Watch as The Charlotte Observer reports on a Knight-sponsored "Random Act of Culture."

Strolling through a farmers market at lunchtime in Charlotte is always a treat. Sniffing the just-picked peaches, choosing a perfect ruby red tomato - those are usually the highlights.

My visit to Atherton Market was made even better Tuesday when opera filled the air. Yes, I knew a musical surprise was planned as part of Knight Foundation's new Random Acts of Culture series, so I waited with some anticipation. But my friend did not know what was about to happen.

First startled, she quickly became totally enthralled as singers from Opera Carolina serenaded each other and their unlikely audience. Shoppers pulled out camera phones and joined the throng of professional photographers on hand. Wide-eyed children and suit-clad dads alike applauded enthusiastically as yet another singer joined in.

Knight's grant to the Arts and Science Council to organize these Random Acts of Culture accomplished its goal, I'd say. I didn't poll the crowd, but I'm guessing many have never been to an Opera Carolina performance at the performing arts center downtown. But, now they've experienced the beauty and passion of Puccini, and hopefully they'll want to hear more.

Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman's  recent  news update  included two items that are both near and dear to Knight Foundation - and great news for the city.

First, Coleman announced a new  fund to help small businesses survive construction of the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line, 11-miles of rail that will connect Minneapolis and St. Paul.  The  Central Corridor Funders Collaborative  was instrumental in supporting the planning for the project and then leveraged $1 million in public funds with a $500,000  grant . Knight was one of the lead foundations that helped launch this funders collaborative.  The line is scheduled to open for riders in 2014.

The second focused on the public launch of Knight's  library grant to support a  Mobile  Workplace . It will provide ten classes every week throughout the summer to teach residents the essential computer skills they need to compete in the 21st century.  By bringing these classes out into the community, we are able to reach residents who don’t have ready access to computers or the internet. Many of the people who attend these classes have never used a computer before, and digital literacy has become a prerequisite for the modern workplace.   One great part of this initiative is that we are able to offer classes to residents in English, Somali, Spanish, Hmong, Karen, Amharic, and Tigrinya.

The grant was part of Knight's Library Initiative, a 20-city effort to enhance digital access and training.

Carolina Thread Trail

A small item in the Charlotte Observer this week caught my attention: The Carolina Thread Trail has now invested more than $1 million in community grants for trail development.

For a 15-county initiative with more than 500 miles of trails that will take 15-20 years to build out, this may seem a small figure. But these community grants are the first step in bringing residents together to plan and decide on the best routes for the trails. Knight Foundation has supported these sessions with a $1 million grant for the early planning of the trail.

As the trails are first envisioned, planned and then built, they'll link together to create a "green interstate" of walking and biking paths circling Charlotte.

Near center city Charlotte today, we'll celebrate the completion on one such link. Little Sugar Creek , once the most polluted creek in town, has been literally uncovered and a new linear park built alongside it. Little Sugar Creek Greenway is part of the Thread Trail, and a visible part of it. Unlike more rural or forested stretches of the greenway, this section along a major street to uptown has a more urban feel with fountains, a clock tower and a kiosk offering a restroom and spot to buy drinks.

It has taken years and millions of dollars to complete, but what a transformation.

Hundreds of volunteers from around the Detroit region participated in four KaBOOM! playground builds Saturday.  Two sites, Starlight Baptist and Jude Baptist, are faith-based organizations with strong community ties.  The Jude playground is connected to a community center that includes a daycare for residents on Detroit’s east side.

Focus Hope chose Paul Robeson Academy to partner with and the place was packed with children from the school doing their part in the build.  The school band entertained the volunteers and the cheer team motivated folks to proceed even with the threat of inclement weather. Congressman John Conyers told a story about knowing Paul Robeson, the actor and political activist for whom the school was named.  Other elected officials were in attendance including Wayne County Commissioner Keith Williams.  Commissioner Williams contributed the match funds to support the project build.

At ACCESS in Dearborn, the build had a hip hop flare.  The music kept the volunteers in an upbeat mode while their spirit for supporting their community was shared by all.  Mothers brought food and a local firefighter brought the fire trucks and entertained the small children.

