European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 13, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes Money matters tuesday september 13, 1994 re today s rates following arc fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell for eign currencies to  personnel for personal use British Pound 1.60 dutch Guilder 1.68 German Mark. 1.50 note the Ratos above apply within the Host country. Agures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be regarded As the approximate value of the  Dollar to foreign Curren cies. " austrian Schilling. 10.8285 Bahrain Dinar. 0.37675 belgian franc a British Pound. 1.57 Canadian Dollar. 1.3660 danish Krone. 6.0780 dutch Guilder. 1.7269 French franc. 5.2745 German Mark. 1.5405 greek drachma. A italian lira 1,565 Kuwait Dinar. 0.29705 norwegian Krone. 6.7655 portuguese escudo. 156.85 saudi rial. 3.75 Spanish peseta. 127.95 Swiss franc. 1.2805 turkish lira. 33,100.00 note figures Are expressed n dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quote $390.80 an ounce Silver quote $5.46 an ounce sources merchants National Bank & Trust co. And the associated press m May merge by the los Angeles times los Angeles in a Deal that would create Southern California s larg est supermarket Chain Ralphs grocery co. And the owner of Alpha Beta stores Are expected to announce a $2.5 billion merger today the los Angeles times has Learned. The Deal Between Ralphs grocery co. And Yucaipa cos., which also owns the boys and Viva chains and food 4 less warehouse stores would be the largest supermarket merger in California history creating a grocery giant that would sur pass longtime Leader Vons in sales and store Sites. If the agreement was completed Mon Day the companies expected to merge their operations in november or Decem Ber. Yucaipa would convert All of its Alpha Beta boys and Viva markets to either Ralphs or food 4 less warehouse stores sources said. Currently there Are 131 Alpha Beta 24 boys and 15 Viva stores in the state at the same time u to 30 of the 167 Ralphs stores would be converted to food 4 less warehouse stores to meet growing demand for discount prices and anticipated challenges from Wal Mart sources said. Wal Mart is expected to open a number of California grocery operations under its superstore format Over the next few years. The Southern California chains con trolled by Yucaipa Are operated by food 4 less supermarkets. The Board of directors of food 4 loss supermarkets inc. And the directors of Ralphs already have approved the merger but the Deal won t be final until it is approved by All of Ralphs shareholders sources Saij. Such an agreement would face anti Trust scrutiny by the state attorney Gener Al and the Federal Trade commission. The merger would create a vast Chain. Controlling about 27 percent of the Cali fornia Market. R on shopping by mexicans by Chris Kraul los Angeles times san Ysidro Calif Andy Carras cd walked across the.  Bor Der on the Way to the big Vons grocery store Here knowing that for All the talk of lowered Trade barriers Between the two countries he can buy Only $50 Worth of duty free groceries this trip. Free Trade agreement what free Trade agreement wondered Carrasco a resident of Tijuana Mexico who makes two or three weekly shopping trips across the Border at san Ysidro 18 Miles South of downtown san Diego i m buying fewer things and paying More  Carrasco and countless other mexican shoppers Are furious Over the newly toughened enforcement of a $50 limit imposed by mexican customs on . Goods they can buy. It s a ceiling they say Vio lates the spirit of the North american free Trade agreement and contrasts painfully with the $400 limit that Ameri cans enjoy when they go on sprees to Mexico. Also incensed Are retailers along the 2,000-mile .-mexican Border from Mcallen Texas to Calexico calif., and san Ysidro where a decades Long dependency on Cross Border shoppers from fit " free Trade agreement what free Trade agreement Andy Carrasco shopper Mexico has been disrupted. Downtown retailers in Laredo Texas for example report sales have fallen More than 20 percent in two years. It s harassment said Tony Tirado former mayor of Calexico and a vocal opponent of the limit. Lionel Flores a Man Ager at the Shermo electronics store in san Ysidro less than a mile from the order said we be lost about.70 per cent of our business. We re going to change  although the $50 limit per shopping trip has been Law in Mexico for decades mexican customs began enforcing the limit Only in late 1992. Shoppers and . Retailers say the enforcement has become tougher and the penalties harsher in re cent months. The protests came to a head in late August when Charles Meissner assistant . Commerce Secretary for internat Oik Al economic policy met with retailers in Mcallen and Brownsville Texas and then lodged a formal complaint with the mexican government. He asked Mexico to bring the limit More nearly in line with the $400 maximum on what . Tourists can bring in from foreign countries. Two weeks ago Mexico s president elect Ernesto Zedillo weighed in on the Flap promising to review the $50 limitation because it has become a source of irritation with residents of both coun tries. Somehow it has to be addressed Zedillo told an interviewer. The customs limits were hot addressed directly in Naftal the free Trade agreement that went into effect