The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 18

METROPOLITAN 2-B Sunday, May 25, 1986 The Philadelphia Inquirer The Scene Hands Across America route through the Delaware Valley TRF.NTON In Philadelphia and its suburbs Philadelphia NNSYLVANIA lVE MARKET ST. h' A ill .1 'X. iSM ffffiS lun NEW JERSEY PROSPECT PARKAS iW J4 '(iff i -ii ii Sticking it to the casinos (see The Terminator, below) Signs, Cheezit! It's the B.O.B.! Cops You know what this country needs? B.O.B.! Police. Their sole duty would be to check cars bearing "Baby on Board!" signs to make sure that there is, in fact, a baby on board. Anyone driving a car bearing such a sign without the requisite baby on board would be pulled over and required to remove the little yellow sign from the rear window, where it obstructs vision anyway.

B.O.B.! Police would have the authority to confiscate the sign 150,000 expected to link hands here should a driver be caught three times without a baby on The same is true of C.O.B.! Police, whose authority would extend to "Child on Board!" signs. Syndicated columnist Dave Barry had a good idea concerning these signs. He wrote, "What I figure is this, these people are telling us they have children on board because they're proud of Philadelphia Museum ot Art, Penn's Landing, City Hall and Independence Hall among them Gov. Thorn-burgh and his wife, Ginny, who will be on Chestnut Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets. Also at Independence Hall will be a number of Philadelphia Eagles football players, and 15 Indians representing the United American Indians of the Delaware Valley.

Mayor Goode and his family are expected to be at City Hall, while singer Dionne Warwick will be in the center of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Joe Frazier Jr. will be in boxing gloves in front of the Smokin' Joe Frazier gym at Broad Street and Glenwood Avenue, while jazz musician Grover Washington Jr. will appear on Boathouse Row in Fairmount Park. If Cardinal John Krol, archbishop of Philadelphia, finishes ceremony at the Cathedral Basilica of SS.

Peter and Paul in time, he may step out of HANDS, from I to line up. But people are being encouraged to join the line even if they have not pledged in advance. "Nobody will be turned away," said Marks. Those wishing to contribute today may call 1-800-USA-9000. Organizers said the telephone lines will remain open until Tuesday at least, and perhaps longer.

The phones were busy yesterday, with 1,000 calls an hour flooding one of two national phone banks in Omaha, Neb. "We're swamped," said one supervisor. President Reagan gave the project a powerful boost Friday when, alter days of saying he would not participate, he invited the line onto the White House lawn and said he and his wife would participate after all. The event's success may partly depend on the weather, which National Weather Service forecasters said would be fair here, with temperatures in the 70s. Nationally, the weather along the route should be generally pleasant with only scattered storms in the Midwest and heat in the Southwest posing a threat to volunteers, the weather service said.

"In the Delaware Valley, our problem won't be Igettingl the total number of people, it will be spreading them out throughout the three counties," Marks said. In Philadelphia, pedple who have not yet been assigned locations are encouraged to join the line in the Northeast along Roosevelt Boulevard; along North Broad Street between Rising Sun and Girard Avenues, and along Baltimore Avenue between 38th Street and Cobbs Creek Parkway. In the suburbs, she said, people should join the line along Route 13, also known as Chester Pike, in southern Delaware County. The organization's staff expects large numbers at such spots as the the church into the line, said Linda Santoro, spokeswoman for eastern Pennsylvania Hands Across America. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, organizers said they expect to get the 40,000 people they need for the Trenton-and Camden-area portions of the line.

"We think we're doing good," said Emma Byrne, press secretary for Hands Across America in New Jersey. "Our target number was 120,000 Ifor the statel. They'll be there. The trick is to have them in one long unbroken chain." Marks said participants should use public transportation if they can, and should plan to arrive an hour early 2 p.m. Volunteer marshals wearing identifying Hands Across America T-shirts, bibs or hats will be coordinating the lines, supplying envelopes for contributions and offering lyrics to the three songs to be sung during the event.

Marks urged participants to bring radios so they could tune in one of the more than two dozen radio stations that will broadcast the three songs. She also suggested that people bring trash bags for cleaning up afterward. The Red Cross is poised to assist, and the Hands Across America staff has arranged for water supplies, portable toilets, security and cleanup. The Live Aid concert focused attention on Africa, but hunger and homelessness also plague the world's richest country: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has estimated that up to 350,000 Americans are homeless, with families making up 21 percent; charitable groups estimate the homeless number more than a million.

