STILL SERVING and being served — in love

TAYLOR — Whether it’s teaching local youth to play tennis, advocating for fellow childhood sexual-assault survivors or providing new Adidas Kicks to lowincome kids for the first day of school, Marcus Reese for years has set a high standard for big-hearted giving in Taylor and Williamson County through his nonprofits.

But earlier this year, Reese — the president and founder of the Taylor Area Tennis Association, the Break the Silence Movement and the Best Food Forward Initiative — found himself in need.

“My life changed just back in February,” said Reese, 43, while recalling his fateful visit to the emergency room of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Round Rock, where testing would eventually reveal cancerous lesions on one of his kidneys and his liver.

“It was so strange,’” Reese recalled. “I went into this place as a youngish tennis coach, somewhat of a community figure, a dad, a husband, and then all of a sudden it was like they were telling me I wasn’t all those things…The only thing that mattered as I walked out was I was someone who had cancer.”

A few months later — after multiple rounds of immunotherapy and chemotherapy —Reese found himself dangerously dehydrated and back in the intensive care unit of that same hospital.

“I was at the absolute lowest,” Reese said. “They said, ‘Hey, your good kidney is also failing … And if it doesn’t get better in two days, you will have to do dialysis.”

Marcus Reese takes a break Aug. 12 at his favorite hangout Ripple & Rose Cafe in downtown Taylor. PHOTO BY NICOLE LESSIN Reese’s numbers returned to normal just in the nick of time, which he credits to the family, friends, supporters and even strangers praying for him.

THE POWER OF PRAYER

“What has really been the heart of this journey for me, beyond my faith, beyond my family, beyond my supporters, is the simple fact that even people who I have just come across on the Internet or who don’t even really know me are helping me,” Reese said. “They are praying for me, they are sending me notes. There’s a lady who sends me a card once a month to let me know I am not forgotten.”

Not to mention the overwhelming show of support from the many who do know and love Reese, in the form of handmade gifts, his favorite comfort foods and more.

He added, “I have had people cook very clean meals for me. They wouldn’t add salt or make it spicy, just like I needed. They would alter the meals, when I hadn’t even asked for the meal.”

He believes a higher power is at work. “I know God is behind it,” Reese said. “I was almost thinking, ‘I wish I had this today, and then someone shows up with exactly what I wanted.’” In fact, during his ICU stay, Reese said the principal from his daughter’s elementary school showed up at 9:15 p.m. with a pint of his favorite Butter Pecan ice cream and a phone charger after she had discovered that his own had stopped working.

“She didn’t have to do anything,” Reese said. “It’s one of those random acts of kindness. I have always known what it is like to be a giver of random acts of kindness, but I have not really known as well what it was to be a receiver. I needed to become better at receiving in general. Now I understand more when people say, ‘Hey, thank you for making an impact.’”

GIVING BACK TO THE GIVER

Since February, former Taylor Councilman Gerald Anderson, the executive director of the Bill Pickett Educational Foundation, and his girlfriend, Carla Hoffmann, have been cutting Reese’s yard every other week without being asked — because they knew he would downplay what he was going through.

“I just understand how important it is having your yard cut,” said Anderson, a longtime friend. “Especially when you’ve got kids that need to get outside and out of the house. The backyard is a release for a lot of people and it is a safe space, so it was just important to me to make his yard nice so he and his family could enjoy some quiet time.”

“Marcus is an integral part of the community,” Anderson added. “He is part of the glue that holds it together with all of the good work that he does.”

Hoffman, who herself survived being dragged under a car while riding her bike two years ago, requiring multiple surgeries, said it has been important to her to continue to support Reese for as long as he needs it.

“Working through the hard times, he is a fighter like I was,” Hoffman said. “I see that in him.”

In fact, this summer, while undergoing treatments, Reese was still able to provide new sneakers for more than 200 disadvantaged kids, primarily from Taylor, but also from Hutto, Manor, Granger, Cedar Park, Austin and as far away as Spring, through his yearly shoe drive called Best Foot Forward.

“As the treatment has become more predictable, I know after so many days, I can come out and I have energy, and I can do things,” Reese said. “That’s when I started to really pray and figure out what it is that I can do. Because I felt worse being at home and being worried about the cancer…I feel better with getting to help people.”

PUTTING HIS

BESTFOOTFORWARD

Reese said he got the idea for the Best Foot Forward shoe-drive project three years ago after hearing a dad in a store tell his child he was unable to afford new footwear right before school began.

Monica Esparza, the area director of marketing for Round Rock Premium Outlets, which has provided Best Foot Forward with $1,000 in gift cards to its Nike and Adidas retail stores for two years in a row, said they are grateful to be a part of what Reese does for area children.

“I’m not surprised that Marcus continues his incredible charitable work even in the midst of cancer treatment, because that’s just who he is,” Esparza said in a written statement. “He is someone who always puts others first and will persevere. The entire team at Round Rock Premium Outlets is keeping Marcus in our thoughts as he navigates this health challenge.”

Erin Lawrence, the principal of Granger Elementary School, said Reese did not hesitate to shop for and provide a last-minute request the Wednesday before school started for 43 kids in her district.

“He actually went above and beyond,” Lawrence said. “He purchased brand new Adidas shoes… It was interesting that the style of shoes matched the kids’ personalities even though he had never met the kids.”

Lawrence said these shoes meant more to these children in need than most people could ever imagine.

“It gives them hope and recognition that someone sees their struggles,” she said. “An act of kindness like that can help them find a way forward and know that their community is there for them.”

Lawrence said this year she hesitated to put in the application for the shoes because she heard about the difficulties Reese faced.

However, through a mutual friend, she got a message that he was gently scolding her for not reaching out, saying, ‘No, reach out. We are doing this.’” As the homeless liaison for the Granger Independent School District, Lawrence said she also admires Reese’s Break the Silence Initiative, which provides victim advocacy to individuals who have experienced sexual abuse.

The program gives survivors a voice to help them navigate difficult circumstances and connects them with support and resources during a dark time in their lives.

“Marcus is a once-in-a-lifetime human,” Lawrence said. “His impact goes beyond the services that his initiatives provide. He brings hope. He restores dignity. And he helps build a strong community where vulnerable children and families can thrive.”

