TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM / 1
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
FOCUS ON
BUSINESS Honoring Veteran-Owned Businesses: A Salute to Service and Entrepreneurship Temple Chamber of Commerce Staff As Veterans Day approaches, the Temple Chamber of Commerce is proud to spotlight the invaluable contributions of veteran-owned businesses in our community. These enterprises stand as a testament to the dedication and commitment of our nation's heroes, significantly enriching our local economy and job market.
both fellow veterans and civilians. Additionally, they actively participate in charitable initiatives, supporting veterans’ organizations, educational programs, and local community events. Their unwavering dedication to making a positive impact mirrors their sense of duty, both in business and within our community.
HOLIDAY AROUND TOWN
Within our Chamber of Commerce, we have 45 veteranowned businesses as members, each offering diverse goods and services to our community. From mouthwatering barbecue, craft beer, and chimney cleaning to martial arts, voice and piano lessons, and elegant wedding dresses, these local veteran entrepreneurs have transformed their military discipline and determination into successful ventures, leaving a lasting impact on our local economy.
Cadence Bank Center
These businesses not only provide essential goods and services but also create employment opportunities for
By supporting and celebrating these ventures, we not only honor their service to our country but also express our deep gratitude. Veterans Day and every day, it is crucial to recognize and support the men and women who have served in our armed forces and continue to serve our community through their entrepreneurial spirit. As a Chamber of Commerce, we take immense pride in saluting these remarkable individuals and their businesses, showcasing our heartfelt appreciation for their contributions to our community's growth and prosperity.
NOVEMBER 2023
Thursday, November 9, 2023 5:00 - 7:30 pm
Temple Chamber Veteran-Owned Business Members JINGLE & MINGLE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Thursday, November 30, 2023 4:00 - 7:00 pm Wildflower Country Club
TempleChamber.com
A New Beginning School of Massage Ables Top Hat Home Services Allabout Insurance Axis Winery Barrow Brewing Company Black Rifle Coffee Company Brick City Martial Arts, LLC BusR, LLC Centex Notary Express Chess Vets Chupacabra Strength and Conditioning Corks and Barrels, LLC Edward Jones/John Taylor, Financial Advisor Fight House Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Globe and Anchor Industries, LLC Hat Trick Temple Hooked On Health Wellness Begins at Home Jan-Pro of Central Texas Kenya's Keys Voice & Piano Studio Knox Pianos Sales & Service Lagniappe Bridal Boutique Let Us Do the Cooking Living WELL Aware, LLC. LVR Management
LYVR Music Maid Right of Bell County MEP Electric Mo's Rail Yard Saloon Newman Technology Solutions Precision Garage Door of Waco Roam Roof & Solar Rossler's Blue Cord Barbecue Rucks on Main StretchLab Temple-Belton Susan Marie's of Salado Tapville Social - Central Texas Mobile Taproom The Bin Spa & Power Washing The Carlson Law Firm Topsarge Business Solutions Total Elegance Creations Event and Rental Center Wags on Wheels Wes Albanese Photography Wild Birds Unlimited Wings Pizza N Things Young's Daughters Funeral Home & Bereavement Center
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
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October Renewing Chamber Members 3 Texans Winery & Vineyard A New Beginning School of Massage Ables Top Hat Home Services Accent Real Estate Services All County Surveying, Inc. Ambit Energy/Wanda Lueck Independent Consultant America's Best Value Inn Amy's Attic Self Storage Amy's House Animal Medical Care Ashford Homes Automobili of Texas LLC Bartlett Cocke General Contractors Beard, Kultgen, Brophy, Bostwick & Dickson, PLLC Belaire Junction RV Park Bell Tower Apartments Best-Way Carpet Services, LTD BKCW Cen-Tex Roof Systems Centex Technologies Central Texas Children's Center Christ Episcopal Church CJ's Concrete Construction LLC ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital of Harker Heights Clem Mikeska's Bar-B-Q Cloud Real Estate Construction Service & Materials Cure & Francis Law Office D.R. Horton DanHil Containers Datamars, Inc Delta Centrifugal Dennis Turk Document Solutions Dorothy J. Mathieson Dynasty Chinese Restaurant Earthscapes Edward Jones/Daryl Riegel, Financial Advisor Express Employment Professionals First Christian Church First Finance & Furniture First Texas Brokerage Company
