Steve Miller: MLK Day respected by more now

I'm glad I've moved to a community that organizes a unity march in observance of the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the MLK holiday.

The holiday is now respected across cultural and ethnic lines, it seems to me. It wasn't always like that. I remember writing about it in the '80s and having white neighbors shrug and comment that it was a holiday for blacks. (Some around the country were more adamant in their opposition to and indignity over the additional federal holiday.)

There is still some of that, I guess, but not nearly as much.

I'm sure the holiday touches closer to the hearts of many who were involved with or affected by the movements that King championed. But I hope, by now, that everyone understands that the ideals of coexistence, collaborative efforts, peaceful demonstration and civic engagement, treating others with respect and allowing people from all stations to have dignity … all of that should mean something real to all of us, without regard to ethnicity.

The Unity March and birthday celebration, by the way, starts at 10 a.m. today at the Yuba County Courthouse (215 Fifth St. in Marysville) and ends at the Crossroads Community Church at 445 B St. in Yuba City (bus service is available for those who can't make the walk and for those who don't want to walk both ways).

Thumbs Up: It seems like a unique manufacturing development: a company that produces medical gloves. It stretches the bounds of what's done here, delves off into a new area, makes for a more diverse and healthier economy. Maybe the wages aren't what they'd be if it were some high-tech manufacturer, but it means jobs and a nice little cache of them. And an out-of-town company is investing millions here in our community.

ReylyAid Global Healthcare LLC of West Sacramento is opening the plant in Olivehurst later this year, starting with a crew of about 75 and hoping, eventually, to grow to a workforce of about 175. They listed several reasons why they decided on our community, including the incentives provided by the Yuba-Sutter enterprise zone, strong local reception and assistance from county government and related agencies.

What's news to you?

The Appeal-Democrat is looking for some folks willing to help us out by keeping us better in tune with what readers are thinking and what readers want to know. As we're wrapping up the application period for community liaisons to our editorial board, we're going to begin soliciting for members of a reader advisory group. Here's the low-down on each:

• Members of the newsroom team will meet with members of the readers advisory group the fourth Tuesday of every month from 5 p.m.-6 p.m. We're looking for a mixture of demographics — students, parents with kids living at home, retirees, etc. While the editorial board folks will help us think through issues for the opinion page, members of the readers group will help us plan news and features stories.

• We've received several notes of interest, so far, for the editorial board.

For this group, which will meet with us the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 4 p.m.-5 p.m., we're interested in applicants who are willing to take part in civil dialogue and back-and-forth discussion about issues relevant to the our community — we are not interested in strictly partisan politics and argument.

For either group, apply by email to Editor Steve Miller at smiller@ appealdemocrat.com, submitting a short message about why you would like to work with either group and what your qualifications are; and a list of a few of the issues you believe are most important to the community.

Applications will be accepted through Monday for the editorial board and through Feb. 11 for the reader advisory group.