AUGUSTA – Maine joins the rest of the nation today in paying tribute to former President Ronald Reagan.

Friday, the day of Reagan’s state funeral, has been declared a National Day of Mourning. Federal offices will be closed and there will be no mail deliveries. While some states are closing down for the day, state offices in Maine will remain open.

At Gov. John Baldacci’s request, former Gov. John

McKernan will attend Reagan’s funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington. McKernan, a Republican, served in Congress during the 1980s while Reagan was president.

Baldacci plans to read a proclamation memorializing Reagan at the Blaine House at 11 a.m. today. The proclamation acclaims the former president’s leadership and “exemplary ability to encourage and inspire all Americans,” said Baldacci spokesman Lee Umphrey.

The Maine State Select Honor Guard, Maine Army National Guard and students from St. Mary’s School in Augusta will participate in the Blaine House observance. State workers will get extra time around midday to attend the event or watch the funeral on television.

Maine’s Roman Catholic bishop, Richard Malone, has encouraged parishes throughout the state to ring their bells at 1:15 p.m., the time the state funeral is over.

“Also on Friday, he’s encouraging the parishes to have prayers for the Reagan family during their daily Mass,” said Sue Bernard, spokeswoman for the Diocese of Portland.

Visitors to Sen. Susan Collins’ six offices around the state may sign sympathy albums that will be forwarded to Reagan’s family.

The idea for the album originated in the Biddeford office, where a storefront window display became an homage to the nation’s 40th president. Staff members noticed that people were dropping by to chat, reminisce and swap stories about Reagan.

Collins’ five other field offices in Portland, Bangor, Lewiston, Caribou and Augusta also put out albums for visitors to sign.

Tom Murphy, the Maine Republican’s state office representative for York County, said he expects more people to drop by the Biddeford office to sign the condolence book as Friday nears and people watch television coverage of events related to Reagan’s passing.

“I think it’s probably a little bit of a delayed reaction,” he said. “Because of the Alzheimer’s, the president’s been out of sight for five or six years. As there’s been more and more coverage and as it’s sunk in, people begin to think back to that time where they see the film clips and they see him during those presidential years.”

Sen. Olympia Snowe, McKernan’s wife who also served in the U.S. House while Reagan was president, called Reagan’s tenure “a time of great consequence.”

Snowe said Reagan “will be missed not only here at home, but wherever freedom-loving people may live.”