MONROE, CT — Monroe’s Peace Pole is among the more than 250,000 poles worldwide, bearing the message, “may peace prevail on Earth,” and installed in neighborhood parks and schools, as well as iconic sites, such as the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, according to Masuk teacher and Interact Club Advisor Lauren Iverson.
Interact Club students installed Monroe’s pole in the Rock Garden outside The Wolfe’s Den Playground at Wolfe Park, a place adorned with painted rocks bearing kind and inspirational messages.
On Saturday morning with drizzling rain, the Interact Club and the Rotary Club of Monroe held a dedication ceremony for the town’s Peace Pole. Monroe Rotary Club President Ken Kellogg told the crowd how the concept of a Peace Pole began after World War II to spread a simple message of peace.
“How is a pole in the ground in little ol’ Monroe going to end wars?” Kellogg asked. “The power of the Peace Pole is not the pole itself, it’s what we do next. Peace doesn’t begin with governments or treaties alone. It begins in the way we speak to our neighbors.”
Iverson said eight languages were selected for Monroe’s pole, based on school demographic data reflecting the languages spoken in the community: English, Spanish, Polish, Hebrew, Portuguese, Italian, Mandarin and Hindi — each bearing the message, “may peace prevail on Earth.”
Kellogg said the Peace Pole connects Monroe to “a worldwide network of people who choose compassion over conflict, dialogue over division, and understanding over fear. For peace to prevail on Earth, it must also prevail in our communities and in our homes.”
He said the Rock Garden, which was inspired by Rotarian David Wolfe, seemed to be a natural fit for the Peace Pole.
“With the newly installed Peace Pole, we’re proud to have our newly named Rock Garden of Peace and Inspiration here at Wolfe Park and installed adjacent to The Wolfe’s Den Playground,” Kellogg said.
He thanked Parks and Recreation Director Missy Orosz, who attended the ceremony, and her staff for supporting the project.
Saturday’s ceremony began with an invocation from Monroe Rotarian Bill Florin, expressing the hope that the Peace Pole will “move all to kindness, patience and tolerance as we work together to build a more peaceful world with each small act of caring and compassion.”
Among the invited guests were First Selectman Terry Rooney, State Rep. Tony Scott, R-Monroe, State Sen. Jason Perillo, R-Shelton, Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kobza who is also a Rotarian, Monroe Fire Chief Kevin Catalano, Monroe EMS Chief Craig Rosenberg, the Rotary’s Assistant District Governor Crystal Engram and Co-Chair of the District Peace Committee Dennis Wong.
Masuk Culinary Arts students made baked goods and Constantin Crama, owner of Monroe Social, donated coffee and hot chocolate.
Masuk music students — Richard Bierut on violin 1, Ava O’Leary on cello, Ryan Panella on violin 2 and Lexa Dizon on the viola — performed “Amazing Grace” and “Midnight Sonata.”
George and Stacey Baghdady, owners of Pond Spring Nursery, donated of a truckload of rocks. After the ceremony, guests were invited to place new rocks in the garden.
Inspired by youth
Public officials who spoke praised the efforts of Masuk students in the Interact Club.
“I think the message to students is you’re never too young to contribute to your community,” Rooney said. “You’re never too young to make an impact. You’re never too young to make a difference — and I think when you talk about peace, it comes from everyone of us first. I think it starts with ourselves to want to be peaceful neighbors and care about one another.”
Perillo expressed excitement over kids getting involved in the community to make a positive difference.
Scott said politicians from both sides of the aisle have been guilty of using harsh rhetoric at times, and need to look at themselves in the mirror to avoid promoting such behavior. He said the Peace Pole is “a reminder to be a little more careful with our words,” to tone down the rhetoric and be kinder to each other.
Engram said her District represents Rotary Clubs in Bridgeport, Trumbull, Monroe and Fairfield. “Monroe is small, but very mighty,” she said. “You do a lot of big things.”
Beyond Monroe
Iverson said rock painting came about during the Covid 19 pandemic, when people embarked on projects involving positive rocks and Teddy bears.
Masuk’s Interact Club started painting positive message on rocks and were soon joined by local children, community groups and the Rotary Club of Monroe. Iverson thanked Orosz and her staff and the Rotary Club for helping students install the Rock Garden at Wolfe Park.
Visitors to the garden are welcome to take a rock home with them and to leave a rock. To replenish the garden, Iverson said new rocks are added through programs held at local elementary schools, camps and the Monroe Farmers’ Market.
“The garden even gained attention beyond Monroe,” she said. “Bill Bittar of The Monroe Sun wrote an article about it, which reached several former residents who now live in Florida. They were so touched by the students’ message of hope, that they sent their own hand-designed rocks through the mail to us with a letter.”
Over the last two years, Interact Club President Julia Jankowski, a Masuk senior, said their rock painting project has gone on to become one of the club’s biggest events.
“Today, I invite everyone to place a rock at the dedication in honor of this project, and the positive impact it has on our community,” she said.
After the Rock Garden was established, Iverson said Wolfe and fellow Monroe Rotarians inspired her students to install a Peace Pole at the park.
Masuk sophomore, Khloe Blair, an Interact student, said the word peace makes one think of tranquility and harmony in absence of hostility and violence.
“However, in Monroe peace is so much more than that,” Blair said. “Peace in Monroe is unity. We come from different backgrounds, different families, different experiences, but we share the same town, the same schools and the same hope for a better future.”
She said peace also stands for responsibility and working together to build a community where every person feels valued, heard and safe.
“As we dedicate this Peace Pole today, let it be more than a symbol,” Blair said. “Let it be a reminder that today peace starts here with us.”
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