PARKERSBURG - A number of programs are being held Tuesday to mark the 11th anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.
Students at Parkersburg High School will hold a Sept. 11 memorial at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday in remembrance of the lives lost to the terrorist attacks in 2001, which occurred in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
The ceremony has become an annual event for the school and a way to honor the memories of those lost during the Sept. 11 attacks. Parkersburg native Mary Lou Hague, a 1992 PHS graduate, was working as a research analyst on the 89th floor in Tower 2 of the World Trade Center when terrorists flew a plane into the building.
Tuesday's ceremony will be held at the flag pole in front of the school and is sponsored by the Parkersburg High School Student Council. Students can begin gathering at 7 a.m., said student council advisor Diane Cunningham.
The ceremony, which is open to the community, will include the PHS A Capella Choir, with remarks by Hague's sister, Cindy Bullock, and student council officers.
Cunningham said members of local police and emergency departments have been invited to attend. In past years, the Parkersburg Fire Department has hung a large flag from its ladder truck.
West Virginia University at Parkersburg will hold its annual Sept. 11 memorial ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the college's main entrance, said college marketing director Katie Wootton.
This year's ceremony will focus on first-responders and especially the West Virginia State Police, due to the recent deaths of two state troopers in the line of duty. Wootton said Sgt. James Stout with the Parkersburg detachment of the state police will be the main speaker, along with college president Marie Foster Gnage and student government president Loren Bell.
The ceremony will include a flag presentation by the West Virginia National Guard, music and a bell ringing. In the event of rain, the program will be held in the college's multi-purpose room.
Also in connection with the troopers, Wootton said student organizations at the college will be collecting money today and Tuesday to benefit their families. Luminaries are being sold through Tuesday at $2 a piece with a luminary service at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
All proceeds from the sale of the luminaries will be donated to the families of the fallen state troopers, Wootton said.
In Jackson County, the Ripley Baptist Temple will hold its 11th annual "Ripley Remembers 9-11" memorial service at 7 p.m. tuesday on the lawn of the Jackson County Courthouse in Ripley.
The program will include a flag ceremony, a rifle salute, patriotic music, prayer, the playing of taps and other activities with local veteran, military and emergency service groups.
In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Ripley Baptist Temple Auditorium at the corner of Third Avenue and Charleston Drive in Ripley.
For more information call Ripley Baptist Temple at 304-372-3413 or email at RipleyBaptistTemple@frontier.com.