Premier ER & Urgent Care Resource Benefits Administrators RK Marshall Rudy's Repair & Remodel, LLC Sara Irvine Sedona Staffing Services Smile Doctors Orthodontics Smith Supply Co., LLC Spare Time Texas Sports World State Farm Insurance/Mitchel Davis Temple Civic Theatre Temple Health & Bioscience District Temple Heat & Air Thrifty Texan Two Steppin' Tours Thumbs Up Compliance Topstone Tri-Supply Twin Liquors Temple Visiting Angels Wanda's Uniquely Yours Ward & Moore Insurance Services, LP WC Tractor Wes Albanese Photography Woodward Creative Group, L.L.C. Wright Builders
Fortified Fabrication and Mechanic Services LLC Garcia Architects, Inc. Golden Age HealthPlans Grace Presbyterian Church Harper-Talasek Funeral Home Hindu Temple of Central Texas Hope for the Hungry Hope Pregnancy Centers, Inc. JDK Topsoil Jim Turner Chevrolet John Bailey Financial John Houston Custom Homes Kimmy Jackson & Associates, LLC Lake Belton Barber Shop Lamar Advertising Living WELL Aware, LLC. Lone Star Grading & Materials, LLC Lott, Vernon & Company, P.C. Mark Gillmeister Roofing McCreary & Associates, Inc. Meta National Mounted Warfare Foundation Paramount Wastewater Solutions, LLC Precious Memories Florist & Gift Shop Precious Memories Florist & Gift Shop Downtown
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TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM / 3
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
October New Chamber Members All Wrights Services, LLC Allen Wagoner | (254) 931-4169 Belton, TX 76513 General Contractors Centex Notary Express Jody Huskey | (254) 718-9696 717 N. First Street Temple, TX 76501 www.centexnotaryexpress.com Notary - Mobile Lithic Industries Todd Denton | (254) 314-8656 18 S. Main Street, Ste. 919 Temple, TX 76501 www.lithicindustries.com Construction Materials Make It Minick Lou Barbosa Minick | (254) 526-0108 P.O. Box 1570 Killeen, TX 76540 www.makeitminick.com Legal Services
MEP Electric Travis Parker | (254) 269-7377 800 S. 57th Street, Ste. D Temple, TX 76504 www.mepelectric.com Electrician
The Bug Master Aaron Miesner | (254) 939-4458 1912 Smith Road Temple, TX 76502 www.thebugmaster.com Pest Control Services
Seyller Bodies, Inc. Ame Seyller | (254) 228-0142 7908 N. I-35 Temple, TX 76501 www.seyllerbodies.com Manufacturers
UFP Site Built, LLC Rachel Hample | (254) 246-4767 4310 Lucius McCelvey Dr. Temple, TX 76504 www.ufpsitebuilt.com Construction Services
Smash My Trash Stephen Loveless | (254) 300-1611 Temple, TX www.smashmytrash.com Waste Management
Vanessa Morales/All City Real Estate Vanessa Morales | (254) 598-9945 1900 E. Elms Road, 100A Killeen, TX 76542 www.allcityagents.com Real Estate
Temple Education Foundation Kathy Denton | (254) 215-6125 401 Santa Fe Way Temple, TX 76501 www.templeeducationfoundation.org Nonprofit Foundations
Holiday Around Town 2023 Holiday Around Town is a combined Temple Chamber and Belton Area Chamber Business After Hours. This year’s event is on November 9, 2023, from 5:00 – 7:30 pm at the Cadence Bank Center at 301 W. Loop 121 in Belton. Over 50 booths of local businesses and vendors will be present, offering door prizes and more information on how to shop small and locally this Holiday season! The public is invited to attend, and the Cadence Bank Center provides complimentary food and beverages for attendees. Learn more at www.templechamber.com. More about the Cadence Bank Center: Whether you're in search of great music, championship rodeos, or exciting motocross action, the Cadence Bank Center, home of the Central Texas State Fair, is truly the center of it all. We offer a wide variety of events throughout the year that provide entertainment for the whole family. Or, should you need space to host your own good time, we’ve got plenty of that too. We offer a selection of rooms that can each be made available to suit whatever event you might have in mind. Just a short trip down I-35 from virtually anywhere in Texas will take you to Central Texas' best entertainment arena.
