NAACP banquet set for Friday

Linda Lynn Batts of the Office of the Comptroller of Currency will keynote Friday's annual Life Membership and Freedom Fund Banquet hosted by the NAACP Salt Lake Branch.

Batts is senior adviser and director of equal employment opportunity for the federal agency, which is responsible for licensing, regulating and supervising the nation's chartered banks.

The event will be at the Little America Hotel, 500 S. Main, starting with a 6 p.m. reception.

This year's theme, "Public School: Fair and Equal Access to Education," gives tribute to educators. The Albert Fritz Civil Rights Worker of the Year Award will go to mayoral candidate Rep. Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake, for his role in passing a proposed state constitutional amendment to change the starting date of the legislative session, which currently starts on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

The President's Award will go to Pat Rush, and Media Relations awards will go to Citadel Communications, KCPW Midday Metro and KSL Newsradio's "A Woman's Voice," hosted by Amanda Dickson.

Tickets are $50 for NAACP members and $80 for nonmembers. Limited numbers of tickets can be purchased at the door. For more information call, 250-5088.