received a message from the railroad company the permit needed to pass by yet another department that would potentially delay construction another three months.

Boles reached out to Congressman Pete Sessions, who interceded with Union Pacific. Boles had the permit in hand within two weeks.

ECONOMICADVANTAGES

While railroads may cause issues with development, in other cases they give small cities special economic advantages, officials said.

The RCR Taylor Logistics Park at 79 and FM 3349 is a rail yard served by both UP and BNSR. It is situated with easy access to Samsung Austin Semiconductor and industrial sites in both Taylor and Hutto. It is also a main shipping hub for Tesla, which has leased a facility within the park for transporting its Model Y vehicles and Cybertrucks.

Officials with the Taylor Economic Development Corp. consider the facility a strategic asset.

“As the only rail-served port facility in Central Texas, Taylor is uniquely positioned to attract and support a diverse range of industries that rely on rail for the efficient movement of raw materials and finished goods,” said Ben White, CEO/President of the EDC. “This competitive advantage enhances our ability to recruit manufacturers, logistics providers and distribution operations that depend on reliable freight rail service— bringing quality jobs and (an) expanded tax base to our community.”

In addition, White said the Amtrak station in Taylor adds to the city’s options, allowing the town to leverage both freight- and passenger-rail assets for industry and community development.

RAILROADS AND A TRAVELING EXHIBIT

Taylor will celebrate its rail-based history during its sesquicentennial year with a visit from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street traveling exhibit – “Spark! Places of Innovation.”

The traveling exhibit will be in town from Aug. 15 to Sept. 27.

Taylor is the only city in Williamson County to host the showcase this year.

The event was created to explore “the unique combination of places, people, and circumstances that sparks innovation in invention” in rural communities, according to organizers.

“Taylor’s addition to the exhibit will highlight the region’s close ties to the railroad, cotton and incoming tech industry – along with local art, stories and historic vehicles,” said Taylor Special Events Coordinator Ruby Fisher. “Our hope is that folks leave the exhibit with the story of Taylor.”

More details are pending.

Energizing lovers of literature across Central Texas

Creating a community one book at a time is the philosophy driving most indie bookstores in Central Texas including eastern Williamson County.

In an era of instant media, bookstores entice customers into their brick and mortars with recommendations, events and the chance to meet fellow bibliophiles.

Every April, booksellers band together to celebrate each other and promote the art of reading with the bookstore crawl known as the Austin Texas Book Trail.

The love of all things literary is capped off by Independent Bookstore Day, an annual event.

AUSTINTEXASBOOKTRAIL

Now in its third year, the Austin Texas Book Trail features 36 independent bookstores spread across Central Texas open for visits the weekend of April 4 and April 5.

From Dripping Springs snd Bastrop to Leander and Taylor, the mission of the Austin Texas Book Trail is to uplift newer bookstores, cherish the old and energize the local literary community, according to founders Jacqueline Rangel and Michelle Zhang.

“We were initially a one-day event in 2024, coordinated with Independent Bookstore Day, but we pulled apart from it in 2025 to stretch the self-guided crawl to two days over a weekend in April,” Rangel said.

According to Rangel, participation has grown from 29 bookstores in 2025. For more, see www.austintexasbooktrail.com/.

CURIOMRVOSA BOOKSANDMORE

Opening in 2021 and now in its second, larger location, Curio Mrvosa Books and More at 114 N. Main. St. in Taylor stocks an eclectic mix of fiction, nonfiction, novelty gifts and vintage finds.

It has been on the Austin Texas Book Trail since the beginning.

“We curate an unusual mix of new, used and vintage books and endeavor to be a welcoming and weird alternativeculture mom-and-pop shop like the ones we frequented back in the ’80s and ’90s,” said co-owner Alyse Mervosh.

For the Austin Texas Book Trail weekend, Curio Mrvosa Books and More will offer a 10% discount for visitors with trail maps, available at any of the participating bookstores. It will also host a raffle in the store.

