Lake Forest Park for Peace News

Lake Forest Park for Peace Celebrates One Year of Peace Vigils

Please see press releases below.

Lake Forest Park for Peace, a grassroots anti-war group, will celebrate one full year of consecutive Saturday public vigils for peace on December 13, 2003, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the corner of Ballinger and Bothell Ways NE, by the Lake Forest Park Shopping Centre.

Lake Forest Park for Peace is an affiliate of Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War (SNOW), a coalition of 106 peace groups with over 3,000 individual members in the Puget Sound region. We have invited affiliated peace groups and all those who yearn for a sane policy of peace to join us, and we expect a grand turnout.

With a core group of seven people, on Dec. 14, 2002, Lake Forest Park for Peace began a weekly Saturday vigil that has continued ever since, and attracted many supporters. Its initial purpose for coming together was to protest the Bush Administration's unilateral and preemptive war plans against Iraq, the rejection of the United Nations weapons inspectors, and the inaccurate linkage of Saddam Hussein with imminent threats to the United States and to the events of September 11, 2001.

Members of Lake Forest Park for Peace, who range in age from teenagers to octogenarians, include U.S. military veterans, friends and family members of those currently in Iraq, college and high school students, teachers, electricians, doctors, accountants, homemakers, and retirees. We share a commitment to peace and justice, and a sense of responsibility as citizens to dissent when federal policy, in the name of the "war on terror," threatens civil rights and the needs of the most vulnerable at home, increases anti-American sentiment abroad, and undermines international organizations which might provide solutions to international conflicts.

"From its onset, our vigil has been not only an enactment of our concerns with our country's policies," says founding member Ann Buzaid, "but a wonderful expression of individuals forming a strong bond of community." At its peak, participation in the weekly vigil attracted over 100 people, before military operations got underway in Iraq. Though attendance fell after the May 1st declaration by President Bush that major military operations had ended, "We are like a pilot light," says Margaret Rogers. "It doesn't matter how small we get, as long as we don't go out."

Lake Forest Park for Peace has continued to be a tight-knit and spirited cadre of concerned citizens, with numbers surging past 30 in recent weeks. Accompanied by drummers, rain or shine, group members stand vigil with colorful, often home made, signs and banners such as "America wants the truth", "Leave No Child Behind: Fund Schools, Not War", "Bush is still lying, soldiers are still dying" and "Wage Peace." UN flags, earth flags and US flags wave together, and many passersby express support with honks, waves, peace signs, and words of agreement and thanks.

In addition to the ongoing weekly vigil, Lake Forest Park for Peace members, who did not know each other one year ago, have worked together on a great variety of community actions for peace: sending family care kits to Iraqi victims of war, contributing to Washington Mutual's fund to support both American military and Iraqi families, sending a delegation to visit the offices of every member of Congress in Washington DC before the war, supporting counter-recruitment efforts, presenting a peace scholarship, organizing potluck suppers, writing frequent letters to the editor, placing ads in the local paper, working with police to ensure the protection of free speech, participating in marches, and educating the public about the threats to civil liberties inherent in the PATRIOT Act. "We refuse to remain silent, " says Bob Trutnau. "We are proud to exercise our responsibility as citizens, and to stand publicly with our dissent."

P R E S S   R E L E A S E

An Invitation to Join in Peace

Lake Forest Park for Peace will celebrate one full year of consecutive public vigils for peace on Saturday December 13, 2003 from 11 AM to 1 PM on the corner of Ballinger and Bothell Ways NE in the heart of Lake Forest Park.

An affiliate in the Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War (SNOW) coalition, which has over 100 chapters and 3000 individual members, Lake Forest Park for Peace invites all SNOW members and everyone in the peace community throughout Puget Sound to join the December 13 vigil.

Come exercise your right not to remain silent. Celebrate our shared commitment to the spirit of freedom and public grassroots activism for peace in Iraq and in the world.

P R E S S   R E L E A S E

DECEMBER 13: Lake Forest Park for Peace invites you to join us to celebrate a full year of weekly Saturday vigils for peace and justice on Saturday December 13 from 11:00-1:00. Bring your signs, your resolve, your hopes for the future and come stand with us at the corner of Bothell Way and Ballinger in Lake Forest Park. (Bothell Way is Hwy 522, also known as Lake City Way in Seattle. Just follow Lake City north across 145th in north Seattle and continue on for a couple of miles until you come to LFP town center mall). In conjunction with the anniversary vigil we are co-sponsoring a food drive at the Albertsons in LFP town center mall, right behind the corner where we vigil. If you'd like, allow an extra 10 minutes to stop by Albertsons and contribute to the food drive. Members of Lake Forest Park for Peace will have flyers and more information available at the store. This Albertsons was selling war toys as part of a holiday promotion, and the manager, John Love, has now agreed not to sell the remaining toys and to co-sponsor a food drive instead. As we all know, the money spent on war is being taken away from other needs at home. Our goals of community building, outreach, peace and justice are served by public witness in vigils and by community action to help feed our hungry neighbors. For more information contact lakeforestpark@snowcoalition.org.

Zoe O'Neill wins The Floyd Schmoe Peace Scholarship at Shorecrest High School for 2003

LFPFP's own Zoe O'Neill is the recipient of the 6th annual Floyd Schmoe Peace Scholarship. She and her family are delighted that she is honored in the name of this amazing man. The press release below explains a bit more about Floyd Schmoe. Glen and Karol Milner presented Zoe with this award at the newly named Lake Forest Park Peace Park (our vigil corner) on May 31st, 2003 to the joy of everyone involved. Zoe expressed her gratitude to Glen and Karol, her appreciation for the award (which will help pay for her first year's tuition at Western Washington University), her sense of responsibility for carrying on Floyd's work, and her gratitude for the community of Lake Forest Park for Peace.

P R E S S   R E L E A S E

The Floyd Schmoe Peace Scholarship recipient for 2003 at Shorecrest High School is Zoe O'Neill. Ms. O'Neill plans to attend Western Washington University.

Ms. O'Neill will receive a monetary amount of $1,000.00.

Among other activities, Ms. O'Neill has been involved since December 2002 with the Lake Forest Park Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War (SNOW) chapter. In March she was traveling in Europe with her high school band. During a free period in London on the day the war on Iraq began, she was caught up in a No-Iraq War demonstration with a profoundly anti-American theme. At that time she realized, "...it wasn't just people across the world who were being terrorized by the American government, it was also American citizens whose futures (were becoming) more bleak." Zoe O'Neill adds, "We, in working for peace around the world, also work for peace at home."

The Floyd Schmoe Peace Scholarship was established in 1998 for Shorecrest High School graduating seniors showing exceptional humanitarian qualities toward others in the pursuit and interest of world peace. Floyd Schmoe was a sixth-generation Quaker and peace activist. During World War I, Floyd Schmoe carried wounded soldiers off French battlefields with the Red Cross. After the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, Floyd Schmoe took volunteers to rebuild homes in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Floyd Schmoe passed away on April 20, 2001, at the age of 105, in Kirkland, WA. We know that his spirit and inspiration live on.

We are very pleased to help Ms. O'Neill continue with her work and with her education.

Recipients of the 1998, 1999 and 2000 Floyd Schmoe Peace Scholarship were able to meet with Mr. Schmoe. This year's recipient will receive her award in Lake Forest Park.