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It might appear Gov. George Busbee
was holding his nose over the
legislature. Actually he held back a
tear as he said goodby to the
lawmakers. He spoke of the relief,
exhiliration and pride he felt at the end
of the session which passed a record
|2.1-billion budget.
Session over
Then nobody
gets nothing
ATLANTA (AP) — “Then nobody
gets nothin’,” said Rep. John White as
the final minutes of the 1977 Georgia
General Assembly ticked away, and
proposals to raise legislator’s and top
officials’ salaries died.
Bickering over lawmakers’ raises
strangled those proposals, but the 40-
day session which ended Thursday saw
approval of hundreds of other bills,
including measures to open Georgia
roads to 14-footwide mobile homes, to
close down profiteering bingo oper
ations and to give the state final say in
how Georgia’s rivers and lakes will be
used.
The legislature voted to kill unneeded
state regulatory boards and to whittle
down the state Ethics Commission.
The legislature gave the governor
special emergency powers in case of
energy crises. It gave its own members
a shot at four-year terms rather than
two. It gave you an extra dollar-a
month charge for small loans, as much
as another 1 per cent interest charge on
home loans and a tougher time getting
back at a loan company that cheated
They thought
session good
Two of Spalding County’s state
lawmakers were pleased with the just
ending legislative session.
Sen. Virginia Shapard noted it
“wasn’t a spectacular session, but we
came out with good solid support for
education, both financially and
legislatively.
“It looks like we’ve finally gotten the
kindergarten program rolling and we
adopted all of the recommendations of
the governor’s taskforce on education”,
she said.
“I’m glad it’s over. It was a long
session, not in time, but in the number
of bills with which I was involved,”
Rep. John Carlisle said.
Thursday night, “at the 11th hour”,
the legislature passed a bill to enable
folks to hunt on Sunday, he said.
Carlisle had pushed the bill earlier
without much luck. He said the law
protects churches and there will be no
problem with hunters’ interfering with
services.
“I hope the governor signs it”, he
said.
Carlisle also worked hard on a bill to
regulate streams and rivers.
It protects cities in that no one up
stream can use up a city’s water
supply, he said.
Mrs. Shapard was glad to see a
couple of bills passed which she said
had not been highlighted in the press.
GRIFFIN
DAIIA'#NEWS
Daily Since 1872
Terrorists free hostages;
rebel leader released
WASHINGTON (AP) - A band of 12
Hanafi Moslem gunmen early today
ended a twoday reign of terror in the
nation’s capital. After they surrendered
peacefully and freed their 134 hostages,
their leader was released without bail.
The release of Khalifa Hamaas Abdul
Khaalis was part of an agreement that
ended the confrontation, during which
he repeatedly threatened to cut off the
heads of his hostages if his demands for
revenge against Black Muslim leaders
were not met.
Abdul Khaalis and his 11 followers,
who held the hostages in three
buildings, were charged with kidnaping
while armed.
Superior Court Chief Judge Harold
Greene set the following conditions for
you.
It also gave you the right to turn left
at red lights. From one-way streets
onto one-way streets.
And made it a crime to have sexual
relations with a corpse.
The fight over pay raises dominated
the last day of the session with offers
and counteroffers flying back and forth
between the House and Senate
chambers.
Earlier this month, the House passed
a bill to give a 7 per cent pay raise to
most top state officials and a S6OO-a
--month hike to legislators as well as a
two cent per mile increase in mileage
reimbursement for lawmakers.
After the Senate complained
about the legislative pay raise, a House
emissary to the Senate Appropriations
Committee promised the House would
settle for just the raises for top officials.
That was two weeks ago On Thursday
night, House members waged a last
ditch battle to win their raises back,
saying they wouldn’t agree to raises for
the constitutional officers if lawmakers
were left out. .
They were a status offender bill
which keeps juvenile offenders from
being detained with criminals. The
juvenile may have been skipping school
or talking back to a teacher and not
have committed what would be
considered a criminal act, she
explained.
The second bill provides that future
construction of buildings such as
shopping centers and office buildings
be made accessible for the handi
capped.
Rep. John Mostiler was out of town
and could not be reached for comment
this morning.
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Dr. Sidney Clearfield’s face shows the effects of
being held hostage since Wednesday and his wife
shows relief she feels after his release. (AP)
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Friday Afternoon, March 11,1977
Abdul Khaalis’ release: He may not
keep or possess firearms; he must re
main in Washington and he was barred
from discussing the case before trial.
“The court is mindful of the events in
this city of the last three days,” said the
judge. “Nevertheless, the safety and
release of the hostages depended on the
release of the defendant.”
He said: “This court is not in a
position to second guess the law en
forcement authorities.”
Judge Greene said he would release
Abdul Khaalis op the recommendation
of U.S. Atty. Earl Silbert. He added that
he would reassess the situation if there
is a grand jury indictment.
Greene asked the terrorist leader if
he understood the conditions of his
release.
“Yes, I do,” Abdul Khaalis replied in
a barely audible voice.
The hostages were released unhar
med by the Hanafi gunman following a
three-hour negotiating session with
police officials and ambassadors from
three Islamic nations who read the
gunmen poetry and passages from the
Koran.
The Egyptian ambassador said he
and his diplomatic colleagues set the
stage for the surrender by reading from
the Koran “songs of compassion,
forgiveness, understanding, the things
our lord orders us to do.”
The 12 heavily armed terrorists
struck at midday Wednesday and oc
cupied three buildings, including city
hall.
The hostages, captive for 38 hours,
were taken by bus to George
Washington University Hospital where
many were reunited with their
relatives.
