BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Anna Rocks

These painted rocks are pictured on the Anna Rocks Facebook page with suggestions the rocks are placed around Anna for people to find.

If you pay much attention to Facebook and care to look, there is a page called Anna Rocks. A collection of painted rocks, some with inspirational messages, is displayed on the page and those same rocks are turning up around Anna.

Jennifer Watson had this to say after finding one of those rocks, “I just want to take the time to thank you, whoever has created this site and these rocks. It was my first day back to work and it was so breathtaking to stumble across something so sweet and unique. I am honored to place it for someone else to find !! God is Wonderful ....... live laugh and love.”

On the back of the rocks are instructions “If found post to Facebook @AnnaRocks. Then place for someone else to find.”

We know at least one rock has been found at least twice because Fredricka Baslov posted a photo of a rock with puppy feet and the word “Faith. ”Boys found this one on our street today. Will rehide soon. Awesome!”

Then several days later Heather Whitcomb posted a sweet picture of the same rock held by her five-year-old daughter, Harper. “We found this lovely lil rock on our walk today. Such

a cute lil idea to spread some faith to those around us. God bless!” And two hearts followed her words.

From the Facebook page Anna Rocks @ AnnaRocksNo.1 it appears there are several more rocks out there to find. So, as long as Anna folks find the rocks and post the pictures, Anna Living Magazine will report on it. Fun for everyone.

Five-year-old Harper holds a painted rock bearing the word "Faith" with puppy feet around it. One of the Anna Rocks recently found in the area where she lives. Jennifer Watson holds up one of the painted rocks she found as she was entering her place of business.

Kami is 7 and a second grader at Rattan Elementary School.

ANNA STRONG IN MIDST OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

photos and story by JOYCE GODWIN

Elizabeth Cao-Ortiz family

In the midst of a viral pandemic, Anna folks have found a new meaning for the term “Anna Strong.” With a governor’s order in place for residents to stay home as much as possible, Anna residents seems to have found many ways to make it work.

At the time of this writing, Collin County has reported 901 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 287 active and 587 recovered. Twenty-seven souls lost their battle with the disease and 21 are hospitalized. For Anna, the statistics are drastically different. One deceased, 12 recovered and five active cases. For the most current statistics in Collin County and in Anna visit the website at bit.ly/2Wi4OFq.

Social media seems to have become even more important in the lives of people forced to stay home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a governor’s order in place for residents to stay home as much as possible, connecting with the outside world through social media seems to have become a way of life even more than before.

Several families participated in front porch pictures taken by this photographer. Some of the families dressed up while others remained in their lounging clothes, and for some it was only the children. But all wore smiles and were happy to do something fun to show support for Anna.

That was the case for Kami who is 7 and a second grader at Rattan Elementary School. As you can see by her sign, she misses her friends

Amber Tankersley family

and that seems to be the sentiment of many other young people who can’t go to school because of COVID-19.

One Anna High School senior student Ivy Hernandez stepped outside the front door for a picture showing off some of her achievements on a letter jacket and cheerleader’s megaphone. Her family is vey proud of her and she gave a “thumbs up” sign showing all is well.

Families across Anna stepped outside for pictures to show support for staying safe and staying home, together.

Messages seen on social media range from poking fun to serious advice. Why the sudden run on toilet paper in the stores has been the

Ivy Hernandez

subject of many a post. “What does toilet paper have to do with the virus pandemic?” one person mused. Another wrote, “Anna residents, you all are killing me. Stores are still empty! Stop, just stop! Food will never run out if y’all would just chill.”

The city of Anna has done a great job keeping neighbors informed from the Collin County COVID-19 report to developments in the city government, i.e. park closings, city council meetings and more.

A window that can still be seen from Hackberry Road in Anna displays in large letters “Stay Strong.” On the Facebook page “Anna TX Community,” several people have compli

mented that window expressing that it gives them comfort and encouragement.

That Facebook page was started about five years ago by Lizz Cao-Ortiz and now it has almost 4,000 members. “I started the page because I didn’t know there were any other pages (about Anna) and I wanted to bring people together,” Cao-Ortiz said. She added that it was important to her to keep the page neutral and to be welcoming of all Anna people. She wants to make sure the page is about the Anna community and not used to sell things. And recently, she added a rule to keep out politics and religion. She said people were arguing too much.

Cao-Ortiz said starting the page after moving to Anna helped her make friends and get to know people

Her children are 13 and 21 months, so her time is filled with the challenges of home schooling and taking care of a baby.

In another Anna household, Heather Whitcomb is also faced with the challenges of home schooling but it seems to be coming more easily to her. “I am a middle school teacher with an elementary education degree which has been very beneficial,” she said. “As we have been taking on the social distance learning at home. Harper (who is pictured with the story about Anna rocks) has a lot of energy and keeping her on a schedule has been the key. We enjoy going on walks, jumping on the trampoline, playing soccer and spending time together! What a blessing it is to just simply slow down and be together in these moments.”

It hasn’t been quite as easy for Crystal Jacobs. She describes her day as “just getting through home schooling and virtual leaning, trying to stay sane and getting enough outside activity. We are staying home and spending more time as a family while doing a lot of cleaning.”

Jacobs says her husband is an essential worker and has to leave the house, so they take extra precautions before he comes back into the home. She has a daughter 7 and a son 10 and she says Anna ISD has been “super awesome.”

One thing that seems to run through the city of Anna, whether on the city’s social media, in the businesses with special challenges or in homes and families, Anna is strong and going to do what is needed to make it work.