The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 3

THE PANTAGRAPH, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1989 A3 ftff 1 ii- i.ii l.mj ywtiiwi VI jt i ii OOMINGTONJLL. I "4 if ft 1 3TJ--m The PantagraphLORI ANN COOK The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local 63 of Bloomington marched down the Labor Day parade-route yesterday. Labor Day parade keeps on growing 'This year's parade is much larger than last year. Each year, it gets bigger and more Bob Schickel, American Legion member County." But Matejka described Cantu as "very low-key, always available, always ready to volunteer and help out with no questions asked." Matejka said he "was glad someone like Cantu got the recognition." Parade marshals were George and Colene Johnston of Heyworth.

Both worked for Eastern Airlines until it went on strike six months ago. Fire trucks from several area districts and Bloomington and Normal delighted little tots along the way as did the Grand Cafe dragon that made its way through the parade. Drive, Normal, a construction worker for West Construction, was named Laborer of the Year. Cantu said he "was speechless" when he heard his name announced over the radio last Thursday. The honoree said, "Mike Matejka had called me and asked me to take some information from a radio announcement.

I was at a complete loss of words," said the member of Laborers No. 362. Cantu has been a member of the union since 1976 and has been in construction since 1977. "I appreciated whoever submitted my name. There are lots of people deserving of the honor lots who do good in McLean I The PantagraphLORI ANN COOK Three-year-old Alicia Collins got a great view of the Labor Day parade through Bloomington-Normal yesterday while sitting on her father's shoulders.

She is the daughter of Kevin and Julie Collins, 204 S. Clinton Bloomington. Thousands of people lined the streets in perfect parade weather a sunny sky and temperatures in the 70s. State's residents spend Labor Day in many ways By MARGARET THEIS Pantagraph staff Everybody loves a parade. That was evident as thousands of people lined the streets yesterday to watch the annual Labor Day parade, sponsored by the Bloomington-Normal Trades Labor Assembly.

The parade kicked off at 10 a.m. and wound its way over the 17-block route from midtown Bloomington to Miller Park. But this year, people not only loved watching the parade, but more wanted to participate, said Mike Matejka, editor of the Livingston McLean Counties Union News. "We have a lot more community organizations, the Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs, at least 20 new groups that volunteered to participate in the parade this year. That number included new union groups, too.

It's the first year for Diamond Star, United Food and Commercial Workers, Amalgamated Transit Unit, Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Unions, the Bloomington Police Benevolent Association, and others," Matejka said. The theme of this year's parade "Union, Yes!" came from the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations, (AFL-CIO) media campaign in Washington, D.C. An eight-foot banner, on loan from national union headquarters, led the parade. Also upfront was a huge erican flag so large that 19 members of the Elks Lodge No. 281 in Bloomington carried the flag horizontally.

American Legion member, Bob Schickel, who with Jim Brady, has lined up the Labor Day parade for 12 years, said, "This year's parade is much larger than last year. We have well over 100 units. The union laboring groups went to great pains to extend participation for a bigger and better parade. Each year, it gets bigger and more exciting." And organizing the over an hour-long parade would have to take a lot time. No parade is complete without the sparkle of colorful bands.

This year's parade featured the music of Bloomington, Olympia, Stanford, and Normal Community High and University High schools. county and state politicians rode in convertibles, except Bloomington Councilwoman Judy Mark-owitz, who with her sons, walked. The parade also included several activists groups, three horse-drawn carriages, including one from Sheila Rae's Mini Horse Farm in Lexington, and a group of their miniature horses. McGruff silly clowns, antique cars and several other costumed symbols were there, too, in addition to the union floats and hundreds of walking or riding union workers. Homer Cantu, 1718 Jacobssen At Rend Lake in Southern Illinois, an estimated 80,000 people turned out for a weekend of camping, fishing, boating, swimming and other water sports.

"It's a great weekend," a ranger said. "It's been perfect weather." In Rockford, a crowd of about 8,000 people watched a lVi-hour parade of labor unions and high school bands, said police Sgt. Thomas Coe. "Other than that the streets are very quiet," he said. "Most seem to be staying home and celebrating at home." In Chicago's suburbs, employees of The Olive Garden Italian restaurant delivered free lasagne, hot garlic breadsticks and salad to working firefighters at seven their families to push the total telethon donations since 1966 to $526,524,210.