One young woman held hostage in the
B’nai B’rith building where Abdul
Khaalis made his headquarters told
how she and other captives were or
dered to lie in neat rows on their stom
achs and touch the toes of the person in
front.
“I thought we were gonna be
executed,” said the woman, who asked
not to be identified. “Waiting was
agony.”
As their ordeal dragged on, she said
their captors grew more sympathetic.
“They were not kind,” she said. “But
they were sympathetic to everyone’s
needs ...”
People
...and things
Man suddenly realizing he left car
lights on in morning fog rushing out of
office just before noon and finding
someone had kindly turned them off for
him.
Bags covering all the parking meters
around courthouse square in
McDonough as Griffin’s neighbors try
free parking for awhile.
Housewife and yardman conferring
on what to do next to repair winter’s
damage to lawn, shrubbery, cracking
asphalt driveway.
Samuel Fishman of Bethesda,
Md., treated for minor eye
injury after being held hostage.
(AP)
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They love Griffin
Griffin’s newest physician, Dr.
Gerarvo “Gerry” Bellodas, and his
family have been in Griffin 8 months
' and love it.
They’ve kept busy every minute. In
addition to starting a new general
surgery practice with offices at 221
West Poplar street, Dr. Bellodas also
works in the Griffin hospital emergency
room 2 nights a week. He hasn’t had a
day off since they’ve been here.
His wife, June, also keeps busy taking
care of their two daughters, Victoria
who was bom 2 months ago at the
Griffin hospital, and Sedina, 7, a second
grader at Crescent Elementary School.
Dr. Bellodas (pronounced Bel-low
das) is a native of Chiclayo, Peru, a
little town along the South American
coast. He finished medical school in
Peru and decided to come to the United
States in 1956 to further his surgical
training.
For 7 years he studied at St. Joseph’s
Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., Veterans
Hospital in Victoria, British Columbia;
Lewis Gale Hospital in Roanoke, Va.,
and at the Chesapeake and Ohio
Hospital, Clifton Forge, Va.
He also was head surgeon in a group
practice at a Richlands, Va., hospital
and was on the staffs of the Bristol
(Tenn.-Va.) Memorial Hospital and the
Johnston Memorial Hospital in
Abington, Va.
June is a native of Marion, Va., and
met her future husband while he was
Mrs. Stallings named in warrant
Mrs. Edward Stallings, 102 Melton
street, has been charged with voluntary
manslaughter in connection with the
shooting death of 18-year-old Maurice
Eugene Mann on Feb. 25.
The warrant was taken by Emory S.
Mann of Searcy avenue, the victim’s
father.
Mrs. Stallings was released under
$5,000 bond. The case may be
considered by the June term of the
Spalding Superior Court Grand Jury.
Vol. 105 No. 59
Dr. Bellodas with wife holding Victoria in her lap and Sedina (middle).
practicing in Bristol.
Seeking a climate more like his
native Peru, the couple decided to
relocate in Florida. Their friend, Dr.
Carlos Zevallos, pathologist at the
Griffin-Spalding Hospital, influenced
them to come to Griffin instead.
They haven’t been sorry. “The people
are so friendly and went all out to make
us welcome”, June said.
She is especially impressed with the
Newcomers Club and enjoys its
functions.
Gerry also appreciates the friendly
atmosphere and cooperation he’s
received from other doctors and the
staff at the Griffin hospital.
He met Dr. Zevallos several years
ago while attending medical meetings
of some 450 Peruvian doctors
practicing in the United States. The
conventions have been held in Atlanta,
Detroit, Los Angeles and will be in
Chicago this year. Next year it’s
scheduled for Puerto Rico and in 1979,
their homeland, Peru.
Dr. Bellodas is very proud that his
classmate in the Peru medical school
performed one of the first open heart
operations in the States.
He also is proud of his new
instruments, thought to be the only ones
in Griffin, which with special lights and
a small flexible hollow cable, enable
him to photograph and look into a
patient’s esophagus, stomach,
duodenum and colon.
When he first came to Griffin, he sold
one of the sets to the hospital and often
The shooting occurred at 104 Melton
street, home of Mrs. Vester Ellis, Mrs.
Stallings’ mother.
Mrs. Stallings, who lives next door,
heard a disturbance at her mother’s
house and apparently thought someone
was attempting to break in there, police
said.
The home previously had been the
target of vandalism and harassment
attacks, police said.
Weather
FORECAST: Mostly cloudy, mild
and windy at times through Saturday
with showers and possibly a few
thundershowers likely continuing
tonight and a chance again on
Saturday.
EXTENDED FORECAST: Partly
cloudy with a chance of showers
statewide Sunday and along the coast
Monday, becoming fair by Tuesday.
uses it while on duty in the emergency
room.
The family’s dream, once a parctice
is established, is to move to the country.
Gerry’s father had farms in Peru and
June was raised on one. They both love
animals. Their fenced in yard on
Wesley drive bears that out with 5 dogs
and 5 cats — “all stray alley cats we
took in off the streets and fattened up,”
June explained.
When Gerry first came to this
country, he intended to return to Peru
following his surgical training. But
there were so many more opportunities
here, he soon changed his mind.
The most noticable difference in the
two countries is the faster living pace,in
the states, he said.
In Chiclayo families don’t have cars.
They walk everywhere. Here people
are always rushing, he noted.
Even though Dr. Bellodas has a
Spanish accent, he has no difficulties
with English.
It was different when he first landed
in Miami and couldn’t speak a word of
English. The only way he knew to get to
Kansas City was to follow his trunk. He
kept a close eye on that and when it
changed buses, he did too.
The Country Parson
by Frank Clark
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“We don’t like folks to
promise more than they can
deliver — unless they are
running for office.”
