Local News in Brief : Orange : ‘Peace Pole’ Plants Hopes for Better World

More than 100 people gathered at the First Presbyterian Church of Orange on Sunday morning to participate in the dedication of a monument promoting peace in the world.

The seven-foot monument, made of redwood and acrylic plastic, was erected in the church’s garden. It was sponsored by the Peace-Making Task Force, made up of First Presbyterian church members.

Lynnda Strong, a task force member, said the monument is meant to “act as constant reminder that we need to consider peace not only in our homes but around the world.”

The practice of erecting symbolic “peace poles” similar to the one dedicated Sunday began in Japan nearly 10 years ago and eventually spread around the world, with more than 61,000 poles dedicated in the last 10 years, Strong said.

More than 165 poles have been dedicated in California, about two dozen of them in Orange County, she said.

Strong said she initiated the peace pole dedication to honor the church’s support of her own peace efforts, which included a trek across the Soviet Union last year.