According to Mervosh, the shelves are stocked with interesting local titles such as Austin’s “Music Scene,” edited by Mitch Baranowski. Other recommendations include “The Witch of Willow Sound: A Novel” by Vanessa F. Penney, a gothic fiction book.

“We encourage kids to read,” Mervosh said.

Curio Mrvosa Books and More features a large section dedicated to young readers, from board books for babies to graphic novels for middle grades and beyond. The store even has a section of free books for kids to take.

A new addition to the shop is the Build Your Own Ephemera files. This flat file features graphic images and single pages from vintage books that can be used for projects and sold by the envelope. Divided by subject, customers will find people, places and animals, sci-fi elements and a drawer just for kids.

“We celebrate physical media,” said Mervosh.

In addition to books and novelties, it also hosts a different artist each month, celebrating them with an opening and closing reception. It is also a featured location on the Taylor Studio Tour each year.

In its larger space, Curio Mrvosa offers a meeting space for book clubs and book signings. It also opens up its space to small community events.

“We even offer a discount to encourage book clubs to buy local,” said Mervosh.

Hours are noon-4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Sunday.

For more, visit curiomrvosa.square.site/.

LARK AND OWL BOOKSELLERS

Founded by women in 2018, Lark and Owl Booksellers is also participating in the Austin Texas Book Trail. Located in historic downtown Georgetown, 205 Sixth St., Suite 101, its books are as diverse as its readers who whittle away a few hours thumbing through titles, the booksellers said.

Nestled among the volumes, customers will find Alouette Bistro offering baristamade coffees and teas, plus an assortment of baked goods and lunch items including quiche and sandwiches.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.

THE STORY EMPORIUM &BOOKSHOP

Opening in late 2025, the Story Emporium & Bookshop in Hutto is the newest independent bookseller in the area.

Located at 202 U.S. 79 in Hutto, it stocks a curated mix of new and used books in genres for readers of all ages.

According to owner Ash O’Rourke, readers will find their favorite top titles for all ages, from children’s picture books and graphic novels to young-adult selections.

Adult readers will discover contemporary, fantasy and historical romance, literary and contemporary fiction, mystery, horror and thrillers.

The Story Emporium & Bookshop also stocks fantasy, science fiction and nonfiction titles along with a section featuring local authors.

Though not a part of the Austin Book Trail this year, The Story Emporium and Bookshop hosts events during the month.

From a Silent Book Club to writing workshops, readers and writers can gather in a supportive space, O’Rourke said.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more, visit www. thestoryemporiumandbookshop.com/.

INDEPENDENT BOOKSTOREDAY

Scheduled for April 25, the 13th Annual Independent Bookstore Day celebrates independently owned bookstores across the country.

In 2026, over 1,300 stores will participate, organizers said.

For readers east of Taylor, there is also a bookstore in Rockdale. Main Street Bookshop is located at 202 W. Cameron Ave.

Elgin features a pop-up bookstore, Lonely Hunter Books, inside of Lo-Fi Coffee House and Studio at 109 A Central Ave.

What’s happening in East Wilco arts and entertainment

— COMPILED BY CATHERINE PARKER

SUNDAY, MARCH 1 

• Hutto Silent Book Club at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 3-4:30 p.m., free and all ages.

MONDAY, MARCH 2

• Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• “Moving Stories Monday” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 10:30-11:30 a.m. for ages 4-12, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for ages 13-18.

• Sketch Club at Atelier 95, 311 N. Main St., Taylor, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Donation: $15, ages 18 and up.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3 

• Storytelling with Kelley McRae at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 7 p.m., free, ages 18 and up.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4

• Storytime at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., free, all ages.

• Preschool Storytime at the Hutto Public Library, 500 W. Live Oak St,. Hutto, 11 a.m.

• Senior Social at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 2 p.m., free.

• Hutto Farmers Market at 350 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Hutto, 3-7 p.m.

• “Wine Down Wednesday” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 5:45-6:45 p.m., free, ages 21 and up.

