Yesterday, a Pro-Peace Picnic

Pro-Peace Picnic planned for Pel Bay Park   in the Bronx Times Reporter of August 16, 2007 www.bxtimes.com by Lorna Montalvo          Pelham Bay Park might soon join Union Square and Central Park as a major staging site for political protest -- though the Bronx variety is expected to come with a dash of barbecue sauce.          On Saturday, August 18, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Pelham Bay Park will be the setting for a first-ever "Pro-Peace Picnic." Organizer Billy Wharton, a socially active Pelham Bay resident and Bronx native, decided to reach residents who normally wouldn't attend antiwar demonstrations but have many of the same political convictions as other demonstrators.      "We want to invite people who haven't been invited in the antiwar movement, who usually shy away form the picket lines and demonstrations. We wanted to create a space that is safe for families to come out." he said.      He says the idea came from a news poll released in January by the Associated Press that stated 70% of Americans are opposed to sending more troops to Iraq. Residents have already handed out fliers at the Westchester Square and Pelham Bay Park #6 stations, Wharton said. The organizer picked Pelham Bay Park because it is the largest community green space in the city and he wanted to focus the event on community building.          Wharton has designed a relaxed schedule for the day, with speakers, music and crowd discussions in support of a "peaceful and just resolution" to the war. Discussions will include effects of the current U.S. occupation of Iraq, the impact of lost soldiers, including eight from the Bronx, and the monetary cost of the war.       Bring a blanket, food to share, sunscreen and an open mind. For more information, call (718) 869-2279.