Lewis said last week that the 1989 telethon would have a special meaning. This spring, Lewis, 63, and his 38-year-old wife, Sam, learned she was pregnant, then were told May 5 that the fetus' heart had stopped beating. Mrs. Lewis was two months pregnant at the time. Lewis has six sons by a previous marriage.

As in previous years, it was the victims and their families who provided the telethon's most affecting moments. Lewis nets $42 million to fight MD LAS VEGAS (AP) The 24th annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon wrapped up yesterday with the comic coaxing $42,209,727 in cash and pledges from about 100 million viewers. Corporations contributed an additional $36,228,846 during the 21Vi-hour event, which featured a parade of top name entertainers and poignant stories from muscular dystrophy victims and By Associated Press Illinoisans celebrated the traditional end of summer with a day of leisure, picnics and parades, and some marked Labor Day with protests. In Springfield, a parade of labor unionists and a municipal band, headed by the mayor, attracted about 500 people, said Bill Tav-ernor, a Springfield police officer. But thousands attended the three-day Ethnic Festival at the local fairground, where vendors from various countries set up booths and made various cuisines from their homelands.

"A lot of food, a lot of fun, a lot of bands and stuff," Tavernor said. "The place is packed." 'WWW-1 DUX WO his i way, ft everyone nappy "One of the best decisions I ever made was calling AlternaCare. '9 a "You see, my dad didn't need to be in a nursing home. What he needed If 5 jL, 1 ll I- was someone.to be there for him during the day. Someone to prepare his meals, do the housekeeping and shopping, remind him to take his medication basically be his'companion.

"Now, thanks to AlternaCare, we have that person a Companion Homemaker. She's competent, sensitive and caring, and due to AlternaCare's careful assessment prior to placement, her personality blends beautifully with Dad's. way Dad is happy, I'm happy the whole family; happy. Yes, AlternaCare was thd right decision." The PanlagraphLORI ANN COOK The grand marshals of the parade were Colene and George Johnston of Heyworth, shown with their daughters, Caroline, 5, left, and Alicia, 7. Honor a reminder of Eastern strike A lis littll.

lii Call (309) 663-CARE Custom Care centered inthe home Mg (xir 1 Business i affilifwt former fellow workers. Though they were flying out of O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, and lived there, they also maintained a residence in Heyworth where they have relatives. After going on strike, they moved with their daughters, Alicia and Caroline, to Heyworth. They have a large garden and Johnston is working for Emmett-Scharf Electric Co. in Bloomington.

But, "it's been a struggle, and it's an expensive way to live," Mrs. Johnston said. According to the couple, "Lots of pilots have gotten jobs with other airlines" and Mrs. Johnston is looking "for a new permanent position as a flight attendant with another airline." But going on strike is an individual thing and the Johnstons feel it's the thing for them to do. Every week, they go to Chicago to take their turn picketing and they also go to Peoria and Springfield to be on the picket line.

The Johnstons feel "Eastern is losing a lot" by not settling the strike. However, "because of financial pressure," they don't see how Lorenzo can last much longer as the head of the airline. And, if the strike is settled, they "can't say we'll get our jobs back." Life! By MARGARET THEIS Pantagraph staff Being named marshals of yesterday's Labor Day parade had a special meaning for George and Colene Johnston of Heyworth. 1 Johnston, an Eastern Airline pilot, and his wife, a flight attendant, said being parade marshals "makes other people conscious of the Eastern strike. It helps to have support.

Sometimes, after a strike goes on for six months, no one knows what's going on. This, today, will remind them." I It was six months yesterday that Eastern Airlines mechanics went on strike. The Johnstons joined other Eastern employees in going on strike in sympathy with striking mechanics. The couple, who met in 1975 while working on an Eastern shuttle, said they "had a three-year warning when (Chief Executive Officer Frank) Lorenzo bought airline" that trouble could be ahead. Before the strike, the Johnstons were asked to move to Atlanta, "but the company was so unstable we didn't feel it was feasible to move." Perhaps now they are better off than some of their AlternaCare Nursing Service 808 Eldorado Road, Suite 6 Bloomington, IL 61704 (309) 663-CARE bzjosepi Medical Center.