Dean Highland Neighborhood Association

Category: Membership

  • **Don’t Forget** Vote this Thursday

    Our next Quarterly Meeting is Thursday evening, at 6pm, on the 24th, at Dean Highland Elementary School (3300 Maple Ave., Waco, TX 76707). Here it is on a map:

    We will be voting on where to hold the Annual Holiday Party this year. Your vote matters, so be sure to attend this meeting so that you can have your say.

    The front doors of the school will probably be locked, so you will have to hang a left (if you’re facing the front doors) and follow the building to the black gate, where you will see an entrance to the cafeteria. This is where you will find us!

    As always, if you have any questions, shoot us an email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com.

    AND

    Our Dean Highland Conservancy Initiative will kick off its post-summer festivities with a service project on Saturday, September 26th, beginning at 10am. We will be collaborating again with some upstanding youngsters from Baylor’s Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) Honor Society in the parking lot of Highland Baptist Church’s Wellness Center (2924 Trice Ave, Waco, TX 76707). Here is a map:

    Meet us in the parking lot, where you’ll receive cleaning supplies, and then we will spread out from the parking lot and hit the neighborhood with everything we’ve got. A lot of garbage has accumulated over the summer. Apparently, trash doesn’t care about the heat! This is a great way to meet some neighbors and do a good deed at the same time. Check out some pics from past cleanups.

    ETC.

    Our “Voices from Dean Highland” oral history project is going well. 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 loved ones will appreciate long after you’re gone. Check out some “Voices” spotlights here. Reach out to me (Brandon Christensen) when you’re ready to tell some neighborhood stories!

  • **Don’t Forget**

    Our next Quarterly Meeting is Thursday evening, at 6pm, on the 24th. The new Principal for Dean Highland Elementary School will be at the meeting and is going to share some of the challenges that the school faces today. As a longtime supporter of the school, the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association is looking forward to hearing about the challenges and how we can serve.

    So, Thursday, September 24th, 6pm, at Dean Highland Elementary School (3300 Maple Ave., Waco, TX 76707). Here it is on a map:

    The front doors of the school will probably be locked, so you will have to hang a left (if you’re facing the front doors) and follow the building to the black gate, where you will see an entrance to the cafeteria. This is where you will find us!

    We are trying to gather as much information about the needs and wants and demographics of the neighborhood before the meeting, so please fill out (or re-fill out) a membership form before Thursday (the 24th).

    As always, if you have any questions, shoot us an email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com.

    ALSO

    Zion Hill Baptist Church will be celebrating its 145th anniversary today (September 20th), beginning at 9am, and they want to let the whole neighborhood know that we are invited to the service. I know I previously reported the wrong date. I regret the error, but it’s this Sunday. Like, service starts in two hours! Zion Hill Baptist Church is located at 2919 McKenzie Avenue, Waco TX, 76708. Here they are on a map:

    This is a fantastic opportunity to get out of the house and explore your neighborhood. You will not regret switching up your Sunday morning routine for this. Check out their Facebook page.

  • **Don’t Forget**

    Our next Quarterly Meeting is Thursday evening, at 6pm, on the 24th. We are pleased to report that our President, Scott Michael, was able to meet with the new Principal of Dean Highland Elementary School and secure our traditional quarterly meeting place. The new Principal will be at the meeting and is going to share some of the challenges that the school faces today. As a longtime supporter of the school, the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association is looking forward to hearing about the challenges and how we can serve.

    So, Thursday, September 24th, 6pm, at Dean Highland Elementary School (3300 Maple Ave., Waco, TX 76707). Here it is on a map:

    The front doors of the school will probably be locked, so you will have to hang a left (if you’re facing the front doors) and follow the building to the black gate, where you will see an entrance to the cafeteria. This is where you will find us!

    We are trying to gather as much information about the needs and wants and demographics of the neighborhood before the meeting, so please fill out (or re-fill out) a membership form before Thursday (the 24th).

    As always, if you have any questions, shoot us an email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com.

    ALSO

    Zion Hill Baptist Church will be celebrating its 145th anniversary on Sunday, September 27th 20th, beginning at 9am, and it wants to let the whole neighborhood know that we are invited to the service. Zion Hill Baptist Church is located at 2919 McKenzie Avenue, Waco TX, 76708. Here they are on a map:

    This is a fantastic opportunity to get out of the house and explore your neighborhood. You will not regret switching up your Sunday morning routine for this. Check out their Facebook page.

