Taylor 76574 Magazine - Winter 2018 by Matt Hellman

_________ Taylor _________

76574 WINTER s 2018

SWEET TALK Discover the sweet side of Taylor TWICE TOLD TALES Who knew? Why should they? A Hitchiker's Guide to History.

BY THE NUMBERS WOW! Those are a lot of words, Mr. Taylor Press guy! A lot of names and faces, too!

If you're ready to relocate your company, our 50,000 sq ft industrial building is ready for you!

TAYLO R T E X A S

LO G O STA N DAR D S

TA G L I N E

Destination for Many Home for a Fortunate Few Over the last three years, your economic development team has worked to bring a diverse mix of light industrial operations to Taylor: Noren Thermal Solutions, Summit Custom Cabinets, Masterson Hard Chrome and the Valero fuel terminal. These four companies are creating more than 100 new jobs, $50 million in new investment and more than $1 million annually in new property tax revenue. But, if you think this is big, wait to see what the next three years bring!

THINK BIG | THINK TAYLOR Taylor Economic Development Corporation PO Box 975 / 112 West 2nd St., Suite 203 Taylor, Texas 76574 p. (512) 352-4321 f. (512) 352-3252 TAYLO R TE X AS

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CLASS OF 2018-19

WeProudly canServing help Our youCommunity protectSince you2002 rself from what you DIDN’T see coming. 1900 N. Main • PO Box 941 • Taylor, TX 76574 www.randig.com

LEAD Taylor is a community-focused, collaborative program that seeks to provide an in-depth look at government operations, community planning and awareness, and the opportunity to learn about civic culture from the inside.

SIX CLASS SESSIONS • ONE THURSDAY PER MONTH GOVERNMENT/BUSINESS CLASSES BEGIN JANUARY 17, 2019

Serving Taylor and East WilCo with pride since 2002.

Ad size: 1/8 Balance Due $0 paid in full $150 Upon your final approval of the ad, please mail balance due to: Thrall High School 201 S. Bounds, Thrall TX 76578 Attn: Tiger Yearbook

Auto • Home • Commercial • Crop

1900 N. Main • P.O. Box 941 Taylor, TX 76574

Find us on Facebook @randiginsurancy

APPLICATIONS ONLINE

taylortx.gov/LEAD

IN PERSON

City Hall (400 Porter St.) Chamber of Commerce (1519 N. Main St.)

Experience Taylor like you never have before!

• Gain a working knowledge and understanding of how the City of Taylor operates • Join a network of civic-minded leaders who are actively engaged • Understand factors affecting Taylor’s past, present and future growth • Explore the role that strategic planning plays in the life of an organization • Investigate opportunities for volunteerism and public service in the Taylor community • Meet and become familiar with local elected officials • Learn how to effectively approach government bodies and how to gauge your success • Get acquainted with the Chamber of Commerce and learn about the organization’s role in business and community

CONTACT rocio.lopez@taylortx.gov 512-352-3774

Williamson County Equipment Co., Inc. 1006 Carlos G Parker Blvd SW • Taylor 512-352-6381 • www.wmcoequip.com

Taylor 76574

_________Taylor _________

76574 Facebook@Taylor76574 EDITOR & PUBLISHER Richard Stone BUSINESS MANAGER Carolyn Hill ADVERTISING SALES Leslie Lyle Kristina Weise PRODUCTION EDITOR Matt Hellman DEPARTMENT EDITOR Jason Hennington ADVERTISING DESIGN Patti Slavych Minerva Kutch Orlando Rojo-Buendia OUR THANKS TO Wyndy Ellis, Catherine Parker, Tim Crow Candice Martin of the Culinary Arts Department at Taylor High School

T H E S W E E T S I D E O F TAY LO R Taylor is known for barbecue and beer. But, a crop of new businesses are springing up along side legendary bakeries to deliver the sweet goods.

~ PAGE 25

D E PA R T M E N T S WINTER CALENDAR �� PAGE 6 It's the holiday season! That means there is a lot going on in Taylor. Check out the Calendar for holiday fun!

BY THE NUMBERS �� PAGE 12 We complied the numbers for the Taylor Press. There are a lot of them. It makes us both proud and a little tired.

TWICE TOLD TALES �� PAGE 15 ON THE COVER Whipped cream and cheese cake tarts. That's just part of the selection you'll find at Sam's Home Bakery. — Photo by Richard Stone

Published by

Oh, how things have changed. Who remembers the milkman? The Colt 45s? Hang on to your iPhone because it, too will become obsolete.

13 QUESTIONS �� PAGE 20 Larry Gonzales represented Taylor to the Texas House of Representatives for years. But, who knew he secretly craves Reese's Peanut Butter Cups?

