European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 01, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes thursday february 1,1990 new Home sales fell to 5-year Low in 89 Washington a sales of new Homes slumped 9.6 percent in december the government reported wednesday helping to drag sales in 1989 to their lowest level in five years. The Commerce department raid new single family Homes were sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 629.000 units in december after rising a revised 9.3percent in november. November sales originally were reported up 9.6 percent. For the year sales totalled 650.000, Down 3.8 per cent from the 676.000 sales in 1988. Sales in 1989 were the lowest since 639,000 units were purchased in 1984. Analysis have cited High mortgage interest rates for much of the decline. But they had been looking for improving Home sales As mortgage interest rates declined. Rates had risen last year As a result of Federal Reserve efforts to drive Down inflation by tightening credit. Fixed rate mortgages averaged 9.78 percent at the end of december according to a Survey by the Federal Home loan mortgage corp. They had peaked at 11.22 percent last March. Unusually cold weather May have Hurt december new Home sales. The National association of realtors last week blamed the severe weather in part for a  percent decline in sales of existing Homes last month. But mortgage Rales also were blamed for cutting sales of existing Homes 4.6 percent less than those of 1988. The Commerce department reported that the medi an Price of a new Home in december Rose 4.1 percent to $130,100 and ft.7 percent to $121.000 for the year. The median Means that half of the Homes Cost More half less. On the other hand the a crag Price of a Home in december Rose 5.1 percent to $159.800. It was up 8 percent to $147.700 for the car. In another report the realtors said recent declines in mortgage rates last month helped boost its Index measuring the ability of the typical american family to buy a Home. The Index measured 108.2 in december meaning that a family earning the National median income of $33.600 had 108.2 percent of the income needed to qualify for conventional financing covering 80 percent of a Home priced at $92.500, the median existing Home Price for that month. The changes in the National median existing Home Price mortgage rate and median income Between no vember and december resulted in a $14 decrease in the median monthly mortgage payment which was $647 in december the realtors said. The Index stood at 105.5 in november. In its report the Commerce department said new Homes sales Rose 4 percent to 105,000 units in the Northeast but dropped in other regions of the country. Sales were Down 28.3 percent to 91,000 units in the Midwest 6.2 percent to 243,000 units in the South and 9.1 percent to 190,000 units in the West. Northwest s longest flying attendant retires at 70 Seattle a a woman believed to be the nation s oldest flight attendant has retired at age 70 after logging nearly 4 / years in the air during a career that began in 1948. I had to have a goal for something and i figured it might As Well be old Connie Walker said tuesday after she stepped off a Northwest airlines flight from Seoul South Korea. With a sparkle in her Eye that might have been a tear she said her feelings were torn. The body is ready to quit and the heart wants to keep going she said. Walker her Union and company representatives said that As far As they knew she was inc nation s oldest flight Atten Dant. About three dozen friends and co workers greeted Walker at Scalle Tacoma International Airport with Flowers balloons hugs and a chorus of for she s a Good  among inc Well wishers was do disc Flanagan. Walker had helped her Mother deliver her on a flight to Anchorage 36 years ago. Northwest flew Flanagan fro her Home in Ludlow mass., and her Mother. Lorraine Magenau from Akron Ohio to help Walker celebrate her retire ment. They remained in touch Over the Yea Sand Walker who never married Calls Flanagan her daughter. We re unofficial family love not  Flanagan said. Magenau said it May have been anxiety that brought on the labor during the flight. When Walker came to help Mac Nau remembers her saving. I Don t know anything about babies but i la do what i  Walker started Fhi Ngat 2x in 1948. On a route Between Portland ore., and Hil Lings Mont. She has spent nearly 4 years of her life in the air. And her mile age is the equivalent of about 70 1 trips around the Earth the airline estimated. Walker said her next trip will he a vacation cruise so i Don t have to go in and out of an Airport and stand in  she plans a flight to noway in de Cember but said silting Down will he a new experience. Like an old warhorse. You want to get up and  she said. Cindy yeast of the association of flight attendants in Washington. . Said it is common for attendants to work into their 60s. But 70 is the oldest she has heard of. Bill Raincy. With teamsters local 2707, which represents 6.500 flight attendants said he knows of none older. Northwest has no age limit for flight attendants airline spokeswoman Karen Jollick. Walker never showed her age. Her co workers said. She s an Ama ing  said Bob Ryan who was first officer on her last Ili get. It s hard to believe that it Slu has the spark and drive she has it s really  ism Motorola to create Mobile computer service new York a portable computer owners will be Able to tap into Central computers from almost anywhere without using Telephone lines through a nationwide radio network being developed by ism and Moto Rola inc. We re giving the Mobile worker Access to data he s never had before said Jack  International business machines executive who was named presi Dent of inc joint venture called Ardis. Motorola had offered a similar service to clients in new York Chicago and los an Geles and had designed a nationwide in House system for ism service technicians. The companies said tuesday they decided to Combine the networks to get a payback from  invested dollars. For Motorola it provides a National radio network to Market to new clients. Ardis officials said scars. Roebuck and co. And new York life insurance co. Arc among major companies testing the system. Potential users include Field service personnel such As equipment maintenance technicians real estate brokers package de livery workers police officers and insurance Connie Waller right is congratulated by Denise Flanagan of Ludlow mass whom Walker Diu red into the world during a 1954 flight. Agents. By using a hand held terminal hooked to the radio network a Mobile Home appliance repairman could be told by his Headquarters what service Calls to make Andin turn could Check on the availability of parts from his company s warehouse. The service which will be available i april would appear to be in Competition with cellular telephones. By using cellular phones and a Modem a portable computer can be hooked up to a mainframe computer. But ism and Motorola say their system is More useful because it is on line All the Lime there s no need to dial up a computer. In addition they say it provides the ability to store and recall messages that arc sent to the terminal when the user is not monitoring  phones have difficulty penetrating buildings made of certain materials but the computer system would have no such prob lems the companies said. Ism and Motorola would not disclose the amount they Are investing in the 50-50 partnership. Exact pricing of the service has not been set bul in is expected to Cost about $ 100 to $ 150 a month per terminal. Noriega s calling cards still doing Good business Capitola. Calif. Up jus because deposed panamanian Strong Man Manuel Antonio Noriega has been put behind bars does t mean his business cards have gone out of circulation. Entrepreneur Joel Peterson whose brother was in the . Invasion Force that overran Panama obtained a Cache of the former dictator s calling cards and is peddling them As souvenirs at s10 apiece. There s still a limited Supply first come first  Peterson. 30. Cheerily said in a Telephone recording at his Capitola Home tuesday. These business cards were actually taken from general Noriega s desk during the radon  each card comes with a letter of authenticity. Army sgt. Mark Peterson Joel s brother took four types of business cards about 75 of each and some of Noriega s stationery from inc general s desk in Panama last month Joel Peterson said. Sgt. Pc Lerson had been sent to no Riega s Headquarters in inc mop up operation after . Troops stormed the compound during operation just cause. He gave his brother a signed Handwritten note certifying that these cards belonged to general Man Uel Noriega and were personally acquired by myself at Noriega s office. On 22 dec. 89 during operation just cause " Noriega is being held at a Federal prison outside of Miami awaiting trial on drug charges so Peterson Rea soned he had no use for the cards. An army policy announced during the panamanian action allowed sol Diers to Lake souvenirs As Long As they were not weapons drugs or anything that might have been used As Evi Dence in criminal proceedings Peter son said