Temple Starbucks to open in early summer
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The Temple Daily Telegram reported that Starbucks Coffee Company is planning to open its first Temple
location in early summer 2001. It will located at 111 N. General Bruce Drive, a site historically occupied
by fast-food restaurants, most recently, Taco Cabana. Temple issued a $120,000 remodeling permit for the
building in January. “We’re thrilled to become neighbors in such a growing community alive with
activity,” said Wondem Mamo, Starbucks district manager
Worker pushes burning van from Temple building
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The Temple Daily Telegram reported that a quick-thinking, fast-acting employee at a Temple beer
distributorship may have prevented a warehouse fire Wednesday by using a forklift to push a burning truck
out of the building. A Copperas Cove VFW delivery van picking up beer at Ferrel Distributing Co., 323 S.
7th St., was destroyed when it caught fire at about 1 p.m. The vehicle was being loaded with beer when
workers noticed it was smoking, said employee John Barnes, 23, of Temple.
 TC splits pair at Ranger
The Temple Daily Telegram reported that the Temple College baseball team split a doubleheader at Ranger
Wednesday afternoon. In the opener, the Leopards (17-11, 8-6 Northern Texas Junior College Athletic
conference) pounded out 21 hits in route to a 15-8 win. In the night-cap, Ranger used a four-run eighth
inning to rally past TC for an 8-6 win.
A balanced attack was the key for TC in the opener. Ralph Hamilton had four this, and Jerod Fikac,
Stephen Johnson, Brook McClain and Thomas Melvin each added three.
Fikac -- who hit a home run -- and Melvin each had three RBI, and McClain added two.
"We hit the ball really well," said TC coach Craig McMurtry, whose team jumped out to a 5-0 first-inning
lead. "Everybody was hitting and the pitching was pretty good.
"Their park is conducive to runs and the wind was blowing out. We were just lucky to score nore than they
did."
In the nightcap, a quartet of Ranger pitchers managed to stymie the Leopard offense after TC scored five
runs in the fourth inning.
Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Rangers (8-16, 4-10) scored four times to take the lead
for good. TC managed another run in the eighth, but no more.
"(They) threw the ball pretty good and kept us off-balance a little bit," McMurtry said. "We hit the ball
hard at times right at them. Really, we battled pretty hard and had a chance in the ninth with the tying runs
on base with one out and they made some good pitches.
"When you go to somebody else's place and split with them, it's not a total loss."
The Leopards will be back in action at 2 p.m. Friday, when they play non-conference foe Blinn College in
Brenham. On Saturday, TC will play host to Hill in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at the Danny Scott Athletic
Complex
Tennis - TC men, women defeat UMHB
The Temple Daily Telegram reported that the Temple College men's and women's tennis teams defeated
the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor's squads on Wednesday afternoon.
In Belton, the TC women got singles wins from Sabrina Nicholson, Elisa Klepper, and Audrey Howland
and doubles victories from the Nicholson-Stephanie Blaney duo and the Klepper-Howland tandem to win
the match 5-4.
Kara Blomquist, Lindsey Hoffman, and Becky Knight won in singles for UMHB. Blomquist and Hoffman
paired to win in doubles, defeating TC's top team of Esther Delgado and Kathleen White.
TC (5-3) beat Johnson County (Kan.) Community College 5-4 late Tuesday in Plano. UMHB had not
competed since the American Southwest Conference Individual Tournament Feb. 23-24.
In Temple Wednesday, the TC men rolled to a 7-0 victory over UMHB. Individual results were
unavailable. The Leopards (5-2) lost 8-1 to Johnson County in Plano late Tuesday.
Rep. Delisi's bill exempting certain students from taking TASP test gets preliminary approval
AUSTIN (Spl.) -- Rep. Dianne White Delisi, R-Temple, won preliminary approval from the House of
Representatives Wednesday for her bill to exempt certain higher education students transferring to Texas
institutions from taking the Texas Academic Skills Program test.
HB 1645 faces a final vote in the House Thursday, before it goes to the Senate.
Current law requires each undergraduate student entering an institution of higher education who does not
achieve certain scores on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test, American College Test, or
Scholastic Assessment Test to take the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test "to assess whether the
student's skill level is adequate to perform effectively in an undergraduate degree program," a bill analysis
by the House Research Organization notes.
