The State - News from Jan. 2, 1986

A Lompoc man is taking his effort to help in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty by the reins. Mel Hume, 36, has began a 3,600-mile trek on horseback in a bid to raise restoration funds for the national monument. Hume, a retired sign painter at Vandenberg Air Force Base, said he will alternate between three horses and plans to travel 30 miles a day during his trip. Both state and local sponsors are aiding Hume in his cross-country trek, which he hopes to end at Liberty Island in New York Harbor on July 4.