Some of the people who volunteered got so excited they volunteered to do more for the organizations building the playgrounds.

Knight Foundation is funding volunteers to build 13 playgrounds in five cities this year in an effort to engage residents in strengthening their community.

It’s been just over a year since the Knight Foundation trustees approved a five-year, $3 million grant to the Community Foundation of Central Georgia to fund an innovative program, the Knight Neighborhood Challenge. The program funds residents best ideas for making the historic College Hill area a vibrant place to live. The second round of recipients was announced this evening, and what a great year it has been!

When the grant was approved, some said “Do you REALLY think you can find $3 million worth of resident-driven ideas to improve the College Hill neighborhood in Macon, Georgia?”  I never had a doubt.

This second round of investment reflects the great ideas of this community….large and small. There were proposals totaling over $1 million for the $200,000 that the community foundation ultimately distributed. While of course it is wonderful to see innovative ideas generated by our friends and neighbors, the most gratifying part of the Knight Neighborhood Challenge is that the improvements will benefit everyone in Macon.

Check out the list below.

This investment that Knight Foundation is making in the College Hill Corridor and Macon is a tangible expression of Knight’s commitment to this community.

I can’t wait for round three. Macon residents are invited to learn more and apply.

Round two recipients are:

College Hill Alliance                                                                        $94,518

Tattnall Square Park Improvements: Design Phase

To implement the design phase of the College Hill Master Plan’s improvements for Tattnall Square Park.

Rebuilding Macon Inc.                                                            $25,000

“Macon” a Difference in the Corridor

To beautify and restore the homes of elderly and disabled homeowners in the College Hill Corridor– ensuring that they are warm, safe and dry.

Historic Macon Foundation                                                            $21,950

Tyler’s Place Dog Park Improvements

To employ a local artist to create an agility course, furniture and sculpture for Tyler’s Place Dog Park.

College Hill Alliance                                                                        $18,500

Second Sunday Brunch

To offer free live concerts, one Sunday a month, which will continue to attract a diverse audience to the College Hill Corridor.

Macon Outreach at Mulberry                                                            $10,000

Macon Outreach Community Garden

To establish a community garden and compost area that will bring a vibrant new use to an empty lot. The harvest will be dedicated to feeding the hungry in Central Georgia.

ELucas Consulting, Inc.                                                            $6,500

Cotton Avenue Revival Festival

To remember and relive the rich history of the historic Cotton Avenue area with a festival offering music, arts and entertainment.

Centenary United Methodist Church                                    $6,190

Beall’s Hill Garden: Safe, Clean and Branded

To install historically appropriate fencing, raised beds and signage in Beall’s Hill Garden.

Nathan Dees                                                                                    $5,000

Cops on the Hill

To establish a fund to provide down payment or deposit assistance for law enforcement officers who choose to live in the College Hill Corridor.

Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission                                    $3,716

Corridor Event Recycling Bins

To purchase recycling bins for use at events within the corridor.  The bins will be orange and feature the College Hill Corridor logo.

Mercer University                                                                        $3,200

Energy Audit of Tattnall Square Presbyterian Church

To conduct an energy audit of Tattnall Square Presbyterian Church by Mercer University School of Engineering faculty.

Heather B. Cutway                                                                        $2,150

We’ll Leave the Light On!

To help light the way efficiently while making people feel safe by giving residents energy-efficient, fluorescent lights to display outside their homes from dusk to dawn.

James E. Waldron                                                                        $1,000

Composting Analysis and Design for Mercer Village

To design an appropriate, user-friendly and adaptable composting facility for the Mercer Village area.

Mercer University                                                                        $890

Energy Audits for College Hill Corridor

To offer energy audits of homes in the College Hill Corridor area performed by Mercer University School of Engineering students.

Heather B. Cutway                                                                        $700

Urban Hikes in the Corridor

To provide guided, one-hour walks in the corridor with an expert on the College Hill area.

Pam Thomasson                                                                        $689

Ocmulgee Bird points the way to Macon’s Indian Mounds

To provide a better sign leading to Ocmulgee National Monument.

