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■ With the help of the FastForWord computer program,Discovery Elementary wentfrom the bottom of thedistrict to top reading scorer.
BY RACHEL [email protected]
Discovery Elementary School students’speed-reading skills are getting a boostfrom a computer program.
When Discovery opened two years ago,administrators knew from test scores thatmany students coming to the school strug-gled in reading and language. DiscoveryPrincipal Ken Marlowe said they knewDiscovery would have the needs of a lowersocio-economic school based on theschool’s boundaries.
“We kind of knew that reading was
going to be an emphasisthat we’d have to make,”he said.
The district took onreading challenges with acomputer-reading pro-gram called Fast ForWord,a product from theScientific Learning educa-tion company. Marlowesaid the software is a“brain fitness program”that helps train students’neuropathways for reading and language.
The school was Bonneville Joint SchoolDistrict 93’s pilot for the program, and thesoftware quickly took flight. Discovery’sstandardized test scores sailed from thebottom to the top of the district.
“It was phenomenal growth,” District93 Superintendent Chuck Shackett said.
Shackett learned about the program inearly 2008 and decided to test the program
at Discovery, which opened in fall 2008. “The thing that impressed me about
(Fast ForWord) was that it wasn’t a readingproduct that was created and thenresearch was done to see if it worked,”Shackett said.
Teachers for the new school were hiredwith the program in mind and the school’scomputer lab was dedicated solely to theprogram. The district tapped about$96,000 in federal Title I money to pur-chase the program for Discovery.
In the first year, all Discovery studentsnot reading at grade level used the pro-gram.
The results were impressive. Studentsusing the program improved their numberof words read per a minute by 69 percentaccording to the next year’s Idaho
Breakfast Briefing............A2Classified........................C1Comics....................C3, C4Commodities..................B3Crime Log ..... . . . . . ..........B3
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Movies...........................B8Obituaries.................B2, B3Opinions.........................A6School News..................B7Sports............................A9
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T U E S D AY
Vol. 80, No. 51 © 2010 Post Register, Idaho Falls, Idaho75¢ daily / $1.50 Sunday
GOING TO COLLEGE? Financial aid process begins soon School briefs, B7
www.postregister.com
College ReportButte Co. grad KatiIsham gets a careerhigh in points A9
Christmas croonersFirst-graders share their holiday spirit B5
I.F. holdupsWoman of interestsought in pair ofrobberies B1
AMWTPpraisedfor work■ The DOE recognizedthe contractor for its use ofstimulus funds in speedingup its cleanup work at INL.
BY SVEN [email protected]
After a trying year, Bechtel BWXT-Idaho could use the pat on the back itreceived Friday.
One of the major cleanup contractorson the Idaho National Laboratory site,Bechtel was the target of a glowingreport from the U.S. Department ofEnergy’s headquarters in Washington,D.C. The report highlighted Bechtel’suse of more than $22 million in federalstimulus money to accelerate its cleanupof radioactive waste stored on the INLsite.
The DOE credited 52 workers hiredwith stimulus money with helping tounearth, process, package and ship outof Idaho nearly 4,800 cubic meters ofradioactive waste from the AdvancedMixed Waste Treatment Project thisyear. Workers retrieved an additional2,051 cubic meters of waste that is nowawaiting treatment and shipment out ofstate.
“The expectations of DOE for suc-cessfully executing the Recovery Actwere clearly met at AMWTP,” said IdahoCleanup Project Acting DeputyManager Jim Cooper. “It was mostimpressive to see how new employeescould quickly and safely integrate intothe existing work force. By all accounts,the Recovery Act has been successfullycarried out at AMWTP.”
Though Bechtel has been generallypraised for its management of the treat-ment project, this year has brought itsshare of bad news.
In March, the DOE announced that anew contractor, CH2M Hill NewportNews Nuclear, had won a nearly $600million contract to take over the proj-ect’s operations through September2015. Bechtel and treatment projectpartner The Babcock and Wilcox Co.
