If you haven’t done so yet, please reach out to me (brandon.l.christensen@gmail.com or 530-748-7566[text first!]) to set up an appointment and we’ll get your story added to the neighborhood collection. The more lives we can add to the collection, the cooler our neighborhood will become.
At any rate, meet Rosy Bautista-Ramos:
Rosy has been in the neighborhood for decades and has raised two great kids in Dean Highland. In fact, one of her kids was my go-to babysitter before she went off to college in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Rosy currently serves at Highland Baptist Church and does an amazing job serving the Spanish-speaking community of Dean Highland and Waco.
She sat down with me on May 11, 2026. Please, reach out to me so we can add your story to the fabric of our neighborhood.
Carl lives on Maple Ave, and can usually be seen out walking with his dog, Rosy (who didn’t walk with Carl the day he took the Challenge because she doesn’t like thunderstorms). Here’s a picture of Rosy saying “no” to a walk:
If you see them out and about, you know what to do! Carl got a DHNA t-shirt for his efforts, and you could too.
For past DHNA State Historical Marker Challengers, check this out. Here, by the way, is what our State Historical Marker Challenge is all about:
If you take a photo of yourselves and/or loved ones next to the Texas Historical Marker, send it to us via email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com and we’ll post it here on the website. We will also throw in a free Dean Highland Neighborhood t-shirt for each participant while supplies last.
Wow, three neighborhood news updates in a row! How did we ever get so lucky? Councilman Ewing has heard us roar, and he sent us the following response on Monday (7/13):
I want to apologize for my delayed response here. My wife and I welcomed our son two weeks ago and are still getting back into our normal lives and settling in as a family of four, albeit with much less sleep.
I want to acknowledge that this process has taken longer than anyone would have expected. Not that any of you need an example of how long it’s been, but since we began this process we’ve had two city managers, two city attorneys, three mayors, and three separate presidents at Baylor Scott & White. Since discussions began in earnest in late 2020, there has been a lot of stop-and-go. Plenty of times it seemed like the path was clear and we had momentum, only to be stopped in our tracks by an unexpected roadblock.
The process on paper is simple: Baylor Scott & White demolished their old hospital and has been looking to sell the acreage from the site ever since. Once the city engaged, there were no other serious conversations with other end-users. I sincerely wish it was as easy as the city fronting the money, acquiring the land, and soliciting plans for development. However, with the environmental concerns we uncovered last year, we’ve had to explore an alternative before the city can acquire the property. This looks like signing off on an MSD, or municipal settings designation, an official state designation certifying that groundwater beneath a specific urban property is not used for drinking and is legally prohibited from future use. To my knowledge, this won’t prohibit development of housing or a park, but it will allow us to acquire the land without prohibitively expensive remediation.
As of June 12th, BSW was still working through their private contractor to complete the environmental process with TCEQ (the state environmental agency) in order to submit an MSD application.
That is where we are now. We’re waiting on that application to be completed, submitted, and approved. Once approved, the city will continue our efforts to formally acquire the land and bring development and green space, including parkland, to the area. That is my commitment to you, both as your council representative and as a former neighbor.
I wish I could put a definitive timeline on this, but with multiple large, regulated private entities and large governmental entities involved, I would only be giving you an estimate that would likely result in unmet expectations. I am committed to seeing this through, and if at any point you’re unsure where we are in the process, or feel it’s been too long since your last update, I’m happy to field any questions or concerns, or even meet for coffee.
I wanted to let you know that this property is not being ignored. I understand it’s taking MUCH longer that DHNA wants it to, but rest assured it’s not fallen off the city’s radar. (neither elected officials nor staff)
Thanks for continuing to include us in your newsletters. It’s great to be able to keep up with your efforts.
It’s truly great that we have such a thoughtful City looking out for us.
What do you think, Dean Highlanders? Is Hillcrest Park still on the City’s radar?
I encourage you ask our district’s Councilman, Darius Ewing, yourself via email: ccouncil4@wacotx.gov. If you’re not confident in your writing prowess, just copy-and-paste this:
Dear Mr. Ewing,
The Dean Highland Neighborhood Association is committed to bringing a 14-acre, world-class park to the empty Hillcrest lot.
We are here to collaborate and bargain, not grovel for slivers of green space. Please ensure, Mr. Councilman, that Dean Highlanders get the respect and dignity they deserve when it comes to this space. As of today, this has not happened. The lot is still empty. The garbage is still piling up. And the intent of the land’s donors — a vast space for the public good – has not been met and may even be considered to be actively ignored by City actors and Baylor, Scott, and White.
You depend on me for my vote, and I am actively paying attention to how you treat my neighborhood and the ongoing Hillcrest Park debacle.
Feel free to “cc” the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association to the email you send to our councilman, too (our email address is deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com). Please, your voice matters. Email Councilman Ewing today.
I trust your summer is going well. We on the DHNA board just wanted to remind you that the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association fought for a park at the Hillcrest location about 10 years ago. We were told by city council then that there were plenty of other green spaces nearby to enjoy.
I recently received the same reply while trying to get a humble footpath installed over at Wenz Park, and it reminded me of just how precarious our park situation is. I spent 12 months making phone calls, writing emails, and researching history only to get a short, curt email stating that there are plenty of other nearby options for myself and my family to enjoy in Waco.
We might get the same response from the City for our Hillcrest Park advocacy if we don’t continue to keep pressure on Baylor, Scott, and White and our City representatives.
So, we are calling on all Dean Highland residents to send an email to our City Council representative, Darius Ewing, reminding him that he works for us and that we want a world-class park in the space that is currently occupied by an empty lot. If you’re not confident in your writing prowess, just copy-and-paste this:
Dr Dear Mr. Ewing,
The Dean Highland Neighborhood Association is committed to bringing a 14-acre, world-class park to the empty Hillcrest lot.
