(April is Earth Month! To help us get in the spirit of sustainability, Anna Dunbar, Recycling and Public Outreach Administrator for the City of Waco Solid Waste Services, shares some tips, expertise and hopes for our community in a series of four blog posts. This is the first. Thanks for writing, Anna! – ABT)
By Anna Dunbar
It’s that time of year again – time to clean out old items from those closets, cupboards, out-buildings and garages!
In your spring cleaning, you’ll likely come across old electronics – like TVs, computers, printers, scanners, fax machines, and cell phones – or liquid “stuff” like paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides that you want to get rid of. You may even find a scrap tire or two! With a little work and some planning your shelves and work spaces will be clear. And I know everyone likes a clean garage!
First, electronics. Electronics are made from valuable resources and highly engineered materials, which could pose risks if disposed of improperly. So, what to do if you do not put them in the trash? You can call the Waco Best Buy, which accepts many electronics, even those they do not sell. There is a recycling fee for items with glass (monitors and TVs) but other items can be recycled free of charge. Some newer items may even have a rebate! Another option for computers is Goodwill. The Waco Goodwill will take computers. If the computer still works, other nonprofits may accept it. Finally, many of the Waco metal recyclers will accept electronics EXCEPT televisions and monitors (yep, the glass issue again).
Second, the goopy stuff in cans, bottles and jars. Some stuff may not even have a readable label and may be from grandpa’s garage. Be careful with that stuff! Some household products are considered household hazardous wastes. These are items like paint and paint products, automotive fluids (oil and antifreeze as well as gasoline) and pesticides and herbicides. Here are some tips:
- Paint – Use it up, dry it up or pass it on! Totally dry paint can be put in the trash. If it is not totally dry, you can use kitty litter or mulch to speed up the drying.
- Used motor oil and antifreeze – many auto supply retailers accept these. If you are a Waco resident, you can take motor oil and antifreeze to the Cobbs Recycling Center.
- Please don’t pour liquid products such as those down the sink drain or down the storm drain!
- Please resist the temptation to put these items on the curb with the rest of your trash!
- Anyone can take scrap tires off the rim to the Waco Landfill. There is a fee of $3 or $5 depending upon the size of tire.
If you are a resident of Waco, Hewitt, Lacy Lakeview, Lorena or Woodway, you can save paints, auto fluids and other hazardous stuff for Household Hazardous Waste Day on May 6 (more details later). You can even take scrap tires and batteries. I put all of my unwanted stuff in a box (or 2 or 3 boxes) so it is ready to go come May. Last year I had a CPU, a broken printer, some expired drugs, a few of cans of paint, a couple of “curly” bulb and a fluorescent tube and a couple of boat trailer tires all loaded into my Prius. I safely got rid of it all in one trip.
To find out more call Waco Solid Waste Services at (254)299-2612 or go to Waco-texas.com or you can contact me at [email protected]
This week’s Act Locally Waco blog post is by Anna Dunbar. Anna is the Operations Administrator for the City of Waco Public Works. She is responsible for informing Waco residents and businesses about recycling and waste reduction opportunities as well as solid waste services in Waco. Her husband is a Baylor professor and her daughter is a graduate student at Baylor University. She is president of the board of Keep Waco Beautiful and is a member of The Central Texas Audubon Society and Northwest Waco Rotary. If you would be interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco blog, please email [email protected] .
by Leah Gorham, MAMFC, LPC
In early March, a Waco man was arrested for allegedly hitting a child in the face. The story was followed with additional arrests in other instances involving individuals who had sexually abused different children. According to the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, 185 children in the state of Texas become victims of abuse each day. That is a staggering statistic that keeps me wanting to serve and empower more families. April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month and the Child-Safe Alliance is making efforts to reduce and eventually end all types of child abuse. STARRY is honored to partner with them by providing free counseling for children and families as part of the DFPS STAR program.
Child abuse prevention is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I work with its victims on a daily basis and have become an advocate for child abuse prevention since I was a child. I remember being in elementary school when I first realized people were capable of hurting others. While some may call it “discipline,” leaving bruises and marks is never okay. Raising kids is difficult when you’re constantly being mom-shamed on social media for letting your kids eat that extra piece of candy. (Mostly because you’re so tired of the constant whining and screaming and all you want is a little peace and quiet!) Besides, we tell ourselves, My parents did that and I turned out okay. But … did we really? The only way to change the next generation is to do a little self-work. And the result could have a HUGE impact in the lives of our children.
What is one way to help families reduce the risk of child abuse and sharpen their parenting skills? I’m glad you asked! Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) is the brainchild of Dr. Karyn Purvis and TCU. From her research, Dr. Purvis found that empowering, connecting, and correcting children can help reduce child abuse and increase attachment and cohesion in families – especially children from hard places. Dr. Purvis published a book called Empowered to Connect, which I highly recommend you read. Over the next three weeks, I’m going to blog about the three principles outlined in the book and how to implement them into your life (with your current family or maybe your future family).
