Last Updated: August 25. 2011 9:22PM
King Memorial dedication postponed until fall by Hurricane Irene
By Deb Price/ The Detroit News
Washington - The organizers of the new Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial may have thought it was a super-human effort to raise $115 million for a 30-foot sculpture, a 450-foot inscription wall and 11,279 granite pavers.
But now they're dealing with Mother Nature.
Damage from Tuesday’s magnitude 5.8 earthquake forced two pre-dedication events to be moved. Now, Hurricane Irene has forced the Sunday dedication to be delayed.
Sunday isn’t just any day: It is the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
“The National Park Service, the U.S. Park Police, the Department of Interior and other federal agencies are paying constant attention and are in communication with the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center in Florida,” Line said.
Some 250,000 people were expected to attend the dedication, which was to include remarks by the King family and a rendition of “Amazing Grace” by Aretha Franklin.
Harry Johnson, the president of the foundation that built the memorial, said at a news conference that he decided Thursday afternoon to postpone the dedication after studying forecasts suggesting Irene’s passage would potentially make weather conditions unsafe for visitors amid the threat of high winds and rains. He also said a Saturday black-tie gala event had to be postponed.
“We all are saddened by this. I remained optimistic all day, but Mother Nature is Mother Nature,” Johnson said at a news conference. But he added, “The memorial is going to be there forever.”
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