King Day ceremony saved

Reporter Jackie Majerus has more on the King Day ceremony:

With little time to spare before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the mayor and school superintendent offered Wednesday to reach into their own pockets to ensure that the January 21 holiday can be observed in Bristol.
“We solved it,” said Superintendent Phil Streifer.
Streifer said he and Mayor Art Ward are checking into how the cost of insurance – required by the city of the NAACP before the group can use the auditorium at Memorial Boulevard School – could be covered. If they can’t find a way, Streifer said, they’ll pay it themselves.
“Dr. Streifer and I are making a donation to the NAACP,” said Ward. “We’re donating $50 apiece.”
Ward said they based the donation on the insurance cost estimated by the NAACP.
“Both of us are of the belief that the enormous contribution of Dr. King deserves to be recognized,” said Ward.
Streifer said he called Ward after learning that the insurance cost could prevent event from taking place. He said he told Ward that they had to solve it and suggested they split the cost of the insurance.
“It’s sort of ridiculous to keep these people out,” said Streifer. Insurance costs of about $100, Streifer said, “shouldn’t keep this from happening.”
The mayor said the holiday will “recognize part of our heritage.”
“This is a positive way of doing things,” said Bill Whitehead, the past president of the Bristol branch of the NAACP.
The district is following city policy by requiring the insurance for an event in a school facility, according to Streifer.
The city, said Streifer, is correct to require insurance.
“You can’t have an event without insurance,” said Streifer.
Veterans groups that plan ceremonies for Veterans Day, Ward said, also have had to show that they’re insured. But the mayor said the school district has in the past forgiven the rental fee on Veterans Day.
That may well turn out to be the case for the NAACP and the King Day celebration.
“I think we have the ability to waive the fee for use of the facility,” said Streifer.
But if the city – which has insurance – hosts the celebration, no group will have to cough up the cost.
Ward said he’s looking into whether the city should have a policy for municipal celebrations for “national days of tribute” such as Veterans Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Whitehead said it shouldn’t be up to the NAACP to plan, pay for and host the King Day celebration.
“This is a city thing,” said Whitehead. “This is not just an NAACP thing.”
Whitehead said he was happy that the event could take place inside the school rather than in a church, where some people may not feel comfortable attending.
“This way, at least everybody will be welcome,” said Whitehead, and the celebration can include “a variety of people, not just one set of people.”

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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com