    ETC.

    Our “Voices from Dean Highland” oral history project is going well. 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 loved ones will appreciate long after you’re gone. Check out some “Voices” spotlights here. Reach out to me (Brandon Christensen) when you’re ready to tell some neighborhood stories!

  • DHNA’s State Historical Marker Challenge: Martha Totten and Claude Parker

    Hey Dean Highlanders,

    Meet our latest Challengers:

    Claude Parker and Martha Totten are neighbors, and they both live right next to the trolley tracks that are still embedded in the road. Claude has lived in Dean Highland for 31 years, and Martha has lived here for 7 years.

    They are both very thankful for this community. Some of you might know Martha as “the trash lady” because she is usually picking up trash while she walks/exercises around the neighborhood.

    If you see either of them out and about, you know what to do! They both got a DHNA t-shirt for their efforts, and you could too.

    For past DHNA State Historical Marker Challengers, check this out.

    Oh, and here is what our State Historical Marker Challenge is all about:

    Our Texas Historical Marker for the trolley stop is on-site now. You can check it out at the triangle on Trice and 28th:

    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.

    T-shirt supplies look like this:

    • 2 smalls
    • and 7 mediums

  • Another postponement / SAVE THE DATE

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    We were supposed to do another cleanup for our Dean Highland Conservancy Initiative yesterday but, alas, it was too darn hot.

    We will absolutely be doing our first cleanup post-summer break on Saturday September 26th, and our friends from Baylor’s Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) Honor Society will be joining us again!

    We are going to meet in the parking lot of Highland Baptist Church that’s next to the church’s new Wellness Center. Here it is on a map:

    We collaborated with AED this past spring, and had a blast. We’d love to see all neighborhood association members attend this time. The fun will start at 10am. Saturday, the 26th. If you have any questions, shoot us an email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com.

    Our next Quarterly Meeting, by the way, will be before the neighborhood cleanup, on Thursday, September 17th 24th, at 6pm. We are still trying to find a spot to hold it, since administrative functions at Dean Highland Elementary School, our traditional meeting spot, are in flux.

    Stay cool out there!

  • Tailgate party at Baylor, anyone?

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    Your humble neighborhood association board is putting together a tailgate party at Baylor’s football game on the 19th. We’d like to get a headcount of who might like to go. It’s free to attend, but we’re looking at instituting an “attendance” guard:

    • if you haven’t attended at least one of our quarterly meetings (the next one is on Sept. 24th);
    • or participated in at least one of our conservancy initiative service projects (the next one is Sept. 12th);
    • or shared some neighborhood stories for our oral history project (always available);
    • or donated money to us at some point in time (here’s our Venmo);
    • or participated in our totally awesome State Historical Marker Challenge;
    • or ever purchased any Dean Highland drip (lawn flags, t-shirts, etc.).

    Then we’ll probably put you on the wait list. 🙂

    If you’d like to go, shoot us an email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com. To save everyone some time, please give us a list of names of who would like to go and how you have participated (or plan to participate) in the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association thus far. If you haven’t participated in anything just yet: there’s still time! Our next Conservancy Initiative cleanup is, as noted above, on Saturday the 12th (a whole week before the tailgate party on the 19th!), or you could finally break down and set up an oral history interview with Brandon, or — if you’re really strapped for time – you could simply donate to our park fight war chest.

    We’ll have more details on the tailgate party as events unfold.

  • DHNA’s State Historical Marker Challenge: B & B from Wenz Ave

    Hello Dean Highlanders,

    Check out these Challengers:

    B & B from Wenz Ave

    They look very excited, right?

    These two goldbrickers won’t be getting free DHNA t-shirts for their efforts, but we do thank them for their time!

    For past DHNA State Historical Marker Challengers, check this out. Here is what our State Historical Marker Challenge is all about, by the way:

    Our Texas Historical Marker for the trolley stop is on-site now. You can check it out at the triangle on Trice and 28th:

    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.

  • “Voices from Dean Highland” spotlight: Rosy Bautista-Ramos

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    Amid all the hustle and bustle of our Conservancy Initiative (which is kicking butt; catch you at our next service project on Aug. 8th?), our fight for Hillcrest Park, and the ins and outs of all our personal lives, is the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association’s ongoing oral history project: “Voices from Dean Highland.”

    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.

