Herculaneum rallies to save old stone bleachers

HERCULANEUM, Mo. (AP) -- The eastern Missouri town of Herculaneum is grappling with what to do with beloved, 75-year-old stone bleachers that are showing their age at the high school football field.

Now crumbling in spots, the bleachers date to the mid-1930s. They were part of a Works Progress Administration project meant to help the nation out of the Great Depression.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Herculaneum's fire chief Bill Haggard, who sits on the city council, wants to make sure the bleachers survive.

Superintendent Stan Stratton says that while the bleachers are important historically, the seating now could be a safety issue.

It's unclear how much the repairs could cost, and Stratton wonders if the district can afford it.

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Information from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, www.stltoday.com