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up for Reese and his family.

For more, visit gofund. me/2cbb76bf3.

Jesco’s Bar & Lounge serves up small-town charm

TAYLOR — Stepping into Jesco’s Bar & Lounge feels like taking a step into a homey neighborhood pub, the kind featured on cozy British television shows.

A gleaming wooden bar top runs the length of the room at the newly opened watering hole, 1119 N. Main St. The music is low enough for conversation but loud enough for privacy. A few booths and a bistro table stand ready to greet groups, but owners Mike Kane and Jason Powell say most people prefer to sit at the bar.

“People are telling us this kind of bar is something Taylor has been missing for a while,” Kane said. “We want Jesco’s to be part of Taylor’s friendly, hometown feeling.”

The location has been a bar for generations, though it recently sat empty.

The new owners updated the interior, replacing the ghost of cigarette smoke with a clean smell, new fixtures, updated seating and a pool table. Kane and Powell began renovating the building in March and were ready for customers in late July.

Powell said even with the changes, the bar has kept its timeless feel.

“It’s going to stay just like this,” he said. “The bar part will always be a place to relax and enjoy conversation and community. Outside is where we’ll have deejays and be trying new things like vendor fairs or food-based events.”

The partners cut their teeth working at clubs in Austin’s famous Rainey Street entertainment district. The duo said they enjoyed laboring together and wanted to go into business, and when a real estate agent showed them the property in Taylor, they instantly knew it was special.

In addition to the bar, the property has an outdoor yard with plenty of seating where children are welcome. The space is set up for families to enjoy an afternoon together. The area has a stage for live performances and the owners are currently building custom television cabinets and shade shelters.

A second building, the lounge, opens into the yard and has a “mini-nightclub” feel.

The lounge can be rented as an event room that can hold up to 50 people. Deejays often spin music in the lounge or on the outdoor stage.

Jesco’s doesn’t have a kitchen, but it hosts special events centered around food trucks and seasonal offerings, including a recent seafood boil featuring Texas Crab Co.

While Powell and Kane have not moved to Taylor yet, they spend every day at the bar serving up small-town hospitality. In just a few short weeks, they are always at Jesco’s and have gotten to know quite a few of the people who have already made it their home away from home.

“We’re meeting new people every day, and we already have a group of regulars,” Powell said. “Everyone in Taylor just seems really friendly and welcoming, and that’s the feel we want to keep at Jesco’s.”

Jesco’s offers a signature cocktail menu including a blackberry mojito and a non-alcoholic drink called the Mock Up. The owners said they wanted to make sure the bar felt inviting, and part of that was setting a price for drinks that ensures people can afford to come in and stay a while.

The lounge offers a list of premium cocktails at $10 and a $3 beer special each day.

Hours are noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and noon to 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Jesco’s Bar & Lounge 1119 N. Main St. in Taylor For more, visit jescos.com.

TAYLOR — A film series celebrating “bold and inspiring stories” created by women cinematographers debuts at the McCrory Timmerman Building in September, reflecting downtown’s growing female-owned and managed businesses, sponsors said.

The sprawling historical edifice at 201 N. Main St. will host the inaugural She Speaks Film Festival Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19.

The two-day event will start with an opening party at the McCrory Timmerman Friday night.

On Saturday, a full day of shorts and features will be shown in the McCrory-Timmerman Upper Foyer, followed by an Awards Ceremony just across the street at the Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St.

The festival is “a celebration of what’s possible when women are given room to tell their stories, in their own voices, on their own terms,” said Jessica Drake, the founding director of the event.

HEADED TO DOWNTOWNTAYLOR

For the board members at the She Speaks Film Festival, Taylor’s historic downtown offers an ideal choice for the inaugural festival.

Planners said the number of women-owned or female-managed businesses made Taylor the ideal choice to hold the festival.

“When we came and toured and 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, a local filmmaker and sponsor manager for the She Speaks Film Festival.

As for the team at the McCrory Timmerman, “we are happy and proud to host a women’s creative event,” said Judy Blundell, an artist and co-owner of the 1888 building.

AUSTIN FILM VETERAN

After spending more than 20 years in the Austin film industry, Drake noticed the area lacked a festival that championed bold female filmmakers.

She decided to change that. “I wanted to build the kind of space I had been searching for, a festival that uplifts women’s voices, encourages creative risk and fosters genuine community,” Drake said.

While Austin offers the Austin Film Festival, now in its 33rd year, it is known as a writer-focused event and is highly competitive.

The AFF is an eight-day festival and four-day conference scheduled for Oct. 29 to Nov. 5.

WHY A FEMALE FILM FESTIVAL?

She Speaks Film Festival was created to give women filmmakers a “focused, intentional space” to share their work and build community, Drake said.

“This festival exists for those voices, and I am honored to help create a space where they can be seen, heard and celebrated,” Drake said.

According to the founder, the festival welcomes narratives across a variety of genres, formats and points of view. From emerging creators to established filmmakers, organizers said the festival showcases women’s stories and keeps them center stage to inspire all audiences.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

According to Drake, the She Speaks Film Festival had an “astounding” 165 films submitted for its debut. However, it could only accept 49 due to the oneday, one-venue schedule, and the festival organizers hope to expand in 2027.

Times and the final schedule can be found at shespeaksfilmfestival.com.

The She Speaks Film Festival will include a panel discussion from the nonprofit Women in Film & Television Texas. It will be led by actor, director and producer Alexandra Chando, now based in Austin and Los Angeles, who is known for her recurring role on “As the World Turns.”

Panelists include Texas filmmaker Kat Candler, producer and director of the 2026 Netflix series “Little House on the Prairie.”

The festival also will feature an additional block of films by Drake and other board members screening during the opening night mixer at the McCrory Timmerman galleries from 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 18.

The She Speaks Film Festival Awards Ceremony will convene after the credits roll for the last film at The Black Sparrow Sept. 19.

It is open to the public, and no ticket is required.

The films will be judged by a jury of female creatives who hail from backgrounds in acting, directing, producing, talent acquisition and writing, including a judge from the Austin Film Festival.

There will be an Audience Choice award attendees will vote on at the festival.

