European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 27, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday december 27, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 9 hitting the water again a americans portraying George Washington and his Continental forces Row away from Pennsylvania on their Way across the Delaware River on wednesday. The group was participating in the 39th re enact ment of the historic crossing. Washington and his forces crossed the River and routed a hessian Garrison stationed at Trenton nj., on dec. 26,1776, in a morale boosting Victory for the american  see toys r us goals As local threat Tokyo up a a japanese toy association expressed concern thursday that the Domestic Industry will suffer at the hands of toys r us the . Company seeking to expand business in Japan. Toys r us Japan a first store a which with 32,292 Square feet of floor space is Gigantic by japanese standards a opened last week in the town of Ami just North of Tokyo. A in England More than 80 percent of toy stores have Given up their business since toys r us landed there a said Akira Namba chairman of the japanese association of specially toy stores an organization representing More than 500 toy retailers. A Japan should not become another England. We have built business rules to maintain  japanese toy retailers can buy products Only through wholesale companies Namba said. Toys r us however buys some products directly from toy makers. A spokeswoman for toys r us Japan defended the practice. A we Are thinking of customers As a first priority a she said. A if we can get a product at a lower Price we will take it. We Are Selling products to customers not to makers or  the company is planning to open seven stores in Japan by the end of 1992 and to add 10 stores every year until it reaches 100. Namba criticized the company for Selling a Large percentage of japanese products despite company claims that it could Nelp reduce Japan a widening Trade surplus with the United states by Selling american toys. A about 75 percent of goods they Are Selling Are made in Japan and less than 25 percent Are made in the ., Namba  Public data is growing business by the new York times As More government records Are computerized a from Texas bankruptcy filings to new York Drivers licenses to state voter registration lists a companies Are eagerly buying Access to the data and reselling it Over computer services. The companies which Range from tiny specialized concerns to big information Mills like the Dun amp Bradstreet corp., Prentice Hall and Mead data Central say they Are finding increasing demand from Banks Law firms marketers private investigators and journalists. A a it a evolved to the Point now that its so inexpensive to redistribute data that Public data has in effect become a commodity with very Low overhead a said Joseph w. Duncan the chief economist at Dun amp Bradstreet. But for some experts on privacy issues making a commodity of Public data May infringe the rights of individuals. One of the fastest growing companies Atlanta based information America inc., offers 500 categories of data including corporate and limited partnership records from 25 states real estate records from 16 states and bankruptcy records from counties around the country. Information America founded in 1982, charges $15 to $95 for each search depending on the maternal. The company which recently made an initial Public Stock offering in the Over the counter Market had revenues of $14 million in 1990,10 times greater than in 1986. Larger companies that have Long dominated information services Are now expanding their offerings and More aggressively marketing their products. Prentice Hall a unit of Simon amp schuster recently set up a Legal and financial services division where clients can have Access to 125 million Public records including lists of people who Are delinquent in paying their taxes. As these companies cast their nets wider they Are for the first time making Public data easily accessible to most people and Small businesses. In fact anyone with a personal computer can subscribe to an information service and probably learn something about nearly anyone in the country who has had Contact with a government Agency or court in the last decade. Most subscribers use the information to evaluate business opportunities find customers conduct background checks or support other types of research. The Industry a expansion has drawn the information prove  service providers into a debate Over the possible misuse of government records. Privacy advocates say Many people do not realize that much of the information they routinely provide government offices is being sold for an array of uses. The companies that sell the information respond by saying they Are simply providing easier Access to information that has always been available to the Public. Arnold Appleman a private investigator in Costa Mesa calif., says the services save an enormous amount of time. He said he used his personal computer to help find documents around the country for fraud investigations. Those in Appleman a line of business often use searches similar to information americans people finder. The service has 111 million names a nearly half the population of the country a culled from subscription houses and address lists updated by vendors working under License from the postal service. People finder according to information americans promotional brochure can a track Down shareholders defendants witnesses or heirs find out of state addresses and Telephone numbers conduct background checks prepare for real estate transactions and in Jle salvation army extends Bell ringing solicitations Chicago up the familiar Jingle of salvation army Bell ringers is not disappearing from Chicago a streets after Christmas. For the first time in the 100-year history of the salvation army so tree of lights Campaign the ret Volu a a Quot by i _ cd kettles and Iii Teers will be on the streets past the Holiday. Kettle collections will continue through sunday at locations that Are experiencing particularly difficult budget times said salvation army spokesman Robert Cotner. A a it a just very Tough out there a Cotner said a we re not Selling it from the mid dle class As we Nave in the past. They done to have the extra Money to give and we Are feeling the  donations to the salvation army fell about 10 percent this Holiday season while the number of people in need has increased by 20 percent Charity officials said. The unprecedented Extension will keep Bell ringers on the streets until sunday. The salvation army said it had collected had about $2.8 million by Christmas eve compared with More than $3 million during the same period last year. The Charity usually Hopes to raise about half its $25 million annual budget through the a tree of lights Campaign and plans to increase direct mail solicitation. Tumbling Bride gets break Courtesy of Rev. Dinkins new York up the Groom wore a Pony Tail. The Bride wore a Sling. And the preacher wore two hats. This was no Ordinary wedding. Lappy to the Young couple Joshua Balrin and eve Choplin both _ their trip to the altar with a Nasty tall 23, had begun Down the new York City Hall Steps on monday. Choplin broke her Arm. A Friendly police officer helped her inside to a Bench where she Lay in pain for 45 minutes with a broken Arm waiting for an Amu Tuce. In the meantime new York mayor David Dinkins heard her cries Ana came out to help Comfort her. A i thought if you fall at City Hall and you can t get an ambulance where can you get one a Choplin said. But she said she was sons see the mayor that she cried. And that was when Dinkins offered to help them tie the knot. So Back they came tuesday with family in Tow Tor a rare ceremony in the Blue room scene of daily mayoral news conferences. Dinkins who used to refer to the process As a  a told waiting reporters and photographers a a in a going to nuptial ate them  then the ceremony began with the budget conscious mayor referring to himself As Quot reverend