Dean Highland Neighborhood Association

Category: Public Service Announcement

  • Recap of Zion Hill’s Family-friendly Fall Festival

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    We had a blast at Zion Hill Baptist Church’s “Fall-O-Ween Jesus” fall festival this past Saturday (Oct. 31st). Check out DHNA’s President Scott Michael playing musical chairs:

    The frito pies were to die for (I now know the secret ingredient to world-class chili). My kids came home with water guns, candy, Dr Pepper, and — get this!- live goldfish. They ate a boatload of freshly-baked homemade cookies too.

    There was face-painting, fellowship, cornhole, a bounce house, music, and thoughts and ideas about how to find creative ways to build community, and create safe places for kids, in the Dean Highland neighborhood.

    As you’ve seen, President Scott was there, and so too was DHNA’s Secretary, Austin Wright. The Strietzels of Maple Ave (you remember them?) graced us with their presence, and the good folks at Zion Hill — which has been in our neighborhood since the early 1970s – made sure to take great care of us. Hopefully we’ll be collaborating again soon! Here’s some more fun:

    Check out Zion Hill’s Facebook page. This is a wonderful church that is truly a community within a community here in Dean Highland, and we’re lucky to have them. Here’s Zion Hill on a map:

    Many thanks to Zion Hill Baptist Church for being such gracious hosts!

  • Public Service Announcement: FREE Family-Friendly Fall Festival at Zion Hill Baptist Church this Saturday (Oct. 31st)

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    Our neighbors at Zion Hill Baptist Church are throwing a Fall Festival in their parking lot this Saturday, and the whole neighborhood is invited:

    The Dean Highland Neighborhood Association will have a table there. We’ll be handing out candy. If you’d like to make donations to the candy stash, shoot us an email and we’ll hash out the details. Or just go here and give online (there should be a spot for you to explain what you’d like us to do with your gift).

    To recap, if you want to bring the whole family and party, you’re welcome to do so. If you just want to chill at the DHNA table and hand out candy, you’re more than welcome to do that, too. Here’s Zion Hill Baptist Church on a map:

    Saturday, October 31st, from 11am to 2pm. Bounce Houses. Food. DJs. Games. Prizes. Catch you there!

  • Public Service Announcement: Children’s Garden Fair – FREE Family Fun tomorrow afternoon!

    Hey Dean Highlanders,

    I know I’ve mentioned this before, but don’t forget about the Children’s Garden Fair happening this Sunday (October 25), from 2pm to 4pm, at the Earle-Harrison House & Pape Gardens.

    Thanks again to Melinda Leazar (Herring Ave.) for bringing this to our attention at last month’s quarterly meeting! Here’s a link to the official Facebook page.

  • Public Service Announcement: Children’s Garden Fair – FREE Family Fun on October 25th!

    Hello Dean Highlanders,

    One of our own, Melinda Leazar (Herring Ave.), brought up this amazing fair at our last quarterly meeting. I am so glad that she took the time to stand up and introduce her neighbors to one of her passions. This is what our quarterly meetings are for, and it was heartening to see so many Dean Highlanders take advantage of this last month. Hopefully, at our next quarterly meeting, more of you will follow Melinda’s (and Valerie’s) example.

    Check out the information for the fair:

    Bring the kids for an afternoon of outdoor fun and discovery at beautiful Pape Gardens! Hosted by the McLennan County Master Gardeners in cooperation with Historic Waco, this FREE family event features more than 10 hands-on activity stations where children can explore gardening and nature in Central Texas through scavenger hunts, creative crafts, interactive learning activities, and fun projects to take home.

    This year, families can also step inside the historic kitchen at the Johnson-Taylor House and explore activities in the new kitchen garden, where Master Gardeners will help bring the connection between gardens, food, and everyday life to life.

    Sunday, October 25 | 2–4 p.m.
    Pape Gardens, 1901 N. 5th St., Waco

    Children of all ages are welcome and must be accompanied by an adult. Weather permitting.

    ~Scavenger Hunt
    ~Fun Crafts
    ~Learning Stations

    *Children MUST be accompanied by an adult.

    Educational programs of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open …

    There is more, much more, at their Facebook page.

    Thank you, Melinda, for sharing with us your passions. By the way, Melinda has, unsurprisingly, already participated (along with her husband, Mark) in the “Voices from Dean Highland” oral history project. You know what to do!

  • Quarterly Meeting followup

    Hey Dean Highlanders,

    One of the things that most excited me about our last quarterly meeting was the fact that Dean Highlanders stood up and introduced their neighbors to some of the non-profits that they work with in their capacities as private citizens.

    Valerie Fillmore (Maple Ave.) introduced us to a fundraising project that Mobilize Waco is working on right now: Cinnamon ROLL.

    Check it out:

    October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month—a time to celebrate the contributions of disabled workers and advance access, equity, and inclusion in our communities.

    At Mobilize Waco, we believe disability justice isn’t just about access—it’s about leadership, visibility, and equity. When you make a non-obligated donation, you help us:​

    • Amplify disabled leadership
    • Fight for access and justice
    • Create a truly inclusive Waco

    Get something sweet in return: Make your donation by October 1st at noon (12pm), and we’ll treat you to 6 freshly baked cinnamon rolls! Warm and gooey. Pick them up October 4th, in front of For Keeps Coffee.