• Yoga by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $5.

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

• Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• Butts ’N’ Guts by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6 p.m., $5.

• Track Time & Walk to Run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

• Taylor Neighbors Coalition at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 7 p.m., free, ages 18 and up.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

• Senior Social at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 2 p.m., free.

• SeniorFit by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., $5.

• Mindfulness Art Workshop at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 6-7:15 p.m., details at www. thestoryemporiumandbookshop.com.

• Karaoke Night and pool tournament at Cotton Country Club, 212 E. Davilla St., Granger, doors open at 5 p.m.

• Sterling Country at SPJST Lodge 29, 5025 FM 619, Taylor, 7:30 11:30 p.m., free.

• Texas Zephyrs & Giddy Up Go at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m., $10 at the door, ages 18 and up.

• Neal McCoy at Coupland Dancehall, 101 Hoxie St., Coupland, doors open at 6 p.m. Ticket info at CouplandDancehall.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

• Heritage Square Farmers Market, 400 N. Main St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free.

• Record Pop-Up at Curio Mrvosa Books and More, 114 N. Main St., Taylor, noon-5 p.m.

• Teen Writing Group at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 1-2 p.m., free, ages 13-18.

• Author signing: Nikei S. Salas at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 2-5 p.m., free.

• “Paint & Pour Night” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 6-7 p.m. $30 per person, ages 21 and up.

• The Light Aluminum at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W.

Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m., $10 at the door, ages 18 and up.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8 DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS • Resume workshop for adults at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 2-4 p.m, details at www. thestoryemporiumandbookshop.com.

MONDAY, MARCH 9

• Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• “Moving Stories Monday” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 10:30 a.m. to -1:30 p.m. for ages 4–12, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for ages 13–18.

• Sketch Club at Atelier 95, 311 N. Main St., Taylor, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Donation: $15, ages 18 and up.

TUESDAY, MARCH 10

• SeniorFit by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., $5.

• Pilates by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6 p.m., $5.

• Track Time & Walk to Run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11

• Storytime at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., free, all ages.

• Preschool Storytime at the Hutto Public Library, 500 W. Live Oak St., Hutto, 11 a.m.

• Senior Social at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 2 p.m., free.

• Hutto Farmers Market at 350 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Hutto, 3-7 p.m.

• Anime & Manga Club at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 5:30- 6:30 p.m., free, ages 13 and up.

• Sounds Bowls (ages 18 and up) & Sunshine Kids Club at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 6 p.m., free.

• Yoga by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $5.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12

• Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• “Women Who Wander” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 6-8 p.m. free, RSVP at www. thestoryemporiumandbookshop.com.

• Butts ’N’ Guts by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6 p.m., $5.

• Track Time & Walk to Run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

FRIDAY, MARCH 13

• Senior Social at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 2 p.m., free.

• SeniorFit by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., $5.

• Monthly Book Club at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 5-6:30 p.m., free.

• Karaoke Night and pool tournament at Cotton Country Club, 212 E. Davilla St., Granger, doors open at 5 p.m.

• Closing party for “100 Bucks Art Show” at Curio Mrvosa Books and More, 114 N. Main St., Taylor, 5-8 p.m.

• Robert Lawhorn & Triple Threat at SPJST Lodge 29, 5025 FM 619, Taylor, 7:30-11:30 p.m., free.

• Steve Delopoulos at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W.

Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m., free, all ages.

• Asleep at the Wheel at Coupland Dancehall, 101 Hoxie St., Coupland, doors open at 6 p.m. Ticketing info at CouplandDancehall.com

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

• Downtown Taylor Community Alley Cleanup starting at 9 a.m.

• Heritage Square Farmers Market, 400 N. Main St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free.

• “Gilmore Girls Day” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., free.

• Middle Earth D&D Campaign (ages 18 and up) and Teen D&D One-Shot (ages 13-18) at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 1:30-5:30 p.m., details at www. thestoryemporiumandbookshop.com.

