Published: September 01, 2008 10:55 pm      

9/11 observance scheduled

'Raising of the Flag' will be at Princess Chapel Park

Princess — The community is invited to attend a Sept. 11 “Raising of the Flag” ceremony in memory of those who lost their lives during and after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington seven years ago.

“We want to start everything at 9:10 a.m. because that’s when the plane hit the tower,” said organizer Clell Lucas, who emphasized the event is planned as a community effort at Princess Chapel Park and not a private function of Princess Chapel Church.

“I would like to have as many people there as we could,” Lucas said, adding he hopes a strong mix of veterans and others will attend to help show local support for troops fighting overseas.

“I want to try and get as many schoolkids there as we can.”

Lucas said the program will begin with Boy Scouts carrying a new, never-before displayed American flag from the church to be raised at the park.

“It is a brand-new, 30-foot-by-60-foot flag,” Lucas said, noting the $2,000-plus item was purchased and donated by nearby Big Run Landfill. The pastor said the landfill’s purchase of the flag was not related to damages sustained by a massive American flag at the park, which was recently hit by a falling tree during inclement weather.

The 9/11 program, which remains under development, will also include a color guard from Huntington expected to perform a 21-gun salute and play “Taps,” Lucas said.

For more information, call Lucas at (606) 474-0515.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2651.