It’s been 30 years

— an entire generation — since California public schools programmed art

and music as a regular part of the curricula, and in slumping economic

times, we can lose sight of the value of the arts in our schools and

our lives.

Here

in Tracy, we have two performing-arts magnet schools and an art league

that attracts thousands of schoolchildren and adults to its Expressions

art show every year. And the community’s greatest cultural commitment

is its refurbished Grand Theatre Center for the Arts — a source of

pride and a force to be reckoned with, long before it opened in

September on Central Avenue.

In

the past eight months, the Grand has had singer Linda Ronstadt,

comedian Kathy Griffin and a full schedule of musicians, dancers,

theater performances, art classes and exhibits.

Next

week, the Grand will spotlight the charming Carol Channing — actress,

singer and, to anyone older than, say, 40, the “first lady of musical

comedy.” Her first hit was “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” in 1949, and then

she sang and danced her way through 5,000 performances of “Hello,

Dolly!” as the original Dolly Levi.

She’s

87 now and still performing. But more than that, she’s promoting the

arts. She and her husband, a longtime Modestan, have founded the Carol

Channing and Harry Kullijian Endowment for the Arts. Its mission is to

reinstate “creative, performing and fine arts as a prerequisite at all

grade levels” in California’s schools and to provide college

scholarships to the state university system.

On

Tuesday, Channing will take part in a conversation with the audience,

after performances by four school groups — the Tracy High School

Madrigals, West High Jazz Choir, Tracy high drama students and Poet

Dance Company.

We’d

love to see a full house for all the students and for the charming

Carol Channing. It’s not every day we get to meet a Broadway legend.

THE SHOW

• “A Conversation with Carol Channing”

• 7:15 p.m. Tuesday at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts, 715 Central Ave.

• For information: atthegrand.org or 831-6858