PRESS

CULINARY ADVENTURES �� PAGE 22

your community. your newspaper.

Taylor High School’s Culinary Arts and commercial photography students deliver their take on a holiday wreath.

P.O. Box 1040 • Taylor, TX 76574

THE DABBLING DUCK �� PAGE 34

For advertising information, call

Good old DD. He paints the town (not red but ... ) and, along the way, tries to stick it to The Man.

TAYLOR

512-352-8538

— Photos by Catherine Parker

Monthly Events G21 CAR SHOW G21 Car Show is on the fourth Sunday of every month beginning at about 8 a.m. It will be held 3100 N. Main Street. Several different charities benefit from it throughout the year. SECOND SATURDAY Join us on the second Saturday of the month for events in our parks and all over town. Specials and bargains in our downtown shops and cool drinks at our “rest stops.” THIRD MONDAY The Greater Taylor Chamber of Commerce hosts a luncheon at Sirloin Stockade the third Monday of each month. The topics vary but usually focus on Taylor issues. Open members and non-members. THIRD THURSDAY The Third Thursday of every month, our downtown shops stay open until 8 p.m. 120 Art Gallery opens a new exhibit and music fills Texas Beer Company, Taylor Station and other venues around the area.

PINTS, POLITICS & CULTURE The Taylor Press hosts a live interview with a local newsmaker 7 p.m. each month at the Texas Beer Co., corner of Main and Second, downtown. Monthly dates vary so watch the Taylor Press for specifics. The interview is streamed live on the Press’ Facebook page (@GoTaylorTx) and then curated on its website (TaylorPress.net). This public affairs program is a great way to keep up with local characters and issues. Check the paper for exact dates and topics.

tion office, 3101 N. Main Street. Agendas are posted to the school’s website the Friday prior to the meeting.

YOUR GOVERNMENT Taylor City Council The Taylor City Council meets the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, 6 p.m. at City Hall, 400 Porter St. Agendas are posted to the city’s website Tuesday prior. Meetings are streamed live from the city’s website. You may sign up for notifications about this and other Taylor boards and commissions on the homepage of the city’s website, ci.taylor.tx.us.

Taylor Kiwanis Club Every Wednesday at noon at Sirloin Stockade

WEEKLY CIVIC CLUB MEETINGS Taylor Lions Club Every Friday at Noon at Sirloin Stockade Taylor Rotary Club Every Thursday at noon at Sirloin Stockade

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON Interested in local and college sports? Check out “Around the Water Cooler,” a lively and opinionated show produced by the Taylor Press. New shows every Wednesday at about 2:15 p.m. Streamed live on Facebook @GoTaylorTx.

Taylor School Board Taylor school trustees meet 7 p.m. the third Monday of the month, in the board room at the central administra-

Taylor 76574

Winter Calendar November 30 - DOWNTOWN WINE SWIRL 5 - 9 p.m. on Main Street Join us for a fun evening of wine and food tastings to kick-off the holiday season in Historic Downtown Taylor. "Swirl" among our downtown merchants and enjoy wine samplings from 10+ wineries and samplings from restaurants while you get a head start on your holiday shopping. Enjoy live entertainment and food trucks also for just $40. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

December 1 - MAIN STREET CHRISTMAS BAZAAR 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. City Hall Auditorium Event will take place inside the auditorium and outside in the parking lot. Shop for holiday gifts from local artisans.

1 - VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS AT THE MOODY MUSEUM All local school children from kindergarten through fourth grade are invited to the museum on Saturday afternoon from 1-3 p.m. to handcraft Christmas ornaments which they will then take home with them. All children should be accompanied by a parent and it is a beautiful time to see the home decorated as it might have been when the Moody family lived there. Many families pose for Christmas photos in front of the tree. 1 - CHRISTMAS PARADE OF LIGHTS 7 p.m. — Downtown Main Street Travel down Main Street begins at 7 p.m. Must register for the parade in advance. For information, contact Tammy Eulenfield at 512-352-8314. 1 & 2 - HOLIDAY HOMES TOUR Enjoy six of Taylor’s amazing homes, showcasing designs from several eras. One ticket allows entry into all homes. Tickets are $15 and available now. For information contact Frances Sorrow 512-365-3363 or Suzanne Bice 806382-3993 or via email at taylorheritagesociety@gmail.com.