• Open Mic Night at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 6 p.m., free, all ages.

SUNDAY, MARCH 15

• “Writing Talk: Turning Ideas into a Book” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 2-3:30 p.m., free, all ages.

MONDAY, MARCH 16 SPRING BREAK FOR TAYLOR AND HUTTO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS • Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• “Moving Stories Monday” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 10:30-11:30 a.m. for ages 4-12, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for ages 13–18.

• Sketch Club at Atelier 95, 311 N. Main St., Taylor, 6:30 -9:30 p.m. Donation: $15, ages 18 and up.

TUESDAY, MARCH 17

• SeniorFit by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., $5.

• Pilates by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6 p.m., $5.

• Track Time & Walk to Run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18

• Storytime at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., free, all ages.

• Preschool Storytime at the Hutto Public Library, 500 W. Live Oak St., Hutto, 11 a.m.

• Senior Social at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 2 p.m., free.

• Hutto Farmers Market at 350 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Hutto, 3-7 p.m.

ARTS & MUSIC

• Teen Writing Group at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 5:45-6:45 p.m., free, ages 13-18.

• Yoga by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $5.

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

• Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• Butts ’N’ Guts by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6 p.m., $5.

• Track Time & Walk to Run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

• Music on Main: The Animeros at Heritage Square Park, 400 N.

Main St., Taylor, 7 p.m., free.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

• Senior Social at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 2 p.m., free.

• SeniorFit by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., $5.

• Karaoke Night and pool tournament at Cotton Country Club, 212 E. Davilla St., Granger, doors open at 5 p.m.

• Midnight Wranglers at SPJST Lodge 29, 5025 FM 619, Taylor, 7:30-11:30 p.m., free.

• Open Jam Night at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m., free, all ages.

• Austin Meade at Coupland Dancehall, 101 Hoxie St., Coupland, doors open at 6 p.m. Ticket info at CouplandDancehall.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

• TMA Urban Farm & Garden’s Plants and Pastries Party, 701 S.

Main St., Taylor, 9 a.m.

• Heritage Square Farmers Market, 400 N. Main St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free.

• Local vendor market at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

• Atlas Major at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m., $10 at the door, ages 18 and up.

• Katie Watson at Coupland Dancehall, 101 Hoxie St., Coupland, doors open at 6 p.m. Ticket info at CouplandDancehall.com.

MONDAY, MARCH 23

• Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• “Moving Stories Monday” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 10:30-11:30 a.m. for ages 4-12, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for ages 13-18.

• Sketch Club at Atelier 95, 311 N. Main St., Taylor, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Donation: $15, ages 18 and up.

TUESDAY, MARCH 24

• SeniorFit by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., $5.

• Pilates by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6 p.m., $5.

• Track Time & Walk to Run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25

• Storytime at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St, Taylor, 10:30 a.m., free, all ages.

• Preschool Storytime at the Hutto Public Library, 500 W. Live Oak St., Hutto, 11 a.m.

• Senior Social at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 2 p.m., free.

• Hutto Farmers Market at 350 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Hutto, 3-7 p.m.

• Yoga by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $5.

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

• Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• Butts ’N’ Guts by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6 p.m., $5.

• Track Time & Walk to Run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

• Poetry Open Mic at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 7 p.m., free, ages 18 and up.

FRIDAY, MARCH 27

• Senior Social at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 2 p.m., free.

• SeniorFit by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., $5.

• Game Night at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 4-7:30 p.m., free, ages 18 and up.

• Karaoke Night and pool tournament at Cotton Country Club, 212 E. Davilla St., Granger, doors open at 5 p.m.

• Second Hand Rose at SPJST Lodge 29, 5025 FM 619, Taylor, 7:30-11:30 p.m., free.

• Trey Harland at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m., $10 at the door, ages 18 and up.

• Sterling Elza at Coupland Dancehall, 101 Hoxie St., Coupland, doors open at 6 p.m. Ticketing info at CouplandDancehall. com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 28

• Heritage Square Farmers Market, 400 N. Main St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free.

