Posts by Ashley Thornton
Be a Pineapple for Waco!:About the Waco Tourism Ambassador Program
By Carla Pendergraft, Director of Marketing, Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau What’s up with the pineapple? The pineapple has long been recognized as a traditional expression of welcome and hospitality throughout the South. Appearing on all sorts of décor, including gateposts, door knockers, and fountains, the fruit symbolizes those things we appreciate in a home:…
Read MoreFive things that make Waco a Great Place to do Business
By the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce Staff What is it about Waco that makes it so appealing to new businesses? At the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, our economic development team is constantly working to grow the economy through the attraction of new businesses to the region and the expansion of our existing industry…
Read MoreTeacher Self-Care: A Community Effort
By Jaja Chen I often hear individuals make comments about teachers that make it seem as if they have it “well off” because of having summer vacations. While having summer off is a crucial part of teachers’ self-care and work-life balance, we often do not sit and consider the amount of energy, finances, or even…
Read MoreGetting down to the Work of Art
By Luann Jennings This fall Creative Waco, our local arts agency, will debut an eight-week course in business skills for visual, performing, and literary artists and arts students, along with three special professional development workshops. The course is based on Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists, developed by Springboard for the Arts in St.…
Read MoreThe War after the War – The Battle Within
by Tabitha Ferguson Most people think of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, as being something that happens to someone after they return from war…but, the trauma that causes PTSD can be a lot closer than we think, and the PTSD caused by this kind of trauma is the most marginalized and stigmatized silent-growing epidemic…
Read MoreHope and Help for Cancer Survivors: The Cattleya Foundation
By Minister Sandra Henry History and Birth of the Cattleya Foundation of Hope May 22, 2015, I went to Baylor Scott and White Hillcrest Medical Center for my annual mammogram. This time it was different, I was diagnosed with breast cancer! My first reaction, as I tried to listen to the doctor explain medical procedures,…
Read MoreSeen the new Downtown District Banners?
By Wendy Gragg “What’s in a name?” Shakespeare asked. We at City Center Waco would answer, “more than you might think.” If you’ve strolled or cruised through Downtown Waco recently, you may have seen new banners on light poles. There are 37 of them, and they have one of the following four designations: Austin Avenue…
Read MoreTowny Waco: Longtime Friendship behind Flips Gymnastics
(Welcome to the Act Locally Waco/Towny blog series. Towny is an app that exists to connect consumers with local businesses. It’s fairly new to Waco and is loaded with answers to the question, “Why local?” Through this blog series, the folks at Towny will be sharing the stories behind some of our high-quality, local products…
Read MoreFull-time job. Full-time father. Full-time student.
By Madiha Kark with additional reporting by Neyra Bazaldua Walk in to the Wells Fargo in downtown Waco and you’ll probably see him, his smile is quick to appear as he greets customers, his eyes are framed by black rectangular classes, and his round gentle face is marked with a short, maintained goatee. Carlos Vera…
Read MoreCareer Spotlight: Assistant Police Chief Robert Lanning
(This post is the first of what we hope will be an on-going series profiling local folks who have taken advantage of the many higher education opportunities we have available in Waco to further their careers or pursue new opportunities. We hope these profiles help spread the word about exciting educational and career opportunities we…
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