1-15 - SANTA ON THE SQUARE Thursday-Saturdays in December, 6:308:30 3-8 - WCLA LIVESTOCK SHOW & YOUTH FAIR Each year, hundreds of Williamson County FFA and 4-H members participate in the Williamson County Livestock Show. Funds raised through the junior livestock show auction go directly to the youth to help offset the costs associated with raising livestock projects. The money students receive is reinvested in the community through the purchase of goods and services and portions are saved for furthering their education. 8 & 9 - IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH 411 CR 401 in Taylor Immanuel Lutheran Church will have their annual Pilgrimage to Bethlehem and live nativity. The event is a chance to walk through and watch the Christmas story play out before your eyes. Follow the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem’s stable. Mingle with people in biblical era costumes and feel the stern looks of the Roman guards. Share the joy of shepherds hearing angels proclaim the

Fall 2018 7

good news of the Messiah’s birth, and join the wise men in paying homage to the newborn King. Free tours are every 20 minutes between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

January 5-11 - WILLIAMSON COUNTY YOUTH EXPO The Williamson County Youth Expo is an organization dedicated to the success of educating and cultivating the minds of today's youth. This show is more to our youth and volunteers than, just a livestock show. The Williamson County Youth Expo is just another opportunity for our exemplary students of Williamson County to show off their hard work and dedication. Info at wilcoyouthexpo.wixsite. com/wcye 14 - MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MARCH AND PROGRAM Begins in Robinson Park at 9 a.m. and

ends at City Hall. Following the march is a program that begins at 10 a.m. 15 - CHAMBER & COMMUNITY AWARDS BANQUET 6 p.m. Chair’s reception begins this evening that includes dinner, an

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inded son unfolds, we’re rem As another holiday sea have helped make our year who s folk hip are of all the nice Your support and friends especially rewarding. appreciated! duly noted, and much want to be

or selling, we Whether you are buying Our goal is to keep our ce. our Res ate your Real Est reciate their referrals. app we and customers for life business. r you for We are truly grateful

| 512-269-2176 Carmen Velasquez 40-8767 Art Baisley | 512-9 2-898-2141 51 | r be Hu y lod Me n | 620-446-1034 Ramona Masterso

lor, TX 76574 202 N. Main • Tay fieldrealestate.com ras w.b ww • 00 -65 (512) 365 License #: 434992

introduction of Chamber leadership and presentation of awards for Business of the Year, Ambassador of the Year, Woman of the Year, Customer Service of the Year and Citizen of the Year.

Thank you Taylor! - For over 30 years of support -

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February BLACK HISTORY MONTH Special programs sponsored by the O.L. Price Ex-Student’s Assoc. at various Taylor schools. 7 - VICTORIAN VALENTINE GALA The Moody Museum is at the corner of 9th and Talbot Streets, Taylor Moody Museum will host the annual Valentine’s Gala. The event kicks off the membership drive for the Friends of the Moody Museum. Those who attend will be treated to music played on the Moody family piano (circa1901). There will also be food and drink for guests to enjoy. Tickets will be available at the door for $25 per person or at Taylor Chamber of Commerce. To learn more, call 512-365-7396. 20 - TRADES DAY CAREER FAIR The Greater Taylor Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the

Taylor Economic Development Corporation (TEDC), will host a Trades Day Career Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Williamson County Expo Center. Tradesmen and women from Taylor and across the country will be demonstrating their high-paying

trades that provide great benefits and financial security. This unique opportunity offers hands-on activities designed to introduce students and local workers to the possibility of a future career in the skilled trades or light manufacturing.

Fall 2018 9

Proudly serving Hutto and all communities of East Williamson County • Serving the Austin area since 1953 • Request an appointment online • Assistance through insurance claims • I-car gold class certified • Limited lifetime warranty • Now offering free smartphone estimates through our online app

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Hours: 7:30-5:30 M-F 601 W. Front St.| Hutto, TX 78634 |www.ellisandsalazar.com “I never say, ‘I love _____.’ It seems like such an exaggeration - to love a thing. But today I am making an exception. I love your newspaper. It is the neatest small-town newspaper I have ever seen. So much news about all sorts of goings on in the towns it serves. Bravo!” – Billie R. Taylor, Tx

PRESS TAYLOR

your community. your newspaper.

512-352-8535

In print Wednesday and Sunday Online 24/7/365 @ TaylorPress.net @GoTaylorTx

Taylor 76574

2018 Taylor Holiday Homes Tour Taylor, Texas Saturday & Sunday December 1, 2 | 1pm-5pm Enjoy six of Taylor’s amazing homes, showcasing designs from several eras. Tickets are $15 |Available Nov. 1 One ticket allows entry into all homes. (Ticket sales locations in Taylor, Tx.)