The first principle is empower. We all desire our children to succeed in life through their actions, education, emotions, relationships, etc. Empowerment focuses on using the child’s strengths and fostering a healthy view of self. Power struggles occur in relationships because we all desire to feel in control. Giving your child choices allows him or her to share the control. A word of caution helps set boundaries for the choices. Rather than saying that they can have any kind of snack after school, give them a choices of pretzels, veggie sticks, cheese crackers, or fresh fruit as options for the snack. It will help you keep your sanity and it’ll help you be able to say “yes” to more options. This will also build your child’s confidence in the fact that that they have power and can make good decisions. When kids feel in control of a few things, they are more likely to make better decisions and poor behaviors will likely decrease. There may be underlying issues too, so don’t be afraid to seek counseling for additional support. Next week, I’ll talk more about ways to connect with your child.
Leah Gorham, MAMFC, LPC, is the Team Lead at the STARRY-Waco Counseling office that offers free counseling for children and families. She has been a Kid’s Hope Mentor for the past five years and is currently part of Leadership Waco.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Craig Nash
Over the past year I have used this space to highlight the “embarrassment of riches” Waco has with regards to organizations and individuals who devote themselves to addressing poverty and alleviating food insecurity in our most vulnerable citizens. We truly are a model for what can happen when stakeholders in a community see a need and spring into action to ensure that the need is met. Long before out-of-towners were trekking to the Heart of Texas to linger around two abandoned, rusted out grain silos, they were coming here to learn how to organize around a common good from our many churches and nonprofits who have been at this for a long time. I hate to think what this city would be without all of this, but I wonder sometimes if, in the process of all this helping, we have inadvertently created a situation that we need to be helped out of?
And I’m not talking about the “savior complex” that do-gooders often get labeled with, though that is certainly a concern. But that is a diagnosis best left to professionals, not armchair therapists looking for a reason to assuage their guilt over not being a part of social action. Instead, I’m referring to the lines of demarcation that are reinforced in communities between those who are giving help and those who receive it.
There’s a quote from Fred Rogers that makes the rounds on our social media feeds when a tragedy of some kind occurs—
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”
Quick, without thinking, when you read this, who do you picture in your mind as the “helper?” If you are like me, you thought of paid, professional helpers—Cops; Firemen; EMT’s; Doctors; maybe clergy. But more importantly what do these helpers look like in your mind? Their vocations aside, do they look like people you go to church with, have over for cookouts, or sit next to at the bar during Happy Hour? Or are they people from “other” neighborhoods, who go to “other” churches and frequent “other” establishments of commerce? It’s likely that they looked more like the former than the latter. They did for me.
We have fairly fixed categories in our minds for who the helpers are and, conversely, who is receiving help. In some ways this is inevitable. But when we aren’t deliberately conscious of this, we create harmful lines of separation and, really, of elevation. These lines not only heighten the stigma of needing help, they also make it difficult for the helpers to make connections with their neighbors, connections not based on what can be given away, but what can be mutually shared with each other. Helpers need to be open to be helped, and not just in the sense of being “blessed by helping,” but in actually being in a place of dependency on “the other.”
I don’t know this looks like across the board, though I do have some possibilities swirling in my mind, and I suspect you do as well. I’d love to hear how you, dear Act Locally Reader, wrestle with the idea of breaking down these lines of distinction between “helper” and “helped,” and if there are any practical suggestions you have found to guide our community along. Do you see anyone in Waco doing this especially well? In your “dream world,” how does this play itself out? Please share your thoughts in any of the numerous venues we share our thoughts these days— comment sections of Act Locally or Texas Hunger Initiative, when you see me at the coffee shop or when you decide you want to email me your thoughts at [email protected]. Especially helpful thoughts and conversation may just make it in my next Act Locally Blog.
Craig Nash has lived in Waco since 2000. Since then he has worked at Baylor, been a seminary student, managed a hotel restaurant, been the “Barnes and Noble guy,” pastored a church and once again works for Baylor through the Texas Hunger Initiative. He lives with his dog Jane, religiously re-watches the same 4 series on Netflix over and over again, and considers himself an amateur country music historian.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Krystal Wilson
The Greater Waco Advanced Health Care Academy is a unique and innovative program that provides a challenging learning environment to foster student success in the healthcare industry while preparing students for future health care careers. A collaborative partnership exists with Baylor Scott and White Hillcrest Hospital, Providence Hospital, McLennan Community College, Waco Independent School District and multiple school districts including Bruceville-Eddy, Connally, La Vega, Lorena, McGregor, Mexia, Midway, Riesel, Robinson, and Troy High Schools. Through this community partnership, students from the Greater Waco area are provided with the opportunity to participate in hands on learning with a specific focus on patient care. Participating junior and senior level high school students spend half a day at the academy and the remaining portion of the day at their home campus. During their time at the Health Care Academy, students receive valuable classroom experience, and an opportunity to perform clinical rotations in the local hospitals and nursing homes in the area. This allows students to work side by side with certified nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses and registered nurses in actual health care facilities.