We are here to collaborate and bargain, not grovel for slivers of green space. Please ensure, Mr. Councilman, that Dean Highlanders get the respect and dignity they deserve when it comes to this space. As of today, this has not happened. The lot is still empty. The garbage is still piling up. And the intent of the land’s donors — a vast space for the public good – has not been met and may even be considered to be actively ignored by City actors and Baylor, Scott, and White.
You depend on me for my vote, and I am actively paying attention to how you treat my neighborhood and the ongoing Hillcrest Park debacle.
Feel free to “cc” the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association to the email you send to our councilman, too. Mr. Ewing’s email address is ccouncil4@wacotx.gov, and our email address is deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com.
This is our neighborhood Dean Highlanders, and sometimes we have to fight for what is ours.
Don’t forget: there will be no conservancy initiative cleanups during June and July, so enjoy your respite! Our next cleanup will be August 8th. Keep your eyes on these pages for more details.
If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for the “Voices from Dean Highland” oral history project. You’d be leaving a legacy for those you love, and you’ll also be helping Dean Highland to establish itself as the premier neighborhood of not only Waco, but Central Texas too.
Please be sure to renew your membership with us if you haven’t done so since January of 2026. We are trying to revamp and synchronize our data collection tools to better serve y’all, and in order to do that we need the most up-to-date information available.
If you have any questions, give us a holler. Stay cool out there!
Our last neighborhood cleanup before the summer break was a big hit. We didn’t find any guns (this time!), but we did do something different and tackled one of our streets directly instead of relying on the City to maintain the rubbish.
Ten Dean Highlanders — that’s right, ten – showed up to pitch in this time: Austin from Pine, Tinker from Pine, and the Strietzels from Maple.
Most of you will know Austin and Tinker thanks to their longtime service as board members of the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association, but the Strietzels are still relatively new so give them all a hearty greeting next time you see them (perhaps at our 6th annual summer meet-and-greet gathering!).
We hit 27th Street with all we had, and did a good bit of work on it. I know many Dean Highlanders were, and are, grateful for our efforts.
Our bimonthly Dean Highland Conservancy Initiative cleanup will take place along 27th Street this Saturday (May 23rd). We are going to meet on 27th and Cumberland and then go all the way down and all the way up 27th, like so:
We will meet at 10am on 27th and Cumberland. Just walk there. Ride your bike. Bring the kids. Bring the dogs. Oh, we will also need a pickup truck since our erstwhile president will not be able to be there this Saturday. This will be our last cleanup before we take the long, hot months of June and July off.
That’s right, Dean Highlanders, we won’t be doing any guerilla-style conservancy initiative cleanups in June or July due to the heat. So be sure to get on out and join us this Saturday for our last cleanup before the Fall!
Please allow me to introduce Dr. James “Jim” SoRelle, a now-retired historian who worked at Baylor for several decades. He and his wife have also lived in Dean Highland for several decades, and are currently residing on Maple Avenue.
Jim actually grew up in Dean Highland, and while he hasn’t stayed here his entire life, his memories of this neighborhood are absolute treasures. He continues, even in retirement, to be an active member of the DHNA and is a regular at our conservancy initiative cleanups.
His heart is his greatest asset to the Dean Highland neighborhood, and we have been lucky to have Jim and his family as neighbors for so long. The SoRelles have given and given (and given) to Wacoans for a long time, and it’s always been done humbly, gracefully, and with a grateful heart. His efforts for our conservancy initiative reflect this “attitude of gratitude” time and again.
Dr SoRelle contributed to the “Voices from Dean Highland” project on September 14, 2024. Given that the neighborhood association’s stated goals are service, advocacy, and fellowship, please be sure to give Jim a hearty greeting if you see him out and about at one of our service projects, advocacy efforts, or raucous quarterly meetings. If you would like to collaborate or fellowship with him, shoot me (Brandon Christensen) an email and I’ll try to introduce you.
You can read more about our “Voices from Dean Highland” project here. You (yes, you!) and your story are way more interesting and important than you think, and this project is something that your kids and grandkids and other loved ones will appreciate long after you’re gone. Check out some other “Voices” spotlights here.
Our two pocket parks are in good shape now, thanks to our consistent, service-based conservancy initiative.
Check out the action in our alleyways, too:
Yes, that’s a real gun. And, yes, it was wrapped in a plastic bag. Jim from Maple and I (Brandon from Wenz) found it in the alleyway off 27th and in between McFerrin and Summer:
Pro tip: if you find a gun laying around one of Dean Highland’s alleyways, don’t do what Jim and I did and pick it up or examine it or play cowboy with it. Don’t even touch it. Call the Waco Police Department immediately and they’ll dispose of it properly. I ended up taking the gun — even though it had really cool potential to be a neighborhood historical artifact – to the police station:
Our boys in blue were able to dispose of the gun properly. There’s a never a dull moment when you get out and get involved in your neighborhood!
Our Texas Historical Marker for the trolley stop is on-site now. You can check it out at the triangle on Trice and 28th. The State of Texas butchered the rhythm of my writing on the sign, but it’s there and now Dean Highlanders can rest assured knowing that their neighborhood played an important role in the history of Texas. You can also check it out anytime you’d like:
If you take a photo of yourselves and loved ones next to the Texas Historical Marker, send it to us at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com and we’ll post it here!
And for heaven’s sake, reach out to Brandon from Wenz so you can tell your story for the “Voices from Dean Highland” oral history project.