Study: Coldslittle affectedby echinacea ■ Research indicates thatthere is little, if any, benefitfrom taking echinacea tobattle the common cold.
NEW YORK (AP) — Got the sniffles?The largest study of the popular herbalremedy echinacea finds it won’t helpyou get better any sooner.
The study of more than 700 adultsand children suggests the tiniest possi-ble benefit — about a half-day shaved offa weeklong cold and slightly mildersymptoms. But that could have occurredby chance.
For most people, the potential to getrelief a few hours sooner probably isn’tworth the trouble and cost of taking thesupplement, researchers said.
With no cure for the common cold,
DiscoveryElementary School
student TayshaFord concentrates
on her readingusing a computerreading program
that has significant-ly increased
students’ readingabilities.
Robert [email protected]
Program accelerating kids’ reading abilities
Leading the pack
INSIDE■ School, busi-nesses bringChristmas tofamilies / B5
■ Echinacea research hard to comparedue to different varieties and parts used
COLDS, Continued on Page A4
■ The school’s first- and second-gradersuse the reading program on a daily basis
READING, Continued on Page A4
■ Of the 52 hires, all but 7 remain on thejob; the rest left their positions voluntarily
AMWTP, Continued on Page A4
■ Experts say U.S.demand should fallfor good followingpeak usage in 2006.
NEW YORK (AP) — Theworld’s biggest gas-guzzlingnation has limits after all.
After seven decades ofmostly uninterrupted growth,U.S. gasoline demand is at thestart of a long-term decline. By2030, Americans will burn atleast 20 percent less gasolinethan today, experts say, even asmillions more cars clog theroads.
The country’s thirst forgasoline is shrinking as carsand trucks become more fuel-efficient, the government man-dates the use of more ethanoland people drive less.
“A combination of demo-graphic change and policychange means the heady daysof gasoline growing in the U.S.are over,” said Daniel Yergin,chairman of IHS CambridgeEnergy Research Associates
and author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning history of the oilindustry.
This isn’t the first time inU.S. history that gasolinedemand has fallen, at leasttemporarily. Drivers typicallycut back during recessions,then hit the road again whenthe economy picks up. Indeed,
the Great Recession was thechief reason demand fellsharply in 2008.
But this time looks different.Government and industry offi-cials — including the CEO ofExxon Mobil — say U.S. gaso-line demand has peaked forgood. It has declined four yearsin a row and will not reach the
2006 level again, even whenthe economy fully recovers.
In fact, the ground wasshifting before the recession.The 2001 terrorist attacks, thewar in Iraq, Hurricane Katrinaand pump prices rising to anationwide average of $3 a gal-lon for the first time in a gener-ation reignited public debatesabout the political and eco-nomic effects of oil importsand climate change. Also, thepopularity of SUVs began towane, and the governmentstarted requiring refiners toblend corn-based ethanol intoevery gallon of gasoline.
Americans are burning anaverage of 8.2 million barrels— 344 million gallons — ofgasoline per day in 2010, a fig-ure that excludes the ethanolblended into gasoline. That’s 8percent less than at the 2006peak, government data says.
The decline is expected toaccelerate for several reasons.
SOURCE: IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates AP
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000 barrels per day
’20’10200019901980197019601950
After seven decades of mostly unabated growth, U.S. gas consumptionmay be on the decline with biofuels taking on greater importance.
2020’sA new fuel mix
Gasoline
EthanolNOTE: 2020 projected
1973-74First oil crisis
1979Second oil crisis
Americans’ gas consumption on decline
■ As a result, families will spendless on fuel, emissions will drop
GAS, Continued on Page A4
ShoptalkBushido’s sushi joint one of two
new restaurants in town: B1
December 21, 2010
Reading Indicator test scores,more than any other school in thedistrict. Marlowe said the successwas well worth the program’sprice.
“It’s really pennies on the dol-lar that we’re investing,” he said.
Discovery’s lab technician,Margaret Bowden, said FastForWord is the best product she’sencountered in 18 years of work-ing with educational computerprograms.
“This is the only one that real-ly works,” Bowden said. “I’vewatched it change lives.”