Our Program
Our program is organized into two distinct pathways. First year students receive instruction in Anatomy and Physiology, World Health Research and Health Science Clinical and Theory classes. This coursework allows students to obtain their Texas Nurse Aide certification and attend clinicals at various long-term care facilities throughout the school year. Second year students explore Pathophysiology and participate in the Practicum in Health Science courses, allowing them to attend clinical rotations at both Providence and Baylor Scott and White Hillcrest Hospitals to focus on acute patient care and career exploration. All students are concurrently enrolled in their traditional high school courses including English, History and Math at their home high school campus to ensure all graduation requirements are met. Dual credit options are also available for qualifying students hoping to get a head start on college courses.
Our Facilities
We are housed in the newly renovated Viking Hills Elementary where we are equipped to provide students with wonderful lab spaces to practice skills and techniques. Our twelve bed simulation lab allows students to manipulate programmable and positioning mannequins and complete patient care skills prior to working on residents and patients in clinical settings. This year we received approval to become our own certified nurse aide testing site. This will 
allow our students to complete their CNA test on campus, in a familiar location. Research and the use of technology is an important focus at the academy. Our computer lab provides access to thirty desktop computers often used for research projects, online activities, and dual credit courses. We are also equipped with a mobile laptop cart and a science lab with a primary use of dissections for Anatomy and Physiology.
Our Faculty and Staff
This unique program employs healthcare workers with strong content knowledge and industry experience to transition into the teaching profession to work with our students. Our staff includes a registered nurse, several licensed vocational nurses, a simulation lab coordinator and a laboratory technician.
More Information
GWAHCA opened its doors in August of 2015 and continues to grow. The academy utilizes community input and guidance from an advisory board to explore ways to meet community needs and serve student interests to determine the best career pathways for future expansion. Students must apply each year to attend with the application window opening from January-March. If you would like more information about the Greater Waco Advanced Health Care Academy visit us at www.gwahca.net or check us out on Facebook for the most recent academy pictures and updates.
Krystal Wilson has worked with Waco Independent School District for 15 years serving at the elementary, middle and high school levels as a teacher, instructional specialist and campus administrator. She lives in Waco with her husband, Clint, and their two children, Grady and Maggie.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Brett Greenfield
The complexity of the human brain is utterly fascinating. The brain holds the mechanisms that allow humans to breathe, speak, move, think, and act in the world. It also contains our ability to understand our senses, emotions, and memories. The intricate movement of electricity, chemicals, and blood throughout our brains and bodies only adds to the depth of understanding required to understand the brain. Trying to know what is going on in our own heads, much less trying to learn what is going on in someone else’s is a difficult task. Our decisions, memories, thoughts, feelings, senses, and so much more filter through the complex web of our working brain. Despite its complexity, there are fundamental functions of the human brain that when understood, provide a depth of insight for understanding ourselves and others in a way that allows each person to be more understanding, empathetic, and compassionate to others.
From our earliest moments in life, our brains do some heavy lifting to ensure we get what we need to survive. When babies cry, they are using their voice to tell their caregivers they are hungry, tired, dirty, or maybe just need a little love and reassurance. Each and every time a baby cries and there is a loving caregiver present to meet their need the brain activates its complex systems that begin to form the foundations of trust in relationships, language, physical health, and other important functions. As children grow up and become teenagers and adults, these basic needs never go away, they simply get more complex along with their brains and bodies.
Unfortunately, many children do not have this same experience of getting their needs met. The brains of these children continue to develop, but the already complex systems required to function become confused, making it more difficult to function. The human brain is pretty good at knowing what it needs to do to survive. This is why the brain communicates the basics of food, sleep, cleanliness, and love from the beginning. Ideally, loving caregivers meet these needs and take up the responsibility for a child’s survival. When this cannot or does not happen, children take up the responsibility for their own survival. It is not easy to live in survival mode all the time. It is also not easy to live with someone else who is constantly in survival mode. This feeling of constantly being in survival mode is one that is far too familiar for many families. And many of these families find themselves asking, “What is going on here?” “What are we doing wrong?” “What are we supposed to do?” These are big, daunting, real life questions. There is certainly no easy answer to any of these questions, but there is hope.
It would take a lifetime to learn even a fraction of what is going on in every person’s brain, but there is no better time to start than now. MCH Family Outreach is pleased to once again be hosting the “Empowered to Connect” conference. This unique opportunity gives parents, professionals, caregivers, and community members the chance to learn more about how children develop and grow, and what to do to support this growth and learning. This information is beneficial for all children, and is imperative for children for whom life has not always been safe or stable. Raising a family can be challenging for everyone, and too many families feel they have to do it alone. Empowered to Connect is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and your children surrounded by people willing to learn and grow together.
If you, your organization, or someone you know is interested in attending the Empowered to Connect Conference (April 7-8), click HERE for more information. Admission is FREE, so be sure to register by March 31st while there are still seats available!
Brett Greenfield is social worker in Waco, TX. He is a graduate of the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work and currently serves as a Case Manager with MCH Family Outreach. He is passionate about working with families in the community and offering community education in trauma-informed care, attachment, and family relationships.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Deanna Leach, CST, LMT, LMTI
People have often asked me, “How did you know that was in my body? You went straight to it!” Well, it’s a gift and I’ve been highly trained to listen with my hands. Our bodies show us what is wrong if we will only listen. They will even lead us to emotional connections to our symptoms if we ask the right questions. A well trained alternative therapist can assist our bodies to rebalance, repair, and renew.
