MLK Day parade to cross Main Street Bridge

Council approves road closure for Be the Bridge effort

Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Council unanimously approved closing the Main St. Bridge for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade that will end at the Columbus Club.

The Be the Bridge, racial reconciliation group, has put together a program for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The group intends to walk across the Main Street bridge to the Columbus Club.

All of Main Street and parts of Riverside and Court Street will closed during the parade.

A program at the Columbus Club will follow the parade. It’s expected to last an hour to 45 minutes and will include a viewing of the “I have a dream” speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charles City’s Malik Knighten will performa song, said Vicki Bruening of Be the Bridge. 

There will also a high school essay contest with the winner reciting his or her essay at the program, Bruening said.

Anywhere between 50 to 200 people will participate in the parade that begins at 6 p.m. Jan. 16.

Mentoring needs

The council also approved  proclaiming January as Mentoring Month.

There’s always a need for mentors, said Meagan Wrecsics, program manager for the Big Brother and Big Sisters of Northern Iowa.

Some kids have been turned away from the program because it currently doesn’t have enough mentors, Wrecsics said. They are wanting for male mentors.

Garbage change

The council heard about a discussion for the city to change from garbage bags to bins.

“Our contract expired with our current hauler,” said Steve Diers, Charles City administrator. “We’re looking at renewing that contract.”

Right now residents pay a monthly amount for the waste removal plus an additional amount for the bags used.

There is a discussion as to whether it would be better to change to bins, Diers said.

“Another community (Nashua) just went from using bags to doing the yard carts, and that has prompted some inquiries from the public,” Diers said.

The change from bags to bins is expected to an upcoming topic at a future workshop, Diers said. The contract for using bags expired last fall.

“We’re operating under that contract,” Diers said.

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