The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 1

Ex- Webster' Star Is Clark Freshman D1 Julia Child's Guide For Modem Cook D1 Rating Best Firms for Working Moms B1 THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION For 121 Yean the South' Standard Newspaper cowht tv Atknu mam WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1989 SPORTS FINAL 25 CENTS Trade Show First Big Test for Underground Looking For The CREEPER By Melissa Turner Stuff Writer Doug Boyt, a sewing machine manufacturer from Des Moines, Iowa, had long since pulled off his tie and was nursing a gin and tonic at Lilly's Irish Pub. He was in town for the Bobbin Show, an apparel machinery trade convention, but the cobbled streets of Kenny's Alley in Underground Atlanta were his first stop on Monday, the day he arrived. "Everybody was talking about it," he explained, as his buddy, a supplier from East Point, ordered the fourth round. Or was it the fifth? By 8 p.m. the pair had soaked up the atmosphere in Atlanta's Beach Club, Dante's Down the Hatch and.

Bourbon Street Beat, and were back at Lilly's for the second time. "It's very friendly, warm atmosphere, nice legs," Mr. Boyt schmoozed, wrapping a sociable arm around a tolerant waitress. Yes, the conventioneers have finally hit town in full force, and the litmus test of Underground Atlanta is beginning Civic leaders have touted Underground Atlanta as the savior for the city's standing as a top convention destination. A whopping 68 percent of Underground's sales are projected to come from out-of-towners, mostly conventioneers and their spouses.

CONVENTION Continued on A16 Hugo Targets U.S., but Where? ANDYSHARPSteff DeKalb Officer A J. Gwyn and other officials search for the burglar on the roof of Lakeside High School Tuesday morning. Rarely Seen, Never Caught, Intruder Becoming Legend n. I wi FS, He HJ East Coast Battens Down For Onslaught Caribbean islands fight looting as cleanup begins. Page A10.

By Jingle Davis StaffWriter ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -Deadly Hurricane churned northwestward through the Atlantic on Tuesday night, threatening the U.S. mainland from Florida to North Carolina, and coastal residents began seeking shelter for boats and plywood for windows. Dr.

Robert Sheets, director of the National Hurricane Center in Coral Gables, said the first mainland hurricane watch ordered 36 hours before a storm is expected to strike probably would be issued today. A high pressure system north of Hugo, a low pressure system moving west across South Georgia and Iris, a tropical storm brewing up in Hugo's wake, are complicating efforts to forecast the storm's target Late Tuesday night, Hugo's eye was at latitude 23.8N, longitude 69.5W. 190 miles northeast of Grand Turk Island, moving northwest at 12 mph. "Right now, it's still a wait-and-see situation," said Ed Stelle, spokesman for the Glynn County Emergency Response Team. Hugo has killed at least 40 people in the Caribbean and left 50,000 or more homeless.

Although its winds had subsided to 105 mph Tuesday night, wary residents decided not to wait and see. Many boat owners who dock at the Golden Isles Marina adjacent to the Brunswick-St. Simons causeway fled the marina Tuesday to seek more sheltered inland harbors, according to Peggy Riley, who sells sailboats and teaches sailing at the marina. "People have been coming in all day to look at charts to see where U.S. Continued on Al 1 rr WILLIAM BERRYStaff Hurricane Hugo unleashed its power to demolish homes on the island of Vieques, off Puerto Rico.

By Katie Long And Robert Anthony Watts StaffWriteni Aa elusive burglar affectionately dubbed "the Creeper" by students at the two schools he frequents was the subject of PTA T-shirts Tuesday night, just hours after the mysterious vandal slipped away from an intense police search. PTA members at DeKalb County's Lakeside High were hawking T-shirts for $8 that say, "First there was Jaws, now there's the Creeper," as the legend surrounding the thus-far harmless burglar continued to -grow. "We're not making a joke out of it," said Terry Morris, PTA co-president. "There is a person who's breaking in, eating and living in the school. But if he's going to make some money off of us, we're going to make some money off of him." Students have nicknamed the burglar "the Creeper" and made him the center of attention at both Lakeside and Clarkston high schools, which have suffered 27 break-ins since May.

His popularity skyrocketed Tuesday when authorities secured the school for a thorough but unsuccessful two-hour search that gave Lakeside stu dents a welcome break from classes. Some of the 1,100 students celebrated in the parking lot and football field while police looked for a man seen climbing through a second-story window about 11:30 p.m. Monday. He was seen again about 5 a.m., apparently trying to leave. The same burglar is believed to have entered Lakeside oh Briarcliff Road nine times since late June, and Clarkston on North Indian Creek Drive 18 times since mid-May.

Police said they are following several leads. A few students expressed dismay at the Creeper's ability to elude police, but most said they think it's exciting. "A couple of people think it's a precursor to something else he's going to do," said Joan Grillo, a 15-year-old Lakeside sophomore. "But most of us think it's funny." The vandal has done little damage to the schools, said DeKalb police Lt Gene Moss. The burglar apparently roams the school, sometimes breaking into soda machines or pay telephones for change, he said.

