The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 1

SPORTS, 1C KICKERS HAVE A LOT TO PROVE SPRING FOOTBALL OFFERS FEW ANSWERS FOR FALL ST IOWA EDITION The Newspaper Iowa Depends Upon DesMoinesRegister.com Price 2.00 April 17, 2005 INSIDE 13 Vi 7 odd hmm mm Bush's ratings in Iowa hit new low spot The president's work on Social Security and the federal budget hurt his marks the most, a poll shows. Easy access to alcohol and an alluring bar scene contribute to a high rate of drinking-related arrests, especially among college-age residents New start for retirees People eagerly seek out financial advice for retirement, but what about emotional advice? A few seniors share their thoughts on what's in store for retiring baby boomers. lowaLite, Page 1E The secret to weight loss is in potatoes? Business Sunday, Page 1D OPINION -1 I I1 I 4 1' It's easy enough to find girls who fir's are excited about math and science, writes David By JONATHAN R00S and JANE NORMAN REGISTER STAFF WRITERS Copyright 2005, Des Moines Register and Tnbune Company President Bush's job approval ratings in Iowa are sagging like never before, with Iowans particularly critical of his drive to change Social Security and his handling of the federal budget. A new Iowa Poll, conducted for The Des Moines Register, shows that 42 percent of the state's adults approve of the job that Bush is doing as president, while 53 percent disapprove and 5 percent are undecided. The poll, taken last week, has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Bush's current 42 percent approval mark among Iowans is the lowest of his presidency and half of what his approval rating was in 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. David Goetz of Cedar Falls, a retired engineer who worked for John Deere, voted for Bush in 2000 and again last year. But his attitude toward the president has soured during the last several months. "The country is See POLL, Page 8A Elbert.

So why aren't there more women working as engineers and scientists? Page 1D til 4 r- WEATHER it 1 HIGH 74-80 LOW 51-56 Partly cloudy. Slight chance of thunderstorms. Details, Page 6B HARRY BAUMERTVTHE REGISTER Party time: Patrons gather in front of a popular downtown Iowa City bar shortly before 1 1 p.m. on April 7. The share of University of Iowa students who said they binge drank exceeded those reported by most of the other 119 colleges in a 2001 Harvard survey.

INDEX Philip Brasher 1M Crossword 6 OP Dear Abby 8E Sean Keeler 1C Letters 2 OP Lotteries 2A Jane Norman 5A Obituaries 4B, 5B Tech.World 6D David Yepsen 3 OP DELIVERY: (515)284-8311 (800) 365-4692 Copyright 2005 Des Moines Register and Tribune Company A Gannett Newspaper April 17, 2005 Drinking in Iowa City 69 44 of University of of the 13,000 Iowa students students reported binge surveyed drinking in the nationwide previous two weeks reported binge in a 2003 study. drinking. 870 624 of I students total students were required to from Iowa State participate in and the University alcohol counseling of Northern Iowa or programming in sought help in 2003-04. 2003-04. Questions surround speedway lender Edgy lawmakers and Newton residents want to know more about UBG Financial Corp.

By ERIN JORDAN REGISTER IOWA CITY BUREAU Iowa City, la. Iowa City, with a reputation for easy access to beer and hard liquor, recorded more alcohol-related violations in 2003 than Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Cedar Falls combined, data compiled by the Des Moines Sunday Register shows. In addition, hundreds of University of Iowa students were ordered into alcohol-related counseling in 2003-04, topping the numbers from Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa combined, data shows. The consequences of over-indulging could be life altering. Just ask Derek Klein, a 21-year-old University of Iowa junior from Chicago who worries that a public intoxication citation he got in March will hurt his job search next year and cause the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend his pilot's license.

"When you walk out of (jail) the next morning, you're feeling pretty crappy," Klein said. "I hope it will just be erased." Now that the weather has warmed, Iowa City's bountiful beer gardens and party rooms are filled with college students, many of whom are underage. While young people may enjoy downing alcoholic beverages, the fun comes at a cost. Hundreds of students are racking up fines that erode college savings, developing unhealthy drinking habits, and quirting school, say professors and community health specialists. Excessive drinking is common in college towns, but data shows the problem is worse in Iowa City.

Some blame city officials for encouraging a Mardi Gras atmosphere where bar owners have an eye only for profits. Others say of I officials have done little to discourage the excessive drinking that has become associated with the school. "I think this place, these students, are probably at greater risk than all but a See DRINKING, Page 4A A 1 17 55 Abuse victims' gut-wrenching stories end with signs of hope By D0NNELLE ELLER and TOM WIT0SKY REGISTER STAFF WRITERS Copyright 2005, Des Moines Register and Tnbune Company A Georgia company that has agreed to provide most of the money for the $70 million Iowa Speedway in Newton will say little about its business, forcing local and state officials to consider giving nearly $30 million in government assistance on the assurances of local developers. UBG Financial silence about its financing, its operations and its past projects is making some Newton residents and state lawmakers nervous about committing millions of dollars in public money to the project. They question whether the company has the financial muscle to complete the track, which supporters say would lure racing fans to Iowa and boost Newton's hard-hit economy.

uLA i-'i Hii i- rn my mom caught the abuse. Now the person who abused me is in prison. I went to counseling, and during this time I made this mask. This mask shows my feelings about my abuse." A white screen on the wall shows a drawing of a child's face. Sarah drew it during therapy and it was turned into a mask.

The girl in the picture has a big smile, a face so happy it sparkles, and the most wonderful blue eyes. It's a self-portrait a look See CARLSON, Page 8A The little girl, we'll call her Sarah, stands at the microphone, her smile so big, so sweet, it's hard to imagine what's to come. "Hi," she says. "My name is (Sarah). I was abused when I was 8 years old." The 100 people in the audience prison wardens and guards, counselors, victims advocates, county and state prosecutors spend their careers dealing with life's horrors.

They've seen and heard it all. They thought. But nothing quite like this. Nothing JohnCarlso's IOWA so public, from a 10-year-old describing how she was affected by sexual abuse. "When I was 9 years old, See some of Dutty cartoons online: DesMoinesRegister.comduf1y See TRACK, Page 9A.