by Paul Darst

STAFF WRITER

CLARKSBURG -- Area residents will have a chance to remember civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a ceremony and march this evening.

A candlelight ceremony on the Harrison County Courthouse plaza is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., according to event organizers. That will be followed by a march down Main Street to the Mount Zion Baptist Church at 315 E.B. Saunders Way.

At the church, the group will gather in fellowship, sing and have refreshments while remembering Dr. King.

In the event of extremely cold or bad weather, the march will not be held. But the service at the church will still occur, officials have said.

This will be the second year for the Clarksburg march, said Allen Lee, president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Last year, about 20 people marched, and 40 to 50 attended the church gathering, he said.

The event will start early so area youths can attend, which Lee encourages.

Staff writer Paul Darst can be reached at 626-1404 or by e-mail at pdarst@exponent-telegram.com.