Redlands Daily Facts - Parade brings communities = together

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Parade brings communities=20 together

DAVID=20 JAMES HEISS, Staff Writer

Article = Launched: 01/16/2007=20 11:55:08 AM PST

Members of=20 the San Gorgonio High School California Cadet Corps of = the=20 308th Battalion in Redlands Martin Luther King Day = parade=20 Monday morning. (LaFONZO RACHAL CARTER/Staff=20 photographer)

REDLANDS - Redlands' first Martin Luther King Jr. Day = parade=20 was held Monday morning along Citrus Avenue.=20

It was cold at 10 a.m. and though it was a federal = holiday,=20 only a handful of people who had the day off were = watching the=20 small parade, which consisted mostly of Junior Reserve = Officer=20 Training Corps units from area high schools.=20

According to the parade's program coordinator, Asia = Horton=20 of Redlands, "We need to celebrate Dr. King's legacy. = We don't=20 have anything of the sort in Redlands except at the = University=20 of Redlands; but as for something that brings the = entire=20 community together and having something for the kids, = there's=20 nothing."=20

The life of Martin Luther King, Jr., the 1964 Nobel = Peace=20 Prize-winning civil rights leader who was assassinated = in=20 1968, was celebrated around the country Monday. His = birthday=20 was first celebrated as a federal holiday in 1986.=20

"We were interested in supporting not only our = community in=20 Rialto, but for all communities," said Cadet Maj. = Deandre=20 Fletcher of the Carter High School Army JROTC.=20

A cheer squad from Warm Springs Elementary School = in San=20 Bernardino was led by their mascot, a blue dolphin, in = doing=20 half-circle formations and two-line formations along = the=20 parade route, which

began at Redlands High School and concluded with = a rally=20 at the Redlands Bowl, where a praise team from = Southern=20 Missionary Baptist Church of Los Angeles performed = under the=20 direction of Pastor Joe Gates.=20

San Bernardino City Unified School District also = had more=20 than 50 members of their California Cadet Corps = marching in=20 the parade, and included an exhibition armed team, a = marching=20 unit and a color guard. The organization saw a story = published=20 in a school district newsletter encouraging = organizations to=20 be part of the first Martin Luther King, Jr. Day = parade in=20 Redlands.=20

"The legacy of Dr. King is the idea of celebrating = unity=20 and the gifts people bring to each other," said = brigade=20 adviser Mark Ryan. "Parades are a great way to do = that, and=20 it's a great way to honor him."=20

The Deja Bleu drill team of Corona received a = personal=20 invitation from Horton.=20

"We like to support community. We're all = neighbors," said=20 Skeet Strigglers, who co-directs Deja Bleu with his = wife=20 Adriene. "This is the first parade around here and we = wanted=20 to be a part of it."=20

Also participating in the parade was the AARP and=20 Bloomington High School's Black Student Union. = Redlands High=20 School's Air Force JROTC had three sets of cadets = marching in=20 formation in the parade. They included RHS' color = guard, under=20 the leadership of Cadet Maj. Andrew Godinez; the = marching=20 squadron under the leadership of Cadet Lt. Col. Josh = Gray; and=20 the drill team under the direction of Cadet Cpt. = Justin=20 Albrecht.=20

"It gives us a chance to participate in the = community,"=20 said Gray. "We try to participate in as many community = events=20 as we can, and since this was in Redlands, we = certainly had to=20 be a part of it."=20

Mayor Jon Harrison, whose office was closed Monday, = came to=20 watch the parade with his wife Lynette.=20

"It's the first Martin Luther King Day parade I've = ever=20 seen in Redlands. It's a good effort - everyone's=20 well-disciplined, and their uniforms are perfect," = Lynette=20 said.=20

Sheryl Lakes came with son Michael Williams to = watch her=20 other son Cory perform in the Unique Eisenhower = Stompers of=20 Eisenhower High School in Rialto.=20

"This is an awesome event," she said. "Young people = are=20 representing a great leader."=20

Unique Corley, a fifth-grader at 107th Elementary = School in=20 Los Angeles, was Horton's personal assistant in = keeping the=20 parade moving.=20

"It's going good," Unique reported. "Everyone can = get=20 together so they can realize it's not a black and = color day,=20 it's a Martin Luther King day."=20

Yvonne Wickman came out from Chicago to "watch my=20 granddaughter's first parade," referring to Horton.=20

John and Lydia Chavez of San Bernardino sat along = Citrus=20 Avenue by the Redlands Mall where most of the 20 or so = spectators sat.=20

"We came to support our daughter" Elisa, who was a = member=20 of the Warm Springs Elementary School's cheer squad.=20

John Swanson came out to watch the parade with his=20 daughters Josephine, 3, and Isabelle, a first-grader = at=20 Kimberly Elementary School in Redlands, and his wife=20 Dominique.=20

"We're just celebrating the moment and memory in = the spirit=20 of non-violence," Swanson said. "We're teaching our = kids how=20 to address and resolve concerns peacefully, and what = they=20 should look up to."=20

E-mail Staff Writer David James Heiss at dheiss@redlandsdailyfacts.c= om

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