Imagine a place (start by thinking of those wavy lines all dreadful television shows use when beginning a flashback scene) where kids ride their bikes in the street, neighbors wearing khakis and short-sleeved button-down shirts wave to their neighbors as they mow their perfectly manicured landscapes and every house has a fresh pie cooling in the kitchen window.

While Grand Blanc and Goodrich certainly do not aspire to this concept of 1950s idyllic Americana, residents and local officials in those communities are working to make sure their residents do have a little more than the standard requirements of good police, good infrastructure and excellent schools.

The Grand Blanc Chamber of Commerce hosts its first annual Family Fun Fest carnival this weekend. It’s a huge undertaking, and one that should draw local residents and people from surrounding communities.

When the City of Grand Blanc approved the Fun Fest, Mayor Michael Matheny said that a growing area like Grand Blanc should have its own festival, the type of thing that shows others this is a progressive community. I concur Mr. Mayor.

The Goodrich Chamber also hosts its third annual Good Times in Goodrich festival this weekend, with a bevy of family activities on Saturday and a Restaurant Rendezvous on Sunday afternoon.

Hopefully, Good Times won’t be overshadowed by the Grand Blanc carnival. I recommend people take the time to head out to Goodrich — as Good Times festival Chairperson Jenny McKenzie said, Goodrich is a nice place full of nice people. It also has the small-town, most-everybody-knows-your-name atmosphere, where you can order a school board member to make sure your hot dog is a little on the charred side. You might even actually see the wavy lines.

So are these things necessary? No, they’re not. Not for cities, townships and villages to meet the basic needs of residents, nor for people to exist. Is the cost worth it? That depends on your point of view.

But these things — the festivals, community events, art fairs and historical societies — do enrich our lives; call it expanding our minds, cultural awareness or merely breaking up the monotony of the workday.

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