Community Corner
Ocean City Dedicates 'Peace Pole' at Downtown Park
The monument is now part of the park at Ninth Street and Asbury Avenue in Ocean City.
As people around the world celebrated the United Nations-designated International Day of Peace on Saturday (Sept. 21), a group of Ocean City citizens gathered to dedicate a peace pole in the small park across from City Hall in downtown Ocean City.
The Peace Pole is a gift from the St. Peter's United Methodist Church Mission Team.
A Peace Pole is a small monument that displays the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in different languages. In 40 years, tens of thousands of Peace Poles have been placed in 180 different countries.
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In remarks during the dedication ceremony, Sue Brastow, the peace and justice coordinator for St. Peter's, said the languages chosen for Ocean City's pole reflect the town's diversity — from the Italian of the island's downtown heritage to the Spanish of many new immigrants, to the Ukrainian of seasonal workers.
Brastow remarked on worldwide celebrations that would start at noon and circle the globe over the course of 24 hours.
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The event also included remarks from Mayor Jay Gillian, recognition of Public Relations Director Mark Soifer (for whom the park is named) and an opening prayer by Pastor Brian Roberts.
The event concluded with the gathering singing "Let There Be Peace on Earth."
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