St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 10

10A SILDUIS POST-DISPATCH Mon May 26, 1988 Hands The following members of the Post-Dispatch contributed Information tor this story Safir Ahmed, John Archibald, Carta Bar-anauckas. Kathleen Best, Tim Bross, Bill Bryan. Mary CholleL E.S. Evans. Marty Goldman, W.D.

Kesler, Marcla Koenig, Robert LaRouche, Jo Mannies, Tim Poor. Patricia Rice. Pamela Schaeffer, Carolyn Sowers, Victor Volland. and Richard H. Weiss.

1,1,1 1 1 1 4 1 1 3 v.rW, ,.1 -jj W.D. KeslerPost-Dispatch shows lots of enthusiasm while Across America on Highway 61, three miles north of Ste. Genevieve. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.

Richard Pennington of Ballwin. From page one Macedonia Baptist Church in East St Louis, who came to the Arch grounds, said, "I was looking at people's faces and I saw expressions of great unity and peace. For that brief moment, we were one." Police and organizers reported no major problems along the Illinois-Missouri route. Traffic in most areas, including downtown St. Louis, reportedly cleared quickly after the event.

From Buffalo, near Springfield, to Cape Girardeau, the stories were unique and often touching. In a last-minute change of heart, the Buffalo Village Board agreed to let the line stretch through their community and more than a thousand people crowded into the hamlet to join hands and sing. Marc Cornell of St. Louis stood at the end of the line on the edge of town with a red plastic ribbon in one hand, stretching past miles of empty fields to the east and linking Buffalo with more populous areas. "Realistically, I knew that there wasn't going to be an unbroken line," Cornell said.

One of the oldest participants in the nation was 103-year-old Minnie Lange of Litchfield, who was born in ,1883 when Chester A. Arthur was president. She was transported in her wheelchair from the Barry Care Center nursing home in Litchfield to Car-linville, about 15 miles away, where she joined the line. In Alton, the Hands Across America line moved into the middle of Broadway to the consternation of police who had hoped that traffic along the roadway would not be blocked. But Alton police Sgt.

Gary Fleming Ohioans Topped Hands1 Turnout Here- are estimates of the numbers of people who partici- pated in Hands Across America, according to local organizers. The national organization says that It will not make an overall estimate. In cases where the or-- ganizers gave a range of partici-. pation, the lower figure was used. California 350,000 Arizona 175,000 New Mexico 238,000 Texas 620,000 Arkansas 295,000 Tennessee 180,000 Kentucky 64,000 Illinois 400,000 Missouri 220,000 Indiana 250,000 Ohio 902,000 Pennsylvania 400,000 Maryland 10,000 District of Columbia 250,000 Delaware 50,000 New Jersey 200,000 New York 150,000 Total 4,924,000 Ross, 14, of St.

Louis ran from one cluster to another to form temporary links. About 1,500 farmers from six states joined hands along a mile link of the 28'-mile chain through Cape Girardeau County. Those standing in the "American Family Farmer Mile" received a portion of some 40,000 pounds of grain, meal and canned goods distributed at Shawneetown Feed and Supply, about 20 miles north of Cape Girardeau. "It's not going to end hunger and homelessness but I guess if one hungry person gets a meal out of this it's done some good," said Chris Jenkins of Shawneetown. "I think its good that a little positive energy gets spread around," said Cindy Morrison of Oak Ridge, Mo.

Farmers reportedly came from Kansas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Illinois and Tennessee to join the line. Parmer Got Bullish BALTIMORE (AP) When Hands Across America organizers worried about filling a gap in rural Frederick County, Clyde C. Grossnickel made an unusual offer: He'd fill in with some of his prized bulls. "Hooves Across America," someone called it, and it got so much attention that people jockeyed for places in the line at Middlecreek Farm. The hoofed contingent included Mr.

Trademark, a 13-month old bull who weighs 1,220 pounds; Middle-creek's Thunder, an 11-month old County Shopping Center, Teresa Phillips of Belleville said she had passed up a family gathering for her grandmother's 78th birthday to be part of the Hands Across America event. She said she hoped that her grandmother, Ada Jackson, would understand. "I'll make it up to her and take her a birthday cake and take her to dinner in a couple- of weeks," she said. Also near the shopping center, 51-year-old pipefitter Bob Reask of Mehlville looked at the line forming shortly before 2 p.m. and said, "It's just beautiful; I think it's great what they are trying to do here." The line leading into Crystal City on U.

S. Highway 6167 was sparse, but became a solid chain through the city limits. People held signs saying, "Join Us," and waved cars off the road, urging drivers to become part of the line. "We're from the '60s; we are trying to tell the kids this is the resurgence of '60s activism," said Wanda who came to Jefferson County with her husband, Bill, and other family members from their home in Webster Groves. About four miles north of Ste.

Genevieve, 78-year-old Anna Burgert of Ste. Genevieve said, "I wouldn't have missed this for anything." A mile north of Ste. Genevieve, a family of runners did their best to try to fill gaps in the line. Andy Beckerman, 19, his brother, Rob, 21, a sister, Julie, 13, all of Ste. Genevieve, and a cousin, Stephanie Space for the mile was purchased by Monsanto Co.

of St Louis so people could stand at no cost. Food distribution was on a first come-first serve basis, according to Tom French, Cape Girardeau coordinator for the hands event. An official with the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, which spearheaded distribution, said 175,000 pounds of food had gone out among 10,000 rural Mis-sourians since March. The official sum loua is puixiiaseu nuui tuuu banks in the state with a $20,000 grant from Farm Aid, the benefit concert in Champaign, 111., last summer. Democratic Congressional candidate Wayne Cryts was one of those Jn the family farmer mile.