There are exemptions from TASP for students enrolled in distance learning outside the state, deaf students,
students who have graduated wit a baccalaureate degree, and students who are enrolled in a certificate
program of one year or less.
A student who has accumulated 60 or more semester credit hours at an accredited out-of-state institution of
higher education may not need to take a diagnostic test to indicate whether the student's skill level is
adequate to perform effectively in an undergraduate degree program, the analysis comments.
HB 1645 exempts from the TASP requirement transfer students who have accumulated 60 or more
semester credit hours at an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education authorized to award
baccalaureate degrees.
The bill is to take effect upon its final passage, or if it doesn't receive the necessary votes for immediate
effect, it will take effect Sept. 1, 2001.
Johnson, Leopards enjoyed special season
In many, the 2000-01 Temple College men's basketball team was like its 13 predecessors who played for
Coach Kirby Johnson. The Leopards were an athletic, high-scoring bunch who reached the 20-win mark,
ranked among the best teams in their conference, and competed in the NJCAA Region V Tournament.
But this team was unique, a cut above TC's past editions.
Greg Wille of the Temple Daily Telegrams reported that the Leopards won 27 games, surpassing the
previous record by four. They went 15-0 at home, the first perfect record at TC Gym in Johnson's 14
seasons at the school. They beat every opponent on their schedule, a testament to their consistency in
addition to their skill.
And, as Johnson will tell, they accomplished those things as a team.
"These guys had the desire to win, the confidence that they could win, and the lack of controversy," said
Johnson, whose team saw its record-setting season end in Lubbock with an 80-77 loss to eventual
champion Odessa in the semifinal round of the regional tournament. "I didn't have to put out any fires.
They were just as good in the locker room as they were on the court."
Which was quite good.
The Leopards, who finished 27-5, put together winning streaks of 13 and 11 games. They finished in
second place in Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference at 14-2 -- handing champ Collin
County its only conference defeat -- and led it in scoring at 92 points per outing.
Much-improved forward Damon Bailey (20.4 points, 10.1 rebounds per game) was voted NTJCAC Player
of the Year, and 6-7 wing Jermaine Green (15.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg) -- like Bailey and seven other teammates a
sophomore -- was a unanimous first-team all-conference pick.
The Leopards continued TC's tradition of lighting up scoreboards on a regular basis (scoring 147 points in
one game and reaching triple digits in several others), but they also knew how to prevail in close, lowscoring battles.
That was evident in their 71-66 home win over Collin and again last Friday in their first-round duel with
South Plains college, which took advantage of TC's cold shooting to lead 36-23 early in the second half.
The Leopards never really found their groove at the offensive end, but they went on a few runs and played
will enough on defense to edge the Texans 63-61.
TC incurred another large deficit the next day against Odessa, but it charged back to tie the game before the
Wranglers regained the lead and made a steal in the final seconds to seal their win.
"Every bit of physical and emotional energy had been spent by our guys," said Johnson, who stated earlier
that this season's Leopards had the best chance of any of his teams of earning the school's first-bid to
NJCAA Tournament. "After the there was a lot of crying by the players and by the coach, because we
never once though we were going to lose.
"When you have that kind of mindset, it's not only disappointing but also shocking. But anyone who
watched us play both games saw what kind of heart we had."
Now TC must start almost from scratch. Freshman reserve guard Travis Collins and several players who
sat out as redshirts are the only Leopards eligible to return next season. Johnson says he expects this
season's success to pay off in the form of a stellar recruiting haul, which could include Spring's 6-6, 240
pound Edjuan Green (Jermaine's younger brother) and several other top-notch talents from the state's
leading high school programs.
Johnson will need to secure commitments from such players to ease the pain of losing go-to-guy Bailey -currently being recruited by the nation's best NCAA Division II schools -- and Green, who's expected to
sign with a A-I program looking for immediate help.
"You wonder how you'll replace guys, but you do," said Johnson, who is also searching to replace
sophomore guards Bennie Tate (15.8 ppg), David Rhone and Sam Mercedes, and several inside players.
"You hope the guys coming in will be just as good and have the same amount of success as these guys."
With the standards this season's Leopards set, that surely won't be an easy chore.
"I told them that they're the best team we've ever had," Johnson said. "As each one of them goes his
separate way, I want them to know that this isn't the end of the book, just the end of the chapter.
"I want them to look back on this whole season with fondness because of how special it was. This was a
team in the true sense of the word."