KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – Keene City Councilor Randy Filiault recently discussed the proposal to install a peace pole in Central Square during an interview on Dan Mitchell’s Good Morning show on WKBK Radio Thursday to set the record straight following strong public opinion on the subject on social media this week.

The peace pole, a recognized international symbol of peace, gained popularity beginning in 1976, according to May Peace Prevail on Earth International, which started the movement. The nonprofit estimates there are more than 250,000 poles worldwide. Each monument traditionally bears the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth.”

A peace pole is already present at Keene’s Dillant-Hopkins Airport.

Filiault emphasized that the peace pole initiative is separate from the downtown infrastructure project and the fountain in Central Square but was discussed on the same night. He explained that the city council will not send the proposal for a vote next week but instead directed city staff to review it. Filiault highlighted the need for community involvement, stating in the interview, “There will be a fountain in Central Square, but the final design is yet to be decided.”

Ideas for the fountain include maintaining the existing granite structure, which has been a fixture since 1969, or potentially restoring it to a more historic design. The current fountain’s underground piping, which is 120 years old, necessitates extensive work. The downtown infrastructure project, ongoing for two and a half years, aims to minimize disruption to local businesses by phasing the work. The two proposals – one for the restored, maintained or redesigned fountain and the other for the peace pole – have been combined into one.

The money needed for the project would come from fundraising, not the city budget for the infrastructure project, Filiault noted.

Hundreds of comments on Facebook showed people’s varying opinions about what should happen with the fountain, which is a point of nostalgia for many. The overwhelming majority of comments were in support of leaving things the way they are.

“So many fond memories, looking at all the coins in the fountain as a young child so many wishes,” wrote one poster. “The existing fountain creates peace when you sit on the granite and listen to the water. Why would anyone need to change that?” wrote another.

Carl Jacobs, a former city councilor, leads the peace pole project and collaborated on the proposal with Rotary Club of Keene, Elm City Rotary, and the Monadnock Interfaith Project. Jacobs and these groups advocate for the peace monument, believing it will unify the community with its universal message of peace.

Monadnock Interfaith Project Chairman Tom Julius and Rotary Club of Keene member Cameron Tease both expressed strong support for the peace monument at the committee’s June 27 meeting.

Also at that meeting, the committee unanimously recommended that city staff work with petitioners to incorporate the peace pole concept into the new fountain design. The proposed monument would be eight feet tall – a six-foot-tall peace poll on a two-foot-tall base.

Central Square is set for significant changes as part of Keene’s downtown infrastructure project. Planned updates include widening the square, adding a footpath, and modifying the traffic signal pattern. These changes are part of a three-year renovation to replace outdated water, sewer, and stormwater systems in Central Square, Main Street, Gilbo Avenue, and Railroad Square.

Public Works Director Don Lussier noted that while the project did not receive the $13.7 million in federal grant funding, alternative funding options are being explored. The project’s total cost is still uncertain.

The infrastructure project will be reviewed at the next council meeting on July 18, with a final vote scheduled. If approved, the design refinement will begin in early September and continue through fall and winter, aiming for a spring 2025 bidding process.

Listen to the full Good Morning with Dan Mitchell episode in Podcasts on mykeenenow.com