The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
One World One Family celebrates MLK Day
By Edward Freundl, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 24, 2008
Despite the best efforts of organizers, the holiday celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., passed in Chelsea with little public participation.
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The Chelsea Area One World One Family Task Force (OWOF) organized a number of free activities open to the community to celebrate the holiday on Monday.
Children's activities were planned from 1 to 3 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Washington Street Education Center.
Two members of OWOF were joined by a half-dozen members of the Chelsea High School Diversity Club, but only nine elementary-aged children showed up to take part in art projects and a film focusing on the legacy of the late civil rights leader.
"It's a disappointing showing," admitted Jackie Mavel of OWOF.
"In the past we've had 60 to 70 kids. We're attributing it to (the holiday) being a scheduled day off school."
OWOF Secretary Diane Jonas Locker said schools should teach the principles that Dr. King lived and died for.
"Part of the purpose of the holiday is a day 'on,' not a day off," she said.
The children colored and assembled large paper puzzle pieces decorated with symbols of what the holiday meant to them.
"The puzzle pieces signify how we all fit together," Mavel said. "They were also making wreaths with hands of different colors."
The 90-minute film shown in the auditorium was titled, "No More Baths," a tongue-in-cheek look at a group of children who decide to adopt the tactic of nonviolent protest by refusing to take baths.
At 5 p.m. a group of about 20 people of various ages and affiliations gathered at the First United Methodist Church for a march to mark the holiday.
Some carried banners, some brought their dogs, but all were bundled up against the severe weather as they made their way down the sidewalk along Park, East, Middle and Main streets before returning to the church.
The main event took place at 6:30 p.m. with a program back at the WSEC auditorium.
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