WORKING ON THE WALK ROUTE

The Walk for a Nuclear Free Future (Ninth Annual Walk for a New Spring) is fast approaching. I've already begun to map some of the route and Tom Kircher is helping to map parts of the walk route from Portland south. Tomorrow I will drive to Bethel, Maine where the walk will enter our state on March 24 after having begun in Vermont and passed through New Hampshire.

I volunteered to coordinate the walk during the time it will be in Maine from March 24 - April 1. It now appears that we have found places for the walkers to stay each night along the journey and also people to coordinate pot luck suppers each night.

So the schedule is:

- Bethel to Norway on March 24 (Supper and program at UU Church at 6:00 pm - Tom Whitney local contact)

- Norway to Lewiston on March 25 (Supper and program at Trinity Episcopal Church at 6:00 pm - Fr. Steve Crowson local contact)

- Lewiston to Bath on March 26 (Supper and program at UCC church at 6:00 pm - Bruce Gagnon local contact)

- Bath to Brunswick on March 27 (Supper and program at UU church at 6:00 pm - Selma Sternlieb local contact)

- Brunswick to Freeport on March 28 (Supper and program First Parish Congregational Church at 6:00 pm - Bob Lezer local contact)

- Freeport to Portland on March 29 (Supper and program Meg Perry Center at 6:00 pm - Wells Staley Mays local contact)

- Day off on March 30

- Portland to Saco on March 31 (Supper and program UCC church at 6:00 pm - Tom/Jane Kircher local contacts)

- Saco to Kennebunk (noon lunch along the walk) on April 1 (Jamilla El-Shafaie local contact)


I am still looking for a pickup truck with a topper on it to haul walker gear during the week in Maine.

Doug Rawlings who teaches at University of Maine-Farmington reports that some of his students want to come and walk for a day. Many people will join the walk here and there as it passes through their community. The key now is to spread word about the walk in Maine.

If you've never done a walk before you won't want to miss the experience. If you have walked before I know you will be itching to listen to the drum and the chanting again from the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist monks and nuns who will lead the walk.

From Maine the walk will head south and arrive in New York City on May 1 as the United Nations begins its review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

All together four peace walks from different parts of the country will head to NYC. The walks will help focus attention on the insanity of continuing the nuclear arms race and the enormous waste of resources that could otherwise be spent on education, health care, and building alternatives to fossil fuel energy production.

Get your walking shoes ready.