Vintage Aﬀaire 106 E. 2nd St. Trouvaille Antiques 401 N. Main St. *Cherry Tree Creative 323 N. Main St. *Curb Side Coﬀee 114 W. 2nd St. *Frills on Fourth 201 W. 4th St. *Rhinestone Cowgirl 113 W. 4th St. *Chamber of Commerce 1519 N. Main St. At each tour home on tour days only

(*Closed Sundays)

For information Frances Sorrow 512-365-3363 | Suzanne Bice 806-382-3993 taylorheritagesociety@gmail.com

Taylor 76574

Summer 2018 13

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Protecting the ones you love and the property you own. Life • Annuities • IRA’S Home, Farm & City Mobile & Mtg. Homes • Renters Flood • Farm Equipment

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Albin & Elaine Machu

512-365-5489 • 512- 352-5489 Cell: (A) 762-4406 (E) 762-4404 909 TH Johnson Drive Taylor albinmachu@hotmail.com elainemachu@hotmail.com

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Twice Told Tales of Taylor

WHO KNEW? A HITCHHIKER’S VIEW OF HISTORY I

By Wyndy Ellis

t’s hard to imagine going from horses and carts to self driving cars in one lifetime. I look back over more than three quarters of a century not so much with nostalgia as with amazement. It’s a hitchhiker’s view of the twentieth century. Who knew it was history. If I’d known, I would have paid closer attention and taken notes. What started this rumination was the expression on one man’s face when hearing the story of sitting on wooden bleachers in a field in Houston watching the Colt ‘45s play their first official opening game. You’d have thought it was a first hand account from the Garden of Eden. He wasn’t even born then. That was before the Astros even existed. More of that later. History in the making, and “You Are There.” But a few of the recollections seem impossibly archaic, even to me.

Once upon a time, the button box was a favorite toy, with wonderous salvaged buttons to string. I still have mine. Roller skates. I have a very rusty skate key. We read funnybooks like “Superman”, “Batman”, “Wonder Woman”, comics like “L’il Abner” and “Katzenjammer Kids”. The milkman, in his white uniform, delivered glass bottles of milk to the front door. Cream rose to the top. The milk truck was a square conveyance, white, with letters saying “Dairy”. Early on, it was pulled by a grey horse. The Fuller Brush man, and Real Silk hosiery man, a knife and scissors sharpener, shoe shiners, and a rag picker came to the door. So did itinerants hoping to work for food. The iceman was being replaced by electric refrigerators, but many still had ice boxes like the one in our garage apartment. The iceman used tongs to carry a large block of ice up the

Fall 2018 15

stairs a couple of times a week. During The War a soldier and his wife lived above the garage “for the duration”. Then he went overseas. The war ended. There was much horn blowing and dancing in the streets. We pulled our eyes into slants and stuck out our front teeth. Asians had been “relocated” and defeated. DDT wasn’t a dirty word then. Every family was terrified of polio, and the culprit was said to be the mosquito. Trucks drove neighborhood streets spraying DDT. We kids danced in the spray behind the trucks, like running through a sprinkler. The radio kept us informed and entertained. Families gathered around the radio to hear Franklin Roosevelt’s ringing assurances. There were soap operas, and serials, and The Hit

Parade. Saturday morning was dedicated to The Lone Ranger, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, “The Shadow” and “Inner Sanctum.” TV finally appeared, in a huge box with a screen smaller than an ipad. The first cars with automatic transmissions were advertised as luxury replacements for standard shift. They lurched forward in several stages. We called it the “clunk-o-matic”. Elvis Presley, an unknown truck driver, played the Mayfair Building at the East Texas Fair grounds. Rumor had it that he was disreputable, and nice girls shouldn’t go. We had never seen anything like it. Scandalous! In 1956, the few black students enrolled at The University of Texas didn’t participate in campus life. When a black student

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opened the screen door and walked in to Home Drug on the Drag, where “everybody” had coffee at 10:00 every morning, all sound stopped. It felt like the world stopped. Then it suddenly began again, all the racket and hubbub, as though something momentous hadn’t just happened. The Beatles appeared in 1960. In Houston, brand new homes sold for $14,000, or $104 a month. Houston had two daily newspapers, morning and evening, and a population of fewer than one million souls. When President John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963, reporters heard by radio and TV, crowding around the instruments. Then they got the story by phone from their reporter on the scene. I still have an “Extra.” Today this article can be emailed to the paper, where software translates it into picas and column inches. It flies through thin air. Editorial rooms are silent now, but in those days there was the racket of typewriters, double spaced. The older the upright, the more prestigious the writer. Copy was shot through pneumatic tubes overhead. Then to the composing room, where linotype operators set every word and comma in molten lead on a huge machine with a keyboard. Words were assembled by hand into columns and pages, and then printed and delivered every morning. A daily miracle. Years following Kennedy’s death were marked by violence. Three civil rights workers were abducted and killed in Mississippi in 1964, and in 1966 Charles Whitman stabbed his wife and mother, then shot 14 people from the tower at the University of Texas. Martin Luther King was killed in April of

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Fall 2018 17

1968, and Robert Kennedy was shot two months later. We were told that wearing a black armband and marching for King would get us shot. We did it anyway. The Colt ‘45s played their first game in 1962. There were front row seats for employees’ families, both at Colt Stadium and later at the Astrodome. There were greetings and side remarks from Rusty Staub, Bob Aspermonte, Jimmy Winn and Joe Morgan, and later Larry Dierker, Doug Rader and Cesar Cedeno. The Astrodome was billed as the eighth wonder of the world, and it housed the newly renamed Astros in 1965. Owner Judge Hofheinz was a real show an. He had the toilet in his office bathroom decked out like a throne, elaborate gilt woodwork and all. Astroturf was developed when there wasn’t enough sun to grow grass on the field. The Astrodome complex was the site of four boxing matches for Cassius Clay, or Muhammad Ali, beginning in 1966. He welcomed guests to his workouts. He especially played to the kids, sitting on the edge of the ring to talk with them afterwards. He was a beautiful specimen, and mercury in the ring. In that decade, Lightnin’ Hopkins was playing in a scruffy bar on West Grey in Houston. He had a washboard player with him, and only a couple of afternoon beer drinkers listened. He offered to teach me guitar lessons for $7.00 an hour, but I was afraid of where he lived. This was a year or so before John and Alan Lomax found him there and recorded him for history. Austin began the‘70s with a population under 300,000. Did you know that the original County Line restaurant is in the old Cedar Crest bar, a cedar choppers’ hangout? Austin was a small town, with neighbors like Bud Shrake, the author and Gov. Ann Richards’ best buddy. Liz Carpenter lived up the hill. There was Molly Ivans. And of course the Johnson family. I traded my red Selectric typewriter for a first computer. And then so many changes, after many of you were born. Changes seemed to come more slowly in those days, and perspective was earned in years. Today change happens so fast there is hardly time to acknowledge it before it has again changed. For most of my life the telephone was bigger than a bread box, large, black and important, unmoving, in its own alcove, with a long, coiled cord. There were only “important” calls. Long distance was expensive. The telephone’s ring was portentous. Hang on to those those iPhones. They, too, will be a curiosity soon.

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JOIN US IN WELCOMING Dr. Ravi H. Patel Dr. Patel has been published in leading ophthalmology journals, presented at national meetings and authored several book chapters. He specializes in cataract surgery, laserassisted cataract surgery, corneal transplant surgery and laser vision correction (LASIK/PRK). Dr. Patel is Board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and remains an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Cornea Society, and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. He enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors, and is an avid basketball fan. For more information, visit eyeassociatestexas.com

Round Rock location:

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Taylor location:

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Taylor 76574

LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR! Residen�al Trash Collected

2940 tons

Residen�al Recyclables Collected

184 tons

Percent Recycled By Weight

6.3%

ALL OF THAT HAS SAVED!

• 1,836 trees • 719,800 gallons of industrial process water • 12,287 gallons of industrial oil

• Conserved the energy required to power 351 houses for one year • 975 cubic yards of landﬁll space

KEEP THOSE RECYCLABLES COMING!

YES

• Clean Paper, Milk Cartons, Cardboard (no bigger than 3x3), Junk • Mail, Paper Egg Cartons, Cereal Boxes • Plas�c Bo�les and Jugs • Pizza Boxes (clean)

• Plas�c Dairy Tubs (yogurt, margarine, etc.) - no lids • Aluminum Cans • Steel or Tin Cans • Loose Glass Bo�les and Jugs

• No Aerosol Cans • No Hoses • No Plants • No Toys • No Dishes/Paper Plates • No Juice Boxes or Pouches

• No Tires • No Styrofoam • No Tex�les/Carpet • No Clothes • No Ba�eries • No Plas�c Bags • No Electronics

512-282-3508 • www.wasteconnec�ons.com

State Representative Larry Gonzales visits with Jesse Ancira (who was the Mayor of Taylor at the time) during one of his frequent visits to Taylor.

Larry Gonzales

TEN(+) QUESTIONS FOR 1. What is your super power?

Discernment; reading people, understanding situations, thinking five steps ahead.

2. Tell us something most people don’t know about you? I have 25,000 baseball cards; some are really cool.

Taylor Press file photo

8. Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? How’d that go? I have not; not a fan of practical jokes.

9. If you had three wishes from a non-tricky genie, what would you wish for?

3. What did you think you would grow out of but haven’t?

(1) The metabolism of my 20's; (2) the knowledge I have at 48, when I was 22; (3) a 1969 mint condition Corvette, white exterior with red interior, black soft top, side exhaust (I told you I like cars).

11. What is your guilty pleasure?

Took a canal bridge at 100+ MPH, went airborne, nearly hit a culvert.

