Come out to celebrate freedom on Saturday, June 18th
By Armando Arroyo
On a warm summer day the annual Juneteenth celebration comes alive with a
vibrant showcase of local talent and family fun. It's a day to be seen and to meet old friends.
This gathering happens every year in East Palo Alto. Walking up to the park you can hum to the music
and smell the rich cultural flavor provided by local food vendors. White tent like booths will be located around the
green grassy area where local nonprofits give out program information as means to promote services and community engagement.
No doubt this year’s event promises to be "New and Improved".
"Every student in the nation should have an education in the arts." This is the opening statement from "The Value and Quality of Arts Education: A Statement of
Principles," a document from the nation's most important educational organizations.
These principled values have been brought home by local philanthropists and by local artist Mr. Michael Turner of Perfect Harmony Band.
With their help, some local students will attain the benefits of music in education through a "Partnership in Education" with The Phoenix Academy.
Marilyn Scott had a dream - to see her home, her "compound," as she likes it to be known, become a "music house."
One afternoon we sat in her kitchen, warmed by the muted tones of aged wood, overlooking a garden that can only be thought of as a sort of paradise.
She remembered how the late East Palo Alto drummer Norman Fontaine would play in her living room. "He was the catalyst for music in my house," she said.
How the Future of Cooley Landing is Being Determined
How to begin the process of clearing a criminal record
Having a felony record can be an impenetrable barrier to employment and some services
regardless of how long ago the conviction took place. This has long been a source of
frustration in East Palo Alto but now there is something that can be done about it.
Last April 6th, All of Us or None in conjunction with the office of Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson
and other stakeholders held the "Let's Get Real Clean" Criminal Records Expungement seminar in East Palo Alto.
There was a large turn out of people seeking to begin the expungement process.
East Palo Alto residents will continue work to determine the future of
Cooley Landing, the narrow peninsula between the Ravenswood Open Space
Preserve and the Palo Alto Baylands, at a public meeting on May 25th. Most
people who have been involved in the process so far support education and
recreation on the site.