  • DHNA’s State Historical Marker Challenge: Sabine Meyer & Foster Dog Mabel

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    Check out these Challengers:

    Sabine Meyer & Foster Dog Mabel

    Sabine, reppin’ Parrott Ave, has lived in the neighborhood for two years and has met her “wonderful neighbors” when out walking her dogs.

    Here’s a message about Mabel from Sabine:

    P.S. Mabel is available for adoption at Pet Circle (A119714). She’s a dream: About 2 year old, house broken, crate trained, walks great on a loose leash, gets along with cats and dogs. Loves people! She’s a Velcro dog! I’m sure she likes kids, too. I just haven’t had a chance to check. I found her running the streets in the Brookview neighborhood.

    Sabine gets a DHNA t-shirt for her efforts, and when you see her out-and-about, do be sure to say “hi” and fellowship a bit.

    For past DHNA State Historical Marker Challengers, check this out. Here is what our State Historical Marker Challenge is all about, by the way:

    Our Texas Historical Marker for the trolley stop is on-site now. You can check it out at the triangle on Trice and 28th:

    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.

  • Plan Commission – July 14, 2026

    Hello Dean Highlanders,

    I hope you are staying cool. Below is an email we received from the one and only Crystal Anthony, our beloved Program Coordinator from the City of Waco’s Neighborhood Engagement team:

    Hello Dean Highland Neighborhood Association,

    Note: This notice is in North Waco’s Neighborhood, but adjacent to Dean Highland.

    Please find attached a public hearing notice from the Plan Commission. The case will be presented before the Plan Commission at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, at the Waco Convention Center, Bosque Theatre, 100 Washington Ave. After the case is presented to the Plan Commission, a public hearing will then be held before the City Council at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at the Waco Convention Center, Bosque Theatre, 100 Washington.

    Z-26-25
    A request has been made by Cameron Philgreen and the City of Waco, to rezone from O-3 Office Limited Commercial District to R-3C Multiple Family Residence District of approximately 0.5680 acres described as Lot 1 Block 1 Holley Addition known as 1901 N 25th Street and to rezone from R-3E Multiple Family Residence District to R-2 Two-Family and Attached Single-Family Residence District for property described as Lots 4-5 and 11-14, Block 53 of the University Heights Addition, known as 2410 and 2418 Cumberland Avenue and 2401, 2405, 2409, and 2413 Maple Avenue.

    This attached notice was also mailed out on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, to the residents who live within 200 feet, but we hope this electronic version will be easier to share with your neighbors. Any questions you have about a case should be directed to the Development Services staff at 254-750-5750. Mark Boyd is copied on this email and will be able to assist you. You may also email planning@wacotx.gov to submit a written comment.

    The Plan Commission meeting will be held in person. You may still watch the meeting live at MyWacoTV.com, but if someone wants to comment during the public hearing, they must do so in person.

    Mmkay, it’s me again. Here are two visuals — one and two – that Crystal sent along with this email update. They’re both pdf files and they’re both informative.

    If you have any other questions about this, such as the difference between a planning commission meeting and a city council meeting, shoot us an email (at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com) and we’ll break it down for you. Now on to some housekeeping:

    Our “Voices from Dean Highland” neighborhood history project is proceeding apace. If you’d like to participate, or to nominate someone who should participate, give me a holler. We need all the voices we can get, so don’t be shy. Your story, and your stories about the Dean Highland neighborhood, are way more important than you think.

    Our Conservancy Initiative will pick back up on August 8th, so don’t forget to mark your calendars!

    I recently got some bad news from the City’s Parks & Rec Department, and it ties in to our Hillcrest Park advocacy. I’ll have more on this in a separate post, but we need to remember to remain vigilant when it comes to fighting for green space.

    I’ll also have some more “Voices from Dean Highland” spotlights, and a couple of cute kids from Wenz Ave were voluntold to participate in our new “DHNA State Historical Marker Challenge,” so please continue to tune in to our newsletter updates, if only for the random glimpses of cuteness we sometimes provide.

    We still have Dean Highland Neighborhood Association t-shirts left after our Father’s Day extravaganza sale:

    • 3 smalls
    • 8 mediums
    • and 2 larges

    So, while supplies last, we’ll throw in some DHNA t-shirts, for free, if you participate in our new “DHNA State Historical Marker Challenge.” Just snap some selfies or group photos of you or some neighbors next to our trolley stop historical marker and send it to us, and we’ll post the photos on here and hook you up with some free DHNA t-shirts. It doesn’t get much better than that…