• Taylor Studio Tour in Taylor, noon-5 p.m., free. For more, visit www.taylorstudiotour.com/.

• Middle Earth D&D Campaign (ages 18 and up) and Teen D&D One-Shot (ages 13-18) at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 1:30-5:30 p.m., details at www. thestoryemporiumandbookshop.com.

• Taylor Youth Safety Bike Rodeo at Pasemann Elementary School, 2809 North Drive, Taylor, 2-5 p.m. (2-3 p.m. lowsensory hour), free for all ages.

• “Gatopalooza Art Show” opening reception at Curio Mrvosa Books and More, 114 N. Main St., Taylor, 5-8 p.m.

• Peer Feedback Circle – Writers Meet-Up at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 4-6 p.m., free.

• Bob Schneider at Coupland Dance Hall, 101 Hoxie St., Coupland, doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets: https://www.etix. com/ticket/p/46402724/bob-schneider-coupland-couplanddancehall.

• Chubby Knuckle Choir at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m., $10 at door, ages 18 and up.

SUNDAY, MARCH 29

• Taylor Studio Tour in Taylor, noon-5 p.m., free, more Information at www.taylorstudiotour.com/.

• Children’s Author Reading: Dana Rawdah at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 12:30-2 p.m., free.

• East Wilco Dems Meet at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W.

Second St., Taylor, noon, free.

MONDAY, MARCH 30

• Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• “Moving Stories Monday” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 10:30-11:30 a.m. for ages 4-12, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for ages 13-18.

• Sketch Club at Atelier 95, 311 N. Main St., Taylor, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Donation: $15, ages 18 and up.

TUESDAY, MARCH 31

• SeniorFit by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., $5.

• Pilates by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6 p.m., $5.

• Track Time & Walk to Run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

APRIL

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1

• Storytime at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., free, all ages.

• Preschool Storytime at the Hutto Public Library, 500 W. Live Oak St., Hutto, 11 a.m.

• Senior Social at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 2 p.m., free.

• Hutto Farmers Market at 350 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Hutto, 3-7 p.m.

• Yoga by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $5.

THURSDAY, APRIL 2

• Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• Butts ’N’ Guts by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6 p.m., $5.

• Track Time & Walk to Run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

• Taylor Neighbors Coalition at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 7 p.m., free, ages 18 and up.

FRIDAY: APRIL 3

• Senior Social at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 2 p.m., free.

• SeniorFit by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., $5.

• “You Be the Judge” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 12:30- 1:30 p.m, free, ages 13 and up.

• Karaoke Night and pool tournament at Cotton Country Club, 212 E. Davilla St., Granger, doors open at 5 p.m.

• Open Jam Night at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4

• Heritage Square Farmers Market, 400 N. Main St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free.

• Easter Egg Hunt at Memorial Field, 1213 Davis St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to noon.

• Black Sparrow Showcase at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W.

Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m., $10, ages 18 and up.

• Ghosts of the Hill Country at Coupland Dancehall, 101 Hoxie St., Coupland, doors open at 6 p.m. Ticket info at CouplandDancehall.com.

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 EASTER • Hutto Silent Book Club at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 3-4:30 p.m., free.

MONDAY: APRIL 6

• Chair yoga at Taylor Public Library, 801 Vance St., Taylor, 9:30 a.m., free.

• “Moving Stories Monday” at The Story Emporium & Bookshop, 202 U.S. 79, Hutto, 10:30-11:30 a.m. for ages 4-12, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for ages 13–18.

• Sketch Club at Atelier 95, 311 N. Main St., Taylor, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Donation: $15, ages 18 and up.

TUESDAY, APRIL 7

• SeniorFit by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 10:30 a.m., $5.

• Pilates by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6 p.m., $5.

• Track Time & Walk to Run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

• Storytelling with Kelly McRae at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 7 p.m., free, ages 18 and up.

WWW.EASTWILCOINSIDER.COM