Local support for anti-war marchers

WARWICK-Warwick residents Barbara Horvath and Gail Phillips couldn't join the two busloads of folks who left Warwick early Saturday morning en route to the national protest against the war in Iraq. So they maintained an all day vigil between Lewis Park and Railroad Green "to bring local attention to the national anti-war rally." Irene Swidler of Chester added that she joined the Warwick group "to show that the opposition to that war is even more widespread than those that went to Washington today." Anchoring the vigil at Railroad Green were Jean Rieschl and Hannelore Vogler, also of Warwick. Throughout the day, others joined the vigilers, coming from Florida, Greenwood Lake, Chester, Blooming Grove, Town of Newburgh and even the Pennsylvania relative of one of the vigilers. People in cars and on foot gave the thumbs up for ending the war. Warwick High School students on floats in the homecoming parade raised a cry of "Peace, Peace," as they passed Lewis Park. Galo Andrade was passing by with his wife and daughter when he decided to join in. "I lost my cousin, James Cartier, in 9/11, Tower 2," Andrade said. "War is not an answer to anything." Carrying a banner that read "Pro Life GWB: Responsible for more than 1,900 U.S. soldiers' deaths in Iraq," Jenny Chrisinger of Newburgh said, "The contrast between who Bush says he is and what he does is so extreme I just had to do something." This story was provided by Alice McMechen.