In my work as a CranioSacral therapist, I’ve been trained and certified by the Dr. John Upledger (D.O.) Institute to listen to what the body is showing me. I may ask questions (what we call dialoguing) to help us find the origin of the problem, what purpose the body has for holding onto it, and how we can help the body release a restriction to help it get back to homeostasis. Say for instance, you had a car accident and in the moment of the accident, you suddenly turned your head back to check on your child in the back seat as you know the impact is unavoidable. You go to the doctor because you have whiplash symptoms and they prescribe muscle relaxers. That gets you through the worst of the whiplash symptoms but something is still lingering in your neck. You seek out my assistance and we find that the fear you experienced about the safety of your child during impact is still stuck in the tissue. Often, the effect of trauma leads us to have an emotional connection to it. SomatoEmotional Release is a release of emotional energy that may be necessary to fully discharge a trauma. The car accident is a simple example, but imagine the emotions connected to a woman being raped; or a child being neglected or abused; or a soldier or police officer killing someone in the line of duty; or any number of traumas, some minor and some severe, that humans deal with in their lifetime.
In addition to CranioSacral, I use Visceral Manipulation (and Visceral Emotional therapy) to find an organ that is holding onto some emotion that is causing it to be dysfunctional (or a dysfunctional organ that is causing emotional distress). You know the term “stuffing it,” right? We literally “put things” in our bodies, particularly when we don’t want to deal with them. Dr. Barral, D.O., who developed Visceral Manipulation and other modalities, has discovered that certain organs hold particular emotions. The body’s viscera are like a complicated timepiece, each part in subtle but perpetual motion relative to the others. Problems arise when trauma or malfunction throws the system out of alignment. For instance, when my father died suddenly, I had a very supportive family who helped each other through our grief. I thought I was handling his death well. I went to a Visceral Manipulation training a few months later and, as someone worked on my spleen, I started crying. I knew immediately that the emotion was about my dad. Turns out the spleen carries profound grief. Although I felt I was doing the work of grieving, I was apparently holding the overwhelming portion of that in my spleen. With precise but subtle anatomical work, we can release these things from our bodies.
We can also work in the brain and the limbic system to help dissipate emotional responses to previous trauma. The limbic system is our emotional brain. It can react before the cognitive brain governs with reason. It is that part of our brain that controls the fight, flight, or freeze response. In a stressful situation, the brain reacts by sending nervous, chemical, and hormonal messages to the body, either instantaneously or deferred. Visceral memorization takes its course: the organs’ cells record the messages and send them back to the brain, reinforcing emotional imbalance in the brain, and setting off an emotional resonance. We can help the brain tone down an overactive response with Visceral Emotional work. Imagine how this can help someone who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); or a baby after a difficult birthing process; or an abuse survivor.
These therapies, sometimes used in conjunction with talk therapy (psychotherapy), can produce powerful results to help trauma survivors move through life in a whole new way, with better health mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Our bodies are amazing. They will carry our load if we can’t or won’t. However, at some point (we often recognize it as we age), we need to help our bodies release these restrictions before dysfunction becomes disease. If we will trust that our body can heal itself with the right therapies, we can have greater health and well-being.
A quick note on how to carefully choose your body therapist:
- Primarily, listen to your body, listen to your intuition. If a therapist doesn’t feel right, they probably aren’t right for you.
- The number of sessions should be based on simple logic and on moral agreement. You are working together and you must participate. What you do physically, nutritionally, and mentally between sessions plays a major role in treatment success. The therapist should want to refer you if you are not making some progress after 3 or 4 sessions. You should feel there is a plan. If the plan isn’t helping, try a different therapy or a different therapist.
- The therapist’s goal should be to improve the patient’s health.
- The therapist should keep their place, and not judge you or your family and friends. Avoid a therapist who makes you feel guilty or who mixes religion and therapy. Abuse does occur. Be aware of it.
- Certification and training matters. If a therapist claims to do a certain modality, ask for their training credentials. It takes more than one or two classes to become a good therapist in any modality. For the modalities I have discussed here, you can look up credentials information on IAHP.com (International Association of Healthcare Practitioners) by clicking “Find a Practitioner” and search by city or name.
Here’s to your better emotional and physical health!