"MissourMs the heartbeat of the nation," he said. "It just shows what one person can do if they stand up with ideas that people can see. Abo.ut 'Hands' Event weighing 1,150 pounds; and Big Red, a 10-month old bull weighing 1,100 "It worked out just great," said Grossnickel, 71. "They had their pictures taken hundreds of times. I paid $150 for the project because the three bulls took the space of 12, and I had my son, grandson and his wife." The family dressed the bulls with irises from their garden, washed them and combed out their tails.

So many people showed up to watch that the stretch of the line was without gaps. DA Roll Top Desk Has 2 Utility Drawers File Drawer, Size 38Wx21x43H, Knee Hole Opening Reg. $347 $197 ON Eight-year-old Jay Pennington manning his position in Hands complaining," he said. "Today, millions of people are complaining." Sister Mary Emilie, with Little Sisters of the Poor, called the event, "a fabulous spirit of solidarity in America. We are showing we have a heart.

We are making history." Mayor Vincent C. Schoemehl Jr. and former Gov. Christoper Bond joined actress Kathleen Turner and other celebrities and politicians beneath the Arch. Both Schoemehl and Bond had red, white and blue Hands Across America T-shirts pulled over their street clothes.

While the intent was to form a human chain across the country, there were some notable exceptions. In the 5100 block of South Broadway, Lady Di, a female part Doberman pinscher and part German shepherd, wore a sign that read, "Paws Across America." In South St. Louis County, people visiting Mount Hope Cemetery on Le-may Ferry Road at Mt. Olive Road, were recruited to fill spaces in the line. Rain threatened the event.

It did not hit most areas until shortly after the line had broken. But in parts of South County, a downpour hit about 2:10 p.m. Most people left the area quickly when the rains hit, but about 30 hardy participants continued to stand on Le-may Ferry Road near Telegraph Road and sang "America the Beautiful" and waved flags as they were drenched by the rain. On Lemay Ferry Road, near South course that's very important, the concept of Americans holding hands across America is awesome. Gaps or not, it's Kim Stromen, assistant dean of the School of Art, Washington University.

it it it "Living downtown makes a difference we see the street people. We see the hunger." Sally Hueffmeier, manager of Plaza Square Apartments. it it it "We know where the money's going. The homeless have names to us. They're our friends." Charlene Walker, with the St.

Bridget Catholic Church Youth Group. it it it "By this demonstration, we're telling people we want to do away with hunger. I agree that the best songs in America are yet unsung." U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt had to admit that the event "did catch you by the heart a little bit." Quilts and ropes were used to fill in the holes in the line along U.

S. Highway 67 from the bridge at West Alton to the Missouri River. Passing truckers honked their horns in friendly greetings and at the West Alton bridge, the sound of tugboat horns signaled the participants. In north St. Louis County, Ron Stephens, 25, a free lance photographer from Berkeley, stood on North Han-ley Road taking pictures of a section of the line.

"I was too young to be at Woodstock, and this is what I can tell my grandkids about when I am old," he said. Farther south on Hanley, the Rev. Jerome Wilkerson, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in University City, joined about 200 parishioners on the line. "The problem of hunger and home-lessness is so huge and nebulous for an individual to have any impact, but here was a time, a place and an amount of money that one could relate to and feel he was participating and making a contribution." The parish collected $1,215 in pledges, including a plastic bag filled with pennies that came from a small girl just before the line began to form. Along Lindell Boulevard near De-Balieviere, people were picnicking along the edge of Forest Park before joining hands.

And farther east on Lindell, 13-year-old Jeff Miller of Clayton said, "even if it had gaps, it's already worked. A lot of money has been raised, but it's more important that a lot of people's ideas about poor people have been changed." Just moments before the line began to form In downtown St. Louis, Bill Land of Belleville stood near the steps of the Old Courthouse with a sign attached to the courthouse's iron fence. "Helping hands are great, but Americans need and want work not cheese lines," the sign read. "This thing here today Is beautiful," said Land, who operates the Cozy Kitchen, a restaurant in Belleville that provides free food to the poor.

"But this is a temporary thing. "What's wrong with our country that we let people sleep on the streets and offer them a hunk of cheese for food. People aren't rats. "Three and a half years ago when I started my restaurant, it was just me day not only go down in history, but be the turning point for some lives." A prayer from The Rev. Robert Rucker of Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Kankakee, 111.

it it "This is the most patriotic weekend we have, and I think this is a really terrific idea. There is no way it's a failure, whether the line goes through or not. We're helping our own people." Linda Smith, Springfield, 111. it it it "It's just the most extraordinarily creative idea." Genell Miller of St. Louis.

it it it "There are mothers in this country who still have to make a choice by deciding which of their children will eat and which will not." Ellen Bain of south St Louis. it it "Beyond the social issue, and of i mxom CENTRAL AIR 'CONDITIONING ooo 1 1 1 Human, Imperfect, Incomplete9 MEMORIAL (ALEWBIRATI Hands Across America provided a touching moment for many residents Illinois and Missouri. Here's what fsomeof them said: it -it history. I have been fortunate take part in lots of large events In 'this area, but this is the biggest, longest, and the best. For a minute, we were standing from sea to sea.

No ither country could have done it." Michael Sullivan of Oakville, a security manager for Hands Across America. A The chain is "human, imperfect, incomplete." Leo Badger of Riverside California. Badger is a graduate student in journalism at the University of Missouri. -fr it -h "We thank our Father for those who help the poor in this history-making event. Oh God, we pray this Pulaski Curio Glass Shelves, Lighted Top Bottom Mirrored Back.

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