The Physicians Task Force on Hunger in America estimated in 1985 that up to 20 million Americans go hungry at some time every month. That is what Hands Across American was designed to redress. And help has come from virtually every sector of society, Marks said. "I've worked my entire professional life in nonprofit organizations, and I've really had a sense that people want this to work," she said. "The leaders in government, business, community activists, youth groups, have embraced Hands Across America with a rare showing of unity and support." Inquirer staff writer Howard Goodman contributed to this article.

this fact. They want us to notice. And I say that we, as involved citizens, should make them happy. At stoplights, we should honk our horns, get out of our cars and call to other motorists: 'Look! That car over there has a CHILD ON Then we should all gather around and press our faces up against the car windows, staring at the child with frank admiration, perhaps refusing to leave until we have obtained wallet photographs." So between the B.O.B.! and C.O.B.! Police to take care of B.O.B..VC.O.B.! sign-bearing cars without kids inside and Barry's idea on how to react to B.O.B.!C.O.B.! sign-bearing cars that are bearing kids, we should make displaying one of those signs so unpleasant that no one will want to. The Terminatort The man with the drill How would you like to really stick it to the casinos, I mean really drill their dice and shred their cards? That's what Thomas Chandler does for a living.

Every workday at the Claridge Hotel Casino, Chandler descends to the casino's "destruction room," where he drills quarter-inch holes through plastic dice and playing cards, which must be destroyed within 24 hours by state law. When the number of cards is too great to drill, they are shredded. Before drilling them, Chandler checks the cards and dice for signs of tampering. Each year, he destroys an estimated 5,616,600 playing cards and 238,800 pairs of dice. The cards and dice may no longer be usable in the casino, but they can still be played, and thousands are given away to charities each year.

The Phils, Well, they'll have fun, fun, fun I heard a radio commercial promoting the Phillies series with the Dodgers, and you can tell how bad things are with the Was Kids by the ad's copy, which said, "These Phillies play for fun." Well, they'd better be playing for fun because they're certainly not playing for a pennant. There's probably an advertising maxim concerning this: The more they talk about the players having fun, the worse the team is doing. Comics, Good riddance to had Muppeta Dear Mr. DeLeon, Let me tell you that the head of the comic department has real nerve! I do not believe "The gone. Do you know how many children enjoy waking up to Kermit ond his buddies? What will we do? I ask you to please get "The Muppels" back in the'paper.

In fact, I demand that you do something to right this terrible wrong. Janet Munyan, age 12 Mantua, N.J. Given your tender age, Janet, I will respond to your demand accordingly: Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, so there, Now, since that piece of business is out of the way, let's discuss this like mature comic-page readers. It is my considered opinion that "The Muppets" was just about the dumbest strip The Inquirer ever got roped into running. It had neither the wit nor intelligence of The Muppet Show or Sesame Street on television.

It was stale from the first day it appeared, and I'm glad it's gone. I do not accept the proposition that children's humor has to be dumb humor. Look at "Dennis the Menace." That strip is successful with children and adults because it reaches both audiences without insulting one or the other. Janet, I suggest that you start reading the new strip "Calvin and Hobbes," which is about a little boy and his stuffed toy tiger, which comes alive in the boy's imagination. It's grrrrrrrrreat! 4 1 jWi I i I 1 1 ufv AX t'I'l I I I A i iJ 1 I i I 1 L-L wi I tLKy i 4 a i 1 1 -a 1 ffM I 't i i By CLARK DeLEON tax rate from about 80 cents to about 96 cents per $100 of assessed evaluation.

At that rate, the owner of a property assessed at $50,000 would pay about $480 in municipal taxes, about $80 more than last year. Councilman Louis P. DiAngelo said the most significant reasons for the increase in the budget were insur-wucc hum "rb disCoCl coz'z which are up a combined total of $200,000. Two J. residents are killed in weekend traffic accidents Two New Jersey residents were killed in accidents on New Jersey highways yesterday as the Memorial Day weekend began, police said.

William Lawrence, 34, of Thoro-fare, died shortly after 9 last night when his car left Route 44 in West Deptford and struck a utility pole, township police said. James E. Bailey, 26, of Bloomfield, died about 3:38 a.m. yesterday when the car he was driving hit another car from behind while traveling southbound on the Garden State-Parkway in Egg Harbor Township, state police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Bailey's car traveled across the median, bounced off a wood and concrete barrier, struck a concrete drain, burst into flames and then hit a tree, police said. 1 A FLORAL MEMORIAL is prepared by Su- yesterday for her father, Joseph Bonn, of zanne Woman at Beverly National Cemetery. Newark, who served in the Navy during Woman, of Willingboro, planted the flowers World War II. Metropolitan Area News in Brief SpKKI to TIM mqurw MIKE PLUNKfcTT Listed in critical condition at Shore Memorial Hospital, Somers Point, was Roxanne Mallet, 18, Friendship Road. In critical condition at Atlantic City Medical Center with head injuries was Christine Haydak, 17, of Main Street.

