I was out at a local concert in the park, and plurked that I was going. Ken Shelton, as is his want, asked me to microblog it. As I was listening to some great blues (Linda Bracamonte Band opened for Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers), texting, and sending up pics, and hiking through the adjacent oak forest with my son, I thought about the concert and it’s context in my neighborhood.

There was a park full of families and others listening to music. There was a frisbee game, kids running around (the city had a bounce house), and a good time was being had by all. Events like this were rare in Oakland, CA where I used to live. Yeah, we had Festival at the Lake (which was repeatedly being canceled as years went on due to cost, potential for rioting youth, etc.), but that was a not a small, free, community event.  Events like this say a lot about the health of a community. I worry that with the ginormous foreclosure rate, and it’s effect on local funds, events like this may go by the wayside, but for now I enjoy them enormously.

I began to think about schools and the signs of health they have. There is nothing sadder to me than an empty campus. I was talking to a peer about a school site near where I work. No after-school tutoring, no after-school program (funding is rarely an issue for that in Cali as there are dedicated funds for it–the admin hasn’t been happy with any of the programs that have been there and not being able to control them), just a ghost-town after the kids are gone (and make no mistake, they are not allowed to linger–that would be a legal liability would not be tolerated).

I contrast that with the site I work at. The after-school program, the tutoring do not always work together perfectly, but we want to, and try to get along. Lots of evening programs like meetings of parent groups happen. A daytime Adult ESL class is on campus. It’s a happening place, and that says something about it’s place in the community and how healthy things are.