European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 27, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes Money matters tuesday september 27, 1994 today s rates following Are fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell for eign currencies to . Personnel for personal use British Pound. 1.61 dutch Guilder. 1.70 German Mark 1.51 note the rates above apply within the Host  Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be re Garden As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign Curren cies austrian Schilling. 10.9375 Bahrain Dinar. 0.37697 belgian franc .31.98 British Pound. 1.5757 Canadian Dollar 1.3450 danish Krone. 6.1020 dutch Guilder. 1.7425 French franc. 5.3015 German Mark. 1.5545 greek drachma. 236.75 italian lira. 1,563.50 Kuwait Dinar. 0.29690 norwegian Krone. 6.8060 portuguese escudo. 158.37 saudi rial. 3.7505 Spanish peseta. 128.66 Swiss franc. 1.2875 turkish lira. 34,160.00 note figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quote $395.40 an ounce Silver quote $5.65 an ounce sources merchants National Bank & Trust co and the associated press prices continue at . Pumps los Angeles a the Price Consumers paid for gasoline fell nearly 2 cents a gallon across the country in the past two weeks continuing a trend that began late in August. We Are out of the Peak driving sea son. That s the main reason said tril by Lundberg editor of the Lundberg newsletter that surveys 10,000 stations around the country we can also Point to lower crude Oil prices which really began in july Lundberg said sunday. The average Price of Gas at the pump Friday including All grades and taxes was 122.10 cents per gallon a decline of 1,86 cents since sept. 9, at self serve pumps the average Price of regular unleaded was 115.37 cents per gallon mid Grade unleaded was 125.92 cents Premium unleaded was 134.18 cents and regular leaded was 119.35 cents the average full service Price for Reg ular unleaded was 148.11 cents mid Grade unleaded was 156.33 cents., Premium unleaded was 163.81 cents and regular leaded was 145.75 cents. Ozarks tourist Mecca sees Lemons in gambling idea Branson to. A with its mile strip sprouting dozens of Neon wrapped music Heaters and attractions this ozarks tourist Village has invited comparisons to Las vegas minus the gambling. Now plans for a Casino or Bingo opera Tion or both Are being considered for a site near town and that has residents and entertainers seeing Snake eyes v if they come in Here thinking they re going to put in gambling they re going to have a fight on their hands said Boxcar Willie one of the first nationally known entertainers to headline a theater Here. We Don t want gambling Here coun try Singer Mel of Ellis said. " it would be the ruin of  the Bible Belt Boom town s reputation for family fun and wholesome entertain ment helps draw the crowds and locals Are worried that gambling would destroy that image. Performers with squeaky clean images such As Pat Boone and the Osmond Brothers plus scores of go cart and miniature Golf courses theme Parks and other outlets for families will attract an estimated 6 million tourists this year. Those numbers caught the Eye of Crea Tive learning products inc. Of Spring Field n.j., which is interested in operating a joint venture with the Oklahoma based Eastern Shawnee Indian tribe to open a gambling Hall in Christian county 10 Miles North of Branson. The tribe has historical roots in Missouri. The partnership hinges on a 1988 fed eral Law that allows indians to acquire new land place it in Trust with the government and use it for gambling facilities. Such a Deal would probably have to be approved by the governor and the Interi or department which oversees the Bureau of Indian affairs. Gov. Mel Carna Han is against gambling in the Branson area said spokesman Chris Sifford. And even though creative learning not file Singer Mel Tillis greets a country music fan in Branson mo., an ozarks Boom town known for offering wholesome family entertainment. Said the idea is in the Early planning stages Many City leaders and residents Are already up in arms. Mayor pro Tern Lou Schaefer prom ised a fight we want the citizens of this Community and around the state to know that we will direct ajl of the energies of the City to prohibit the establishment of any Type of gambling interest he said. Branson resident Tommy Thompson agreed. Keep it in Las vegas we Don t want it Here he said. Why do you think they Call us Christian county let s keep it  higher rates Lake toll on Horn j ". /.-. -.-.-. -,.,. A. W Washington a sales of existing Homes fell 1.8 percent in August a real estate Trade group said monday As higher mortgage rates continued to undercut consumer demand. The West pos Ted the Only regional gain. The National association of realtors said sales of previously owned single fam ily Homes totalled 3.9 million at a season ally adjusted annual rate Down from 3.97 million a month earlier. Existing Home sales have slipped in three of the last four months and in july posted Only a revised 0.3 percent gain. The realtors originally estimated sales in july had fallen 0.3 percent. Most analysts attribute the slowdown in the housing Industry to higher Mort Gage rates. The government reported last week that housing starts Rose 2.1 percent in August but the entire Advance was in multifamily construction. Single family starts 80 percent of residential construction dropped 2.7 percent. Still the realtors noted that sales of existing Homes were 1 percent above those of August 1993 and continued to predict the second Best year Ever 3.95 million units compared with the record 3.98 million in 1978.actual sales remain Strong said president Robert h. Elrod. Based on our forecasts we Are right on track to Ward finishing out the year with the Sec Ond Best on record. Good affordability conditions and an array of financing tools available to con Sumers in the Market continue to encourage both first time and move up buyers to Purchase he said. Although mortgage fates Are nearly 2 percentage Points above their 25-year Low set last october they remain below the double digit figures that existed during much of the 1980s, the Federal Home loan mortgage corp. Said 30-year, fixed rate mortgages averaged 8.51 percent in August Down from 8.62 percent a month earlier. Rates have been fluctuating however and reached 8.73 percent during the week that ended thursday. David Lereah a economist with the mortgage Bankers association predicted last week that rates will reach 9 percent by the end of the year from less than 7 percent nearly a year ago. An increase from 7 percent to 9 per cent would add $209 to the monthly pay ment on a $250,000 mortgage. Sales of Snow blowers red hot in Northeast Albany . A blizzards let pm blow fall May have just begun but Snow Blower manufacturers Are already smiling. The memory of the Winter of 93 has produced a blizzard of sales. Chicago based Sears Roebuck and co. Already has sold As Many Snow blowers As it did in All of 1992. You would t think the Snow Blower season would have started yet but the sales figures say that it s Well under Way said Zaneta Rogers a spokeswoman for Sears Rogers said Snow Blower sales Are most brisk in re Gions hardest hit by last Winter s storms such As the Northeast. People who weren t prepared for the Snow last year Aren t taking any chances this Winter. Store owners in up state new York said they re seeing a lot of first time buy ers. People seem to be afraid they won t be Able to get one when they need it. That s what happened last year said Mike Keegan who manages a Sears store in Rotter dam . When the Snow does come Many Consumers get left out in the cold because manufacturers already have switched production to Lawn mowers and other summer Lawn and Garden machines and can t retool to make Snow blowers. Other store owners reported that some buyers simply need a new machine thanks to Mother nature which dumped More than 7 feet of Snow on Eastern new York last Winter. Mine finally broke Down during that last snowstorm last Winter so i figured it was time said Louis Roher a resident of Albany. Peter Dobbins vice president of Crandall Hicks a wholesale distributor of Snow blowing equipment in Westborough mass., said sales Are up 400 percent Over last year at this time. I be talked to dealers who Are Selling eight to 20 machines a Day and these units Range from $990 to $2,000 each Dobbins said