5. What is something you will NEVER do again? Go on a cruise.

The return of the "Luv Ya Blue" Houston Oilers, and a Superbowl victory for them.

7. Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

13. Most memorable birthday?

My car obsession; I love cars, own too many of them.

4. What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever done?

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

My family, immediate and extended; there are some very amazing people in my family tree.

12. If you could witness any event of the past, present or future, what would it be?

January 29, 1970, my actual birthday; that's when all

l of this began...

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29 6Fall 2018 21 Taylor 76574

Easy Holiday Wreath Looking for a quick dessert dish for your Christmas gathering? Look no further. The Taylor High Shool Culinary classes have cooked up a cool way to celebrate the holiday even if you are in a rush. Using a combination of various fresh fruits, cream cheese and cookie dough, the easy holiday wreath is a simple 15 minute solution for all your guests to enjoy!

INGREDIENTS Roll of refrigerated sugar cookies 1 package Cream cheese, softened ⅓ C. Sugar ½ t. Vanilla 1 Kiwi fruit (peeled and sliced) 1 lb. Strawberries (sliced) 1 small container Blueberries Green food coloring (as needed)

In a close-up view of the holiday wreath, Porsha Pore adds blueberry to the wreath making sure that the fruit is evenly distributed. “It brought out the true colors for the happy holidays”, said Pore. Photo by Magdalena Zavala

DIRECTIONS I) II) III) IV) V) VI) VII)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12 inch pizza pan with cooking spray In pan, break up cookie dough, press down evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely! In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Spread mixture over cooled crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese. Culinary I students Porsha Pore, Christiana Jones, Alondra Vega add fruit on the wreath in the

Yield: Up to 16 slices

Culinary prep area. “I like figuring out a pattern”, said Jones.

Photo by Abraham Ramirez

Taylor 76574

ABOVE: In preparation for the holiday’s Alondra Vega and Christiana Jones put fruit on the wreath in the culinary prep area. BELOW: Alondra Vega, Porsha Pore, Ja’Ron Carver, Xavier Foster experience a delightful first bite and a smile when trying out the Christmas Wreath. “It was a mouth-watering first bite,” said Pore. Photos by Abraham Ramirez

Xavier Foster and Seth Bevka cut the wreath into serving sizes to share with their classmate. “This wreath reminds, me of what my grandma:, said Foster. “Happy Holidays to all!”

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Fall 2018 23

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Taylor 76574

Sweet Side OF TAYLOR WRITTEN BY CATHERINE PARKER PHOTOS BY CATHERINE PARKER & RICHARD STONE

In an area known for barbeque and beer, bakers and chocolate makers are rolling into town with tasty treats for the season. The new businesses add a richness to Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baking history, long known as a destination for Czech sweets.

Tons of

TASTY TREATS!

Taylor 76574

TEXAS CZECH BELT Most new businesses gravitate to Taylor for the affordable space, after establishing a commercial base in nearby Austin. Setting up storefronts and productions spaces, new bakers and makers find an attentive local audience ready to pick up some tasty Taylor made sweet treats.

Most residents might not know, but Taylor is like the belt buckle in the middle of the Texas Czech Belt. Back in the 1880s Czech immigrants started settling east of the present-day Interstate 35. Running from north to south through Central Texas small towns, Czechs brought many traditions from the old country, including a rich baking heritage. Now the Kolache is king in Texas. Though most Texans are confused by the term. And people of Bohemian descent kindly correct those who misuse it. A kolache is a traditional wedding dessert from Central Europe. A ball of sweetened yeast dough filled with fruit and sometimes cheese. The sausage version is not a kolache, but technically a klobasnek. Often called a pig-in-the-blanket, it’s also available with cheese or jalapenos. Kolache purists enjoy the traditional prune or poppy-filled pastries. Though the cottage cheese varieties are popular too. Find strawberry, pineapple, peach and cherry along with cream cheese alongside the traditional flavors in most bakery cases across Texas.

THE KOLACHE SHOPPE In a crayon-colored bakery at the corner of 4th Street and Howard, customers pull open the screen door and walk into a time capsule. For over 40 years, Irene Bucanek has rolled out the dough for authentic Czech baked goods under the watchful gaze of Elvis Presley, the shop mascot. Sharing her heritage and a bit of family history, generations have savored her pastries at family reunions, church picnics and weddings. According to Bucanek, “mother made prune kolaches every Sunday.” And so she carries on the tradition. Stop by Thursdays for fresh bread. Or celebrate the weekend with the Kolache Shoppe’s fresh donuts, fried Fall 2018 27

Gates started professionally cooking nearly 20 years ago, including five years working near Germany’s Black Forest. When not working, he traveled throughout Europe sampling regional specialties on his days off. For the holiday season, bake something special for your family. During November’s and December’s Third Thursday learn to bake some holiday treats. On November 15th, learn to bake a pie from scratch for the upcoming holidays. Starting with the pie dough, Gates will walk student bakers through an apple or pumpkin pie. Or take the cookie decorating class on Thursday, December 20. Helping busy cooks across Taylor, holiday prep just got easier. Traditional sides will be available for special order, including desserts at the 2nd Street Farm to Market Deli. Find the 2nd Street Commercial Kitchen inside the McCrory-Timmerman Building at 201 Main Street. Purchase baked goods Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Curb Side Coffee House or 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 2nd Street Farm to Market Deli.