Doors that had been locked are found open the next morning, tipping school officials that the Creeper has 'CREEPER' Continued on A12 i WHY HUGO 1 TWMMfM I 1 High pressure system over Atlantic, called "Bermuda High," is expected to block Hugo from veering north away from land, as Hurricane Gabrielle did last week. HEADED I a i i TOWARD U.S. i i n-t 35H Wind direction, blowing from high pressure to low, will give Hugo an additional shove toward the coast. Low pressure system over southern Georgia is creating a "trough" into which Hugo is being drawn. I I "VV VI 1 Hurrican.

Hugo 1 I WkT I is expected to 30 i 4 PHfc. I ht the coast 2 2 Vfl "tA Friday or Mute BB'n Saturday. 25H Tropical Storm Iris, following Hugo, could weaken the hurricane by competing for the warm, moist air mat feeds giant storms. 1 1 1 20H I TVvtv JR Pf 50 45' 40 35 30" 25 20 Sources: Weather Central, The New Yirk Times KEN MOWRY and MIKE GORDONStaff INSIDE TODAY Ethiopian-Eritrean Talks End Atlanta Phase Jews, Catholics Aim To 'Heal the Wounds' Over Polish Convent On Advertising: Diet Drink Tab To Be Revived? bi Falcons' Herock Rebuilds Team ei Mostly Cloudy Chance of rain; high in upper 70s. Details, Page C12.

By Colin Campbell StaffWriter The Atlanta peace talks between Ethiopia and the Eritrean rebels finally adjourned Tuesday without any breakthroughs. After 12 strenuous days, the two sides agreed to meet again in Nairobi, Kenya, on Nov. 18, but they did not agree on the crucial question of who will help former President Jimmy Carter mediate their differences. "Both sides have demonstrated that there is a genuine commitment to the peace process and a determination to continue the effort to a successful conclusion," said Mr. Carter, reading from the talks' final communique during a late-afternoon press conference at the Carter Presidential Center.

He called this commitment a major achievement in itself. The talks were the first international peace negotiations ever held in Atlanta, and the first public and observed talks between the Ethiopi- ETHIOPIANS Continued on A13 Eritrean rebel leader Isaias Afwerki (left) was in Atlanta during talks between his people and Ethiopians led by Ashegre Yigletu. BUSINESS SECTION From Wire Reiwrts NEW YORK The Vatican's declaration backing relocation of a Roman Catholic convent from the site of the Auschwitz death camp removed a serious impediment to better Catholic-Jewish relations, leaders of the church and of Jewish organizations said Tuesday. The Vatican, intervening directly in the dispute over the convent for the first time, expressed strong support Tuesday for the relocation of a Carmelite convent from the site of the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. The Holy See said that to ease the way for the move it was willing to help pay for the construction of a new interfaith prayer center farther from the camp where the Carmelite nuns are to be based.

Essentially, the Vatican statement, signed by Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, officially endorsed an agreement to remove the convent that was reached in 1987 by Catholic prelates and Jewish representatives. Cardinal Willebrands is a senior Vatican official and president of the Commission for Religious Relations with Jews. Although it was not a direct order for the nuns to move, the statement was seen by Catholic and Jewish leaders as the Vatican's clearest public commitment yet to resolve the controversy. The Vatican statement "eases tensions and puts a welcome end to a problet that has plagued Catholic VATICAN Continued on A16 Atlanta Investors Group Would Consider Buying Rich's METRO STATE section NATIONWORLD section A PEOPLE section SPORTS SECTION VOL eight other retail chains, said Lawrence R. Hugh, VF chairman and chief executive officer.

Reading, Pa -based VF is one of the largest apparel companies to halt shipments since Campeau revealed the severity of its cash crunch last week. In addition, the factoring department of Trust Company Bank in Atlanta has advised its clients to delay shipments to Campeau stores, including Rich's, until Campeau's financial picture becomes more clear. Numerous factoring firms across the country have taken similar steps. The companies are at risk because they buy clothing manufacturers' receivables, or the money owed them by retailers, and charge a fee for collecting the money. Rich's president, Winfrey H.

Smith, has said, however, that shipments of merchandise for the fall and Christmas seasons have not been noticeably interrupted in recent days. (jj ATLANTA Continued on A13 ABBY D10 BRIDGE O10 CATHY 02 CLASSIFIEDS C8 COMICS 06 CROSSWORD DS EDITORIALS A14 GRIZZARD CI By Chris Burritt StaffWriter An Atlanta investment group is preparing a bid for Rich's if the chain is put up for sale by its financially strapped owner, Campeau according to Roderick A Dowling, the head of mergers and acquisitions for Robinson Humphrey Company Inc. Meanwhile, VF the producer of Vanity Fair, Lee and Jantzen clothing, has halted shipments to Rich's and Campeau's HOROSCOPE 07 JUMBLE DS MOVIES D7 NEWSMAKERS A2 OBITUARIES C6 STOCKS 03 TELEVISION DS TUCKER A1S TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL 522-4141 5.