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RIBBON
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
CUTTING Baylor Scott & White Health Breast Imaging Center Grand Opening Never before have you had so many choices in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer near you. Women and men alike can find these leading solutions close to home at the Vasicek Cancer Treatment Center in Temple. Our new Breast Imaging Center opened its doors on September 25, 2023, and offers women throughout Central Texas a relaxing, comfortable environment combined with advanced technology to offer specialized, precise diagnostic evaluations.
2401 S. 31st Street Temple, TX 76508
(254) 724-5918 www.bswhealth.com
Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy of West Temple Grand Opening Kids ‘R’ Kids is proud to deliver first-class child care and early education to our community for families with children aged 6 weeks through 4 years. We also offer before and after school programs for children 5 to 12 years of age who attend local elementary schools for kindergarten through 5th grade.
Tanner Lowry
7635 Prairie View Road Temple, TX 76502
(254) 239-5028
kidsrkids.com/west-temple
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
RIBBON
TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM / 5
CUTTING Rescue Magazine Anniversary Rescue Magazine is a magazine that compiles local area shelters and rescues into one magazine in hopes of connecting animals to their forever home. Their mission is to support Animal Shelters and Rescues with food drives, through the magazine, radio show and annual Pet Adoption Extravaganza.
Ronald Ducharme
111 N. Wall Street #1111 Belton, TX 76513
(254) 231-3690
www.rescuemagazine.org
Temple Feed & Supply New Location Grand Opening Established by Ron and Christi Lucksinger, Temple Feed & Supply, Inc. has been a community staple, providing top-quality products and exceptional service to farm, home, and ranch customers in Central Texas for over 40 years. With the support of loyal patrons and a dedicated team, the family-owned business expanded from its downtown location to a new, spacious retail store at 21820 SE H.K. Dodgen Loop. The recent grand opening showcased a 10,500 sq. ft. warehouse, a 6,000 sq. ft. retail showroom, and convenient services like drive-through and streamlined feed loading.
Lindsey Strait
21820 SE H.K. Dodgen Loop Temple, TX 76504
(254) 778-7975 www.templefeed.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
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RIBBON
CUTTING Window Hero Temple/ Belton Grand Opening Window Hero Temple-Belton is the second Texas location of the Homefront Brands franchise, locally owned and operated by Mike Murphy. This new location offers a range of exterior cleaning services, including window cleaning, gutter care, and pressure washing. Serving the Temple and Belton area communities, Window Hero Temple-Belton is not just about cleaning windows; it’s about transforming homes and lives. Mike, a dedicated military veteran, is on a mission to provide top-notch services while creating career opportunities for local veterans. His vision includes a mentorship program to support veterans transitioning into civilian life, making a positive impact in our community.
Mike Murphy P.O. Box 1103 Belton, TX 76513
(254) 261-1384
windowhero.com/locations/temple-belton
TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM / 7
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Growth in Bell County Presents Unique Challenges
Leadership Temple 2024 | Jennifer Avery, Temple Economic Development Corporation; Joe Rela, Materials Transportation Company; & Taylor Fitzner, Baird Crews Schiller & Whitaker, P.C. the venue played host to an impressive 269 events, attracting a staggering total of 400,000 attendees. The latter half of the day unfolded at the Bell County Justice Complex, offering the class an intimate glimpse into the inner workings of the Bell County Jail, the courts, and the precincts of the District and County Clerk offices. Within the confines of the jail, the class partook in a meal courtesy of the jail's kitchen—an unexpected delight. The class was afforded a comprehensive tour of the various sections housing just over 1,000 inmates, a number susceptible to fluctuation. Sheriff Eddy Lange, in a display of transparency, allowed the class to engage with inmates, affording the inmates an opportunity to voice concerns about both the facility's conditions and the broader justice system. Though some grievances lay beyond Sheriff Lange's purview, the interaction underscored his unwavering commitment to the well-being of the county's incarcerated populace.
