Observance of Nagasaki bombing in Berkeley, California

Submitted by Carol Urner on Fri, 08/22/2008 - 7:07pm
in

Seventh Annual Bay Area Peace Lantern Ceremony Saturday, August 9 (the 63rd anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing), 6:30-9 p.m. at Aquatic Park, Berkeley.

Because various factors have delayed the organizing for this year's ceremony, it'll be more informal and simpler. But it's always a delightful event.

This year, we're asking all participants to take a bit more active role in making the event happen. This means the following:

• RSVP IF COMING: If you're coming, please let us know, by e-mail to Lanterns2008@progressiveportal.org or by voice message at (510) 595-4626. Please indicate how many are in your party.

• BRING DECORATING SUPPLIES: Please bring supplies to decorate your lantern shade -- markers, crayons, pens, and the like. We will have a few available but not a large supply.

• BRING TABLE AND CHAIRS: If you have a folding table and folding chairs you can bring, please do. We'll have a few tables for decorating lantern shades, but space may be tight. If you do bring table and chairs, label them with your name, phone, and e-mail so we can be sure they get back to you if anything gets left behind.

• FLYERS: We're not organizing postering for the event this year, but if you'd like, you can download the flyer and print copies from our Web site:
http://www.progressiveportal.org/lanterns

• MAKE LANTERN SHADES: If you would like, we'd welcome your preparing some lantern shades. It's very simple: You just take two sheets of paper, fold them in half, and tape them together. We'll be doing some, but would welcome help. (If we end up with extras we can use them next year.) Illustrated instructions are at:

Additional Volunteer Needs

• TRUCK LOADING AT NOON: We need people to meet at about noon Saturday at a location near Telegraph Avenue and Dwight to help load a U-Haul truck with tables, chairs, lantern bases, and supplies. If you can help, please let us know. With enough people it should take less than an hour.

• SITE SETUP AT 2 P.M.: We will unload the truck and begin setup at the site, north end of Aquatic Park, around 2 p.m., continuing until the event starts at 6:30. If you can help, let us know what time you plan to arrive.

• VOLUNTEER 6-9:30 P.M: We need volunteers to help coordinate the activities during the event.

• VOLUNTEER 9:30-11:30 P.M: We need to load the truck, clean up the site, and unload at the storage site.

• NEED BOOM BOX: Do you have a loud boom box with batteries? Can it play CDs, cassette tapes, or both? We can use it to play pre-recorded music and for making basic announcements. Please let us know if you can bring one, and label it with your name, phone, and e-mail.

• ROWBOAT(ER) NEEDED SAT., SUN.: We need at least one person to be in a rowboat while lanterns are in the water (approx. 8-10:30 p.m.) to help capture errant lanterns. If you are a qualified rower, let us know. If you can bring a boat, even better. If you have a life jacket you can lend, also great. Ideally, someone would also go for a nice row on the pond Sunday looking for any sunken or lost lanterns. We don't want to leave any environmental aftermath. Let us know if you can help with any of these.

• PEACE CRANES: If you can help teach origami peace crane folding, let us know. If you have paper suitable for folding, please advise how many sheets you can bring. (In the past, we've used 8' squares cut from magazine pages.)