Bowden first saw the programat work when a friend purchasedit for their daughter with a learn-
ing disability and her test scoresimproved dramatically.
“Overall, it’s just fun to watchall the little lights go on,” shesaid. “All of a sudden, they under-stand.”
Discovery’s first- and second-graders use the program daily, asdo students in upper grades withlower reading levels. Teacherssaid the program makes a differ-ence in students’ reading capabil-
ities and confidence. “It’s repetitive yet challenging,
and it reviews skills learned in adifferent format,” first-gradeteacher Sherry Martineau said.“Anytime you can boost the confi-dence of a student, it shows up inother areas.”
Since Discovery’s achieve-ments, Fast ForWord has beeninstalled districtwide. The districtincluded $1.3 million for dis-
trictwide use of the program in its2008 school construction bond,which paid for Mountain ValleyElementary School.
“One of the selling points (ofthe bond) was the reading pro-gram,” Shackett said. “I think it’sbeen something that has impact-ed our students’ reading growthmore than any other activity thatwe’ve done.”
separately protested theDOE’s decision, leading tothe agency’s decision toreview bids submitted for
the contract.All bidders are still
awaiting a final contractdecision.
In July, more bad news:A dilapidated box contain-ing radioactive waste brokeat the project, exposing 20workers to a slight dose of
radiation and leading thecompany to temporarilyhalt waste retrieval.
Last week’s recognitionfrom the DOE’s headquar-ters didn’t come as a sur-prise to Bechtel, but it waswelcome nonetheless.
Spokesman Rick Dalesaid he was most im-pressed that of the 52workers hired with stimu-lus money, all but sevenremain in jobs at the proj-ect after the $22 million ranout. Those who left did so
voluntarily, he said.“Everybody who needed
a job, they kept the job,”Dale said. “We’re very, verypleased that we were in aposition to provide continu-ing employment for thoseindividuals.”
Sven Berg can be reachedat 542-6755. Follow on Twitter:@svenerikberg. Comment onthis story on Post Talk at www.postregister.com/posttalk/.
Americans spend billionson over-the-counter pills,drops, sprays and otherconcoctions to battle theirrunny noses, scratchythroats and naggingcoughs. Some turn to echi-nacea, a top seller market-ed as a product that helpsthe immune system fightinfections.
In the past, some studiesfound it did nothing to pre-vent or treat colds; othersshowed modest benefit.Research on echinacea,also known as purple cone-flower, is hard to comparebecause there’s more thanone kind of plant and differ-ent parts of it are used.
With government fund-ing, Dr. Bruce Barrett andcolleagues at the Universityof Wisconsin tackled the
question again, using news-paper ads and posters tofind volunteers with coldsin the Madison, Wis., area.
The participants ages 12to 80 were randomlyassigned to get echinaceatablets, a dummy pill or notreatment at all. Those whogot the herb took the equiv-alent of 10 grams of driedechinacea root the first dayand 5 grams the next fourdays.
Twice a day, they gradedtheir symptoms until theircold was gone.
From those scores, theresearchers saw a trendtoward shorter and slightlyless severe colds for thosetaking echinacea comparedto those who didn’t.However, the results did notreach statistical signifi-cance, meaning they couldhave occurred by chance.There were no apparentside effects from the echi-nacea.
Barrett and otherexperts said the findingswould probably be viewedas positive by echinaceasupporters but as the “nailin the coffin” by critics.
“It’s not a compellingresult in either direction,”said Mark Blumenthal,executive director of theAmerican Botanical Coun-cil, which follows researchon herbal products. He saidBarrett is on the group’sadvisory board.
443E
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ELLISPHYSICALTHERAPY
Jay T Ellis, DPT, CSCS
ANNOUNCINGWe will be moving to our
NEW LOCATION3100 S. Woodruff Ave.
Idaho Falls, IDon December 21st, 2010
We will continue to see patients in our current location in Apple Athletic
Club until the move.
