By Ferrell Foster
Five China Spring and Waco residents left Sunday for a week of helping our neighbors to the north in Dallas. People are still unable to return to their flooded homes in Dallas, and the TBM: Texans on Mission volunteers are working to remove mud from those homes and clean them throughout the week.
Sam Yates, Butch Abernathy, Renee Parker, Al Smith, and Dave Roby are among 25 TBM volunteers associated with Waco Regional Baptist Association, which is led by Director Tim Randolph, who saw the group off Sunday.
“We have been doing disaster relief for five years now,” said Yates, who leads the local volunteers. “Our unit has a Flood and Fire Recovery unit, a Chainsaw unit, a Box unit, and two equipment units that include a skid steer loader and a 50ft manlift. We started out hauling our tools and volunteers in a Suburban for Hurricane Harvey. We were blessed to be able to get all we have now.”
In Dallas, the group will “clean out flooded homes removing flooring, drywall and insulation. Then we powerwash and treat the interior for black mold,” Yates said.
I’m sure the group will appreciate our thoughts and prayers this week.
Ferrell Foster is directing communications for Act Locally Waco. He is president of Kortabocker LLC: Communications Built on Caring. Ferrell also does communications work with TBM and Prosper Waco.
By Ferrell Foster
Years ago, Jack Bowers became interested in the impact a viewer’s perspective has on an artistic work. Artwork is not just a static piece of clay or painting on a canvas, the viewer’s perspective affects how the art is perceived, Jack told me the other day.
Walk into the Jack Bowers exhibit, “Perspectivism,” at the Art Center of Waco, and you quickly realize what Jack is talking about. None of his exhibited art is two dimensional; it has three dimensions, and, if you’re like me, you will find yourself walking from side-to-side in front of a wall-hanging piece or moving around a clay sculpture taking in the varied angles presented by the art.
Sorry, but I can’t really describe it. You’ve got to see it. And, thanks to the Art Center, you can. CEO Doug McDurham and his team are doing a great job. They have brought us the first local show of Bowers’s work, and the artist now lives in Waco, having moved here from California.
The exhibit at the Art Center of Waco, 701 S. 8th St., opened Thursday, Sept. 1. It will be on display through Nov. 5, free to the public, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
Since most of you don’t know me, you’re probably thinking something like, “Oh, this Ferrell guy must be one of those artsy types.” I wish. The visual arts often go over my head, but they do, at times, go straight to my heart.
As a result of my artistic ignorance, my encounters with art forms are more like a Siskel & Ebert movie review — thumbs up or thumbs down. It either connects with me or it doesn’t. And, chances are, I will not be able to tell you why.
I stopped by the Art Center of Waco Thursday and had a chance to visit with Bowers, the exhibit artist.
Jack is a delightful and interesting human being. His eyes reflect an internal spirit that is alive with fascination. He spent some time helping me understand his artform — perspectivism. It’s interesting when an artist starts talking about science — how light is both a wave and a particle. And art, he realized years ago, functioned in two ways, as well — from the perspective of the artist and the perspective of the viewer.
It all connected pretty quickly to my years-ago school art classes when the teacher had us mark two points toward either end of a horizon line near the top of the blank drawing paper and then draw a building in the space below the line. Lines representing the corners of the house went straight up and down; lines depicting the sides of the house all pointed toward one of the two dots at the left and right near the top.
I still remember being surprised that lines coming closer together on two-dimensional drawing paper give the illusion of the image depth. I had drawn a two-dimensional image that could then be perceived as three dimensional. My personal drawings got a lot better after that — though never good.
Here’s one thing I think I’m learning about art. You don’t necessarily have to personally like a piece to find it interesting. More and more, I find myself looking at art not to decide if I like it but what is being “said” through it and what am I “hearing,” if I may use auditory descriptors to speak about a visual experience.
Thank you, Jack, for helping us see and think about our world and life. Thank you, Doug, for giving us this opportunity to experience Jack’s art.
Ferrell Foster is president of Kortabocker LLC: Communications Built on Caring. He is a former member of the Act Locally Waco Board of Directors and has helped post information to ALW at different times. He is also the former care and communications specialist with Prosper Waco. Contact ALW and Ferrell through [email protected]
By Ferrell Foster
Raise your hand if you know Ashley Bean Thornton. OK. That’s virtually everyone who, over the past 14 years, have worked to make Waco its best self.
I had lunch with Ashley the other day, and that’s always fun and enlightening. Ashley is the “birth mother” of Act Locally Waco. She has pushed ALW out of the “house,” but it still has her community DNA.
