Jan 17, 2019 by Howard Yune
Napa County groups will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day this weekend with an array of celebrations, films and opportunities for public service in honor of the civil rights leader.
The Celebration of Compassion and Inspired Action begins on Sunday and will continue into the federal holiday on Monday, when community service projects are scheduled during the morning and afternoon and a community celebration of King is planned that evening at Napa Valley College, according to Napa County Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht, a member of the coalition organizing the local events.
On Sunday, the Napa County Library at 580 Coombs St. in Napa will open the observance at 1 p.m. with a screening of “Our Friend, Martin,” with an intergenerational discussion to follow. Later, at 6 p.m., Congregation Beth Shalom at 1455 Elm St. in Napa will present “Paper Tigers,” with a discussion scheduled afterward.
Volunteers can sign up for various community projects and workshops on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with events taking place at various times from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership. To sign up for volunteer efforts, visit the CVNL website at volunteer.cvnl.org and search for MLK.
Some of the events will include:
- The Love Cards project starting at 10 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Parish Hall, 924 Napa St., in which participants create love cards and pass them to friends and strangers in “random acts of kindness”
- A 10:30 a.m. workshop organized by CalSERVES AmeriCorps, also at the Parish Hall, to collect supplies for and pack care kits for those staying in homeless shelters
- A service day at Westwood Hills Park beginning at 9 a.m. to repair trails and remove invasive, flammable Scotch broom plants
- Volunteer days in American Canyon at the school gardens of Canyon Oaks Elementary at 475 Silver Oak Trail, and Donaldson Way Elementary at 430 Donaldson Way, both starting at 10 a.m.
- A stewardship event by the Land Trust of Napa County, starting at 10 a.m. to plant native seedlings, and remove invasive plants, from oak woodlands and grassland at Connolly Ranch, 3141 Browns Valley Road in Napa
- A volunteer program by Biz101U TV to take photographs and video footage of Martin Luther King Jr. Day events around Napa County, starting with a 9 a.m. training session at Parish Hall
- A commuter bicycle path clean-up event led by the Napa County Bicycle Coalition, to remove waste, report graffiti, and help keep trails safe for walkers and bicyclists; participants will meet at 9 a.m. at The Hub, 2500 Jefferson St. in Napa
A celebration of King will follow starting at 6:30 p.m. at Napa Valley College’s Performing Arts Center, 2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway (Highway 221) in Napa. Speakers will include Josefina Hurtado, executive director of Puertas Abiertas; Hilary Zunin, president of Napa Valley CanDo; and Terence Mulligan, chief executive of the Napa Valley Community Foundation.
The celebration will also feature performances by the American Canyon High School chamber choir, as well as the choir from King Solomon Baptist Church in Vallejo, according to Wagenknecht.