A Waco Renaissance

I write to applaud your recent editorial, “Renaissance time for Waco” [Dec. 21]. Many of us at Baylor University believe as you do that we are living at a moment brimming with possibility for Waco and McLennan County.

Across our city, people from every sector are coming together to seek ways in which we can improve and enhance our community. Baylor University is pleased to be part of that significant momentum. For example, Baylor was a strong participant and supporter of the recent Greater Waco Community Education Summit.

Baylor students, faculty and staff played key roles in organizing the summit and in developing the recommendations and strategies that came out of it. They continue to work with their fellow volunteers in the further development and execution of those strategies.

We have also recently established an office of community relations. This office will begin its work this month to serve as the representative of the university to the Waco community. Specifically, the community relations office will seek to foster strategic partnerships between the university and community and coordinate specific projects and programs.

We are proud of our history as a resource and a partner to our community. And we are excited about the possibility of strengthening our collaborative efforts with the city and people of Waco. Baylor’s early leaders made a commitment to Waco when they moved the university here from Independence in 1886. We honor and act upon that commitment with the establishment of the office of community relations.

The European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries was a time when advances were made across all facets of society. As we move into 2009, we look forward to sharing ideas and collaborating with our community to make advances in the quality of life we all share. The Renaissance of Waco has begun, and Baylor University intends to do its part as an active contributor. 

John M. Barry

Baylor University

EDITOR’S NOTE: John Barry is vice president for marketing and communications for the university.

Angry at mail service

I want to let you know how disappointed I am with my mail service. I live on Patricia Street. Some days I get my mail, some days I get my neighbors’, some days they get mine.

My new checks from the bank went next door. Saturday, Dec. 20, there was no mailman at all. I know because I had mail to be picked up.

Several months ago I put six checks in the mailbox. They never got to their destination. I had “stop payment” and “late charges” on my statement.

So tell me what the problem is. Mail postage keeps going up, and the service keeps getting worse. This happens too often.

Somebody do something, please.

Shirley Nowicki

Waco

EDITOR’S NOTE: Theresa Meyers, customer relations coordinator for the U.S. Postal Service in Central Texas, should be in contact with you. She does caution residents against using clothes pins to attach letters to mailboxes, given the problem of mail and identity theft these days (and the area you live in has suffered some of that problem). Clothes pins are red flags for identity thieves. She also notes that your letter carrier will not stop at your mailbox unless he or she actually has mail to deliver to you that day. That said, Ms. Meyers says she looks forward to talking with you about the problems.