    Want to support without the cinnamon rolls? No problem. You can choose to not receive your cinnamon rolls below. Every gift counts toward building “a Waco that works for everyone.”

    For Keeps is located at:
    3619 Bosque Blvd
    Waco, TX 76710-5033

    Got that, Dean Highlanders? If you want some delicious cinnamon rolls, donate to this fundraiser by October 1st! Here is the link one more time.

    Thanks Valerie, for participating in our quarterly meetings. Of course, Valerie and her husband Cameron have already participated in the “Voices from Dean Highland” oral history project. You can, too! Just shoot me a text or email and we’ll set something up.

  • **CORRECTION** Zion Hill Baptist Church’s 145th Anniversary Service is Tomorrow

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    Apologies for the wrong date in our last newsletter, but Zion Hill Baptist Church’s 145th anniversary service will be tomorrow, September 20th, beginning at 9am. I regret the mistake in dates.

    This little 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 can sit with me and my kids.

    Check out their Facebook page.

  • 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!

  • Dean Highland in the news: Arson and murder

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    I sometimes get carried away sharing all of the great things that are happening in our neighborhood. Our trolley stop revitalization effort, and especially the story it tells, is truly unique and we should be proud of it. The fact that we’re doing, as a neighborhood, a State Historical Marker Challenge (complete with free t-shirt prizes while supplies last) is just icing on a delectable cake.

    Our Dean Highland Conservancy Initiative is unlike anything else in Waco. No other neighborhood is getting out into its streets and pocket parks and alleyways, on a sustained, bimonthly basis, and doing the difficult work of cleaning up a constant mess that the City and its non-profit partners cannot seem to tackle by themselves.

    Our oral history project, “Voices from Dean Highland,” is definitely becoming a bright spot for our neighborhood, thanks to all of your participation (and future participation — wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

    Yet all is not roses and lavender and butterflies and birds, and we have to remember this as we pursue our stated neighborhood association purposes of service, advocacy, and fellowship. There was recently a serious arson on the 2900 block of Colcord Avenue:

    Stay safe out there Dean Highlanders, and be sure to take care of each other. If you have any other information about the arson, feel free to shoot us a message at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com.

    Even more seriously, there was recently a murder on the 2800 block of Summer Avenue (the star up top-left) and the suspect fled only a few blocks away, to another spot in Dean Highland on the 2600 block of Alexander Avenue (the bottom-right star):

    The Dean Highland Neighborhood Association is currently gathering information in order to put together a care package for the spouse of the murder victim. If you would like to contribute information or thoughtful notes/prayers for the victim’s spouse, shoot us an email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com. If you would like to instead make a monetary contribution, click here to get to our Venmo account (once you log in, there should be a spot for you to tell us why you’re giving).

    Thanks Dean Highlanders, and take care of yourselves out there. Take care of each other, too.

  • PSA: some free Mission Waco events coming up soon

    Hey Dean Highlanders,

    Libby on Ethel Ave is a fellow Dean Highlander who works at Mission Waco. She asked that we help to spread the following message about some of Mission Waco’s upcoming events:

    I am a part of Mission Waco’s mobilization team which seeks to equip neighbors to become more compassionately involved in their communities! We have a couple of really awesome, FREE events coming up outlined below. I would love for the Dean Highland neighborhood to be represented. Also, if you are willing, I would greatly appreciate help spreading the word to our neighbors!

    Creekside Community Serve Day: September 12, 2026 from 9AM-12PM

    • Join us for a time of serving our neighbors living at Creekside Community Village. There will be a host of different projects going on such as landscaping, organizing, arts & crafts, and more!
    • To attend, every individual must sign up at this link here. Spots are limited so sign up soon!

    Equipped with Compassion Workshop – Game Night: September 17, 2026 from 6PM-8PM

    • Come enjoy an educational game night and engage in meaningful discussion around the experience of homelessness. We will be playing Surviving Our Streets board game, which helps participants think more deeply about systemic issues that limit economic mobility and grow in compassion.
    • To attend, every individual must sign up at this link here.

    Walk for the Homeless: October 24, 2026 from 7:30AM-10AM

    • Join our 20th annual Walk for the Homeless where we will visit several local organizations who serve our neighbors experiencing homelessness. This is a time for us to learn about the incredible resources our city has to offer and how you can get involved!
    • No sign up necessary, just show up! We will meet at Mission Waco’s Meyer Center at 7:30AM to begin the walk. For more information please click here.

    Equipped with Compassion Workshop – Movie Night: November 17, 2026 from 6PM-8PM

    • Join us for a documentary viewing and discussion exploring the issues of consumerism, fast fashion, and exploitation while identifying ways to be more sustainable.
    • To attend, every individual must sign up at this link here.

    Thank you for the important work that you do to support our neighbors! Please feel free to reach out if I can ever be a resource or support to you.

    It’s me again. Here’s Ethel Ave in Dean Highland, by the way: