Memorial Day

will be observed Monday, but there are special activities scheduled in

Fayetteville and Peachtree City over the three-day weekend.

A Memorial

Day Tribute Ceremony and free concert will be hosted by Fayetteville Main

Street at Fayetteville Heritage Park Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. The

ceremony will include a dedication to veterans and a special POW/MIA ceremony.

John Dufresne,

commander of the American Legion Post 105 in Fayetteville, will emcee

the pre-concert program. Fayetteville Mayor Ken Steele, Fayette County

Commission Chairman Greg Dunn and Main Street Board Chairman Robert Sprayberry

will also take part in the ceremony. Attendees are encouraged to bring

their lawn chairs and picnic baskets and enjoy the event.

Mac Frampton

will take the stage at 8 p.m. along with his instrumental and vocal ensemble

performing their patriotic show "On the Wings of Freedom: An American

Portrait."

The concert

will focus on the historic and regional fibers that bind our nation. Utilizing

both vocal and instrumental settings, this two-hour tribute is a moving

homage to America. A sample of the selections that will be performed include

"You're a Grand Old Flag," "God Bless America," "The

Armed Forces Tribute," "God Bless the U.S.A.," and many

others.

Frampton, a

concert pianist, has toured worldwide for almost 30 years, performing

nearly 3,000 concerts in all 50 states, Canada, Europe and Asia. He has

also been a soloist pianist with many of the major orchestras, including

Atlanta, Cincinati, Oakland and the Boston Pops. He has released 20 albums

during his career.

Part of the

instrumental ensemble will include renowned trumpeter and soloist Cecil

Welch. Welch traveled and performed internationally with Henry Mancini

until Mancini's death in 1994. Today, Cecil and Frampton tour nationally

with their own 17-piece Hollywood Hills Orchestra.

Vocalists Sam

Hagan and Kit Porthero will be performing all of your patriotic favorites

alongside the other musicians. Both are extremely talented performers.

Hagan has become

one of the most beloved tenors of his generation. His background includes

studies with the Metropolitan Opera, and engagements with the orchestras

of Atlanta, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Kit's academic training includes

degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, advanced training in Europe and assistantships

at the Tanglewood Music Center. Equally at home with pop and the classics,

Kit charms an audience with her vibrancy and engaging personality.

For further

information about the Memorial Day Tribute Concert contact Nancy Price

at Fayetteville Main Street, 770-461-6029.

Local Memorial

Day organizers are encouraging area residents to join in a national moment

of silence Monday at 3 p.m..

The 4th Annual

Peachtree City Memorial Day celebration, to be held Monday at City Hall

Plaza beginning at 7:45 a.m., will feature a display of military anti-aircraft

weapons.

The Avenger

Air Defense Weapon System is a lightweight, heat-seeking missile system

used to counter the threat of low altitude, high-speed fixed wing or rotary

wing aircraft. It is mounted on a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle

(HumVee) and can be used in adverse weather, day or night.

The firing

unit consists of two turret mounted Stinger missile pods, a .50 caliber

machine gun, a forward looking infrared laser range finder as well as

other target tracking devices. The turret can rotate 360 degrees and can

engage a target from a stationary position or on the move. The firing

system, which is operated by a crew of two, can also be operated remotely.

The HumVee-mounted

Avenger systems will in the parking lot near the front of the library

beginning at 7:30 a.m. Monday and will remain there until the end of the

celebration. Marines from the 4th Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion will

be on hand to demonstrate the equipment. The public is invited to this

unique hands-on experience to actually operate the remote system that

activates the unit.

The public

is invited to the Memorial Day Celebration, May 27, beginning at 7:45

a.m. at the VFW Memorial at City Hall Plaza in Peachtree City. A golf

cart procession starting at the Gathering Place and going around Lake

Peachtree to the Plaza will also be open to the public to join. Coffee

and donuts will be served at the Gathering Place at 7 a.m., and the procession

will begin promptly at 7:30. Participants are encouraged to decorate their

carts in a patriotic motif.

This year's

celebration will include music by the Air National Guard Band of the South,

a military band that plays concerts worldwide. They will perform all ceremonial

music, and a concert immediately following the ceremony at approximately

9 a.m. Spectators are encouraged to plan to stay for the concert, which

will end approximately 10:15.

There will

be honors to the flag, a reading of the top winner in the student essay

contest, and other pageantry. There will also be a special surprise to

be unveiled at the ceremony.

This year's

celebration will also feature light refreshments such as donuts, coffee,

juice and bagels for the public.

For more information

on the event, contact the Recreation Department at 770-631-2542.

In addition

to both these events, the White House Commission on the National Moment

of Remembrance, established by Congress, honors those who died for our

country. At 3 p.m. Monday, Americans are invited to pause for a moment

of silence wherever they may be, and whatever they may be doing. In this

act of national unity to honor our country's fallen, many communities,

radio stations and public events, for example, mark the moment by playing

"Taps."

"Our early-morning

Memorial Day celebration will be a fitting tribute and a time for many

citizens to come together," said Randy Gaddo, coordinator for the

4th annual ceremony at City Hall Plaza. "But this moment of silence

is a way for all Americans to demonstrate national unity and resolve in

the face of the challenge that awaits us."

The Commission's

purpose is to sustain the American spirit through acts of remembrance,

not only on Memorial Day, but throughout the year. The commission serves

as a banner to encourage Americans of all ages to take a moment every

day to reflect on the blessings of our land and to demonstrate our gratitude