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September 15, 2006     Barnstable Patriot
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September 15, 2006
 
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No slump in pain at the pump... DAVID STILL II PHOTO AN OFF-CAPE GAS PUMP PARADISE - Just over either bridge, Cape Codders can find immediate relief from gas pump pain, but the money spent in fuel may negate the euphoria. Prices are tumbling faster at independent stations such as this one in Wareham. CONTINUED FROM PAGE A:1 prices could be a lot lower." So what gives? The best explanation spokesmen AAA of Southern New England could offer was a combination of retailers holdingpriceshigherto maxi- mizeprofits and,with greater emphasis, the zone pricing utilized by gas distributors. "Gas stations don't make money when prices go up," AAA spokesman John Paul said,"They makemoney when prices go down." Paul, who works out of the South Dennisoffice,saidthat stationsmaybe holdingprices higher astheirwholesalecosts drop to bring in additional revenue, but that's not likely the whole story. The consistency in pricing on Cape likely has less to do with a conspiracy of local op- erators than it does with the prices they are obliged to pay distributors using zone pric- ing for wholesale prices. Paul described the meth- odology of zone pricing as "complex and convoluted ," and ultimately controlled by distribution, not retail, channels. While zones are considered proprietary, the geographic boundary represented by the Cape Cod Canal made sense to the AAA spokesmen con- tacted for this story. Callsto petroleum industry representatives were not re- turned by press time. Under zone pricing, it's possible for relatively close areas to see wide disparities in prices paid at the wholesale level. A branded gas station on this side of the bridges could be required to pay more per gallon than an outlet of the same brand served by the same distributor. The main variable is what the market will bear, but there are other calculations as well. A 2000 report by aU.S.Sen- ate subcommitteeinvestigat- ingthe variables of gaspricing cited zone pricing as a factor for varied pricing even within the same city for the same brand of gas. There are also cost/benefit calculations that weigh the value of finding a cheaper outlet against the time and actual savings to be realized. In other words,willthere be a payoff for the time and effort put into finding a lower price elsewhere? Afootnote containedinthat Senate report provided a pro and con look: The companies contend that by pricing ac- cording to market areas or zones that group together outlets facing similar local conditions and/or competi- tive environments (that differ from conditions confront- ing outlets in another area), they can be more responsive to the particular conditions of each area and therefore more competitive. Critics of zone pricing maintain that the practicedoes not increase competitiveness,but impairs the ability of some outlets to compete with others and enables companies to con- fine the areas in which they establish competitive prices and to set higher prices in nearby areas that aren't as competitive." Kinsman said that, usually, the best option for consumers isto shoparound. "That might be harder to do on the Cape," he said. "It's an unfortunate truth." Where We Stand A Wednesday morning sur- vey of roughly 60 gas stations from Wareham to Yarmouth found the highest price , $2,999 for self-serve regular, at the two Mobil operations on Route 132, including the Exit 6 station. The lowest price , though discounted 5 cents per gallon with a membership card, was $2,619 cents at the Wareham Stop 6 Shop. A number of un- branded stations along the Cranberry Highway in Ware- ham were at $2,629. The cheapest gas found in Wednesday's survey this side of the bridge was the Sand- wich Mobil Mart on Route 6A at Russell's Corner, selling regular self-serve at $2,719. The AAA of Southern New England provides a gas price resource on its Website (aaas- ne.com). The average price on Cape Thursday was$2,869, ac- cording to AAA,with average prices immediately off-Cape significantly lower. According to the AAA Web site, in Plymouth the average price as of Thursday noon was $2,658, withalow of$2,549 and a high of $2,839 for self-serve regular. In Wareham, the average price asof Thursday noon was $2,682,withalow of $2,589 and a high of $2,799 for self-serve regular. For Hyannis , which has among the highest prices in the entire state, the average at noon Thursday was $2,905 with alow of $2,849 and ahigh of $3,099. The lowest price reported on Massachusettsgasprices. com, which solicits price re- ports from consumers, was $2,359 per gallon at the Prime Energy station in Whitman. While the Cape is sepa- rated from the mainland by a couple of bridges, at least it doesn't require a ferry to get there. The price for regular in Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard Thursday afternoon was $3,229 and $3,549 on Nan- tucket (full serve). On top of market factors , the per-gallon price in Mas- sachusetts has 41.9 cents in state (23.6 cents) and federal (18.4 cents) taxes built in. Know the Market. Know the Town. oniy inJEfy t JSarnstafcle patriot Independent & Locally Owned Since 1830 4 Ocean Street, Hyannis. MA 0260 1 • 508/77 1 1427 • Fax 508/790-3997 E-mail: info<5 barnstablepatrint.com • www barnstablepatriot.com j ; BE SURE TO SAYTHANKS'FOR US... A When You Patronize Our Advertisers! f I Barnstable schools respond to adverse AYP result... CONTINUED FROM PAGE A:1 "This is the very first time they have been designated," said Grenier. "Now that we have TomLarrabee asprinci- pal,I amhoping we can bring leadership and consistency to the school." Larrabee noted that a meeting is scheduled Mon- day with Marilyn Nouri , director of research assess- ment and evaluation for the district. "We'll be talk- ing about the process that we're going to follow once the MCAS data arrives," he said, acknowledging his awareness of effort sto come in improving the school's performance in English and math. "We have alot of work ahead of us right now." Rick Bidgood , principal of Barnstable Middle School, understands that feeling. The middle school has been named for failing to meet AYP for two subgroups of students -those who partici- pateinthe free and reduced lunch program and special education students - for the fourth year in a row. "I think you have to look at all the stuff to really get a good picture,"Bidgood said. "In the big picture , this is a small label." The principal encouraged people to be aware that the school has implemented changes including the Pri- ority Schools Initiative in partnership with the na- tional and state teachers associations, as well as the addition of a supplemental math block to help boost the learning curve. "We've added a second math class'.: for all students," Bidgood" said. "We now have six 52- minute blocks each day with math enrichment four times^ a week." Although this shortened all classes by 14 minutes, Bidgood said it was a neces- sarychange. "The test scores demanded it," he said. The middle school has also expanded Title Iprogramsto. offer math support for stu- dents in Grade 8, something not previously done. Both principals are care- . ful to point out that AYP is simply one aspect of a very large system. They also em- phasized that while MCASis an important tool for track- ing student learning, other ' factors must be considered " "You can't be in a rush just to teach to the test," said Larrabee. "We have to give the students the education they're going to need so they can be productive adults." "It's not just about test data ," said Grenier. "It's about ongoing learning of a set of skills they will need in life that are not only data on a test." In spite of the listings, there is a sense of hope amongofficials. "I ampleased for all of our schools that did make it ," said Grenier. "Having seen everything I've seen in Barnstable , I'm optimistic that we can turn this around. " "It's a steep slope , but we're making good prog- ress," said Bidgood. | \ S1 -'| p ^ If] , m^kmm ,¦2*\ Z i a bank coming to Hyannis ? is no big deal, but a bank | i coming to your business... . Presenting The Community Bank Business Resource Center in Hyannis. Imagine being able to make deposits , app ly for loans and even meet with a Business Resource Executive—all from the comfort of your own desk. It's a whole new approach to business banking from a bank that 's been around for nearl y 130 years. 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