NOWSHOWING

According to Drake, filmgoers should expect a day filled with cinematic offerings from all over the planet. The features, divided by genre categories and geographic location, will be shown together.

The She Speaks Film Festival will feature a documentary short block, international short block, U.S. short block, Texas short block, documentary feature and narrative feature. Each is an awards category, plus plaudits for best actress, best actor, best director, best cinematographer and best emerging filmmaker.

HOWTOATTEND

According to Drake, the She Speaks Film Festival is confirming the selected filmmakers’ attendance, which will determine how many tickets will be available for sale.

More information can be found at shespeaksfilmfestival.com.

What’s happening in East Wilco entertainment and activities

— COMPILED BY CATHERINE PARKER

SATURDAY, SEPT. 5

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

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free.

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

• Neon Nights with Mix Tape and Western Darlin’ at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 7 p.m., free, all ages.

MONDAY, SEPT. 7 — LABOR DAY TUESDAY, SEPT. 8

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

• 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 and walk to run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

• 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.

• Community Art Project at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W.

Second St., Taylor, 7 p.m., free, all ages.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 10

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

• 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 and walk to run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

• Crones School for Women at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 7-8 p.m., free, ages 18 and up.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 11 PATRIOT DAY

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free.

• 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.

• Dare Buzzard Comedy Showcase at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 7 p.m., advance tickets $15, at the door $20, ages 18 and up.

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

• Patriot Day 9/11 march and remembrance in downtown Taylor on Main Street, 7 p.m., sponsored by the Taylor Fire Department, ends in Heritage Square Park with a memorial program.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12

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

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free.

• Second Saturday Arts and Artisans Market at 120C W. Second St., Taylor, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free.

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

MONDAY, SEPT. 14

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

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First Street, Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

• Sketch Club at Atelier 95, 311 N. Main St., Taylor, doors open at 6 p.m., donation: $15, ages 18 and up.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 15

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

• 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 and walk to run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 16

• Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

• 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.

WWW.EASTWILCOINSIDER.COM

THURSDAY, SEPT. 17

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

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

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

• Track time and walk to run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

• Music on Main Concert at Taylor Heritage Square, 400 Main St., Taylor, 7-9 p.m., free.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 18

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free.

• 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.

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

• Melissa Burrows’ 50th Birthday Bash at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m., free, ages: 18 and up.

• Max Stalling at Coupland Dance Hall, 101 Hoxie St., Coupland, doors open at 6 p.m., ticket information at CouplandDancehall. com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 19

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free.

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

• Margarita Mile in downtown Taylor, starts at 417 N. Main St., 1-5 p.m., ages 21 and up.

• She Speaks Film Festival Award Ceremony at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 8 p.m., free, all ages.

• 6th Annual Spay-ghetti Dinner & Raffle benefiting Texas Critter Crusaders at Taylor SPJST Hall, 5025 FM 619, Taylor, 5 to 9 p.m., $40, tickets at www.texascrittercrusaders.com.

Local first-responders will take part in a Patriot Day 9/11 march in Taylor. FILE PHOTO

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

MONDAY, SEPT. 21

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

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

• Sketch Club at Atelier 95, 311 N. Main St., Taylor, doors open at 6 p.m., donation: $15, ages 18 and up.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 22

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

• 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 and walk to run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

• 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.

SEPTEMBER 2026 ARTS & MUSIC

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

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

• 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 and walk to run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free.

• 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.

• Dan Whitaker Band at SPJST Lodge 29, 5025 FM 619, Taylor, 7:30-11:30 p.m., free.

• Ripple and Rose Dance Party at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 7 p.m., $10, ages 18 and up.

• Greed Fisher at Coupland Dance Hall, 101 Hoxie St., Coupland, doors open at 6 p.m., ticket information at CouplandDancehall.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free.

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

• Fiesta Taylor at Heritage Square Park, 400 N. Main St., Taylor, 6-10 p.m., details at taylorchamber.org/fiesta-taylor-txtequila- music-2026/

• Black Sparrow Acoustic Showcase at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 7 p.m., $10.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 27

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• “Spark! Places of Innovation,” the Smithsonian in Taylor Exhibit at the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St., Taylor, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free.

MONDAY, SEPT. 28

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

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

• Sketch Club at Atelier 95, 311 N. Main St., Taylor, doors open at 6 p.m., donation: $15, ages 18 and up.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 29

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• 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 and walk to run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• 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.

• East Wilco Dems meeting at Black Sparrow Music Parlor, 113 W. Second St., Taylor, 12:30 p.m., free.

• 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.

OCTOBER THURSDAY, OCT. 1

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E. Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., general admission required.

• 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 and walk to run by Taylor Parks and Recreation Department, 1412 Davis St., Taylor, 6:30 p.m., $12.

FRIDAY, OCT. 2

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E.

Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., general admission required.

• 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 at 5 p.m.

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

• Tracy Byrd at Coupland Dance Hall, 101 Hoxie St., Coupland, doors open at 6 p.m., ticket information at CouplandDancehall. com.

SATURDAY, OCT. 3

• Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm, 14400 E.

Texas 29, Georgetown, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., general admission required.

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

WWW.EASTWILCOINSIDER.COM

Organized competition can help students achieve

The American Dream. Dream big. Follow your dreams.

Through the course of a lifetime, Americans are told to pursue their dreams and achieve them, but what often goes unsaid is others will be chasing those same dreams.

In other words, there will be competition.

While many fear the pressure of competition at an early age can be overwhelming for students, research shows some trials can positively affect mental health in children and fortify them for adulthood.

“We don’t want to raise complacent children, we want to raise kids who believe they can do anything, and that aren’t scared to try to get there,” said Abby Turner, director of teaching and learning at the Taylor Independent School District. “We can’t remove scary pressure moments from our students’ lives, we can only prepare them for it, and so we give them the tools and the skills so that they’re able to develop and be ready for it in the real world.”

A 2022 research study of more than 11,000 U.S. children shows some competition not only builds skills such as cooperation, problem-solving and effective communication, it can also bolster mental fortitude. The research cited lower rates of anxiety and depression, social problems and difficulties with attention in adolescents.