208-523-8879
895I
NG
1221
(208) 522-0505 • 361 A Street • Idaho Falls
Fine JewelersSINCE 1970
SpecialChristmas
Prices24 Months No Interest Financing City of Idaho Falls Public Notice
CHRISTMAS DAYDue to the observance of the Christmas holiday,
Saturday December 25th, 2010, all commercial and resi-
dential garbage collection will be on schedule all week.
MONDAY’S COLLECTIONWILL BE ON SCHEDULE
TUESDAY’S COLLECTIONWILL BE ON SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY’S COLLECTIONWILL BE ON SCHEDULE
THURSDAY’S COLLECTION WILL BE ON SCHEDULE
FRIDAY’S COLLECTION WILL BE ON SCHEDULE
Published: December 19, 21, and 22, 2010
774C
IT12
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Rush’s Kitchen Supply Co.Better Tools, Better Cooking
345 Lindsay Blvd. • Idaho Falls • 523-4818
Also fine cutlery - meat saws -grinders - choppers - plates
- knife parts - etc.
SHARPENING SERVICEKNIFE
T355
RU
S12
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Jerry Brady, president, Post Company, [email protected] 522-1800
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A4 Post Register Tuesday, December 21, 2010NATION
AnhBsch Inbev N/A 57.22 N/A / N/ABldg Mtrls Hldg N/A 0.00 N/A / N/AChevron Texaco 88.96 88.80 88.57/89.60ConAgra Foods 22.57 22.44 22.20/22.58Exxon Mobil 72.24 72.22 71.88/72.50Gnrl Dynamics 70.39 70.01 69.62/70.47Gnrl Electric 17.77 17.70 17.65/17.80H.J. Heinz 50.45 49.85 49.78/50.51Home Depot 35.25 35.20 35.06/35.49IdaCorp 37.65 37.60 37.43/37.76KeyCorp 8.43 8.41 8.34/8.50Kroger 21.70 21.75 21.46/21.79
Lckheed Martin69.79 69.65 69.44/70.16Martin Marietta 93.79 93.08 92.84/94.00Micron Technlgy 8.28 8.11 8.10/8.36OfficeMax 17.43 17.61 17.42/17.76PepsiCo 65.82 66.31 65.75/66.35PerkinsElmer Inc26.03 26.14 25.98/26.16Qwest Comm 7.41 7.62 7.40/7.62Sherwin-Williams81.76 82.95 81.76/83.08Union Pacific 91.25 90.90 90.46/91.58U.S. Bancorp 26.17 26.14 26.08/26.33Viacom 38.69 38.59 38.51/38.75Wal-Mart 54.56 53.77 53.61/54.56Wells Fargo 30.02 30.10 29.85/30.28
Stocks of Local Interest — Monday, Dec. 20, CloseName Open Close Range Name Open Close Range
Dec. 20, 2010
782.30
+2.79
1,247.08
+3.17
2,649.56
+6.59
-13.78
11,478.13
COLDSFrom Page A1
READINGFrom Page A1
AMWTPFrom Page A1
Pedophilia guide’sauthor arrested
PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) —A Colorado man whowrote a how-to guide forpedophiles is headed toFlorida to face obscenitycharges.
Phillip R. Greaves ofPueblo, Colo., waived hisright to fight extraditionMonday after he wasarrested at his home on awarrant that charges himwith violating Florida’sobscenity law.
Sheriff Grady Judd inPolk County, Fla., said hisoffice was able to arrestGreaves because he soldand mailed his book,“The Pedophile’s Guide toLove and Pleasure: aChild-lover’s Code ofConduct,” directly toundercover Polk depu-ties. Judd says Greaveseven signed the book.
Oswald’s brotherdisputes coffin sale
LOS ANGELES (AP)— The brother of LeeHarvey Oswald saidMonday that a coffin thatonce held the body of thepresidential assassinshould have beendestroyed years agorather then being auc-tioned off and allowed toexist as a ghoulish keep-sake.
Robert L. Oswald saidhe didn’t know the coffinstill existed until he readin a Texas newspaper thismonth that it had beenput up for sale.
