'May peace prevail on earth': Bakersfield's Peace Pole unveiled on international day

Good ideas percolate. Great ideas take many hands to plan and deliver into beauty, strength and results.

Inspiration sparked about a year ago bore fruit Saturday as Bakersfield's own Peace Pole was unveiled at the Sister City Gardens at Mill Creek, sharing the message "may peace prevail on earth" in six languages reflective of Bakersfield's sister cities.

English, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin and Punjabi are displayed. And yes, the green, stainless steel monument with laser-cut letters still has space for the addition of other dialects should Bakersfield add sister cities.

"The end product is great. But the process was even better," said Vince Zaragoza, the Bakersfield Twilight Rotary Peacebuilding chairperson who wanted to start a peace building committee — which became so much more.

Rotarians, Bakersfield Sister City Project Corp. members, city representatives and more listened, sang songs of peace with the Bakersfield College Chamber Singers, rang bells, appreciated a hand bell choir and took time Saturday to meet old and new friends. They weren't just watching a peace ceremony; they made peace on International Day of Peace, established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly.

Speakers reflected on the power of peace.

Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh implored listeners to be instruments of peace.

Regina Pryor, president of the Bakersfield Sister City Project Corp., asked that "today's message be with us throughout the year."

Portia Choi noted she was born in the southern part of the Korean peninsula and was told by her mother at age 2 to "hurry up" because they were embarking on a long walk, which eventually led to her arriving at age 8 in Los Angeles. When she returned to Korea in 1972, she realized it was no longer her home — that this, now, is her home. She read her poem "Longing for Peace," revised from its original from 2021 especially for Saturday's unveiling, inviting everyone present to take in a moment of silence and relax.

"You and I, we can be a community of peace," Choi said, ending her calming poem.

Sherry Sim, governor of Rotary District 5240, made up of four counties including Kern, gently whispered a hope: "May we become more active peace builders."

Brad Henderson, with Bakersfield Twilight Rotary, said "the Bakersfield Peace Pole is our mission to the world." When people make peace in their communities, that ripples to the world.

Just as the work of peace takes many hands, so too did this project, with nearly every person talking about the effort Saturday coming up with more names of contributors to the Peace Pole on 19th Street.

Zaragoza recalled Bakersfield College's Manufacturing Technologies Program and the construction work of its welding and fabrication students. Bakersfield Sister City Project Corp. Vice Chair Terry McCormick got involved with garden oversight. Tomas delToro-Diaz worked on proper spelling and linguistic arrangements. The city and its Recreation & Parks Department maintains the gardens, and its support allowed fundraising to progress.

Five local Rotary clubs donated $1,000 apiece, along with other donors. Scott Trimble of the Kern High School District's Regional Occupational Center worked with students on laser-cut letters. And city staff carefully provided the final installation.

It was an idea of many hands. The hands now want you to spread peace.