RALEIGH, N.C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24,1991 VOL. 50, NO. 96 Semi-Weekl DEDICATED TO THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRisf INGLE COPY nr IN RALEIGH ELSEWHERE 30« Unlicensed Radio Station Operator Resists FCC Ruling See Page 22 Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Gears Up For 44th Annual Blue Revue Pages 11-13 U.S. Census Finds Successful Blacks Deserting Inner City LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP)—Successful blacks are moving out of inner-city neighborhoods to middle-class suburbs, leaving behind an underclass that clashes with Asian and Hispanic newcomers, a report released last week said. The United Way of Greater Los Angeles joined with the Black Partnership Development Council to gather statistics on what they perceived as a decline in the “socioeconomic status... of African American residents.” The report used data from a wide variety of sources including the U.S. Census, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the county health department and various academic studies. The picture that emerged was that Los Angeles blacks missed out on the prosperity of the 1980s and are sinking deeper into poverty because of poor education, health care and lack of job opportunities. The report charted black migration patterns and employment in Los Angeles County. As blacks moved to the San Gabriel Valley, the Antelope Valley, Mount Baldy and northern Los Angeles County, other ethnic groups moved into Watts and other areas. “What’s happening to these communities is that jobs have been disappearing faster than the people,” said Barbara Solomon, dean of graduate studies at the University of Southern California. “They are left without a way to earn a living.” The report is meant to be used by political leaders to plan programs and services for the Los Angeles black community. Some conclusions of the report were: •The school dropout rate for minorities is 50 percent higher tha for whites. •A third to a quarter of blacks in Los Angeles spend most of their income on housing. •Blacks in Las Angeles are three (SeeCENSUS.P. 2) City Bank Robberies Soar One Suspect In Custody From CAROLINIAN Staff Reports A lone suspect was apprehended shortly after 9:45 a.m. Wednesday following the robbery of Mechanics and Farmers Bank branch on Rock Quarry Road. According to reports, the suspect told the teller and others that he was armed, but no gun was seen during the crime. The robber allegedly stuffed the money in his sock and fled on foot. He was later apprehended by the police. No one was hurt during the robbery. Police would not reveal the suspect’s name, address or description early Wednesday. Stanley Greene, senior vice president of Mechanics and Farmers Bank in Raleigh, said this was the first time the bank had been robbed in the area. The bank has a main office on Hargett Street and a branch on Rock Quarry Road near Southgate Shopping Center. Also recently, two people were arrested when a special unit stormed a North Raleigh apartment in search of two suspects who had robbed a bank less than three hours earlier. Police said a man and a woman held up the United Federal Savings Bank at 4020 Wake Forest Road. It was Raleigh’s 35th bank robbery of the year. During the holdup, neither suspect said anything, but the woman handed a note to the teller that announced an armed robbery and demanded money, said Raleigh Police Capt. R.C. Friese. The teller placed an undisclosed amount of money in a bag and handed it to the woman. Witnesses watched the robbers drive away in a white Datsun and wrote (See BANK ROBBED, P. 2) NEWS BRIEFS KMB BLVD. PLAN The Raleigh City Council recently approved a comprehensive plan amendment which would guide development in the area of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard betweea Wilmington and Holmes streets. The plan Includes recommendations on land use, housing, neighborhood stabilisation, appearance, and the effects of the new thoroughfare on existing neighborhoods. The sob-area plan provides, through dtisen Input, a concept and guidelines for future development along the Martin Luther King, Jr. corridor and for adjoining neighborhoods. PARIONfi 8ARA6E Miller Building Corp.. Raleigh, has been awarded a IS million contrnct to huild the new Cabarrus Street Parking Garage In downtown Raleigh for the Raleigh Parking Deck Association. The architect on the project is NBBJ of RTF. The S3S,see-square-foot Parking GarUge will have MS spaces and will Include seven floors above ground and three below. The major tenants are CP6L and the (See NEWS BRIEFS, P.J) 1Mechanics & Farmers Bank BANK ROBBERY—Mechanics and Fanners Bank, branch location an Rack Quarry Rd. near Sauthgata Shopping Canter, was rsbbed Wednesday morning. One suspect was apprehended on foot by tin Raleigh Ponce Department. This makes the 37th robbery af local banks this year. (Phste by James Mes) First Union Indicator Finds Unemployment In Triangle Up Unemployment in the Triangle dropped in August to 3.6 percent, the lowest level in the state, while total employment increased one percent over the same month last year—the first such increase in 14 months. Wake County also showed an increase in single-family home starts and is one of only two major counties in the state to report an increase in car sales. These were among the findings of the First Union Perspectives briefing on the Triangle economy released Tuesday. “It’s encouraging to see job growth begin here again after 13 months of watching our total employment shrink from the same month in the previous year,” said Jim Fain, First Union’s Raleigh area executive. “And our level of unemployment illustrates the relative strength of the Triangle economy as the nation struggles to recover from recession.” Breaking a downward trend that began in July IBM, estimated total employment for the Triangle rose one percent in August to 416,200. Unemployment dropped to 3.6 percent in July and August after peaking at 4.1 percent in May and June. Hut’s up from 2.2 percent in August IBM. Single-family home starts in Wake County were up 4.8 percent through July to 2,218. Durham County, however, permitted 17.2 percent fewer homes through July, while in Orange County the year-to-date decline is 12.4 percent. Together, the three counties in July permitted 3,032 homes—less than half the number permitted six years ago. “Housing has been on a slide since 1888,” Fain said. “1M1 may be the bottom of the slide, and now we appear to have a balance between production and demand." Orange County bucked the trend of weak multifamily activity in the Triangle, permitting 54 Units through July—a 285.7 percent increase over last year. The 328 units permitted through July for the Triangle overall compared to 1.188 a year earlier. “We may end the year with the lowest level of apartment construction in at least seven or eight years,” Fain said. “However, vacancy has declined enough that we’U likely start seeing, rent increases . and new apartment construction—especially now that Job growth is stimulating demand again." Nonresidentiai construction in Wake County through July totaled $79.2 million, a 46.4 percent decline from last year and the lowest level in at least six years. In Durham County, however, thb July year-to-date total of $71.4 million was up 11.1 percent, and Orange County's total of $5.4 million was a 248.3 percent increase over a weak 1990. Auto sales in Wake Codnty through September were up 1.6 percent over last year to 20,392. “The Increase is probably due largely to an unusual jate-sujmmer boost from rental cars registered^ for Raleigh Durham International Airport," Fain said. “Still, we Are Starting to see some strength in the new-car market. Wake County has registered two quarterly gains this year, compared to 1990, when sales declined every quarter." The only other major county in the state reporting a year-to-date gain was Cumberland, where returning Ft. Bragg troops boosted spring car sales. Sales elsewhere in the Triangle were more reflective of the national trend, with Orunge County reporting a 12 2 percent decline through September, while Durham reported a 5.2 percent decline. St. Aug’s Student Cited By Prexy In Youth Of Year Competition BY ALMIC M. I’KKKI.KS ('MlrHwIliiK WrUrr Carl Douglas, a resident of Washington, D.C., and a student at St. Augustine's College, recently returned from the White House, where he was honored by President George Bush. He was one of five national finalists in the Boys and Girls Clubs of America compete '