The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • 3

ERIN Hurricane Erin gmA i )i 01 BILLINGS FORECAST KOBE OF 86 A GOOD 56 JiH Partly to jf mostly sunny For your area forecast, see back page of section gives Florida another pounding PAGE2A FRIDAY August 4,1995 110th year, No. 93 1995 Billings Gazette, a Lee Newspaper, 401 N. Broadway, Billings, Montana 59101. THE WEATHER SOURCE: (406) 657-1333 MO 9 A X4 1 1 1 If V. WD AW -A il Li i I I 1 Gazette photo by Larry Mayer A balloon from the Big Skyfest rally dips into a pond at Par 3 Exchange City Golf Course early Thursday.

Balloons are slated to race today, Saturday and Sunday from Amend Park. By CHRIS WOOLSTON Of The Gazette Staff Big Skyfest preview1 (HE DOZEN hot air balloons 'that floated over Billings and one that hopped over Interstate 90 presented a beautiful sight Thursday morning. 60 balloons will fill sky with colors in festival Tickets at the gate cost $20 for a family pass, $5 for adults, and $3 for children. All proceeds go to benefit the American Cancer Society and Billings Parks and Recreation. Thursday's pre-event flight was originally scheduled for Amend Park, but it was decided in an early morning meeting to lift off from Veterans Park.

The flights were as smooth as the morning air, giving golfers and residents a show of color and shape. One balloon landed hard, knocking down a city light pole and damaging the balloon slightly, but no one was hurt. Besides the balloon weekend events, there will be ground displays, aerial acts, tethered balloon rides (weather permitting), military displays, a night balloon glow show Friday at dusk and a concert Saturday night at Rocky Bowl. After the balloons take off for the daily there," Dimich said. "Those balloonists are real professionals." The term "professionals" is accurate in both senses of the word.

The pilots, supported by corporate sponsorship, will be competing for points and prize money through contests and races. In one competition, called the key grab, balloonists will try to pluck a ring attached to a 25-foot pole Sunday morning in Amend Park. For all the emphasis on balloons, Dimich said the most important component of the Big Skyfest can be found in the Children's Pavilion at Amend Park. "The balloons are a minor aspect," he said. "It's the charities that are really important." The pavilion will be busy all day long with carnival games, face painting, and information booths.

Dimich said that the charities, such as Big Brothers and Sisters, will pocket 100 percent of the profits. races, they could end up landing in just about any open space near Billings, depending on the direction of the wind, said Mitch Dimich, event promoter. Dimich said city parks are a likely target, but pilots can't always plan landings exactly. If you own some open land near Billings and you wouldn't mind some balloon traffic, Dimich encourages you to place a white sheet on your property as a welcome mat. Dimich said the balloons won't launch in rain or high winds.

However, even in bad weather, the balloonists will try to at least inflate their balloons at Amend Park to give the crowds a chance to see the colors of the event, he said. "Now that shows you something right But the launch was a minor event compared to the takeoffs, landings, competitions, concerts and fireworks that will make up the rest of the Big Skyfest. With about 60 balloons coming to town for the weekend. Billings will become a launching pad for the largest hot air balloon festival in the Northwest this summer. The balloons, featuring vibrant colors and a few bizarre shapes, will lift off from Amend Park (corner of King Avenue East and Billings Boulevard) at 6 a.m.

and 6 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday weather permitting. BIOLOGICAL WARFARE. U.S. says Iraqi weapons could wipe out everyone INCIDENT NEAR GARDINER Hatemongers desecrate goodwill statue of saint ESPN2 carries game live from Billings1 Atomic bomb crew will have reunion7C Six sections 1 11 Auto Plus 1E Living 4B CityState 1C Markets 2B Classified 3E Movies 22F Comics 9E Opinion IB Deaths 6A Sports 1D Enjoy! TV 10E Landers 9E Weather 8A WASHINGTON (AP) Iraq has produced enough biological warfare agents to kill everyone on Earth.

U.N. Ambassador Madeleine Albright told Congress Thursday in a detailed denunciation of Iraqi military gains and terrorism. A day after the Clinton administration pledged to use its U.N. Security Council veto, if necessary, to maintain sanctions against Saddam Hussein's government. Albright showed a congressional panel photos of his weaponry and luxurious palaces.

In all, Iraq has built 50 new palaces and luxury residences for Saddam and his close supporters since the 1990 Gulf War. she said. "Clearly, it is a sign of megalomania." Albright said. Albright dismissed recent Iraqi steps toward compliance with U.N. demands as "grudging, slow, sporadic and insufficient." "Experience tells us that Saddam Hussein's Iraq will respond constructively only to a policy of firmness." Albright told the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee overseeing the Middle East.

She noted that Iraq recently admitted to producing deadly anthrax and botulinum toxin at its Al Hakam facility, although it denies using the agents for weaponry a denial U.S. officials do not believe. "Although limitations on delivery capability would limit poten- ure with a hunting knife. The statue's nose and an ear were cut off, a halo attached by a rod was twisted out of shape and the body was slashed and gouged, he said. The words, "Get this out, Cult," were carved into the statue's back, and the word "cult" appeared on the front, Gonzales said.

In addition, the railings on the redwood gazebo were carved up, a sign was stolen and plants placed around the shine were uprooted. Some of the plants were dumped on top of a representation of the Baby Jesus, who is being held in St. Anthony's hands, Gonzales said. (More on Saint, Page 7A) By CLAIR JOHNSON Of The Gazette Staff A shrine offered as a gesture of goodwill to the Gardiner community by a couple from the Philippines was found desecrated Thursday morning, one week after it was dedicated by a Catholic priest. The 6-foot statue of St.

Anthony of Padua, carved of bass wood, and the gazebo in which it was placed were damaged sometime during the night. Gardiner resident Christopher Gonzales, whose parents Rafael and Felicidad Gonzales offered the shrine, said Thursday that it appears someone attacked the fig MADELEINE ALBRIGHT denounces Iraq's military buildup cy." Albright said, "it is at least theoretically true that the amount of biological warfare agents Iraq admitted producing is more than enough to kill every man. woman and child on Earth." In' addition. Iraq has yet to show how it has destroyed biological warfare agents, she said. 1 Ml 7 i Mti'ri'rn'iifatr-Hti iiirntffr tiTfirli- imt 4.