Dunbar alumni declare Sheriff Byron Lyons Day

From Enterprise Staff

The Dunbar Alumni Association of Livingston will resume its bi-annual reunion activities on April 22 by honoring Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons, a descendant of a Dunbar alumni family that traces back more than 100 years. Lyons’ grandparents, Willie D. and Clarice Lyons, and his mother, Larue Lyons Marshall, are all Dunbar alumni.

Festivities will begin at 10 a.m. April 22 with a parade honoring Lyons. The scholarship/reunion banquet will be held at 6 p.m. in the Dunbar Gym located at 1103 Dunbar Ave. in Livingston.

“We are requesting participation from state, county and city officials, businesses and other organizations in the parade, as well as representation at the banquet. We invite you to join us in the recognition of Byron Lyons Day,” a representative of the Dunbar Alumni Association said.

Lyons is a 1985 graduate of Livingston High School and he began his law enforcement career working in the Polk County Jail. In 1989 he enrolled in the Deep East Texas Police Academy in Kilgore. Following 31 years of law enforcement employment in various capacities, Lyons ran for sheriff in 2020 and was elected. He was sworn in on Jan. 1, 2021, the first African American sheriff of Polk County.

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Over the course of his career, he served as a patrol officer with the Livingston Police Department, served as a felony investigator with the Polk County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and served as Chief Deputy to former Sheriff Kenneth Hammack.

The Dunbar Alumni Association is a 501(c)3 organization whose purpose is to uphold and preserve the spirit and tradition of the Dunbar School. The association awards four $1000 scholarships annually to deserving graduates of the Goodrich, Leggett, Onalaska and Livingston school districts.

The donation to attend the banquet is $40 per person or $400 for a table of 10. Table sponsors will be recognized in the printed program. Everyone is encouraged to call family members and friends to help fill the tables. The bulk of the proceeds will pay for scholarships for the next two years.

For security purposes and to expedite time at the door, it is requested that all alumni and guests RSVP with their donation by April 7. Checks or money orders may be made payable to Dunbar Alumni Association and mailed to Dunbar Alumni Association, P. O. Box 1961, Livingston, Texas 77351.