SAM’S HOME BAKERY cinnamon rolls and chocolate or strawberry Long Johns. Though don’t be late, the Kolache Shoppe sells out of Saturday specials by noon on most weekends. For the holiday season, Bucanek and her daughter, Debbie Kubiak, whip up family favorites. Along with their staples, like the kolaches and cinnamon rolls, they bake up fruit cakes, holiday cookies and dinner rolls. Customers find the Kolache Shoppe from faraway places, like Canada and Europe. Often guided by other Czech bakeries in West, Texas. Find the Kolache Shoppe at 919 W. 4th St. Open Wednesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

THE 2ND STREET COMMERCIAL KITCHEN Down Potter’s Alley, the 2nd Street Commercial Kitchen comes to life early in the morning in McCrory-Timmerman Building. Michael Gates, the executive chef, slides a sheet pan of sourdough bread into the oven. Baking up bread for the sandwiches at Curb Side Coffee House and the 2nd Street Farm to Market Deli, though take a loaf home for dinner. Also find croissants, muffins and scones that go from the mixer, to the oven, to the display cases in minutes.

Finding her way into Taylor after being chased out of Austin’s high-rent district, Samantha Mascorro is the new baker on the block in downtown. With youthful enthusiasm and energy, “Sam” as her friends and loyal customers call her, bakes up swoon-worthy cupcakes. Along with cupcakes, including gluten-free options, find traditional Mexican sweet breads like abuela used to make. Her pan dolce is the real thing, with conchas in the traditional colors of yellow, pink, chocolate and white. And oregas, or elephant ears, will be available every day during the holiday season. Using her grandmother’s recipe, Mascorro bakes up a Mexican bread pudding using bolillos, queso fresco, raisins and pineapple. Also find buñuelos and champurrado, a hot chocolate drink thickened with masa, during the holiday season. Mascorro adds seasonal flavors to her menu that changes monthly. Rolling out November 1st, grab an Abuelita-flavored cupcake or a churro cupcake. Bueno. Family-sized desserts are on the seasonal menu through the holidays. Customers can find 10-inch pumpkin pies and apple pies along with her individually sized pies. For cake lovers, pick up a reindeer cake, a three-layer cake iced with chocolate butter cream and decorated in edible gold. It’s a show stopper. And by customer request, an 8-inch Sam’s Classic Cheesecake is available starting November 1. Find Sam’s Home Bakery at 317 N. Main St. Open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Taylor 76574

Fall 2018 29

KOURTNEY’S KREATIONS Tucked into the back of The Nest Box, find Kourtney’s Kreations baked goodies and cookies. Sprinkled across a vintage sideboard, sample seasonal goodies, like meticulously decorated holiday cookies along with favorites, like the banana bread mini-loaves. According to Kourtney Viktora, the baker, each decorated cookie can take hours to complete, with drying time between each icing color. And she dusts non perils on each individual strand of iced garland on her decorated cookie trees. Helping families churn out the family fun without the hassle of baking. Viktora will be selling her popular cookie kits with pre-made cookies along with royal icing and seasonal sprinkles. Rolling out for December, Nest Box will sell her seasonal fudge, like s’mores or rocky road along with peppermint bark. Viktora started as a home baker then attended culinary school in Austin. She bakes out of a commercial kitchen in Coupland, supplying area businesses with baked goods and takes special orders. Find Kourtney’s Kreations inside the Nest Box at 317 N. Main St. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday open until 7 p.m.

SRSLY CHOCOLATE Chocolate makes everything better. And thanks to Srsly Chocolate and owners Robin and Bob Williamson, Taylor has its own chocolate maker. The sweet smell of chocolate dances across the threshold as chocolate lovers enter the retail shop and factory. Bob Williamson greets all with a toothy grin and a sample. Then the education starts.

