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KING PANEL CLEANS PARK, OFFERS THANKS

By Erin France/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 12:25 AM CDT

It started Monday night with pizza for the Pine Bluff City Council and continued Tuesday with cleaning Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Robert McKing, 9, tries to walk with “beer goggles” in a straight line. The eye wear distorts vision to mimic the perception of a drunk person. Pine Bluff Commercial/Erin France

The Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission is holding an Operation Appreciation week to recognize Pine Bluff and its leaders.

“We are beautifying the area,” said the commission’s executive director DuShun Scarbrough.

Volunteers from the commission’s LEAD program (Leadership, Education and Acceptance of Diversity) as well as students from the Wanda Bateman Youth Center participated in events ranging from park cleaning to talking about fire safety at MLK park.

The commission partnered with several local businesses, including Tyson, which donated food for the event, Scarbrough said.

“It’s been a great turnout,” he said.

Deborah Strickland Allen, founder and operator of the Wanda Bateman Youth Center, said the commission contacted her about participating in the program.

“He said he figured with all those kids there should be some talent in here,” she said and smiled.

“I think they are doing a good job here,” she said. “We need more people to step up.”

Allen said the children who attend her center want to give back to the community and are willing to take the time to do it.

“We shouldn’t have to wait on anybody,” she said.

Brashuna Austin, 22, of Little Rock, said she participated in the first community appreciation event held in Malvern.

“More kids came out this time,” she said. “It was a good experience.”

The commission gave away tickets for reduced priced and free food and offered haircuts.

One of the popular events held Tuesday was trying on “beer goggles” which mimic the sight of an individual who’s been drinking.

Children wore the goggles on their face and then tried to walk in a straight line.

Today, the commission will continue its Operation Appreciation week by cleaning Hudson Park in the morning with other events following.

Thursday the commission is sponsoring a job fair at St. James United Methodist Church, 900 University Drive.

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