Vigils in October 2020

[Roberta]

Catherine Yesayan asked me if we were still at the corner, and I gave her the time and the safety drill. Here’s info on the event she is organizing, mushing together Glendale and Montrose PVs. She may have said more on her social media, I saw a posting on FB.

PRESS RELEASE
To abc eyewitness News…

Every Friday evenings a corps of dedicated citizens come together – rain or shine – from 5 to 7PM at the north-west corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue in Montrose — Glendale. The group which is called Peace Vigil stands for peace on earth.

The idea was born in protest of Iraq war about six months before the troops were deployed in Iraq on September of 2002. For almost two decades the Peace Vigil, has demonstrated allegiance to their cause — Peace on Earth…

Tomorrow at the Peace Vigil there will be a protest against Azerbaijan’s latest attacks to Armenians border- cities.

Contact: Catherine Yesayan [e-mail] 818-497-0707
When: Friday October 2— 5pm
Where: Corner of Honolulu ave. and Ocean View Boulevard in Montrose

[Sharon W]

The crowd yesterday in downtown Glendale was chanting "No more War, Armenia Wants Peace" and there are reports of Syrian mercenaries paid for by Turkey augmenting Azeri troops. Dictators taking advantage while the world watches the US election circus.

[Brian]

Wow! Our friend Catherine from the vigil's early years brought her husband, five friends and many big, beautiful Armenian flags along with their signs calling for an end to the killing this week in the ethnic Armenian majority region of Artsakh, known as Nagorno-Karabakh in Turkey, Russia and Azerbaijan. With nine regulars, a total of 16 people came to the corner for this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, our biggest turnout since June 19.

Every Friday since January 2006, we've stood for peace and justice from 5:30 to 7 p.m. along the wide northwest corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue in Montrose, CA 91020, near the Vietnam War memorial.  This is our eighth month wearing face coverings and holding signs at least six feet apart.  We've seen a lot less foot and wheel traffic passing by, although things have picked up since the city installed outdoor dining areas in parking spaces along Honolulu.

Since October 2011, we have printed and displayed every Defense Department news release announcing the deaths of soldiers, sailors and airmen in our many ongoing wars. The Pentagon reported no uniformed U.S. casualties in the previous seven days.

[Brian]

Although the heat will return next week, this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil was cool, almost jacket weather.  The sun set at 6:26 p.m. but disappeared behind the Verdugo Hills much earlier, leaving us in the dark for the last half of the vigil.  Soon Anni will bring her bag of candles out of storage.

Eight regulars came to the corner this week, close to last month's average.  Roberta's out of town, so I borrowed her Yes on Proposition 15 sign and I'm glad I did.  Twice pedestrians stopped to ask me about the initiative, giving me a chance to tell them that it only affects commercial and industrial property owners with holdings worth more than $3 million, most of whom have reaped greater savings in property taxes than residential property owners since Proposition 13 passed in 1978.

In the previous seven days, the Department of Defense reported no military deaths in Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan, Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria or in any of the many other U.S. operations underway around the world.

[Brian]

As predicted, it was hot for this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil, but more pedestrians came out as the sun set and the temperature cooled a bit, mainly groups of families and teenagers.  Eight vigil regulars participated this week.

For the fourth week in a row, the Pentagon reported no U.S. casualties.

Anni and I and maybe Bruce will attend a "Women's March Against Trump Agenda" rally in Tujunga this afternoon, Saturday, October 17:

montrosepeacevigil.proboards.com/thread/1130/october-womens-march-event-tujunga

[anni]

In this most challenging year we've learned new (perhaps just unused) ways to "be here, now." Bill and Sharon excel at the 'Virtual Vigil." Here's the beautiful proof:

[Brian]

Katherine Terrien and fans during the Montrose Peace Vigil on May 17, 2019.

This might be the best news all year: After eight months, Katherine Terrien returned to the corner with her guitar and ukulele, singing great cover tunes and her own wonderful songs, at this Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil.  Katherine, who has been coming to Montrose from Redondo Beach for nearly three years and who was voted Best Entertainer by the Crescenta Valley Weekly, has been live streaming her performances, but that was much less satisfying than playing in public.  Now she's back -- and with her excellent PA system, she still sounds delightful through a mask.

I've been holding signs for the election lately instead of my usual "War Is Over If You Want It," like "Vote Like Your Life Depends on It" and "Yes on Proposition 15."  This week I held a highly readable black on white sign that says "I Dissent" underlined by a depiction of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's judicial collar, which I got at the Women's March demonstration in Tujunga last Saturday.  The Senate is scheduled to confirm her replacement on Monday.

Nine regulars got to see Katherine again.

No U.S. military deaths were reported in the past seven days.

[Brian]

Mike called on Wednesday to celebrate the Dodgers' World Series championship.  A Montrose Peace Vigil regular almost from the beginning in 2008, Mike was last seen on the corner in March wearing a mask, N95 of course, long before the local mask mandate.

I can report that he and Elaine are doing great.  They're being super safe, especially since Mike retired from his job.  Two of his co-workers tested positive before he left but he got out O.K.  I'm glad that we have the phone, e-mail and text to keep in touch until they return to the vigil.

[Brian]

This Friday's Montrose Peace Vigil marked our 15th annual farewell to Daylight Saving Time.  Next week, it will be dark half an hour before we start gathering at 5:30.  We'll have lots of candles, and it helps a little that the city wrapped all of the trees with white LED lights.

Thanks to our Armenian friends at the first vigil this month, our weekly average attendance hit double digits, as seen below.  Eight or nine regulars came to the corner each week, but the total number of vigil stalwarts who participated this month was 12.  Six stalwarts have been quarantining since March, and many others come infrequently.

• Oct. 2 - 16
• Oct. 9 - 8
• Oct. 16 - 8
• Oct. 23 - 9
• Oct. 30 - 8

This month's weekly average rounds up to 10 participants after averaging 9 in September, 11 in August, 10 in July, 14 in June, 10 in May and April, 12 in March, February and January, 13 in December, 12 in November and 13 in October 2019.

The Department of Defense reported no U.S. casualties for the sixth week in a row.