Liddy paroled "East of the sun and west of the moon." That was G. Gordon Liddy's destination after his release from a federal prison at Danbury, Conn. Liddy, the mastermind of the Watergate burglary, served 52 months of his 20-year maximum sentence. In the spring of 1977, President Carter commuted that sentence to an 8-year term for Liddy. Before he gained his parole in September, Liddy declared himself a pauper, claiming his worth to be less than $20. He made special arrangements to pay his $40,000 fine to federal authorities. Liddy's neighbors started a fund-raising drive to help pay his debts. Patty Word
Lance resigns Bert Lance was forced to resign as Director of the Office of Management and Budget after questionable items were revealed about his personal finances. He had accumulated $2 million in potential overdrafts on his accounts in two Georgia banks. Lance's troubles created the first major crisis in President Carter's administration. Before his resignation, Lance appeared before a Senate committee investigating his business affairs. For a short while, some administration members felt that Lance's dignified testimony had saved his job. The euphoria quickly died, however, as the Senate committee hammered away at Lane. President Carter, a close, personal friend of Lance's, was reluctant to let the director resign. But finally both Carter
and Lance agreed that resignation was the best course to follow. In his final statement, Lance said, "I am convinced that I can continue to be an effective Director of the Office of Management and Budget. However, because of the amount of controversy and the continuing nature of it, I have decided to submit my resignation as Director of the OMB." Some people accused the press of hounding Lance out of office. Democratic Rep. John Flynt of Georgia said that Lance was "charged, tried and convicted by a lynch mob." At the time of his resignation, Lance and President Carter felt that the director had been treated fairly. In early January, Lance assumed duties as a commentator for WXIA-TV in Atlanta.
Guy Lombardo Over the past 48 years, the music of Guy Lombardo and his orchestra, the Royal Canadians, became an important part of the New Year's tradition. Millions of Canadians and Americans danced across confetti-covered floors to the melodies of Lombardo's band. As streamers and balloons fell from above, party-goers rang in the New Year with verses of "Auld Lang Syne." This year, the creator of "the sweetest music this side of heaven" was absent from all the New Year's festivities. A breathing problem associated with pulmonary artery trouble took the life of Guy Lombardo on Nov. 5. The 75-yearold musician had led a band for 63 years.
Patty Word Nonci Hellrnich
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