Hiroshima, Nagasaki bombing anniversaries to be marked by peace groups

Long Island peace groups will mark the 69th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset.

The theme of the event is "It Is Time to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change and War," and is being organized by the Great Neck SANE / Peace Action group. The congregation is located at 48 Shelter Rock Rd., and co-sponsors include the group’s Social Justice Committee and the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives.

The program is dedicated to Jonathan Schell, an author and an antinuclear activist who died in March.

Shirley Romaine, of Great Neck SANE / Peace Action and the program’s chairwoman, said the community has marked the anniversary with a call for peace for several decades. The event had been a gathering in a park on Grace Avenue in Great Neck. It has been at the congregation for more than a decade, she said.

“We’re living in a world now that is so dangerous,” Romaine, of Kensington, said. “We really have to be aware how these skirmishes can elevate into something we haven’t really come to grips with.”

Scheduled speakers include state Assemb. Michelle Schimel (D-Great Neck); Michael D’Innocenzo, a history professor at Hofstra University; Rev. Mark Lukens, chairman of the board of Long Island Interfaith Alliance; and Margaret Melkonian, executive director of the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. Entertainment will be provided by musical group Willow.

The public is invited to attend and admission is free. Residents can call 516-472-2960 or 516-487-3786. The congregation’s website can be accessed at www.uucsr.org.