THANKS TO GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE, EAGLES SOAR AGAIN: ST. LOUIS PROVES EXCELLENT HOST FOR U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL

In the summer of 1978, a few thousand spectators spread blankets on a park hillside in Colorado Springs, Colo., to watch the opening ceremony of the four-day National Sports Festival. This summer, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in St. Louis for the same event -- now called the U.S. Olympic Festival.

The 13th edition of the festival began July 1 and involved 37 events spread over 10 days and 26 sites. Nearly 3,000 athletes, including some of the greatest amateurs the United States has to offer, used the competition to groom their skills for international competition in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and beyond.

Ending last night, the festival was a great opportunity for athletes to test their skill against some of the toughest competition they will face outside of the Olympic Games. But the festival also was an opportunity for St. Louis. Despite the logistical nightmare, festival coordinators pulled off a successful event. And despite the sometimes brutal heat and humidity, 15,000 volunteers worked tirelessly to cater to the athletes and help run the various events.

St. Louis shown itself an excellent host, and for good reason. Economists predict the festival could bring a $70 million financial benefit to the city. Whether this year's festival will match the record-setting 1990 event at Minneapolis-St. Paul, where attendance was nearly 504,000, remains to be seen.

Regardless, people from all over the United States were able to enjoy the best our state has to offer through the warm hospitality of our neighbors to the north. Our congratulations go to them.