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Joe Person Sr. hosted as many as a thousand of his close, personal friends Sunday, Oct. 2 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Picnic in the Community Park on 20th Street. Sponsored by the Chico Community Coalition and the Chico Peace & Justice Center, the hope is to turn the picnic into an annual event to celebrate unity in Chico. The event also marked the decision by the Chico City Council to change the name of Whitman Avenue, which ends at the park entrance, to the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, and Chico Area Recreation District to build a memorial to King. To Person, the event meant a new beginning in Chico. “It means unity and waking up people’s minds. And it is a celebration of a great victory,” Person said. “I’m just happy to see so many people here and all the diversity.”