The study, published in PLOS ONE and authored by Matt Hoffmann, Joel Barnes, Mark Tremblay and Michelle Guerrero, indicated mental-health benefits are associated with team competitions because of collaboration, connection and positive social interactions, including peer support through victory or defeat.

LOCAL CONTESTS

While the study centered on traditional sports, the same collaboration and support can be found in other types of contests. In Taylor and Hutto, students have a wide variety of options for developing a talent and putting their skills to the test against their peers.

In the 2025-26 school year, Taylor High School’s barbecue team won the regional competition and came in fifth place in the state championships. Its color guard team placed fifth at state and competed nationally. The new robotics team placed second at the statewide

Abby Turner (left), Lillian Farris and Stephanie Kaynes pose with Farris’ entry to the Texas State Science and Engineering Fair at Texas A&M University. She was in the top 20 in the state in the 2025/26 Engineering Technology, Statics & Dynamics category with her project “Comparing Weight Capacity Across Bridge Designs.” Farris, now a freshman at Taylor High School, placed in the top 4% of 25,000 fair participants. COURTESY TAYLOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

TAYLOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT robotics newcomer competition.

Hutto Independent School District also boasts many award-winning teams, including robotics. Hutto High School has been named the University Interscholastic League Robotics State Champions five times, and more than 10 state championship titles have been awarded to elementary and middle school teams.

The study cautioned individual competition may not have the same effects as group competition due to differing dynamics and the potential for an individual competitor to feel more pressure and have less support, but Turner said in Taylor ISD, they take steps to ensure all students can participate in healthy competition whether it is individually or in groups.

Two years ago, Taylor ISD began participating in science fairs. The district had not competed in science fairs in recent memory, and instructional specialist Stephanie Kayne said the first year’s event created a buzz among students that more than tripled participation the second year.

Last year, almost 40 Taylor students participated in the Greater Austin Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Five elementary pupils won first-place awards and one middle school student, Lillian Farris, took first in her category and competed at state.

While science fair competition is an individual event, the district provides a group-effort atmosphere for those participating. Kaynes does mock interviews with the students so they can practice their presentations. Teachers, community members and school district trustees participate in a mock science fair with the students to help them feel prepared and supported.

“It’s amazing to watch the kids cross the stage as they get scored. At the elementary level they immediately get a first, second or third place and they have their ribbon and you should just see how they shine as they hold their board and their ribbon,” Kaynes said.

Turner said Taylor ISD takes a systematic approach to finding opportunities for all students to connect with the school, and activities that feature competition are one way to encourage engagement.

“One thing about competition is, success builds more success. So if we find a kid, and we can identify what they’re great at, it gives us the lens to find the next thing that they’re great at, and the next, and the next. It really helps us just find the strengths of our kids and then build on them,” Turner said.

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

Opportunities to engage and compete with peers can take several forms, including extracurricular clubs and organizations such as the FFA and 4-H, which have leadership and agricultural contests.

The UIL provides extracurricular academic, athletic and music contests for students including theater, journalism and debate. There are school-sponsored teams such as Academic Decathlon. Some competitions are connected to specific courses, including criminal justice, digitalmedia production and photography.

Hutto High School senior Arianna Castillo won two silver medals and one bronze at the Technology Student Association regionals and competed in the state championship for photography during the last school year. While she said she has always enjoyed photography, she considered giving it up.

“Competing has made me more confident in my work because for a while, I was kind of scared to put my work out there and I was just nervous of what people were gonna say,” she said.

Castillo credits support from family, friends and classmates with helping her gain the confidence to show her photos. She also praised her photography teacher, Jason Hennington, for giving her advice, encouragement and teaching techniques she needed to work on.

The senior said participating in photography competitions gives her a reason to be excited to go to school and has improved her overall motivation.

Kenji Williams, another of Hennington’s award-winning photography pupils, sees competition as a way of making connections that could help him later. In addition to winning two gold medals for his photography work at the Technology Student Association regionals, Williams competes in musical events and operates a heat-printed T-shirt business with his younger brother, Corey.

“He has a competitive spirit when it

comes to other people, but I don’t think it is a matter of him wanting to be compared to someone else. I think it’s just him exploring the subject matter,” said mother Onnesha Williams.

Kenji Williams, a senior at Hutto High, said his real passion is creating “beats” for musicians. He is hoping to get into more competitions in that field, though he thinks he will also compete in photography as well. He likes learning from other people in interesting fields, something he said is part of the competitive environment.

“I saw a quote, ‘Anybody who is expert at something was always a beginner at the start.’ So everybody’s gonna be a beginner when they’re trying to start something new,” Williams said.

Putting in the time is a sentiment Hutto High Career and Technology Education teacher Hennington stresses to his students.

“You can be God-gifted with all the talent, but if you don ‘t put in the work, it’s not gonna matter. And that’s what I encourage my photography students to do,” he said. “Yes, you’ve got a great eye. But you might miss something because you’re not going out there and practicing. You’ve gotta put in the work.”

Competition has always been part of Hennington’s life. An award-winning photojournalist, he recently was named as the Career and Technical Association of Texas Area IV nominee for “New Teacher of the Year” for the state.

The Taylor native began his teaching career at Hutto High in 2024 after 11 years with Taylor Press, where he was editor and publisher. During that time, the newspaper won numerous awards for journalism and photography.

Hennington said competition teaches students a strong work ethic, builds discipline and opens the world to opportunities they might not have had. It also gives them a reason to keep coming to school.

The educator has two young daughters, Jasmine and Tiana, who are just entering their competitive years. As a parent, he hopes they enter competitions and learn important life lessons.

“I want them to understand that competition is not just all about beating the other person,” Hennington said. “I want them to learn how to have respect for those people they were just up against. I want them to learn work ethic. And I want them to learn how to be a better person, not just in the competition, but also afterwards.”

Central Texas is blasting off for the space race, with several hightech industries setting up shop in the area, including Melagen Labs in Taylor, Firefly Aerospace in Cedar Park, SpaceX in Bastrop and CesiumAstro in Austin. See the story on page 07. Courtesy photo Texas has been associated with mankind’s quest to slip the bonds of gravity ever since the nation first heard chatter between astronauts and Mission Control at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in the Houston area.