Leadership Temple 2024 | Meeting with Bell County Commissioners Court The historic Bell County Courthouse, a venerable edifice dating back to 1885, provided the distinguished backdrop for the initiation of the Leadership Temple Class of 2024's immersive “Bell County Day”. Here, the class had the privilege of engaging with the Bell County Commissioners Court and County Judge David Blackburn. Among the Commissioners Court's formidable responsibilities lies the adoption of budgets, setting tax rates, fortifying the criminal justice apparatus, and ensuring access to indigent healthcare. Notably, the fiscal allocation for Bell County in the 2022 fiscal year stood at an imposing $192,943,091. The average Bell County resident cannot escape the palpable surge in property taxes sweeping across the region. The Chief Appraiser of the Bell County Appraisal District, Billy White, explained that this surge is primarily attributed to the escalating property values pervasive throughout the county. Mandated by law, properties are appraised at 100% of their market worth for tax purposes, a precept upheld by the Bell County Appraisal District.
At present, an ambitious expansion endeavor is underway, poised to double the facility's bed capacity and introduce a dedicated mental health unit. Concurrently, the county is spearheading the establishment of a mental health diversion center, diverting individuals towards treatment rather than detention. The class subsequently delved into the courtrooms housed within the Bell County Justice Complex, engaging with District Attorney Henry Garza, County Attorney Jim Nichols, Judge Cari Starritt-Burnett of the 169th Judicial District Court, and Judge Paul Motz of the County Court at Law Number 1. The resonant message emanating from this assembly of public servants affirmed that the court system remains a beehive of activity, with thousands of cases navigating its respected court rooms annually. As the county's populace burgeons and the justice system bears additional strain, the pressing need for increased personnel within the courts, as well as the county and district attorney offices, looms large. Following the day’s presentations, it was abundantly clear to the class that our community could not function without the involvement of the Bell County government and the dedication of those that serve within the Bell County government.
In addition to its conventional functions, the Bell County Commissioners Court shoulders the responsibility of shaping the trajectory of numerous solar ventures within the county. Currently, the county is host to five burgeoning solar farm projects and two battery storage undertakings in varying stages of maturation, collectively spanning over 9,000 acres and representing a staggering $1 billion in investment. Although devoid of the regulatory authority wielded by municipalities, Bell County wields tax abatements to shape and safeguard neighboring properties against potential drawbacks stemming from these developments. Following the presentations at the historic Bell County Courthouse, the Leadership Temple Class of 2024 embarked upon an expedition to one of Bell County's more distinctive attractions—the Cadence Bank Center, previously known as the Bell County Expo Center. A subtle revelation to many, this facility is county-owned and once housed the Central Texas Stampede, a minor league professional ice hockey team. Erected in 1987, the Cadence Bank Center plays host to a myriad of events that not only enrich the lives of Bell County citizens but provides an economic boost, courtesy of out-of-county patrons. In 2022,
Leadership Temple 2024 | Meeting with the Cadence Bank Center
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Temple Chamber Honors Military & First Responders at 39th Annual Salute to Service Temple Chamber of Commerce Staff
The Temple Chamber of Commerce proudly hosted the 39th annual Military & First Responder Salute to Service, presented by H-E-B, on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at the Mayborn Convention Center in Temple. The event brought together 650 business and community members, activeduty soldiers from Temple’s Central Texas Military Partners at Fort Cavazos, veterans, and members of local veterans’ organizations, including American Legion Post #133 and VFW Post #1820.
Temple ISD students from Jefferson Elementary and Lamar Middle School greeted the procession by waving American flags. The veterans who participated are residents of the State Veterans Home and include a World War II Veteran, Purple Heart Recipients, Bronze Star and Silver Star Recipients.
In a new initiative starting in 2020, the Chamber also extended the invitation to First Responders, recognizing the invaluable contributions of local law enforcement, fire and rescue teams, EMS, and medical professionals.
The luncheon featured musical performances by the 1st Cavalry Division Band and the Temple High School Polyfoniks. There was special recognition of two local Vietnam Veterans, where they received their Congressional Vietnam Veteran Commemorative Lapel Pins, and an inspiring keynote speech by Gen. (Ret.) Paul Funk II, uniting the business community in honoring and expressing gratitude to those who have dedicated their lives to serving our nation and the community.
Bell County First Responders led a procession of a dozen veterans from the William R. Courtney State Veterans Home to the Mayborn Convention Center. They traveled north on Third Street from the Central Texas Veterans Health Care Campus to the Mayborn.
The Temple Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Staff extend appreciation to all attendees, volunteers, and sponsors for their support, making this event a heartfelt tribute to our military personnel, veterans, and first responders.