MEMORIAL DAY

Today is Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, a patriotic holiday since the Civil War to honor the dead. It also marks the start for some public summer activities.

Closed: All government offices, courts, banks, stock and commodity exchanges, libraries, schools and many businesses. There will be no regular mail delivery. San Diego Transit District buses will be on their holiday schedule.

Celebrations around San Diego County:

Bishop Leo T. Maher of the San Diego Roman Catholic Diocese will celebrate a Mass at 11 a.m. in the chapel at Holy Cross Cemetery, 4470 Hilltop Drive, San Diego.

Barbara Small, director of the VA Medical Center in La Jolla, will speak at a memorial service at 10 a.m. at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery on Point Loma.

The San Diego Veterans Assn. will hold a community picnic and a rally against AIDS at noon at First Unitarian Church, 4190 Front St. After the picnic, a candlelight procession will begin at 7:50 p.m. from Marston Point in Balboa Park and proceed to the Federal Building downtown.

Assemblyman Pete Chacon (D-San Diego) will speak at 1:30 p.m. services at the Veterans Shrine in El Camino Memorial Park in Sorrento Valley.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Coronado) will speak at 1:30 p.m. at a picnic at Villa View Community Hospital, 5550 University Ave.

State Sen. Wadie Deddeh (D-Bonita) will speak at 1:30 p.m. services at the Garden of Tribute in Greenwood Memorial Park, at Interstate 805 and Imperial Avenue.