Ashley reminded me of something. She always wanted ALW to be about “informed engagement.” It was not to just be a bulletin board of what is going on in Waco; it was to help people learn ways to get engaged in our community.
I’m going to lead ALW for a while, once again, and I want to keep Ashley’s words uppermost in my mind. Anyone leading ALW only has a limited amount of time to devote to it, and that goes for me, as well. So, while we can’t do everything people might like, we want to push forward information that promotes community engagement.
And ALW is not the only local source for such info. We love our local newspaper, KWBU 103.3 FM, and a bunch of local websites and media outlets.
From ALW’s start, people in the community have helped contribute content. I encourage you to help us out. Send information, especially suggested blog posts, to us at [email protected].
Please partner with us. The secret password to Waco engagement is “Ashley.”
Ferrell Foster is president of Kortabocker LLC: Communications Built on Caring. He is a former member of the Act Locally Waco Board of Directors and has helped post information to ALW at different times. He is also the former care and communications specialist with Prosper Waco. Contact ALW and Ferrell through [email protected]
A fun way for teens to learn creativity, collaboration, and confidence!
Join the Brazos Theatre for a camp full of improvisation and performance! This improv intensive will help performers develop their expressiveness while learning to create strong characters in detailed situations. Participants will gain a deep understanding of the basics of building characters and stories. They will learn the elements of a good, improvised scene and develop a strong understanding of the principles of improvisation, building towards longer scenes and complex formats. Oh, and they’ll have tons of fun!
At the end of the session, students will perform in their very own show for friends and family! Improvisation helps actors with spontaneity, focus, being in the moment, comedic timing, and the collaborative creative process. Improvisation training is a key component to improving audition skills.
Lunch will be provided each day, culminating with a pizza lunch on Friday!
Each camp will be held from 8:30 am to 2:30 PM at the Brazos Theatre (doors will open at 8). After-camp hangout time until 5:15 can be added for an additional fee.
Camp Schedule:
High School Camp – July 25 thru 29
Showcase Performances – July 29 & 30 at 7:00
Middle School Camp – August 1 thru 5
Showcase Performances – August 5 at 7:00 and August 6 and 3:00
Register your student here!
WACO, TEXAS (July 6, 2022) – The City of Waco and Waco–McLennan County Office
of Emergency Management (OEM) will open a cooling center starting tomorrow through the
weekend to assist residents of Waco-McLennan County with relief from the heat. Cold bottles of
water and chairs will be provided.
July 7 – July 9
City of Waco Multipurpose Facility (1020 Elm Avenue)
12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
July 10
Sul Ross Community Center (1414 Jefferson Avenue)
12:00 p.m. – 7:00 pm
What words would you use to describe summer in Waco? What pictures would capture its essence? A
special edition of the alternative magazine Lost In Waco, being released Thursday, aims to fill in some of
those blanks.
Since its debut in the spring of 2020, Lost in Waco magazine has striven to give a voice to authentic
Waco, working with local artists and writers to produce something all Wacoans could be proud off,
something for Waco, by Waco.
With three regular issues under its belt (two released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic),
Founder and Editor Adam Moore was ready to do something a little different this summer.
“Honestly, it just sounded fun. I love the culture of zines,” Moore said. “And it sounded like something
that would fit well with a summer-themed edition.”
Like previous issues, the Summer Zine is made up of prose and poetry plus photography and art, all from
local contributors. The content captures the warm, golden melancholy of summer and offers some
observations very specific to the season in Waco. The Lost in Waco Summer Zine sets itself apart from regular issues through its distressed and DIY aesthetic, an intentional move.
“The entire issue was laid out physically on paper and then scanned for the final printing. It was a
completely different process than the other issues we’ve done for Lost in Waco,” Moore said. “Being
handmade, I think this issue offers a different kind of vibe than our previous issues. Part of what makes a
zine great is that it’s imperfect. I hope it pulls people in and gives them a little sense of a Waco summer
– both the magic of it and the imperfections.” There will be a smaller number of the Summer Zine available, so don’t wait around to snag a copy.
The best way to get a copy is to come to the release event on Thursday July 7 at 5:30p. at One Day. After
that, copies will be dropped off at some local businesses. Follow Lost In Waco on social media for more
information.
Caritas, a 55 year old Central Texas nonprofit organization whose goal is to move our community “beyond hunger to hope,” provides food, clothing and emergency case management services to those in need in Waco and the surrounding community. Caritas’ annual “Feast of Caring” will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, October 11, at the Waco Convention Center. The fun, family friendly event will feature a soup and dessert cook-off, silent and audible auctions and the popular “Souper Spoons” game.