Deanna Leach, CST, LMT, LMTI, is a certified CranioSacral Therapist who continues to train extensively in alternative therapies including Visceral Manipulation, Lymph Drainage, and Manual Articular Approach. She has been licensed as a massage therapist since 1999 and has practiced CranioSacral therapy since 2001. She regularly works in intensive multi-hands CranioSacral programs around the country and with dolphins in the Bahamas. She lives with two wonderful therapy dogs, Ruby Sue and Emma, and a cat, Elle, all who she regularly serenades with original ditties.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Cameron Frymark
It’s not hard to understand why disc golf is the fastest growing sport in the United States. Getting started is fairly cheap with most discs costing anywhere from $8-$20, most courses are in public parks and free to play, and it’s a sport that anyone can have fun playing. When the weather is nice, people of all ages and backgrounds will be roaming the courses trying to get a hole-in-one, or scrambling to save par. The United States currently has more than 5,600 courses with more than 375 of those in Texas alone. Waco has both an 18 hole par 66 championship level course at Brazos Park East (the bEast), as well as a 23 hole course at Cameron Park West that is generally considered one of the most fun courses in Central Texas. Woodway and Hewitt each have an 18 hole disc golf course with unique challenges and landscapes, and there is also a 9 hole course at Lorena Middle School and at Arlington Farms Apartments.
My first time to play disc golf was with two friends who lived at Arlington Farms Apartments. It was dark, we had no lights, and we (probably just me) lost 3 discs in the first 3 holes. We called it quits after the third hole because I was feeling bad for losing our friend’s discs, but we had a great time doing it! The fun of being with friends outdoors is what initially drew me to disc golf. I had always enjoyed hiking and had lived on beaches for a good portion of my life. Tossing a Frisbee with friends and family was common, but what really got me hooked on disc golf was when I saw people that were actually good at it. When I saw people in the park that could throw 400 feet, or make the disc fly in an ‘s-curve’ around trees, or make long putts, that is when I told myself ‘I want to learn how to do that.’
After being bit by the disc golf bug, my brother and I introduced the sport to my father and younger brother who both took to the sport naturally. I’m sure my dad looks back fondly on those first 6 months of playing together when he could throw farther than his sons, but now two of us play professionally and can regularly crush 450 foot drives. My dad has settled into an age-protected amateur division that many say has the most fun. Disc golf has become a family event and it’s a guarantee that if we are in the same city together that we are meeting at the disc golf course.
Since I started playing disc golf in 2007, the sport has seen impressive growth and bold new milestones. In 2007, the world distance record was 820 feet, a record that had stood untouched since 2002. The current world record is 1108 feet, set last year when two players (one of which will be playing our annual event here in Waco) broke the 1,000 foot barrier. The sport has had numerous impressive shots show up on ESPN thanks to widespread live video coverage of disc golf events. Disc golf tournaments continue to grow in size and scope with some reaching payouts of $100,000 and hosting 1,000 disc golfers from around the country. It is now common and expected by the disc golf community for major tournaments to be covered by professional media groups. We have worked hard locally with the help of the city and countless volunteer hours to grow our profile and course quality to get to the point where we can host an event with the national circuit, dubbed The Disc Golf Pro Tour.
Starting Wednesday March 15th, the best disc golfers in the world will descend upon Waco to challenge the bEast and compete for large cash purses. Ryan Draper and the Waco Disc Golf Association have been working for years to get to this point and much planning has been done to make this an amazing event for both disc golfers and spectators. The event kicks off with a party/players meeting at the historic Hippodrome theater, and play for the professionals will begin Thursday morning at Brazos Park, and finish Saturday with the lead pro ladies card teeing off at 9:30 am and the pro men’s card teeing off at 2pm. Spectators will be able to win raffle prizes daily just by coming out. There will be a pub crawl with a $100 prize starting Wednesday night at 7pm and finishing Friday night at 7pm at our party on the Suspension Bridge. Live local music, vendors set up on the bridge, food trucks, glow-in-the-dark disc golf, and so much fun will be happening at Indian Springs Park and it’s all free and open to the public.
The best disc golfers in the world will be testing their skills on one of the most challenging courses in Texas. The bEast offers scenic views while testing golfer’s abilities and mental game. The front nine features many long, demanding holes with out of bounds flanking every fairway. Players with the right skills will have the opportunity to be aggressive and throw bomb shots, or to rack up out-of-bounds penalties that can sink a good round. The back 9 holes are the inspiration (or frustration) behind the namesake of the course, the bEast. Each hole has been carefully carved out of thick woods by master course designer Joey Harrell, a Texas legend and hall of fame member, to offer players the opportunity to play it safe and stay in the fairways, or to be aggressive and risk the rugged, unforgiving rough that every hole has awaiting players.
I would like to extend an invitation to you to come out and experience our event. If you have ever been curious, this is the time and place to see what disc golf is all about. If you decide you’d like to try it out, you can find me on Facebook and I’d be happy to show you our courses.
Cameron Frymark is a professional disc golfer, student at Tarleton University, and warehouse supervisor at Preferred Medical. Cameron and his wife Tara live downtown with their fat and happy Chihuahua, Butters.