TECH

BOLAFSFT Space industry rocketing to new heights in Williamson County

Not to be outdone, Williamson County and the Greater Austin area are lifting off in a quest to help conquer space.

Moon landers, rockets, satellites and specialized labs are all now part of the space industry mix emerging in Central Texas.

On June 22, local dignitaries and company founders gathered in the shell of a building at 1901 Industrial Drive to celebrate Taylor’s first entry into space-related activity with Melagen Labs.

The Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company focused its search for a new radiation testing facility in Florida, Oklahoma and Texas.

What they found in Central Texas were companies such as Cedar Park’s planetary lander and rocket company Firefly Aerospace, SpaceX’s satellite manufacturing facility in neighboring Bastrop County and an expanding Austin presence for aerospace defense communications systems company CesiumAstro.

All of these are potential clients for Melagen’s radiation-testing services along with other advanced manufacturing firms such as Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., which opens its massive Taylor semiconductor fabrication plant later this year.

“Taylor is transforming quite a bit in our target sectors,” said Ben White, CEO of the Taylor Economic Development Corp.

The EDC is now talking with at least five companies in the aerospace and defense manufacturing arena, White said.

SPACE HUB

Williamson County is expected to become even more of a hub for space-related companies thanks to the development of a spaceport in Cedar Park.

The Central Texas Spaceport Development Corp. was launched just over a year ago with the approval of Williamson County commissioners.

Firefly, which developed the Blue Ghost lander that successfully touched down on the near side of the moon, is behind the $78 million, four-building facility at the spaceport in Cedar Park.

The sixth spaceport development corporation established by local governments in Texas, the Williamson County spaceport project in conjunction with Cedar Park is expected to add to the existing draw of being near other aerospace and defense contractors, “With this joint venture, we are strengthening our position at the forefront of the new space economy, while also creating opportunities for job growth, investment and technological leadership,” Cedar Park Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin said when announcing the partnership last summer. “Together with our county and state partners, we’re laying the foundation for a future where Cedar Park and Central Texas are known globally as a hub for space exploration and aerospace innovation.”

Hutto also is in the hunt, likely with several other sites near the Interstate 35 corridor, for a large aerospace manufacturer that could bring as many as 2,000 jobs. While details of the initiative dubbed Project Blue Hub are under wraps – Hutto’s Economic Development Corp. board discussed it in a closed executive session in May – it is widely believed to be Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin Logistics.

The project Hutto EDC considered for performance-based economic incentives in May includes manufacturing, warehouse and research and development operations in 1.3 million square feet of space and $650 million capital investment.

The 2,000 jobs over five years would have an average salary of $88,000.

Several Williamson County cities are said to be making a pitch for the Blue Origin site, according to previous reporting by the Austin Business Journal.

Bastrop County, as a home to a major SpaceX manufacturing facility for StarLink satellites and cheaper land than neighboring Travis County, also is getting looks for aerospace and defense company expansions.

Acutronic USA Inc., a subsidiary of Acutronic Group AG of Switzerland, is expected to break ground for the buildout of a 14-acre manufacturing site in a Bastrop industrial park. The firm’s aerospace components operations are based in Austin.

This is all part of the bustling economy that drew the founders of Melagen to pick East Williamson County as its new headquarters and transition operations out of New York’s borough of Brooklyn.

MELAGENANDTAYLOR

The company founders said the Taylor EDC and city officials moved fast to do in months what could have taken two years in other places, including securing a building to lease and finding the funds to get the new operation up and running.

Radiation in space can damage sensitive electronic equipment used to monitor, collect data or conduct experiments. It is costly and timeconsuming to manufacture components such as semiconductor chips to be “hardened” against radiation.

Instead, the trend now is to use off-theshelf technology whenever possible and shield it from the radiation, said Melagen’s co-founder and CEO Muhammad Hunain. The startup developed composite-materials shielding for those components in the form of its first product known as MLC.

That technology is getting a test mounted outside of the International Space Station in December to see how well it protects the data and computing infrastructure of a client working to create virtual data centers in space.

Some of that can be simulated on terra firma, but one of the problems for companies that want to test how their tech will fare in space is that there are only a handful of labs that can do the gamma irradiation tests to mimic what it will experience in space. Trained technicians also are few.

The Taylor facility, which will eventually have about 25 employees in the next few years, will use cobalt-60 in-house to test protection against radiation for clients.

They also hope to team up with area medical centers that have proton treatment. Through those partnerships, Melagen would use the accelerators during overnight off hours.

University-owned proton accelerators often allow the use of their technology for the kind of testing Melagen will do, but they have a backlog of requests.

While some Taylor residents have expressed concern, the company presented officials who explained the testing is safe.

“Radiation is a scary term,” said Hari Mahesh, co-founder of Melagen. “Everything is going to be fully selfcontained. People have been normalized to think, ‘OK, it’s a medical facility, it’s going to have protections.’ We’re going to do the same things. Of course they call it proton therapy or radiation therapy. We call it radiation testing, but it is literally the same equipment with the same (safety) requirement if not more stringent.”

The company wants to train people from other industries such as oil and gas, automotive and aviation to use their existing skills to apply to radiation testing. Melagan also plans to offer internships for local and area students in the future.

Company executives also want to create an environment that welcomes other startups to locate around them, sharing resources in a co-workspace that would bring even more aerospacecompatible companies into Taylor, Mahesh said.

“It’s really an exciting time,” Hunain said. “This is something that keeps us going and keeps us up to know that our technology will be on the ISS and shielding equipment on the moon.”

HOUSE PRICES IN COUNTY AND REGION ON THE RISE AGAIN Buyers are ‘moving forward with confidence’

After a few years of harsh interest rates led to a decline in what sellers could get for a house, the market in Williamson County is heating up like a Texas summer afternoon.

This isn’t the blistering, bidding-war scenario that defined most of the Austinarea real estate scene in the opening years of the decade, but rather a gentle rise in prices, a significant increase in the number of sales and a tightening inventory.

Williamson County posted the tightest inventory in the region in June, with just 3.7 months of housing stock on the market, or 1.2 months less than June 2025, according to data from Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of Realtors.

