1. Patty Sullivan of Wethersfield was the driving force behind the formation of Wethersfield Peace and Justice. As the others, she braved the cold and wet and rain to participate in her right to free speech.

2. George A. Ruhe, Wethersfield resident, and WWII veteran (European theatre; infantry) shared his strong feelings for peace with reporters from several local papers and with a few hecklers along the route.

3. Wethersfield High School physics teacher Sue Fennelly, a member of WPJ, was prepared and eager to walk and work for peace; she invited all to join in too.

4. With the blowing of the noon horn at Fire House #1 on Main Street, the group of some three dozen walkers for peace started out from in front of Village Tavern restaurant at the center of Old Wethersfield. Patty Sullivan chats with Steve O'Connell of Newington who lamented that Newington does not yet have a 'peace and justice' group. Having seen a notice about the walk in a local paper, he decided to participate in a peace walk for the first time.

1. The reporter from Wethersfield POST, Ms. Masson, interviewed several of the participants in the walk for an article, perhaps to appear next week.

2. A long time peace activist and save-the-whales (Cetacean) society, Dr. Robbins Barstow of Wethersfield, rallied the walkers and officially started the demonstration in support non-invasive methods of containing Saddam Hussein, especially in the absense of a world-wide concensus and incomplete UN efforts.

3. The sign which Bob Ostrand carried read: " ...whatever grievances a nation may have, however objectionable it finds the status quo, aggressive warfare is an illegal means for setting those grienvances or for altering those conditions." Robert Jackson (Supreme Court Justice) in his opening statement as American prosecutor to the Nuremburg war crimes tribunal.

4. The 1.8 mile walk for peace started and ended officially at the intersections of Church and Main street in front of the First Church of Christ Congregational's historical meeting house. Then it went up Church Street to Silas Deane Highway to Wells Road and onto Main Street north, back to the center of Old Wethersfield.

1. Blizzard Daniel, 2/17/2003 (Presidents' Day) dropped at least 18+ inches of snow on Wethersfield. This was followed by three relatively warm (40-50 dg F.) days. Many sidewalks, though well cleared of the snow at this point, were not well drained. Three to four inches of standing water covered fairly long stretches of sidewalk along Church street. Not everyone wore waders.

2. The prospect of frigid, wet feet forced some of the walkers to eschew the sidewalks in places along Church Street, seen here just west of the Garden Street intersection. Many passing motorists indicated their pleasure or displeasure with the demonstrators who relished the encouragement and ignored some unpatriotic vitriol.

3. Turning south onto Silas Deane Highway, the walkers for peace passed in front of the Wethersfield Town Hall. In this half mile stretch before Wells Road, they were greeted with more supportive honking from passersby.

4. As most of the walkers, organizer Patty Sullivan and Steve Moore of Glastonbury held and hoisted signs in support of nonbellicose methods of containment of Saddam Hussein and urged President GW Bush not to preemptively invade Iraq.

1. Sheila Gerundo too urged the US not to rush toward war and not be so eager to invade preemptively. Her husband Lou offered his thoughts as why the US may really be eager to invade Iraq under the direction of President GW Bush and Vice President Cheney.

2. The Shafer's daughter was oblivious to the weather and the cause which brought out both her mother and father on this dismal Saturday. Warm, dry and held securely, Sophia was content to sleep most of the way.

3. Wethersfield residents, though predominant, were not the only walkers for this peace march. Susan Allen of Glastonbury contributed her support of peace through the efforts of the United Nations, whose flag she carried.

4. Nearly across the street from where they started, the invigorated walkers paused in front of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum to exchange information and encouragement before disbanding. About a dozen convened for a late lunch at Old Wethersfield's Village Pizza restaurant, enjoying its tropical warmth and friendly, aromatic atmosphere. There discussions followed about peace, war, politics and the next opportunity to calm the winds of war.

Intelligent, informed, civilized, public discussions of important issues is a hallmark of our republic. Allowing, encouraging, and participating in such patriotic exchange, without threat or intimidation, is most American. What our government does is what we allow them to do, and they do it in our name. Our republic is supposed to be 'of the people, by the people and for the people.' And, we are the people.

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In her own words: [Patty Sullivan]
Coverage by New Britain Herald: [2/23/2003]

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