Whether it’s playing trumpet in the “Friday Band” at MCC, or riding with the Waco Knight Riders, or an afternoon playing with the Waco Disc Golf Association, one of the wonderful things about Waco is that there are lots of ways to find community here. Where do you find community in Waco? Would you be interested in writing about it? If so, let us know. Email [email protected]. If you have an idea for a post. You could be seeing your own picture on this page!
by Emily Mills
“What do you do?” This is always the hardest question for me to answer. When I lead with: “I work with people in the commercial sex industry,” most people get wide eyed and bolt. The safe bet is, “I run a non-profit in Texas, we share the love of Christ with women in the commercial sex industry.” IF they stick around, I can get into the meat and marrow of Jesus Said Love. “Sex” usually throws people off and “Jesus Christ” is merely another taboo in social settings. I’m often at a disadvantage straight out of the gate. Even after the words come out, a typical response in this meet-and-greet scenario, usually by my male friends, goes something like, “So you hang out with strippers? How do I get that job?” or “It’s not everyday you meet a stripper minister.” (hardy, har, har).
Well, it’s also not everyday I’m on the phone doing breathing exercises with a woman in complete dissociation and total terror because she’s in an altered state. And it’s not everyday I hear a new friend casually recount that she was sold for sex by her parents starting at the age of 5. It’s not everyday another friend becomes paralyzed by the gang rape that took place in her club when she was “off the clock.” It’s not EVERY day, but it is many days.
My everyday is loaded with the weight of calling, as each of their stories act as lead that keeps me grounded. Their stories remind me that what isn’t my EVERYday is someone else’s. When these stories are your everyday, the weight becomes crushing without the community, the Body, the fellowship of suffering and grace. What do I do? What will we do?
We will make ART. We will tell the STORY. We will carry FIRE. We will carry a blazing “Wild Torch.”
Wild Torch is an annual fundraiser for Jesus Said Love that uses the visual and performing arts to share stories of women who have been impacted by the commercial sex industry, and the hope they’ve found on the other side. It’s an experience like no other.
It’s not everyday Tony nominated, Elizabeth Davis performs on a Waco stage, delivering a heart pounding monologue bringing an ancient narrative to modern context.
It’s not everyday you get to meet one of the “top 10 emerging artists from Austin” whose heart for Waco and the arts beats strong. An artist who looks like a surfer, but paints like mad with a broom like brush; the nephew of renowned sculptor Conway “Jiggs” Pierson. Ty will offer an original piece of work for auction at Wild Torch. (For those who love art and the creative process, listen to Ty here: http://therightspaceshow.com/#/ty-clark/ )
It’s not everyday I’m getting a haircut and become moved by the hair in a painting on the wall. Salon Asylum is no art gallery, but it’s owner is the sister to oil painter, Samuel Shelton. Sam is a Clifton based classic painter producing highly detailed and life-like work who has offered a rendering of “the woman at the well” for auction at Wild Torch.
And it’s surely not everyday you meet a near famous fabric artist who grows mushrooms to create her own natural dye. A fabric artist who has clothed Antonio Banderas, Jack Black, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Anthony Hopkins. An artist who has received an Ariel nomination (Mexico’s equivalent to the Oscars!). Roccio Ramirez Landoll is an unknown Waco treasure whose heart and one particular exhibition (to be displayed at Wild Torch) reflects the stories of assaulted, abused, and even trafficked women.
You should also know, it’s not everyday I get to sing the stories, so deep inside, on a historic stage alongside my partner and beloved husband, Brett. We will perform with our overqualified band of ragamuffins and The Union Revival at Wild Torch.
It may not be everyday … but it will be a day you don’t want to miss April 10th, at the Waco Hippodrome. Tickets and sponsorships are on sale at www.wildtorch.com.
This year we are teaming up with The Art Center of Waco and offering a WILD TORCH PREVIEW AND POP UP SHOW FOR FREE!! Thursday, March 16th from 5-7 p.m , 1500 Columbus Ave. Small bites provided by Milo Provisions and mimosas by Luna Juice Bar. Come MEET these not-so-everyday artists, Ty Clark and Samuel Shelton; experience their work, see the Jesus Said Love headquarters and our storefront, Lovely Enterprises (a social enterprise that is currently creating jobs for women).
All are welcomed to come and carry fire with us!
Emily Mills received her B. A. in Communications from Baylor University. While at Baylor, Emily participated in various opportunities to serve the marginalized and lead worship. This began her passionate pursuit to “put feet” on the songs she was singing. In 2003, while leading worship at a conference for women exiting the sex industry, these two worlds collided and Jesus Said Love was born. Emily continues to lead worship around the country with her husband, Brett. They have three children: Hattie, Lucy and Gus.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Hermann Pereira
When I entered into the education field 10 years ago I thought to myself, “Next year I will find a real job…” I had studied business administration at Stephen F. Austin and thought the corporate world was where I wanted to spend my career. We had moved to Waco and I figured teaching would be easy. Boy, was I wrong! Being an educator was challenging and rewarding and I was hooked early on. I followed my wife into the profession after I saw the influence she had in the classroom and as a coach. I wanted to do the same for students that looked like me and ones that came from blue collar families like me as well. I found my motivation to impact young people’s lives early in my teaching career at West ISD. Then, as I began working at Connally ISD, I realized my motivation to impact others needed to be broader. That led me to Baylor University where I earned my Master’s degree in Educational Administration.
I have been blessed to lead the team at Connally Career Tech for the past year and it has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. We have had success in a short amount of time and I think that all boils down to a few key ingredients: motivation and partnerships.
