Lake Braddock Secondary School - Lair Yearbook (Burke, VA)

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News Briefs Labor Pains Workers’ strikes in Poland con- tinued into the new year as Solidarity, the national federation of Poland’s new independent unions and ten million workers, demanded political liberalization. In September, Stanislav; Kania replaced Edward Gierek as the Polish party boss. Because this ac- tion implied that the Soviets were gaining too much power in Poland, Western European nations were uneasy. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization in December issued a warning to the Soviets that if they intervened any further in Poland, NATO would take action because the detente would be broken. NATO, wary of the Soviets in Afghanistan, wanted to prevent any invasion in Poland. Living conditions in Poland during the strikes were deplorable. Food, gas, and other supplies were scarce and high priced. Still, the workers, led by Lech Walesa, con- tinued to protest and to challenge the Communist system. The Poles acted very bravely in standing up for their cause against the Soviet power. Although they feared Soviet intervention, which could cause an international crisis of great dimensions, they per- sisted for their rights. Towering Inferno The second worst hotel fire in the United States history occurred at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas on November 21. Eighty-four people were killed, mainly from smoke inhalation, and 700 others were injured. The public was enraged by the hotel’s failure to heed the urgings of fire officials to install sprinkler systems and smoke alarms. The fire brought a greater awareness of the dangers involved in the more than 12,000 hotel and motel fires in the United States each year. -The Phillies won the World Series over the Royals. --John Bonham, Led Zeppelin's drummer died in London. -Voyager I photographed Saturn and sent amazing information about the icy moons, the seas of li- quid nitrogen, and the hundreds of rings around Saturn. -Thousands of Cubans and Hatian refugees immigrated to Florida. -Sugar Ray Leonard regained his Welterweight crown when Roberto Duran quit in the eighth round. -Draft registration was resumed. -Michael Meyers, found guilty in the Abscam scandal, was the first House member expelled for cor- ruption since the Civil War. -Brushfires scorched Southern California. -Portugal’s Premier Francisco Sa Carneiro died in a plane crash. -•'Ordinary People’’ was named best picture of the year by the New York Film Critics’ Circle Awards in the 45th annual balloting. -The U. S. Census Bureau’s 1980 population count was 226,504,825. -Redskins' Jack Pardee, last year’s coach of the year, was fired. -Billy Carter was investigated by a Senate panel for receiving a $220,000 loan from the Libyians. --War broke out in Iran and Iraq because of border disputes. -Soviet troops continued to oc- cupy Afghanistan, but the Afghan rebels showed no sign of yielding. -Mao Tse Tung's widow was on trial for conspiracy. --AP and UPI polls determined that the Georgia Bulldogs were the 1980 champions of college foot- ball. -Prime interest rates soared to 21V» %. -Professional ballet dancer, Ron Regan, married Doria Palmieri, a literary researcher. -In a park in Hermitage, Penn- sylvania, a flag was flown for each day the hostages were in captivity. -Thirty seven nations boycotted the Summer Olympics because of the Soviet troops in Afghanistan. -The world found out ‘‘Who shot J.R.” Student Life 43

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Let My People Go As the United States and Iran sought an agreement for the release of the 52 Americans, the hostage situation dragged on. Conditions for the freeing of the hostages were to pledge noninterference in Iranian affairs, to unfreeze $13 billion in Iranian assets, to cancel all United States claims against Iran, and to return the late Shah’s wealth to Tehran. Although it was believed the Ira- nians would try to influence the United States’ election, the hostages spent their one year an- niversary in Iran on election day. Iran's war with Iraq, it was thought, should have speeded up the return of the hostages; however, all 52 Americans were still held captive as the new year began. Videotaped messages were sent to the hostages' families in late December. Italy Shakes Its Bootie Italy's worst earthquake in 65 years occurred on November 23. leaving more than 3.000 dead. 2.000 missing, 8.000 injured, and 3,100 homeless. The quake struck some major cities but was concen- trated mainly in the rural villages on the ankle of the Italian boot. Rescue operations began slowly because Italy was unprepared for a disaster of this magnitude. There were no plans and few resources for the rescue teams in the moun- tain hamlets. Soldiers, firemen, medical supplies, and heavy equip- ment had to be brought from military bases hundreds of miles north. International help came swiftly. Large quantities of food, clothing, and medical supplies were brought; however, delivery to isolated villages was slow. Many deaths could have been prevented if rescue operations had gotten to the hard-to-reach areas sooner. Gun Control Dr. Michael Halberstam, a noted cardiologist and author, died in Sibley Memorial Hospital on December 5 after being shot five times by an intruder in his home in Washington. Halberstam im- mediately went to his car and began driving to the hospital. En route, he saw the burglar and struck him with the car, then resuming his course, hit a tree. A driver took him to the hospital, where he died shortly after arrival. Ironically, Dr. Halberstam was an advocate of gun control and had recently declared in a speech that he did not want to be the next vic- tim of a shooting. He showed great strength in his last moments in try- ing to apprehend Bernard C. Welch, the burglar. Welch was overtaken by police shortly after the incident. Police discovered that he was a profes- John’s Gone Former Beatle John Lennon was shot and killed on December 8 in the lobby of the Dakota, his apart- ment building in New York. His assailant, Mark David Chapman, called Lennon's name and shot him four times, then stood calmly until police came and arrested him. The police rushed Lennon to the hospital where he died minutes later. The impact of Lennon's death was overwhelming. Fans were in shock to hear that their idol, who had changed music forever with the Beatles sound, was dead. Hun- dreds of mourners gathered out- side the Dakota the day after he died. Thousands gathered for vigils to pray for his soul. Radio stations played his music all day and had moments of silence in his honor. John was more than an idol —he was a trendsetter, a peacemaker, and a person whom teenagers respected. Although he died, his legend and his ac- complishments live forever. Advocate Shot sional thief with an extensive record, who had eluded the law in at least seven states in the previous six years. He had escaped from jail six years earlier and was linked to many robberies in the Northern Virginia area where he had resided for five years. He stole the finest silver, expensive jewelry, furs, and genuine antiques from wealthy people's homes. His home was a spacious ranch in an expensive area, and his neighbors thought he was an investor. Police found Welch's vast amount of loot in the basement of his home. People whose homes had been robbed stood in long lines waiting to identify their belong- ings. Tight security was used in allowing the people to see the goods, and it was months before the evidence was returned to the owners. 42 Active Duty

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 °' 0-0“00 While reading Richard III, in Mrs. Gifford's English class. Richard Clark. David Irish and Dan Staron find comfortable reading positions. Before first period Seniors gather around the Media Center in SS V to exchange the latest gc (Cheryl Oslund, Leslie Harper, Debbie Sahd, Regina Gifford, Loretta Fitzmorris. Shawn Thorn 44 Honorable Discharge