Lee A. Johnson                                                                        $528

Graffiti Control Patrol

To paint over gang graffiti on buildings, streets and traffic signs.

Aaron Zaritzky                                                                        $450

“No Trash Dumping” Sign in Beall’s Hill

To help neighbors in Beall’s Hill install a “No Trash Dumping” sign near an entry to their neighborhood

Nathan Dees                                                                                    $450

College Hill Graffiti Cleanup

To initiate weekend volunteer graffiti clean-up projects.

Residents use the computers at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

About a year ago, Knight Foundation supported the Charlotte library's plans to create a job help facility at the main branch downtown - part of an initiative to empower libraries to be true community information centers.

Today, it's busier than ever - even though the library is open fewer days and fewer hours. At a time when more folks need libraries, their services and the Internet access they provide, our library system is more challenged than ever.

As a member of the Charlotte Catalyst Fund committee,  I was pleased to support a request to help the county and library explore the library's future. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg library is not a county department though it gets the bulk of its funding from the county. That puts it in a precarious position during budget discussions.

The county is likely to face budget shortfalls again next year, so it's smart to be looking now for operating strategies to keep more libraries open for more hours.

A day after the story appeared, Matt Leighninger, an expert in citizen engagement with the Deliberative Democracy Consortium, visited Charlotte. He loved the story.

In a series of meetings sponsored by Knight Foundation - with elected officials, county staff and nonprofit leaders - Matt shared characteristics of good community engagement.

They included: Having people talk about what they care about and their experiences to create common ground; giving a fair presentation of options to be considered, not just one plan for reaction; and presenting the expectation of action so that participants see themselves as part of the solution.

Having candidates sit in a circle actually talking with folks would seem to fit into Matt's framework.

Knight Foundation is partnering with KaBOOM! to build 13 playgrounds in five communities this year - including four in Detroit on Saturday. Watch the above video to get a feel for the playground Build Day in Macon, and read a first hand account of how the community came together to make it happen by Macon Program Director Beverly Blake

A few Saturdays ago, in 90 plus degree heat, over 100 volunteers from Macon and Middle Georgia gathered at Woodfield Academy to construct a KaBOOM! playground. What a day it was! We had a DJ, lots of food and drink, and skilled and unskilled (me) labor who came together to enjoy one another's company and a build great project.  Most of the folks there I had not met before. Great fellowship was in the air - along with 80% humidity.

I was assigned to the "dome" team - a great big jungle gym type of structure - and took my seat on the ground under a big tree with one of the other volunteers named Oscar Hugley. Our job was to get the nuts and bolts and washers all put together. We began chatting and I learned that his mother lived in Beall's Hill (one of the projects Knight Foundation is working on as part of the College Hill initiative) and we chatted and I learned a lot about the history of the neighborhood that I would never have known.  What a small world.  Fate brought us together at a playground build so I could learn about the history and people of a neighborhood that Knight is working in.  It was obviously meant to be.

The dome was finished in 45 minutes. Our KaBOOM! project manager said it was a record. Usually it takes 1 and a half hours. She was amazed...until we all found out that our team leader is the head of engineering at Robins Air Force Base and brought some of his colleagues with him to work on the build. That explains it. And, amazingly, the team even read the instructions - or at least glanced at them.

We finished up the playground by 2 p.m.  and had the dedication.  It was a wonderful day and I have never seen folks work so hard. I thought that because it was so hot we would lose people, but not so.  Everyone was hot, tired and sunburned but happy. And the kids were thrilled with the finished playground. The only downer was that no one could play on it for 48 hours until the concrete cured.  I went back this week to take a look and was amazed. It is beautiful and will be such a big part of Woodfield - I learned that the students will benefit not only through recreation, but the playground will also be therapeutic. Large motor skills development is important for many of the students at Woodfield.