By comparison, the five-county Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area had just 4.4 months of inventory in June, a month less than same month last year.

That means that although interest rates as low as 3% are no longer driving the market, demand is coming back and buyers have adjusted to higher mortgage rates. At the end of July, average rates across the country rose to 6.58%, after declines earlier in the year got it closer to 6%.

“In June, we saw inventory tighten, homes sell more quickly and median prices increase year-over-year,” said Vaike O’Grady, market research advisor at Unlock MLS. “While we’ll need to continue to monitor these trends in the months ahead, these early signals suggest the market is continuing to build on the progress we’ve seen over the past year.”

CONFIDENCE IN EAST WILCO

East Williamson County remains even more a bargain.

The median sales price of a house in Taylor was less than $300,000 in May, compared to $359,000 in May 2022, according to home buying website Redfin.

For Hutto, the median sold price on 224 houses in May was nearly $345,000, Redfin reports. At its peak in June 2022, houses in the city sold at a median price $430,000.

Hutto ranked as the No. 12 best suburb of Austin to live in, according to Niche, a company that analyzes various data on the quality of schools and life. It was No. 125 out of 416 for the best suburb in Texas for young professionals. While it had an overall score of A-, the commute to jobs in the Austin area got a C+.

Thousands of occupations are coming to the eastern part of the county thanks to the $17 billion Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. semiconductor foundry and research center, manufacturing and logistics hubs for Samsung suppliers and a growing number of technology companies from South Korea, Taiwan and Europe.

LOCAL SALES PRICES

The median sales price in Williamson County ticked up just 0.5% to $426,800 in June compared to the same time last year. Previous months, however, were softer making the median for the first six months of the year $408,000, a decline of 2.9% compared to the first half of 2025, according to data from Unlock MLS.

For the five-county MSA, the median price was down 2.4% to $425,000 in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. But prices made a return in June, rising 1.1% from the same month last year, bringing the median cost of buying a house to $450,000.

HOUSE SALES

The number of houses in the process of being sold was also telling right out of the gate for the summer buying season.

“One of the strongest metrics that we continue to see is the growth in pending sales year-to-date.” O’Grady said. “Pending sales provide us with an early look at where the market is headed, and when they’re increasing alongside closed sales. It tells us buyers continue to move forward with confidence.”

She added, “This combination of transactions and moderating prices reflects a market that is creating opportunity for buyers, while sellers continue to find success by pricing and positioning their homes strategically for today’s market.”

ABoR and Unlock MLS President John Crowe said real estate agents can use data and research to help buyers find the best opportunities and help sellers do strategic pricing to get the best price in the face of market trends.

“Every market is local, and conditions can vary from one neighborhood to the next,” Crowe said.

Williamson County residential home sales accounted for more than a third of deals closed in the first half of the year with 5,410 houses sold, up 7% from the first six months of 2025.

June sales in Wilco were up 4.3% with 1,001 houses changing hands.

Pending sales for the month were strong, showing a 14.5% increase from last June at 1,037 houses waiting for the signing of closing papers.

Residential real estate inside the Austin city limits remains the steepest followed by Travis County, a factor driving more home sales and subdivision development to Williamson, Bastrop, Caldwell and Hays counties.

The median price of a house sold in Austin in June was $605,000, an increase of 3.6% from June of last year. That’s a significant leap compared to sales prices earlier in the year. In the first six months, the median sales price inside the city limits was $572,500, a slight decline from the year before.

That price is inching toward the $615,000 median price for Austin in June of 2022, just one month after the record high of $667,000.

This is in part shaped by a market trying to find its footing in an economy marked by the continual rise of inflation, an uncertain future with on-again, off-again tariffs on goods from other countries and higher gas prices brought on by a months-old war and sometimes stalemate with Iran.

However, the rising price of housing and increase in demand also show another dynamic at play: confidence in future earnings in the local job market.

“The continued increase in home sales reflect growing confidence among Central Texas buyers,” said JC San Pedro, chief lending officer at Austin-based Amplify Credit Union. “As the market continues to build momentum, buyers who are financially prepared are well positioned to take advantage of increased inventory, more balanced pricing and greater negotiating opportunities.” As the high cost of buying a house remains a major concern for those living in and around Austin, real estate professionals are pointing the finger at factors other than price in making home ownership more difficult.

AFFORDABILITY STRAINS

A report released July 28 found that property taxes, homeowners insurance, utility rates and other costs associated with owning a home – the monthly housing carrying cost – is problematic for existing homeowners.

The 2026 Central Texas Homeowner Affordability Index from Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of Realtors concluded that for every additional $100 a month in costs related to home ownership, about 9,800 Central Texas households find themselves costburdened. That is reached when housing costs, including the mortgage payments, exceed 30% of the gross household income.

The estimated baseline cost of homeownership in Williamson County is pegged at $2,156 a month. In Travis County that number is $2,516 a month, while the more sparsely populated Caldwell County has the lowest cost in the MSA at $1,524.

Adding $100 a month to those figures would cost-burden about 4,500 Travis County residents, 3,000 in Williamson County and another 2,300 across the other three counties included in the region.

ABoR officials want community leaders and lawmakers to consider these factors when deciding on things such as issuing new bonds that require additional taxation or raising the rates on everything from picking up the garbage to water usage. Since 2019, the increase in mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance and utilities have outpaced the increase in median incomes in Central Texas.

“Many existing owners are protected by sub-4% mortgages and homestead appraisal caps, but those protections do not touch monthly carrying costs,” according to the study’s authors. “The result is a quiet, cumulative strain on Central Texas households that is slowly impacting our communities and broader economy.”

While Austin ISD is seeing declining numbers and Austin is experiencing an outmigration of residents, some people are moving to the Houston or Dallas areas. But the suburbs are the first to feel the population gain.

“Households, workers, and economic activity are shifting toward lower-cost destinations outside of the region’s urban core. Most of that movement has stayed within the broader Central Texas region, which is a positive sign for our suburban counties but can present their own challenges for public school districts as those families bring their children with them,” according to the study.

Smithsonian exhibit comes to Taylor

TAYLOR — Coinciding with the city’s celebration of 150 years of history, a traveling exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution to commemorate the impact of rural communities across Texas is stopping in Taylor.

