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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 29, 1992                   TAG: 9203020192
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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IN BUSINESS

Virginia Dare trims tip from meal prices

The Virginia Dare riverboat has reduced the prepaid price of dinner cruises at Smith Mountain Lake by eliminating a mandatory 18 percent gratuity on each meal.

Customers will be free to leave a tip of their own choosing, said Bill Ferguson, president of Bluewater Cruise Co.

Saturday night cruises and buffet dinners will cost $29.95; weeknight dinners will cost $25.95; lunch and Sunday dinner will cost $19.95. All prices include taxes.

Bluewater Cruise Co., based at Hales Ford Bridge, will begin its sixth season in April. Ferguson said the arrival of the 1992 season should ease temporary cash-flow problems that recently led to a temporary restraining order preventing the Virginia Dare from leaving its dock. A Franklin County judge recently lifted the order. - Staff report

Japanese Big Three to raise car prices

TOKYO - Toyota, Honda and Nissan said Friday they will raise the prices of cars sold in the United States by 1.7 to 5 percent.

The announcements came at a time of growing pressure from the Japanese government and the U.S. Congress to reduce sales of Japanese vehicles in the United States in order to help the ailing Big Three U.S. automakers.

Toyota spokesman Nobuya Eto attributed the increases largely to the yen's appreciation against the dollar since last year, which pushed up production costs. - Associated Press

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