Julia Romano, 18, of Cornucopia Road, was listed in guarded condition with ab- Police said the teenagers' car entered the bus' lane, was struck, flipped and landed rightside-up on the grass median. None of the 27 passengers on the bus was injured, according to Trooper Kevin Rehmann. Delanco committee approves new two-year police contract The Delanco Township Committee in Burlington County has voted unanimously to approve a two-year contract for the township's seven-member police force. The contract, retroactive to January, calls for annual increments based on seniority. Under the previous contract, each member of the force received the same annual increment, said Mayor Shirley Rossi The salaries of Delanco police now range from $18,000 to $32,000, Rossi said.

Woman's body with marks of beating is found dumped The badly beaten body of a woman who was identified by fingerprints as Beta Tingle, 25, was found in a pool of Phila. man killed, driver hurt in A.C. expressway car crash A Philadelphia man was killed and the driver of the car in which he was riding was injured when their vehicle ran off the westbound lane of the Atlantic City Expressway at 6:40 a.m. yesterday in Hamilton Township, Atlantic County. The car struck a bridge abutment and landed upside-down in three feet of water in a creek, police said.

Cho Tran, believed to be in his early 20s, of Marshall Street, drowned, state police Sgt. William Devlin said. Devlin said police broke a car window to extricate Tran and the driver, Thanh Quy Lam, 22, of North 50th Street, Philadelphia. Tran was pronounced dead at the Mainland Division of Atlantic City Medical Center, Pomona, where Lam was treated for cuts and bruises. Devlin said Lam apparently fell asleep at the wheel.

Bellmawr council proposes tax-rate hike in new budget The borough council in Bellmawr last week introduced a tentative $3.7 million 1986 municipal budget that calls for about a 16-cent tax-rate increase per $100 of assessed evaluation. The budget, which Is $351,699 greater than last year's spending plan, would increase the municipal forced the 270 striking drivers back to work without a contract. The strike has idled 23 bus routes, two trolley lines and the Norristown High Speed Line. Sixth student is suspended in protest against dress code A sixth winiamsiown, N.J., high school boy has been suspended in connection with a protest at the school Thursday in which the boys wore miniskirts to express their opposition to the district's 10-year-old dress code. The code prohibits students from wearing shorts to school, even in hot weather.

Vice principal George Ruch said officials of the Gloucester County school suspended the sophomore Friday for five days when they learned he had entered the building Thursday dressed in girls' clothing. Four seniors and two sophomores have been suspended in the incident five for wearing miniskirts and one for loudly protesting the policy in the school building. Three J. teenagers injured when car collides with bus Three teenage girls from Vineland were injured, two critically, when their compact car collided yesterday with a casino tour bus in the east-bound lanes of the Atlantic City Expressway in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, state police said. blood yesterday in the driveway of a firm in the 3900 block of North Second Street in the Fairhill section of North Philadelphia, police said.

The body was spotted shortly after 6 a.m. by a man who summoned police. Tingle, whose last known address was in the 5500 block of Chancellor Street in West Philadelphia, and her body dumped at the site, police said. The victim had been dead several hours when found and had extensive head injuries. Police said they had no suspect or motive for the slaying.

Phoenixville motorcyclist killed in collision with car Dennis J. Mack, 30, of the 400 block of South Street in Phoenixville, was fatally injured early yesterday when his motorcycle collided with a car, Phoenixville police said. About 3 a.m.. Mack's motorcycle struck a car driven by' Samuel J. Brown 3d, 19, of the 300 block of Main Street, Collegeville, Montgomery County, police said.

The accident occurred at Franklin Avenue and Em-mett Street in Phoenixville, police said. Mack was northbound on Franklin Avenue, and Brown was driving east on Emmett Street. Mack was pronounced dead at Phoenixville Hospital, police said. Brown required no treatment No charges have been filed in connection with the accident, police said. 2 firefighters sue Six Flags over 1984 haunted-castle fire Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park, the site of a 1984 fire in which eight teenagers perished, has been sued by two New Jersey firefighters who contend they inhaled In the suit filed last week in Supe-, rior Court in Toms River, the firefighters husband and wife John and Mary Kebeck of Jackson Township contend that the park's owners, officials and the builder of the Haunted Castle knew or should have known that hazardous materials were used in its construction.

The Haunted Castle, which was made up of 17 connected metal trailers with a facade, caught fire May 11, 1984. The suit seeks damages for alleged impairment of the Kebecks' health and their medical expenses. SEPTA, Red Arrow strikers to resume talks on Tuesday SEPTA and its striking Red Arrow Division operators are scheduled to resume negotiations Tuesday. The strike entered its 54th day today. Talks between the transit agency and Local 1594 of the United Transportation Union broke off last Tuesday, the day before Delaware County Court Judge Howard F.

Reed Jr. denied SEPTA'S request for a preliminary injunction that would have.