(unfortunately) a not uncommon occurrence.....

Late yesterday afternoon (6:30 pm) I am looking out my window at work, down the alley that runs off our parking lot. I see a grade school age boy, with a few even YOUNGER children looking on; nervously shaking a spray paint can, and peering around the edge of a brick building down the alley. Then he begins adding to an existing bit of graffiti on the wall. Austi, our new worker in the After School program (who is younger and has fresher running legs) offers to run down the alley and interrupt and confront the youngster. She shoos him off, gets the offending spray paint can, and comes back to the office. She has endeared herself to me, with her quick action and firm confronting of the child. All up the alley is graffiti, and signs of the "broken window" phenomenon of sociology. In broad daylight! Its what we want to impact in our work in the neighborhood.