Daily Updates

Wednesday: The last stretch of the walk, from Portage to just outside Madison, was an emotional one for organizer Teri Hanson and the core of marchers who put so much time and energy into protesting school district revenue controls. "As I waited at the end of the road at the bottom of the hill for our group to finish those last few steps, I got out and gave them a round of applause," she said. "My sense of accomplishment was shared by the group. We were quite in awe that we had just walked from Butternut Lake and accomplished our goal. It was an amazing moment."

Tuesday: Today's cool, cloudy weather was a welcome relief to the marchers, who walked through Wisconsin Dells and on to Portage on the ninth day of their voyage from Butternut to Madison. "The cool weather really helps," said walk organizer Teri Hanson. The group -- about 10 of them -- were joined for about two hours by Wisconsin State Journal reporter Doug Erickson. A reporter for the Wisconsin Dells newspaper also talked to walkers. Antigo teacher Gary Whitman again walked the entire route of more than 20 miles, and "the rest of us came close," said Hanson, who got up at 3:30 to drive from her Phillips home back down to the Dells for today's walk. This time, she said, she is spending the night in a Portage hotel. Hanson said the group now has about 2,500 signatures on petitions urging repeal of school district revenue controls. Wednesday is the last full day of the walk, and then it's on to the State Capitol to hold a rally and deliver petitions.

Monday: Impressive performances were turned in today by Antigo teacher Gary Whitman and his son, Nick, who is a UniServ director at Northwest United Educators in Rice Lake. Both walked the entire 22-mile route from Friendship to Wisconsin Dells. "The rest of us did a good chunk of it," said walk organizer Teri Hanson, who said about 10 people participated Monday. Hanson said participants have now gathered more than 2,000 signatures on their petitions seeking repeal of school district revenue controls. The petitions will be delivered to the governor and legislators at the State Capitol at the conclusion of the march Thursday.

Sunday: "A good crew" made the march from Wisconsin Rapids to Friendship, said organizer Teri Hanson. "They were very determined, and we had a lot of fun," she said. "People were honking and waving to us again." The Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune wrote a nice story about the walk. "We all have blisters," Hanson said. "Some of us had to switch shoes, but I'm down to three Band-aids a day."

Saturday: A small group came down the South Shore School District in Bayfield County to join the walk from Marshfield to Wisconsin Rapids, said walk organizer Teri Hanson. "We ran into a group of parents in Wisconsin Rapids who were selling brats to raise money for school playground equipment. They signed our (anti-revenue controls) petition and we bought brats," she said. "We all agreed this was a prime example of what revenue caps are doing to schools."

Friday: "Incredible, incredible, incredible!" says walk organizer Teri Hanson "Each day is better than the last. We had around 30 people join us today from Tomahawk, Abbotsford, Spencer, and a still strong contingent from Phillips." Again, she said, the rain stopped before the walk began. One participant took his birthday vacation day from work so he could walk with the group. "We moved through Abbotsford, Colby, Unity, Spencer, and Marshfield, where we will start in the morning," Hanson said. "Assemblyman Gary Sherman stopped along the route and walked with us. A teacher stopped with juice in the morning and employees from The Store on Highway 13 in Marshfield came out with bottled water in the afternoon. They had seen us on the news and were waiting for us. Everywhere we went people were honking and giving us the 'thumbs up' sign. We heard 'I saw you on the news,' 'I heard you on the radio,' or 'I read about you in the paper, keep up the good work' many, many times." Hanson said the group has well over 1,000 signatures on petitions calling for repeal of school district revenue controls, "with many more coming in every day."

Thursday: "I think we have a guardian angel with us," said walk organizer Teri Hanson Thursday, as it stopped raining just as the revenue controls protesters set out from Abbotsford on the fourth leg of their voyage. "We had great weather the rest of the day," she said. A group of very determined teachers from Medford joined the group and finished the almost 15 mile distance in about four hours. "They can be incredibly proud of themselves, as can all the walkers over the last four days," Hanson said. She said people along the route are now recognizing the walkers from their T-shirts and from media coverage they have received along the way. "Many stopped us with words of encouragement," she said. On Friday, the group will travel from Abbotsford to Marshfield. Participants are inviting any and all available educators, parents, students (with adults), business owners and concerned citizens to join the march.

Wednesday: About 15 educators from Washburn, Park Falls, and Phillips covered Wednesday's 30-mile route from Prentice to Medford, and picked up some more media coverage from Wausau's Channel 9, as well as the Medford newspaper and radio station. About nine of the participants walked up to 18 miles before hitching rides in the support vehicle. "It's hot and it's humid, and walking on gravel is always a lot of fun," said organizer Teri Hanson. Participants report they are gaining a lot of support for petitions to repeal the revenue controls.

Tuesday: About 25 people from Phillips, Park Falls, and Rhinelander, including parents and students, walked from Fifield to Prentice. "People joined us as we walked through Phillips, and many more signed our petitions," Hanson. said. "We had parents and kids. It was a community effort, and that was pretty impressive to see." As the group passed through Phillips, a local principal brought them a wagon-load of soft drinks. The educators received media coverage from Rhinelander's Channel 12 and the Phillips Bee.

Phillips teacher's aide Sharon Vergin walks along Highway 13 just north of Fifield on Monday. Others walk and run behind her. About 25 educators participated in the first leg of the walk to Madison.