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About Griffin daily news. (Griffin, Ga.) 1924-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1977)
Ji 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. R feflkvTM . i ' v j&L.. oMw •■» «- M 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) 4 ‘ wiJfct I I ■ wl I L Orel Sir mk!\ &Jar a KA JF r ' ,v ' -1 Kr x*' x BB? W. -it- k vt* . . B r / tv 'VC 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 yx Un. tm iV ~ 1 and “We don’t like folks to promise more than they can deliver — unless they are running for office.”
