Our View: Celebrate MLK, fellowship on Saturday

One of Alliance’s most meaningful community gatherings returns this weekend.

On Saturday, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration resumes after two years lost to the pandemic. Residents can enjoy a parade and follow-up events downtown.

The parade lines up at 11 a.m. and steps off at noon at East College Street and South Liberty Avenue. It ends at Maple Beach Park, where the schedule includes food, drinks, and live entertainment.

The day is the result of hard work and planning by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Steering Committee. The committee has always adapted to the times, first by moving the celebration of King’s life from January to June to take advantage of warmer weather in northeast Ohio, then moving it again to August when schools are back in session and more students can be involved, according to member Yvonne Young.

A recent Review story noted royalty for the day’s event. They are Queen Kan’Jionah Hawkins, her attendant, La’Kasja Edwards, and King Kenneth W. Avery Jr. All three live in Alliance.

The famed civil rights advocate would have undoubtedly loved the day and its focus on fellowship. King spoke often of the importance of community. He once noted, “We must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools.” On another occasion, he said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

America has certainly changed since the time of King, largely as a result of his committed activism. Yet more can and should be done.

Saturday promises to be a vibrant celebration of the nation’s progress and also a reminder of the work we still have to accomplish.

Final credits to roll for mall movies

Movie fans have a few more chances to say goodbye to a long-standing icon over the next few days as the Cinemark Carnation Cinema 5 rolls its final films.

It is one of only a handful of businesses still open at the Carnation City Mall, much of which is scheduled for the wrecking ball to make way for a Meijer store and a strip mall. The theater is also the only business that remains from the mall’s original lineup in 1983.

A sign on the mall’s marquee notes that the last day for movies is Sunday.

Some residents can mark significant milestones at the theater. Among them are first dates and first films with children and grandchildren. It may be the place where fans got their first taste of franchises involving James Bond, Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings.

The closing will leave cinephiles with no choice but to travel out of town for their movie fixes, at least in the short term. No announcements have been made about any plans by Cinemark or any other theater chain to operate in the Carnation City.

Those who want one last jolt of nostalgia tinged with buttery popcorn and a syrupy drink should make plans to head to the venue soon before the final credits roll.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Our View: Celebrate MLK, fellowship on Saturday