Annual MLK parade set for Monday

The annual Martin Luther King Day parade and program will take place Monday, Jan. 21, beginning at 10 a.m.

The parade route begins at 1288 East MLK in front of Greater New Bethel Baptist Church, and proceeds south on Main Street to the Jasper High School gymnasium.

Rodney Norsworthy will be emcee at the program. The Boys and Girls Club will lead the pledge, followed by Greetings from Dr. Willie Brown and entertainment by the Westlake Baptist Church.

Kenneth Lyons will introduce the speaker, Father Ron Foshage of St. Michael's Catholic Church. John Horn will give recognition to the guests, and Alvin LaDay will offer the closing prayer. The program is sponsored by the Jasper branch of the NAACP.

Walter Diggles, executive director of DETCOG, says that the Martin Luther King holiday is increasingly becoming a day of service to one's community.

"I encourage you to volunteer on King Day and make it the beginning of a year-round commitment of service," Diggles said.

The Deep East Texas Foundation is sponsoring service projects where youth and adults help the elderly with small chores and home maintenance. They will also sponsor a community-wide clean-up project.

The 21st Century Community Learning Center will conduct oral history projects to document and trace history of the civil rights movement and pioneers from the local community. Students at the after-school mentoring facility will also display posters depicting major events from the civil rights movement.