The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, July 26, 1978-Page.9
Two members of Wilmington 10 paroled
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - Two
members of the Wilmington 10 were
paroled from prison yesterday, leaving
six still behind bars. One of the six is
due to be released Friday.
A group of about 25 friends and sup-
porters greeted Willie Earl Vereen and
James McKoy as they walked out of the
New Hanover County prison unit.
"WE ARE HAPPY, but we recognize
we are merely changing the confines of
our incarceration," they said in a joint
statement, read by Vereen as McKoy
stood by.
The Wilmington 10 are nine black
men and a white woman convicted in
the firebombing of a grocery store
during racial trouble here in 1971. The
woman was paroled more than a year
ago.
Amnesty International, a London-
based group that monitors human
rights violations, has cited the
Wilmington 10 as a group of political
prisoners in the United States.
THE DEFENDANTS, who have
maintained that they are innocent, had
sought pardons, and their efforts drew
national attention.
Earlier this year, Gov. Jim Hunt
refused to pardon the group, but shor-
tened the terms of its members so that
all except their leader, the Rev. Ben
Chavis, would be eligible for parole this
year. Chavis will become eligible for
release in 1980.
The first to become eligible for parole
under the reduced sentences was Joe
Wright, who was released several
weeks ago. Jerry Jacobs is to be
released Friday, and four others will be
eligible for parole by October.
THE GROUP WAS convicted of
firebombing Mike's Grocery and of
shooting at police and fire department
personnel who responded to the fire.
"It is important that we reaffirm the
fact that we are not guilty of the
firebombing of Mike's Grocery or of
shooting at police officers," McKoy and
Vereen said in their statement.
"We have suffered punishment for
the past seven years for crimes that we
did not commit, and unless the court
reverses the conviction, we will
probably suffer for the rest of our lives.
"We realize that the road ahead is
rocky, but we intend to weather that
storm," they said. "Our priority is to
free the remaining Wilmington 10
members and to win a reversal of our
convictions."
Jolly good si
gets London
(Continued from Page One) they di
Though the bus offers a very rocky said.
ride, 19-year-old passenger Dan Leach Duar
said it helps add to the authenticity of riders,
the ride. tary pa;
"Having an American-made bus "I do
would defeat the whole purpose. That's genera
why the suspension had to be bad-it senior
wouldn't bean English bus if itwasn't." havem
Sulli%
THE DOUBLEDECKER, which has runmr
been renovated every two years, is "Ifn
decorated with several remnants of its fare re
heritage, such as a "Keep Britain evalu
Tidy" sticker and "stubbers," rough said.
areas against which customers may
strike wooden matches.'-
The buses serve as a link between the
two Ann Arbor business districts, filling
a void which local merchants and
citizens have been trying to bridge for
several years.
"I think this (the bus) is nice for
people who are just here to shop
because they can park their cars and
swing around (on the bus) for trips that
may be too far to walk," according to
Clara Falk, a 68-year-old Ann Arbor
resident.
BUS DRIVER Hollis Smith said the
vehicle "is pretty good. I don't like how
the clutch works." Smith added that the
doubledecker has neither power
steering nor power brakes. Though the
bus can race at speeds up to 45 miles
per hour, Smith said he never takes it
over 25 miles per hour in the city.
Sullivan said Liberty Unlimited, Inc.,
which actually runs the shuttles, chose
not to build new buses or use American
doubledeckers "because they're not as
neat (as English buses)."
The buses, which have between
500,000 and 3,000,000 miles on their
chassis, lack many modern dsshboard
instruments, including a fuel gauge.
"WE RAN OUT of gas yesterday,"
Sullivan said. Drivers will use a dip-,
stick to measure how much gas they
have.
The whole project will cost $92-95,000
per year, 90 per cent of which will be
paid by advertisers who buy space on
the inside and outside of the bus.
Passengers are charged no fare,
though contributions are accepted.
"WE DIDN'T WANT to have to
hassle our drivers by having them
make change, and hassle the customers
by telling them they couldn't ride if
Since 1916, when meteorologists
/ buses
dn't have the money," Sulli'
e Anderson, one of yesterda
said he likes the idea of vol
yment for the service.
n't know how much money it'
te. I think it's a good system
citizens and students who do
oney," Anderson said.
van said the Shuttledeckers'
a year, then the program wil
ied.
ye're not picking up enough
venues ... we'll just have to
te the project at that point,"
van
ay's
un-
will
for
ont
will
1 be
in
re-
she
Organizing Committee for Clericals
Informational M1eeting
and Open House
Wednesday, July 26-4-7 p.m.
Michigan Union Ballroom
Open to all Speakers
UM clericals Informal Discussion
Refreshments
Sponsored by CAMPUS LABOR SUPPORT GROUP
THE
1978
MICHIGANENSIAN
HAS FINALLY ARRIVEDI
Yearbooks can be picked up at
STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG.
420 MAYNARD ST.
Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm
Yearbooks are also on sale
for $12.00
i