Oswald, 76, said heattempted to contact afuneral home owner tohalt the sale, but his callwas not returned. He saida similar request was
ignored by the SantaMonica auction housethat handled the sale.
“This is not aboutmoney on my part.”Oswald said. “The coffinshould have beendestroyed years ago, andthat is what I desire now.”
An anonymous bidderon Thursday bought thewater-damaged coffin.
Delta flight makesemergency landing
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP)— A Delta Air Lines Inc.jet with 52 people aboardmade a safe landing inSyracuse after experienc-ing problems with one ofits two engines.
A city aviation spokes-woman, Christina Reale,said a low oil pressuregauge lit up when theDetroit-to-Syracuse flightwas about five miles fromits destination.
The pilot shut downthe engine and declaredan emergency landing.The regional jet landedwithout incident shortlyafter noon Monday atSyracuse Hancock Inter-national Airport.
‘Austerity’ chosenWord of the Year
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.(AP) — As Greece faced adebt crisis, the govern-ment passed a series ofstrict austerity measures,including taxes hikes andcutting public sector pay.
The move sparkedangry protests, strikesand riots across the coun-try as unemployment sky-rocketed and the crisisspread to other Europeannations. The move alsoincited a rush to onlinedictionaries from thosesearching for a definition.
Austerity, the 14th cen-tury noun defined as “thequality or state of being
austere” and “enforced orextreme economy,” set offenough searches thatMerriam-Webster namedit as its Word of the Yearfor 2010, the dictionary’seditors announced Mon-day.
GM using oil spillboom in Chevy Volt
NEW ORLEANS (AP)— Boom from the BP oilspill is getting a newcharge from the maker ofthe Chevrolet Volt electriccar.
General Motors saysthat instead of going tolandfills, roughly 100miles of plastic boommaterial will be convertedinto vehicle parts.
The parts deflect airaround the vehicle’s radi-ator.
Protesters decry‘Secession Ball’
CHARLESTON, S.C.(AP) — The memory ofthe Civil War collidedwith modern-day civilrights Monday as protest-ers targeted a “SecessionBall” commemoratingSouth Carolina’s decisionexactly 150 years ago tosecede from the UnitedStates of America.
NAACP leaders said itmade no sense to hold agala to honor men whocommitted treasonagainst their own nationfor the sake of a systemthat kept black men andwomen in bondage asslaves. They comparedConfederate leaders toterrorists and Nazis.
Organizers of the ballsaid it had nothing to dowith celebrating slavery.Instead, the private eventwas a fundraiser to honorthe Southern men whosacrificed their lives fortheir homes and theirvision of states’ rights.
N A T I O N A L N E W S
BRIEFLY■ Starting with the 2012
model year, cars will haveto hit a higher fuel econo-my target for the first timesince 1990. Each carmak-er’s fleet must average 30.1mpg, up from 27.5. By the2016 model year, that num-ber must rise to 35.5 mpg.And starting next year,SUVs and minivans, onceclassified as trucks, willcount toward passengervehicle targets.
■ The auto industry isintroducing cars that runpartially or entirely on elec-tricity, and the federal gov-ernment is providing bil-lions of dollars in subsidiesto increase production andspur sales.
■ By 2022, the country’sfuel mix must include 36billion gallons of ethanoland other biofuels, up from14 billion gallons in 2011.Put another way, biofuelswill account for roughlyone of every four gallons.
■ Gasoline prices areforecast to stay high asdeveloping economies inAsia and the Middle Eastuse more oil.
There are demographicfactors at work, too. Babyboomers will drive less asthey age. The surge ofwomen entering the workforce and commuting inrecent decades has leveledoff. And the era ofAmericans commuting everfarther distances appearsto be over. One measure ofthis, vehicle miles traveledper licensed driver, beganto flatten in the middle ofthe last decade after yearsof sharp growth.
As a result, families willspend less on fuel, thecountry’s dependence onforeign oil will wane andheat-trapping emissions ofcarbon dioxide will growmore slowly.
GASFrom Page A1
