By Herb Booth
Special correspondent

Tragedy struck Grand Prairie last week when 14-year-old Nicholas Scroggs was struck and killed on Interstate-30 trying to cross the busy highway.

My wife works with Nicholas’ dad, Robert. I had met Robert several times at company functions.

To be totally honest, I was dreading going to the memorial service for Nicholas on Tuesday. I had never met the young man.

I am so happy I did attend. I got to know Nicholas in the hour with the hundreds of people in attendance at the celebration of the teenager’s life. And it was quite a celebration.

Make no mistake … it was a sad event. People wept. Classmates sobbed into each other’s arms. Speakers’ voices quivered while telling what a great kid Nicholas was.

There are no words to express enough sympathy when someone of Nicholas’ caliber is taken from us. There are no words to make it all feel better.

But when I left the Ruthe Jackson Center where the celebration was held, I felt something amazingly warm inside me. I looked around and saw hundreds of people of all shapes and sizes, all colors and ethnicities, athletes and nerds, young and old. All were brought together to celebrate a young man’s life who reveled in living.

Now that is something to celebrate.

Visit www.nicholasscroggs.com for more on Nick’s story.

Don’t drink and drive

If you drink and drive in Grand Prairie, you could face fines, jail time or both.

Grand Prairie police want motorists to know that officers will be out in force dedicated to getting drunk drivers off the road from today, Dec. 19, through Jan. 1. The effort is funded through a $40,000 grant from the Texas Department of Transportation. The holiday enforcement also includes Spring Break, July Fourth weekend and Labor Day weekend.

Police Chief Glen Hill put it best in a press release issued by the city. “We want our drivers and families to be safe during the holidays. People don’t even realize a drink or two can impair their driving.  If they know we are out in force making arrests, maybe they will think twice before getting behind the wheel of a car.”

If convicted, people arrested with driving while intoxicated or under the influence could carry anywhere from a $500 fine to suspension of a driver’s license to incarceration for several days and/or months. The fines and jail time increase dramatically if the offense is not the first one.

What’s even more devastating is the grief and sorrow that comes with a driving-while-intoxicated injury or death if there is a collision.

Grand Prairie has an underage anti-drinking organization called IMPACT Grand Prairie. Visit www.impactgp.org for more information.

Parade entries sought

The Grand Prairie school district is organizing the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade. At 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19.

The parade will start at David Daniels Academy, 801 SW 19th St. and end at the Liberty Bell at City Hall Plaza, 317 W. College St.

Entry forms can be found at www.gpisd.org. Fax the entry form to Daniels Principal Sterlin McGruder at 972-343-4574 or drop by the elementary school. There is no entry fee.

Floats, decorated vehicles and performers are all welcome to participate in the parade.

E-mail Herb Booth at herbviv@sbcglobal.net for tips and items to include in this column.