Peace poles are popular item

(Maple City-AP) -- Sales of wooden peace poles made in northern Michigan have spiked since September Eleventh. <br><br>The wooden obelisks bear the message ``Peace on Earth'' -- often in many languages.

Sunday, July 7th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Maple City-AP) -- Sales of wooden peace poles made in northern Michigan have spiked since September Eleventh.

The wooden obelisks bear the message ``Peace on Earth'' -- often in many languages.

Peace Pole Makers U-S-A co-owner Kate Reedy says many of people ordering the poles had lost loved ones in the attacks and wanted them as memorials.

It is a business in which bad times mean better sales. But Peace Poles founder Joe Spaulding says the company never advertised because he didn't like the idea of commercializing it.

The peace pole movement started in Japan following World War Two.

A Japanese-American woman brought 50 peace poles to the East Coast in the mid-1980s.

Spauldings asked for permission to begin making them in the U-S and the request was granted.

A choice of seven languages were originally offered on the eight-foot poles. That has been expanded to 55.