Feast of Caring is Caritas’ major fundraising event of the year, featuring local restaurants and caterers who have prepared choice soups and desserts for guests who will sample the offerings then “vote” by donating $1 to their favorite. The highest number of donations will determine the winner and all the donations will support Caritas’ work in Central Texas.
Bring your family and friends and enjoy a fun evening while you sample incredible soups and desserts, bid on great auction items and win by playing Souper Spoons. Ten dollars enters you in the game for the chance to win gift cards ranging in value from $10 to $180. Everyone who enters is guaranteed to win at least a $10 gift card.
Tickets, $35 each, will be go on sale mid-August at can be purchased at FeastofCaring22.eventbrite.com.
Call 254-753-4593 extension 205 with questions or if you’d like to participate, sponsor, donate or volunteer.
Caritas, originally founded in 1967 by the Austin Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, has functioned as an independent organization since 1979. Beginning in 2014, they implemented a Case Management Program which helped shift the nature of their work from “relief” to “development.” Direct giving has been replaced with promoting independence and self-reliance in the lives of clients.
Caritas’ emergency assistance programs are funded by many generous supporters and donors, fundraisers and “Hidden Treasures,” their two thrift stores, located at 3016 Bellmead Drive and 3912 Bosque Blvd. Hidden Treasures sells donated appliances, furniture, clothing and other household items.
Funds raised at Feast of Caring will help support Caritas as they provide services to our neighbors in need: an average of 2,500 families per month.
The McLennan Community College Foundation’s Highlander Alumni & Friends Association is accepting nominations through July 30 for its 2022 Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Leader awards. Nomination forms for both awards are available online at www.mclennan.edu/foundation under “Quick Links and Forms.”
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to an alumnus or alumna of MCC who has demonstrated a record of distinguished service and extraordinary achievement in a particular discipline, organization or cause that brings distinction to the College. To be eligible, nominees must have successfully completed a one-year certificate or two-year associate’s degree program, or have earned a minimum of 30 transferable hours (without a degree) from MCC.
The Distinguished Leader Award is presented to a 2022 graduating or completing student of MCC who has demonstrated a record of distinguished service and extraordinary achievement in academic and extracurricular realms, shown remarkable leadership or provided service to a cause that brings distinction to the College.
The Highlander Alumni Association was established in 2008 as a division of the McLennan Community College Foundation and serves as the principal link between the college and its network of alumni and friends. Questions about the nomination process should be directed to the association at 254-299-8481 or [email protected].
Stem Fest is happening July 16!
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is a method of hands-on teaching and learning where students learn to apply academic content by creatively solving real-world problems with innovative design-based thinking to prepare students for future career opportunities.
According to labor projections, Texas is expected to have the second-highest percentage of the nation’s future STEM job opportunities. To ensure our students are prepared for this future workforce, The Texas Education Agency has established the Texas EcosySTEM– a collaborative effort which unites various stakeholders to work towards the common goal of increasing access for young people to STEM-rich learning environments so that they are engaged and have mastered the necessary skills for success in STEM careers.
Learn More
Summer is upon us and for many that also means facing stifling heat with inadequate air conditioning and/or wondering how to pay higher utility bills while keeping food on the table for their family.
Every summer, Caritas helps clients facing these realities by providing them with boxed fans and assisting with utility bills. Many of those we aid are elderly or disabled, and relief from the extreme heat can be lifesaving for them. We are also helping to supply food to families struggling to feed their children during the summer months, many of whom receive federal free and reduced breakfast and lunch during the school year. By becoming a member of the Caritas “Fan Club,” your gift allows us to provide fans plus utility assistance and food during the summer months for our most vulnerable community members.
Your gift of $20.00 will cover the cost of one box fan.
Your gift of $50.00 will allow us to purchase 125 pounds of food.
Your gift of $100.00 will aid a family in danger of losing their water service.
Your gift of $250.00 will aid a family in danger of losing their electric service.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of a gift. In addition, your employer may have a matching gift program. Contact your Human Resources department to ask about doubling your gift. Know that your kindness and generosity is appreciated by countless families in our community.
To make an online gift, please visitwww.caritas-waco.org/donate& write “Fan Club” in the comments section.To make a gift via mail, please send a check or money order payable to Caritas of Waco to 300 South 15th Street, Waco, TX 76701. Please write “Fan Club” in the comments section.