Here is a recap of what was featured in the Wednesday, Jan. 18, e-edition of the Taylor Press. The e-edition is emailed to subscribers and available at www. taylorpress.net.
MLK DAY A CELEBRATION LIFE CIVIL RIGHTS ICON On the morning of Monday, Jan. 16, hundreds of Taylorites young and old, from all walks of life, carried on an 18-year tradition of a solemn, yet joyful march from the Dickey Givens Community Center to Heritage Square to commemorate and celebrate the life of the slain civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr “This is a march of celebration, not a protest” said Shorty Mitchell, who has served as the chair for the organizing committee for 16 years. “That is why we have such a diverse group.”
With escorts from the Taylor Police and Fire Departments, marchers made their way along Martin Luther King Boulevard and Main Street, holding up images of King, as well as Rosa Parks and other civil rights movement icons, as the Taylor High School Marching Band and Color Guard streamed their flags and beat their drums.
After the procession, participants gathered at the amphitheater in Heritage Square for a program featuring area clergy, elected officials and other dignitaries, as well as a 15-minute excerpt from “The Drum Major Instinct,” a sermon King delivered shortly before his death, in which he exhorts people to harness their selfish desire to be first as a force for serving others.
PUBLIC CAMPING BAN INTRODUCED
At the Jan. 12 meeting, city staff introduced a new ordinance to regulate camping in public areas and create a warning policy for trespassers on city grounds.
Under the proposed rule, camping in public areas would be prohibited within the city limits of Taylor, though “merely falling asleep in a public area” is not, and personal items may not be left unattended.
Certain exceptions, including travelling through the city in a camper or motor vehicle, are allowed.
According to the ordinance, any person receiving a citation would have the opportunity to appeal within 30 days to the Municipal Court.
RECYCLING SERVICES TO EXPAND
Though residences in Taylor have been doing it since 2017, recycling will soon be available to commercial and industrial customers in the city as well.
At the Jan. 12 meeting, City Council leader voted unanimously for a five-year extension to the contract for Waste Connections, which is the sole provider of solid waste collection for the city, and will allow for an expansion of recycling services to commercial and industrial users starting Feb.
1, 2023.
According to the contract, unlike for residential customers, recycling will be optional for commercial and industrial users, and will also allow them to work with other providers “for specific recycling streams if Waste Connections is unable to provide that service.”
Service will continue to be once a week for residential customers for solid waste, and once every two weeks for recycling.
LADY DUCKS ACCOMPLISH THEIR GOAL
The Taylor Lady Ducks are playoff bound after defeating Caldwell Friday night in one of their last district games of the season.
Then in their first matchup Caldwell defeated the Lady Ducks 3-1 in a fiveset match. Caldwell needed 75 points to win the match and the Lady Ducks gave up 71 points on errors. The Lady Ducks came into Friday’s game with a point to prove and they did it in a big way.
The Lady Ducks allowed Caldwell to only score five points in the first set on their way to a 25-5 victory.
Caldwell responded in the second set winning 25-13. The Lady Ducks took the third set 25-20 and closed out the fourth set 25-17 and clinched their spot in the playoffs.
