8TH DISTRICT REPUBLICANS HAVE BIG PLANS DURING CONVENTION; FUND-RAISING EVENTS WILL BRING MEGABUCKS

Donna Lichtenegger can't wait to build sand castles at a GOP beach party.

Jim McClellan and Reid Forrester plan to take their families to the San Diego Zoo and possibly a side trip to Mexico.

The three Southeast Missouri residents will attend the Republican National Convention as part of the six-member 8th District delegation.

Forrester of Poplar Bluff is a delegate and Lichtenegger of Jackson and McClellan of Sikeston are alternates.

Lichtenegger and Forrester are Bob Dole supporters; McClellan backs Pat Buchanan. But all three want to see a Republican in the White House.

Some 30,000 people are expected to descend upon San Diego for the convention, which officially begins Monday.

The visitors include 1,990 delegates and the same number of alternates, 12,000 to 15,000 U.S. media representatives, 1,000 members of the international press and some 10,000 volunteers.

Lichtenegger, who chairs the party's 8th District Committee, plans to arrive in San Diego Saturday night.

She has work to do Sunday as a member of the state's sand castle building team.

"Anybody can come to the beach party for $100," she said. But the 10 members on each state's sand castle team get to hit the beach for free.

"Frankie Avalon is going to be there," said Lichtenegger.

Delegates and alternates must pay their own way at the convention. Lichtenegger expects to spend about $2,000. McClellan and Forrester expect to spend more because they will have their families with them.

Lichtenegger said delegates could spend a ton of money if they want.

At one fund-raising gala, the cheapest table is $15,000, said Lichtenegger.

Convention-goers can rub shoulders with martial arts star Chuck Norris for $500 or attend a $1,000 reception with actor Charlton Heston. Both will be held at the trendy Planet Hollywood restaurant.

"We talked about that. We opted not to do either one of those events," said Forrester, whose wife and twin 10-year-old daughters will be on the trip.

"My kids have grown up in that age where we go to Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Cafe," he said.

Forrester said the convention will be a civic lesson for his children. He hopes to get them onto the convention floor when the delegates cast their votes Wednesday night.

McClellan is taking his wife and their 8-year-old son and 3- and 6-year-old daughters. Sea World is on their itinerary.

The Sikeston lawyer said he found it virtually impossible to rent a car. He bought a public transportation pass to get around San Diego.

"There are all kinds of little social functions," McClellan said.

U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft of Missouri will hold an ice cream social.

McClellan and other members of the Missouri delegation are looking forward to a cruise on San Diego Bay. John "Woody" Cozad, chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, is hosting the cruise.

And there will be plenty of souvenirs to buy from T-shirts to pins.