Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Together in Song: With its singing and clapping, the Lynhaven Elementary School Children's Chorus, led by Wendy Hunter, energized the crowd gathered at the Pruneyard Shopping Center Nov. 20. Approximately 65 children, grades K-5, participated in the 'Peace on Earth' sign-lighting event, held to celebrate the return of the sign to the Pruneyard's Tower 1.
'Peace on Earth' reigns again after community voices support
A Los Gatos resident led the effort to have traditional signs re-lit
By Erin Mayes
Thanks to the perseverance of dozens of people in the Bay Area, two new "Peace on Earth" signs have been reinstalled on top of Tower 1 in the Pruneyard Shopping Center.
It has been an estimated seven years since the old sign was taken down because it was a safety hazard, said Jill Collins, general manager with Equity Office Properties, the owner of the Pruneyard. The previous owner, who'd had the sign up for 12 years, received complaints from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and had to take it down.
The two new signs are gilded with white Christmas lights and can be seen from Highway 17.
Jan Pitcher, a 20-year Los Gatos resident, was the driving force behind getting the new signs made and said she was spontaneously inspired after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"I just was feeling so like everybody did, so horrified and saddened," she said. "And the message of 'Peace on Earth' would just be what we all needed."
Although Pitcher, 52, said she's normally an introvert, she didn't find it difficult to express herself while encountering people on her occasional walks in Vasona Park in Los Gatos. She estimated that over a period of a couple of weeks, she talked to as many as 60 people and gave them Collins' phone number so they could call her and voice their support for a new "Peace on Earth" sign.
Pitcher even enlisted the help of her 9-year-old neighbor Lily, and Lily's friend India.
"It was just so heartwarming," Pitcher said. "They were kind of like sidekicks with me."
A little while later, one of the first people Pitcher talked to at the park gave her a call and told her she'd just spoken with Collins, who said the "Peace on Earth" signs were a go.
"At this point, I burst into tears," Pitcher said. "I just was so impressed with Jill Collins and the people out there at Equity Office. I felt very supported and that it was just a wonderful community effort. It's just really neat when things work out. We're all very grateful."
To draw attention to the new signs, Equity Office hosted a lighting event the evening of Nov. 20. Onlookers enjoyed complimentary refreshments while the Lynhaven Elementary Children's Chorus and the Merrie Olde Christmas Carolers sang.
Campbell's city council members were on hand, and Mayor Matthew Dean led the crowd in saying "Let there be light," at which time the two 15-foot-tall signs were illuminated.
Betty Deal, the executive director of the Campbell Chamber of Commerce, was also on hand to kick off the Chamber's annual Toy Drive. Toy receptacles have been placed throughout the Pruneyard, awaiting the receipt of unwrapped toys, and merchants are also collecting money for the drive.
Pitcher said she was extremely pleased with the turnout and that she would love to see the signs stay lit all year long.
"That's important to me," she said. "The reception has been that it's not just a holiday thing. It's about Sept. 11 and how our world needs peace."
Campbell, California