“Spark! Places of Innovation Celebrating Rural Communities” is on a yearlong, six-town tour and celebrates inventions, innovations and history, officials said.

The free exhibit lands Aug. 15 and runs through Sept. 27 in the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

City officials said the backing of the Smithsonian speaks well for the exhibit and the decision to spend six weeks in Taylor.

The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum complex, with 21 facilities across the U.S., including 11 institutions and the National Zoo in Washington, DC.

The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, also known as SITES, and the Texas Historical Commission, the state agency dedicated to historic preservation, collaborated to create the traveling exhibit specially for Texas.

“Spark!” is part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program

“SPARK! PLACES OF INNOVATION”

According to the exhibition curators, innovation can happen anywhere, and it’s taking place right now in small towns across America.

Rural Americans are creating new products, taking risks, meeting challenges and seizing opportunities that change local life and sometimes reach far beyond, they said.

“Small town and rural places were celebrated cradles of American invention and innovation. In technology, the arts and society, their self-reliant creative traditions remain as vital today as ever,” said Arthur Molella, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.

HOWDIDWEGETHERE

According to Ruby Fisher, Taylor’s Main Street manager, the opening of the exhibit marks the culmination of a yearlong process of behind-the-scenes work.

It all started as an application to the Texas Historical Commission.

As she explained, the commission was looking for towns with fewer than 20,000 people in each of its 10 Texas Heritage Trail regions. With Taylor’s strong history in transportation and agriculture, paired with its sesquicentennial, the city secured the exhibit for the Brazos Trail region, an 18-county area of Central Texas.

“The theme of the exhibit matched really well with Taylor. We are really an innovative place,” Fisher said.

Since then, Fisher has been working with area partners to add more exhibits to the showcase. From railroads and restored cars to the skatepark, the “Spark! Places of Innovation” exhibition will showcase Taylor’s past and present.

WHAT VISITORS WILL FIND

The presentation measures 900 square feet and arrives in crates from its previous location.

Several local groups will contribute 13 additional exhibits, covering local history in addition to the Smithsonian’s curation. Visitors will find displays on Taylor’s own governor, Dan Moody, as well as an update on the restoration of the Dr. Dickey Museum and Multi-Purpose Center.

Other items include a railroad history exhibit from the Rockdale I&GN Museum Depot. The Williamson Museum of Georgetown will also contribute a local history exhibit.

Two Taylor Legacy Early College High School students will offer two showcases. One focuses on Taylor’s music history. The other documents the development of the youth-driven Project Loop Skate Park.

According to Jeff Snyder, owner of Jeff’s Resurrections, the Taylor Fire Department’s 1916 American LaFrance fire engine, an ongoing restoration project, will also be on display. He will also curate a collection of restored cars tied to Taylor’s history.

WHERE’S THE

HEIDENHEIMER BUILDING?

The “Spark! Places of Innovation” exhibition will be on display in a newly renovated space, the Heidenheimer Building, 209 E. First St.

Originally known as the Heidenheimer Wholesale Grocers Warehouse, the Galveston-based business erected the building in 1905. It included a spur rail line right to the front entrance, and area grocers drove their horse-drawn carts to pick up their orders.

The building in Taylor is said to be one of the oldest existing structures in town, having survived the fire of 1879, said city officials.

According to the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas, three Heidenheimer brothers founded a wholesale grocery company in 1867, based in Galveston.

The brothers operated one of the largest grocery companies in Texas as well as associated businesses, including a coffee and salt importer, a flour mill and a sugar plantation.

German-born Samson Heidenheimer built a fortune as a Confederate cotton smuggler at the time of the Civil War. During his tenure in Galveston, he purchased a large house that became known as the Heidenheimer Castle, later lost to fire in the 1970s.

NEW LIFE FOR AN OLD BUILDING

Snyder owns the Heidenheimer Building and has been renovating the site for over five years with the help of both federal and state restoration grants. He enlisted the assistance of O’Connell Architecture LLC, based out of Austin, known for its work on the Elizabeth Nay Museum.

Snyder is donating the space for the exhibit before he utilizes it for his business needs. Since 1990, he has been restoring classic and antique vehicles in his workshop in Taylor, earning coveted awards at national and international concours and shows.

The Heidenheimer Building features a soaring ceiling with exposed rafters and original doors.

According to Snyder, the Durand’s Tin-Clad Fire Doors would automatically close in the event of a fire, paired with Allith Manufacturing inclined tracks and weighted pulley systems.

Much of the building’s original details remain, with the addition of a loft overlooking the gallery space. The building’s systems received a complete overhaul from the roof to the air conditioning.

In front of the building, the original railroad spur line has been exposed, a unique feature on First Street. It runs along the street easement, and the restoration crew has laid original bricks to pave the area in-between the tracks.

In addition to the railroad spur, this block features its original pine-block pavers. A new interpretive sign with a historic photo engraved in glass is found at the intersection of First and Porter streets, explaining the wood’s use.

Visitors will be able to see the exposed pine block pavers in a recently excavated crosswalk in front of the Blazilmar Hotel. Common in Texas near railroad depots, the pavers are set with the wood grain positioned vertically.

TOUR OF TEXAS

Taylor is the third stop on the sixtown tour. It began in Kerrville on May 16, before relocating to Alpine. After Taylor, the exhibit will be crated up and transported to Snyder, Bracketville and finally end in Atlanta in January and February 2027.

If you are interested in contributing, Fisher is looking for volunteer docents.

For more information, look for upcoming announcements on the Main Street Taylor Texas Facebook page at facebook.com/p/Main-Street-Taylor-Texas-100095079411445/.

TAYLOR – New Police Chief Joseph Chacon hasn’t lost a minute in getting to know Taylor and its residents.

He has spent the first four months since he was hired meeting with community groups, modernizing and finding ways to upgrade the Taylor Police Department, including stressing the doctrine of “community policing” to build bridges with those he’s sworn to protect and to serve.

Chacon said the former leadership left the department in good shape and he hasn’t found anything requiring major changes.

“One of my central tenets is that police should be delivering police services the way a community wants them delivered, so we need to be actively listening and then take what we’re hearing, and that should translate into policy and practice,” the El Paso native said.