Motivation is key
More than three years ago Connally ISD decided to think outside of the box. They created Connally Career Tech Early College High School. Leaders at Connally were motivated to serve the students at Connally ISD in a unique way because the reality is not every student has the desire to attend a 4-year university. We are a school within a school model, which means students can experience high school sports and activities and attend college classes. One important feature of our campus is that all tuition, books and supplies are free to the families so cost is not a barrier to students. All students from Connally High School can apply to be a part of our campus if they have the desire to enter into one of our career clusters. Those clusters consist of Construction, Computers, Criminal Justice, Drafting, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Technology, Transportation Technology or Visual Communications. Once students show an interest in these fields we educate them on what types of opportunities they may have if they study one of these fields.
Students are learning hands on career skills in a certain field as well as soft skills that will help them to become the very best in their chosen industries. We have seen that once students begin working in an industry for which they feel a passion, their motivation will push them to achieve more than they would have ever imagined. Students receive extra support and guidance in a “small school feel” from teachers and faculty due to the Early College High School (ECHS) model that we follow. Some students will finish with college hours in a career field, some will complete certifications or an Associate’s degree in a certain field. Either way they are realizing that these opportunities are generation changers.
Partnerships
Connally ISD is fortunate to be part of the greater Waco area which is filled with people, companies, higher ed institutions and other organizations that are ready and willing to partner with the efforts of all schools. For schools like ours, that make college hours available to students, it all begins with our higher education partners. Texas State Technical College was the first college partner that opened its doors and made its programs available to our students. On TSTC’s Waco campus, Connally Career Tech students are able to earn certificates and Associate’s degrees in high demand technical fields. Our students are able to learn from the best professors and are able to experience top notch facilities in these different fields. Our focus on career readiness also led us to a partnership with McLennan Community College that will kick off this upcoming fall. With this new partnership Connally Career Tech students will be able to choose from a number of public service careers. Our students will have the opportunity to earn certificates and possibly Associate’s degrees in industries such as health care and emergency service fields. Recruiting is almost over for next school year and we have had a great deal of interest from families about our new career offerings.
In a short amount of time we have found that members of the community are eager to partner with us to help create more well-rounded, career driven students. So far we have relationships with large companies, small local businesses, and nonprofits who are providing mentoring, opportunities to serve those in need, career guidance, supplies for clubs and activities, and paid internships. These key relationships have been fostered through our active advisory board at Connally Career Tech.
In my conversations with students I try to stress to them that in a few short semesters they will be walking the stage as Connally ISD graduates and we all will be proud of them. Students are motivated to finish high school, but what I emphasize is that they need to make sure they are college and/or career ready before they shake my hand on stage. Our career driven campus serves students in our school district well, but it is also something that could be replicated. Hopefully in the coming years other local school districts will choose to embark on a similar journey, and when they do Connally Career Tech will be there to partner with them.
Hermann Pereira is the Principal of Connally Career Tech Early College High School and has been in education for 10 years. He is a Houstonian who roots for all Houston sports teams but has called Waco home for the past decade. He has been married to Kristi for 13 years and has two children, Hudson who is 8 years old and Ruby who is 5 years old.
by Joshua Carney
Cast:
- Reverend Dr. Leslie “I AM” King of 1st Presbyterian Waco, hereafter LK
- Her trusty sidekick, associate pastor Dee Dee Porter Carson, hereafter DDPC
- Erin Conway “Twitty,” pastor of 7th and James, hereafter Twitty
- Tim Jarrell, pastor of Austin Ave. Methodist, hereafter TJ (of course)
- Sharron “Bobby” Cox, Assistant Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal, hereafter Skipper
- Austin Nickel “Back,” SAWL at First Lutheran, hereafter Saul
- Josh Carney, amateur theologian and licensed Baptist or to quote A River Runs Through It backwards, “a Methodist who can’t read.” hereafter JC
Setting:
A rainy November day at Dichotomy, the surprisingly swanky post-post modern coffee shop located in the cultural epicenter of Texas, Waco.
DDPC has called a meeting of Waco’s finest downtown religious zealots to hash out what the ecumenical bunch will do with Waco and Lent, everyone’s favorite Christian holiday ever since they collectively read Kafka on their pastoral getaway.
_____
DDPC: Thanks for coming everyone. Did you get a drink? Do you want a drink?
Skipper: I already ordered, a 30-30 with a dash of Commonwealth, skinny, with a side of caviar.
Twitty: Wait, what did you order?
Skipper: You’ll read about it in Harper’s later this month. It’s all the rage with the Anglicans.
JC: I see they do alcohol here as well. How much do you suppose a Miller Lite is?
LK rolls her eyes visibly irritated by JC, tries to recall who invited him in the first place
DDPC: So let’s start by talking about what we liked about last year.
LK: It was great. It was all great. Carney was suspect, but other than that it was great.
Twitty: Remind me what we did last year?
TJ: Rotated pastors at churches. Small liturgy and lunch after.
Twitty: Oh yeah, the food trucks. Did people like that?
Saul: Yes, the ones that came did.