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Might be the history of chocolate, originally discovered in North America before heading to Europe. Or the difference between a chocolate maker and a chocolatier. The maker starts with cacao beans and processes it into chocolate. A chocolatier takes pre-made chocolate to make treats and desserts. Learn about the cacao tree and how its bean transforms through fermentation and roasting. Then find out how Srsly Chocolate is helping Dominican Republic farmers make a living wage, by buying its cacao beans through an agricultural co-op. For those craving more in-depth chocolate knowledge, join the Williamson’s for their monthly bean-tobar class. They walk students from the chocolate making process from the beans through roasting and winnowing, or removal the husks, to the pounding into a paste. And then the real fun begins, students get to create their own specialty mini-bars. According to Williamson, “choc-

Come visit us at

906 North Main

olate is an accessible luxury” as he hands out samples of The Hundo, a 100% chocolate bar. For Taylor’s own chocolate lovers, find a host of seasonal flavors for holiday nibbling. Try the Cranberry and Texas Pecan Bar, a 70% dark chocolate bar sprinkled with Yegua Creek Farms pecans and dried cranberries. Or sample the Eggnog Bar, an unfiltered white chocolate bar with organic nutmeg.

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Fall 2018 31

five things

you need to know

Each Monday, our publisher carefully curates the most important stories and events around Taylor, puts it together in a breezy, easy-to-read package, then sends it directly to your email inbox. These are actual quotes from Taylor residents raving about the Five Things You Need to Know email newsletter:

“This is awesome! Please keep me on the list.” “Nice work! I like these emails. :)” “Very good !! Informative and concise. Great Job.” “I like these updates.” “Good stuff! Gives me a way to to plan for things.”

To sign up, go to TaylorPress. net and look for the yellow “five things” buttons, watch for the link on our social media or send your email address to publisher@taylorpress.net. Spring 2018

I’m thankful that folks in Taylor continued still pull over to the side of the from page 34 road for funeral processions. I’m thankful that our downtown skate park seems to finally be nearing completion. And I’m thankful that Taylor has an emergency room less than two miles from it. I’m thankful that I can get on a hike and bike path on the far north end of town and take it all the way to Robinson Park—along the way dodging aggressive geese, pokey ducks, errant Frisbees (sorry… “discs”), distracted drivers, maybe a discarded bottle here and there, and the spray from a sometimes-functional splash pad. I’m thankful that, as I make my way about town, I’m often greeted with a friendly smile or a wave… and only rarely with a crude hand gesture or an official summons. I’m thankful that a cold, bright red Taylor Meat weenie can still pass as a coveted treat for a child around these parts. I’m thankful for Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of

Congo, and Haiti, all places with objectively poorer roads than the city of Taylor. I’m thankful for all this. But most of all I’m thankful to live in Taylor—a real hometown. I’m going to screw this up, but there’s a saying that goes something like, “Home is where they care when you’re sick, and they’re sad when you die.” For many of us, that’s Taylor. With all its quirks, blemishes, peccadilloes, and rough edges, it’s a place that so many of us love, and it’s a place that tends to love us back. So, regardless of whether you and your family can trace your roots here back to the earliest settlers of Taylor or if you just moved here from Austin… or even California (though, admittedly, it’s increasingly difficult for us out here in Taylor to tell the difference)… you’re part of a community. You’re home. And you’ll know it for certain the first time you confidently order a “Bud Light” at a taco stand without concern for what anyone in line behind you might think. I’m thankful that you read to the end.

Disclaimer: Dabbling ducks is the group of ducks within the Anatinae subfamily to which mallards belong. The ducks that populate Taylor’s parks are, by and large, mallards.

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Fall 2018 33

The Dabbling Duck Giving Thanks!

We’re approaching year end, and it’s a time of reflection and a time for giving thanks. What are you thankful for? Sincerely, Thankful on Threadgill Dear Thankful on Threadgill, With the arrival of the first norther, the Dabbling Duck is not immune to reflection and reverie, particularly as he slips into his favorite Speedos, dips into his Circa TM Whirlpool TM

hot tub, and savors a Taylor Duck tumbler full of Lancers (well-chilled). We have a lot for which to be thankful, living here in Taylor, the jewel of the Blackland prairie. I’m thankful that there’s a place like the Taylor Café, where I can belly up to the bar, have a smoke, and enjoy a cold beer—at 9:00 AM on a Tuesday. I’m thankful that I can go to a place like Fajitas on Wheels a couple of hours before that, order three “Bud Lights,” and receive three delicious namesake tacos. How’s that for a secret menu, In-N-Out Burger?

continued on page 33

Taylor 76574

akes Who m oney m all the cling? y on rec

Are we ever gonna get our STREETS FIXED?

ne Anyo ? h iring

Why is my water b ill so high?

Did we REALLY sp end $20 m illion on a football field ?

Is there live mus ic anywhere Frida y night?

You’ve got questions? We’ve got answers. Is Dr. Graef open today?

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