When I returned this week and talked with Becky Sessions, the head of school, she told me something about the build that most of us never consider.  We see Build Day and all the activity and the finished product, but don't think about the eight weeks prior, when all the planning and "friendraising" and organization happens. Just think about it: you have eight weeks to raise $7500, gather over 100 volunteers, get the kids involved in the design, the families involved in the organization, sign up for committees, have weekly conference calls with KaBOOM!...a million details!  Becky said the two months leading up to the build were as important to build the Woodfield Community as the Build Day itself. Parents got to know one another. Everyone who was asked for anything was thrilled to participate (I have never seen so much food in my life - thanks to Macon's groceries and restaurants).  The way the business community came forward was amazing. Woodfield did not have to spend one penny of their operating funds to make sure Build Day was a success.  There were even funds to hire a DJ - which really helped keep us motivated.

KaBOOM! focuses on building a great playground, but the group is about so about much more. It is about bringing strangers together to accomplish something important and learning that we have something in common, like Oscar and I did. It is about working together in planning for something on faith. Since no one had ever built a KaBOOM! playground before, no one knew what to expect. It was also about families sharing a common vision for the school that is not only helping their kids succeed, but providing new friends and relationships.

But mostly I believe it's about how people with a love for community and a willingness to give can remarkably come together  - in eight weeks- to envision, plan and build a fantastic playground in only one day.  Folks in Macon are still talking about it. And every time I put on my build T-shirt, I think of Oscar and Becky and the Woodfield Academy community. And I smile.

Dr. Frank Douglas, President and CEO of the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron

Today in Akron, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland officially designated the city as a “Hub of Innovation and Opportunity," as leaders announced a new headquarters for the  Austen BioInnovation Institute.

The two-year-old BioInnovation Institute will be moving into the first three floors of a county-owned building on the corner of Main Street and Perkins Avenue. The site will host a healthcare training facility offering patient-centered simulation programs.

The hub, which also will be located at the institute's new facility, will be focused on biomaterials for orthopedics and wound healing

Dr. Frank Douglas, the institute’s president and CEO explained why the BioInnovation Institute has moved to a new home. “We are creating more than just office space; we are building a 21st century hub allowing us to recruit great talent, and to provide an environment that will push discovery and commercialization forward."

The institute, named for former Knight Board Chairman and trustee Dr. Gerald Austen, was originally launched in 2008 to encourage research in biomedical commercialization and improve prevention, treatment and disease management. The project, jump-started by a $20 million grant from Knight, will also help to secure the region’s economic future by creating jobs and attracting investment.

Photo: www.collegehillmacon.com

Cross-posted from Ben Gosden's Covered in the Master's Dust blog.

This past Sunday I attented a community event in Macon, GA called Second Sunday. Basically it’s an event [sponsored by Knight Foundation] and geared toward building community through entertaining. It was my first Second Sunday and I must say it was a great time. We sat in lawn chairs and on blankets and ate picnics and enjoyed music.

Somewhere around the cover band’s rendition of Sittin on the Bay I happened to look around and scan the crowd. To my amazement I noticed something very unique. In this crowd of folks who were busy talking and singing and dancing I noticed something else present. This crowd was made up of young people, old people, middle-age people, black people, white people, rich, poor, in-between, gay, and straight. Looking around we looked like the most hodge-podge group ever assembled. And yet, there were no evident signs of ill will, malice, or even hatred. It was just a group of people enjoying a 90 degree evening filled with music, food, and community.

It made me wonder: why doesn’t the church look more like this sometimes? Why do we seem so homogenous when we worship and yet when it comes to living life in the greater community many of us are able to exist and even thrive in situations where the diversity is as normal as 90 degree heat at 7pm? If God is truly God and Christ died for any and all then why is it we seem to only align ourselves as communities of faith along seemingly homogenous lines? If we look close enough I think we might actually find we share more in common than we think. We all experience pain and heartache. We all need to be loved. We all do better when a part of a community than if we were left to our own solitary devices. And, if we believe in the Gospel we say we do, we all need the life-giving and life-transforming love of a God who knows exactly how we feel. So why not the church be the place where all can find this abundant life?

I’m not really sure where to go or what to do about this. I wish we could work to create churches where all people find a place and a home no matter what superficial characteristics might seem to make them different. But I just don’t know how to help make this happen. What I do know is, somewhere along the final chorus of a familiar Otis Redding hit I looked around and I think I caught a glimpse of the Kingdom of God.