Skipper: Yes our people liked it, but we were hoping to have Diamondbacks cater this year. Dee Dee, look into that. will you?
LK: We need something big this year. Something Waco! Something the kids have never seen before!
Saul: Something like Chip and Joanna big.
LK: No, not that big, we can’t afford that.
TJ: How about Steve Martin, isn’t he from Waco?
Twitty: I’m not sure he’s religious.
LK: Twitty, good. I like what you’re thinking. More of that.
Twitty surprised at how well his contribution is received.
Twitty: Oh, well in that case, what about RG III, or Jessica Simpson she’s from Waco … or was that her Grandma? I can never remember.
LK: Too much.
Saul: What about Jennifer Love Hewitt? We could do Hewitt comes to Hewitt.
JC: What is the point of this again?
DDPC: Carney, good question. Let’s revisit that. What are we trying to do?
Skipper: I thought we were trying to connect downtown Waco people with Lent on Wednesdays during their lunch hour.
LK: Yes, we want to make Lent relevant again. Someone make that a hashtag.
DDPC: So let’s start with place. Where are we going to have this?
JC: Let’s rent McLane Stadium.
Saul: Someone already did that.
Twitty: What about Scruffy Murphs?
LK: Wrong side of town.
JC: They do Miller.
DDPC: Is that still open?
TJ: What about Barnett’s?
LK: Too small. I’m expecting millions.
DDPC: Hippodrome?
LK: Bam! That’s it. I’ll get my guys on that.
DDPC: What about speakers?
Twitty: What do we want the speakers to do?
TJ: Well, I’ve recently heard of this program called The Moth. It’s a podcast. People tell their stories.
LK: Good TJ, I like this. Tell me more.
TJ: Well they tell their stories and people love it. The kids go crazy for these stories.
Twitty: These stories. What’s so great about them? Are they about sex, drugs and rock and roll?
Pensive look crosses TJ’s face as he recalls his experience with The MOTH podcast
Slowly … TJ: hmmm… for instance … one story was about a blind guy at a rattlesnake convention in TX.
LK: I love rattlesnakes, and the text from the second week of Lent is that one about snakes biting Israelites. This is predestined.
JC: I didn’t think PCUSA was that kind of Presbyterian.
LK: Dee Dee, make a point to take Carney off the email thread next year.
Saul: So, The Moth @ the Hippodrome on Wednesdays during lunch. What time will this start?
JC: I don’t think you can use The Moth, you’ll get sued for copyright violations.
DDPC: Yes, Wednesdays at noon. Get there before noon and you get 10% off of your lunch order. The speaker will speak for 10-15 minutes and we will rotate who does the short reflection after.
Skipper: Reflection? What kind reflection?
DDPC: I’ll send you something to look at. Something on silence.
Saul: What dates?
DDPC: Ash Wednesday is March 1st, but everyone will be gone on the 8th for spring break. So let’s start the week after. The dates will be March 15, 22, 29 and April 5.
Twitty: We still don’t have any speakers.
TJ: Who can do Moth type stories?
LK: Who do the kids love over at Baylor?
JC: They all love Tran.
LK: Who?
JC: The religious/ethics guy. He’s from Duke.
LK: Good, let’s do Tran. Who else?
Skipper: What about the lady who does toddler time at the public library? She is the storytelling guild. Vivian someone?
DDPC: Miss Vivian? My kid loves her!
JC: My kids love her!
Skipper: All kids love her.
LK: Good, let’s do Vivian. Who else?
Twitty: I’ve got this guy at 7th. Listening to him tell stories is like skating on butter. Bob Darden.
Saul: Skating on butter?
LK: Tell me more.
Twitty: He mentored Garrison Keillor and he was a pioneer of narrative theology.
JC: Wait, who is this?
Twitty: Just go with it.
LK: Good, let’s do Darden. Who else?
DDPC: What about Lyndon Olson?
LK: Good Dee Dee.
Skipper: Who’s Lyndon Olson?
DDPC: Ambassador Lyndon Olson brokered the Geneva Convention, defeated Hulk Hogan in WrestleMania 7 and nailed Jell-O to a tree.
LK: And that’s just the stuff that wouldn’t fit on his C.V.
Saul: Sounds like a winner.
DDPC: We need to market this. Carney your church is full of young hipsters. Do you have anyone in the design department?
JC: Yes, Nathaniel Mosher of peopletownart.com.
LK: We need to advertise this. Where do people look to get Waco info?
Twitty: What about that Act Locally Waco blog? I think Ashley Bean Thornton does that. Does anyone know her?
JC: I know her. I’ll ask her. What should I say?
LK: Just give her the information.
JC: That’s too much noise. I need something creative. Something people will read. What about a mock up of this conversation?
LK: No one will read that.
JC: Yes they will.
LK: OK smart ass, why don’t you do the write up then.
JC: Maybe I will.
DDPC: OK, great meeting. Carney when you do the write up, make sure you include the flyer.
Lights Fade
Josh Carney is the lead pastor at UBC in Waco. Under his leadership attendance has gone down. Josh has not written any books and no one has ever asked him to speak.