To the editor:

Inspired by the Washington, D.C., march, to counteract the negativity that surrounds us and because we cannot attend the D.C. march, I and a group of community members got together and decided to hold a local march in Plattsburgh, entitled North Country March for Unity and Respect. The March is a family-friendly, all-inclusive event to celebrate the wonderful diversity in our communities and the nation. We’d for love you to join us!

The North Country March for Unity and Respect will take place on Saturday, Jan. 21, 3 to 5 p.m. We will meet at the farmers market pavillion in the Durkee Street parking lot at 3 p.m. and walk a loop downtown, ending at Trinity Park. There will be volunteers in reflective vests along the march to direct people. We have two wonderful speakers: Butterfly Blaise, Title IX coordinator at SUNY Plattsburgh, and Kelly Metzgar, interim director of the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance. After the short speeches, we will have a vigil and a reflective thought presented by Mary Skillen, the president of the Plattsburgh Interfaith Council. You can either take part in the march or simply meet us at Trinity Park around 4 p.m.

So bring your kids, grandkids, friends, co-workers and neighbors. And be sure to bring a poster with a positive message! You may see updates and the march poster on our FB page, www.facebook.com/PlattsburghMarch.

Hope to see you at the March!

Chris Hobson Whalen

Plattsburgh