Jan. 1 and which is designed to break Down tar Iff barriers Between the two countries Over the next 20 years. Meissner characterized the Tiff As one of several Post Naftal glitches and said . And mexican Commerce Offir dais have begun meeting monthly to Dis cuss Trade problems in the Wake of Naf to s enactment Jan. 1. I the timing of the toughened enforce ment As Naftal was being implemented puzzles some. A spokeswoman for the mexican finance ministry said however that the enforcement was launched be cause the necessary technology was finally in place at various Border Crossings. Spielberg is Dino sized earner new York a Steven Spiel Berg whose Dino thriller Jurassic Park grossed More than $900 million at thebon office has bumped Oprah Winfrey As the highest paid entertainer Forbes re ported sunday. The director producer who cleared $100 from his first feature film made when he was 16, will make an estimated 1993-94 total of $335 million the mag Azine said in its sept. 26 Issue. That s a record for the eight years that Forbes has been compiling the list of the top 40 Best paid entertainers. The pre Vious record of $200 million was set by Michael Jackson in 1988-89. Winfrey became the first woman to head the Forbes top 40 entertainers list last year. The television talk show Host came in second this year with a combined estimated 1993-94 take of $105 million. Forbes said that Basing its ranking on combined two year estimated Gross earn Ings provides a More accurate assessment of an entertainer s Overall income which can change capriciously from year to year. Winfrey was followed by another Jurassic Era phenom Barney the purple roly poly oversize Dinosaur who delights3-year-Olds and irks some adults with his syrupy Public television show. When 1993-94 sales from toys cassettes lunch boxes and other merchandise Are calculated Barney will amass $84 million for creator Sheryl Leach and her father in Law publisher Richard Leach. In Hollywood it s the year of the Dino Saur Forbes said in its cover Story. It said Spielberg s take from Jurassic Purk alone will total about $250 million after the video is released in october by far the most any individual has Ever made from a movie. The Dinosaur in t the Only aged theme in this year s ranking which also is populated by a number of pop music relics who went Back on tour and made the list for the first time. Pink Floyd came in As no. 4, with a combined 1993-94 take of $62 million. Harhara Streisand who lured tans Willingto pay $1,000 apiece for her first Public singing appearances in nearly three dec Ades was no. 6, at $57 million. After a bitter 14-year split the l Agles top paid entertainers Spielberg Winfrey Barney Cosby the 40 highest paid entertainers As compiled by Forbes Magazine. Names Are followed by the change from last year and combined 1993-94 estimated Gross income in millions. 1 Steven Spielberg up from 2nd, $335. 2 Oprah Winfrey Down from 1st, $105. 3 Barney Richard Leach publisher Sheryl Leach creator new to list $84, 4 Pink Floyd new to list $62. 5 Bill Cosby Down from 3rd, $60. 6 barbra Streisand new to list $57, 7 eagles new to list $56, 8 David Copperfield up from i oth $55. 9 rolling stones new to list $53. 10 Harrison Ford up from 29th, $44. 11 Garth Brooks Down from 9th, $41. 12 Billy Joel new to list $40. 13 Michael Jackson Down from t2th, $38, 14 Charles Schulz Down from 6th, $37. 1.5 Sylvester Stallone up from 23rd, $37. 16 Kevin Costner Down from 7th, $37. 17 Aero Smith new to list $36. 18 Michael Crichton up from 34th, $35. 19 grateful dead Down from 17th, $35. 20 Siegfried & Roy Down from 18th, $34. 21 Elton John new to list $33. 22 Tom cruise Down from 14th, $33. 23 Whitney Houston new to list $33. 24 Stephen King up from 26th, $33, 25 Joh Grisham up from 31st, $33. 26 guns n roses Down torn 4th, $32. 27 Tom Clancy Down from 20th, $30. 28 Eddie Murphy Down from 21st, $30. 29 Eric Clapton Down from 16th, $29. 30 Paul Mccartney up from 33rd, $29. 31 Clint Eastwood Down from 30th, $28. 32 Julio Iglesias Down from 13th, $28. 33 Rod Stewart new to list $27. 34 Bruce Willis new to list $26. 35 Jimmy Buffer up from 40th, $26 36 Rush Umbaugh new to list $25. 37 Billy Ray Cyrus Down from 22nd, $25. 38 u2, Down from 8th, $24, 39 Tom Hanks new to list $24. 40 Roseanne new to list $23. Reunited with a tour and album that won them the no. 7 spot at $56 Millen. The rolling stones led by Middle aged Rock ers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards promoting their new album grabbed he no 9 spot at $53 million. Filling out the top 10 were no. 5 Bill Cosby a Forbes top 40 Stalwart who gets profits from the Cosby show reruns As Well As a stake in his new to venture the Cosby mysteries had1993-94 earnings of $60 million. No. S magician David Copperfiel Dat $55 million. No. 10 Harrison Ford the highs a est paid actor on the list. He Drew in audiences for his role As the framed doctor in the fugitive and a reticent Cia offi cer in Clear and present danger. He moved up from no. 29 last year with a combined 1993-94 take of $44 million. First time entries in this year s list in elude radio commentator Rush Lim Baugh no. 36, $25 million and to sit com pillar Roseanne no. 40, $23million. T the Magazine attributed Spielberg s unparalleled Success partly to the terms of his contracts to produce or direct films he assumes none of the costs