“So right now, I’m still kind of in that mode of figuring out what are the big changes, if any, that we need to make to the department. I’m not considering having any huge wholesale changes.”

His approach to community policing, a practice he outlined in a recent luncheon hosted by the Greater Taylor Chamber of Commerce, boils down to preventing crimes instead of just sending people to jail.

“Policing is not something that’s done to a community, it’s something that’s done with a community,” Chacon told the audience. “The police are the public; the public are the police. Many departments have lost sight of that.”

Chacon informed listeners he is an advocate for community policing, an approach that is proactive instead of reactive, relationship-focused and “community-driven.”

GETTING STARTED

Chacon’s first day at the helm was March 30 and he was sworn in April 8.

Prior to that, he served as the director of emergency services for Pflugerville, a job he took after retiring from the Austin Police Department where he served as chief from 2021-23.

He spent 25 years at the Austin department and worked for the El Paso Police Department before that. He also holds a Master of Public Administration degree.

Chacon was one of four candidates for the position of Taylor’s top cop after former Chief Henry Fluck resigned in September 2025. Commander Joseph Branson, a longtime veteran of the Taylor force, took over as the interim police chief during the search for a new administrator and threw his own hat in the ring as an applicant.

After Chacon was confirmed by the City Council, Branson returned to his former role as support services commander.

“Commander Branson really is my right-hand guy,” Chacon said.

In addition to a supportive police leadership staff, Chacon said it seems he has inherited a council willing to work with him. The chief has already presented several proposals to the council and all received approval.

Among those are hiring a consultant to create a four-year strategic plan for the department, something not previously done. The plan would help develop shortand long-term visions for the department to meet community expectations, he said.

Chacon has also received the green light to contract for a comprehensive external audit of the Police Department’s evidence room. The audit is necessary to maintain accreditation with the Texas Police Chiefs Association.

Taylor has earned this accreditation for five years, a feat Chacon said shows the city and the department have long been committed to following best practices for community policing.

The new chief has applied for a grant from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles – Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority which would provide better technological capabilities if approved.

The grant would fund a high-resolution camera for documenting crime scenes and creating public service announcements; a drone; a speed-display trailer that in addition to showing drivers’ speeds would also be an automated license-plate reader; and activation of software that would enable all patrol vehicle cameras to act as mobile automated license-plate readers.

“I think it’s really important that we go after those grants,” Chacon told the council in May. “It helps to support the Police Department and our ability to keep the community safe without having to put that burden back on the taxpayer.”

Not all of the chief ’s initiatives have met with universal approval.

Community advocate Carrie D’Anna registered her fears about potential abuses and invasion of privacy from license-plate readers and the drone Chacon hopes to pay for through grant funding.

“I have great concerns about expanding what is considered surveillance on the population,” she said. “I would like to see a lot more public assurance that those things are treated with privacy and respect. Drones are a big problem. Using them for events that we are all going to publicly feels like very much a crossing of the line.”

D’Anna also took issue in July with the council’s approval of giving police officers more Tasers — stun guns that use an electronic charge to subdue non-compliant individuals, generally regarded as less lethal than bullets.

COMPASSIONATE POLICING

During the police chief recruitment process, some community members expressed a desire for what they termed as more compassion from police officers when dealing with people who are mentally ill, unhoused or otherwise in need of added community support.

Chacon said he has been listening to and is meeting with different community groups to address their concerns.

Taylor officers receive yearly training on best practices when encountering different types of individuals.

Chacon himself has a child with special needs, so he is knowledgeable about some of the difficulties facing at-risk communities. Chacon and his family have elected to continue living in Pflugerville rather than move to Taylor to maintain continuity for his child’s services and education.

The Rev. Terry Pierce, the recently retired vicar of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Taylor and a friend of the LGBTQ+ community, indicated relations with the Police Department remain respectful and cordial.

She said the police presence at the June 27 Taylor Pride Festival was supportive as always, adding she has seen no reason to believe the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and the Police Department will change.

“I haven’t seen anything that concerns me at all. I thought Pride went great, and I’m always grateful there’s a police presence there. I have a lot of confidence in the Taylor Police Department,” the minister said. “Over the years our relationship with TPD has been great and I see that continuing. They’ve always been really supportive of us.”

Chacon said he is finding the relationship between the community and the force is generally one of mutual respect.

“The support for the police is very strong, and I feel like our department is trusted and our department is respected. And that’s a really, really good feeling. It has been a pretty big transition coming from where I came from,” the chief said, referring to his long career in the Austin Police Department.

Taylor’s population is about 18,000 and served by a force of just under 40 sworn personnel. The U.S. census puts Austin’s residents at more than 1 million people, with 1,474 officers on the city

force. According to recent figures, Austin’s department is understaffed by almost 19%.

NEWRESOURCE

Chacon said his experience the last two years working as a one-man department in Pflugerville served as a good transition between the Austin department with its large staff and abundant resources, to the much smaller Taylor force.

He believes working in emergency management gave him an enhanced understanding of how small-town departments collaborate in times of crisis.

“We have to find ways to accomplish the things that we want to do. That makes us have to be more resourceful and more innovative, and that is something that I found is plentiful here with the Taylor Police Department,” Chacon said. “They really understand where we are as a department and what the needs of the community are and find ways to accomplish the things that we need to accomplish.”

Chacon believes his focus on datadriven policing will help with efficiency. He said data can show where and when police patrols are most needed, allowing for best use of available resources.

Meanwhile, the chief is about a year away from the department receiving a major new resource.

The city broke ground on a $53 million Justice Center in April. The new facility will have much more space for police work, technology, evidence storage, vehicles and training.

Still, Chacon said, community policing is about the people – the officers, the city leaders and community members who all work together to give a town its culture and sense of security.

“Really what it comes down to is treating people with dignity and respect, making sure that our officers go out and they’re putting a 100% effort into the calls that they’re taking and the cases they’re investigating,” Chacon said.

He added, “I think that it’s my responsibility to be a Police Department and a chief for the whole city. So there is no one part of the city that’s going to get more attention from me and the department than any other. I feel like it’s our responsibility to be there for everyone.”

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/.