A dozen years from now, when Julia Prestipino starts looking at colleges, she won't have to worry too much about cost. The Ira Motor Group of Danvers recently donated $45,000 to a scholarship fund for 5-year-old Julia. A resident of Lowell, she is the daughter of Michael Prestipino, who worked for Ira until he died in October.

In 2003, Prestipino was paralyzed in a motor vehicle accident. He began working at Ira in 2005 despite the disability. His co-workers remember his tenacity, candor and sense of humor. They also remember how his daughter, Julia, played quietly beside his desk when Prestipino came in to make follow-up phone calls on his days off. Prestipino won several sales awards at Ira.

"In spite of the challenges he faced each day, Mike was a tremendous worker who was completely dedicated to his job," said David Hult, president of Ira Motor Group. "He was so committed to us, and we wanted to make a commitment to his family and help secure his daughter's future."

The $45,000 contribution comes from The Platform of the Year Award, an annual presentation made by Group 1 Automotive, parent company of Ira. The award recognizes exceptional performance by a Group 1 dealership.Typically, recipients use the prize to fund parties or company trips. But Hult explained that the staff at Ira wanted to use the money as a memorial to Michael Prestipino instead.

Prestipino was a lifelong resident of Lowell. His daughter, Julia, attends kindergarten at St. Margaret's school there. Additional contributions to her scholarship fund can be made to the Julia Prestipino Education Fund at the Jeanne d' Arc Credit Union in Lowell.

Ira Motor Group operates 14 new car dealerships North of Boston. They include Ira Audi, Ira Lexus, Ira Mazda, Ira Porsche and Ira Subaru in Danvers, Ira Dodge in Medford, Ira Toyota in Danvers, Milford, Tewksbury and Manchester, N.H., Ira Nissan in Tewksbury and Stoneham, Ira Lexus in Manchester, N.H., and BMW of Stratham in Stratham, NH.

Gas prices continue to climb

Last week pump prices increased regionally and across the country for the fifth consecutive week.

In Massachusetts, the average price per gallon for regular unleaded hit $2.519 on Wednesday, March 14, according to figures compiled by AAA. That was an increase of nearly five cents above the average of $2.473 reported by AAA seven days earlier on Wednesday, March 7. On March 14, 2006, the Massachusetts average price was $2.267 per gallon, 25 cents below last week's level.

New Hampshire drivers saw their statewide average rise nearly five cents, to $2.499 per gallon for regular, self-serve gas on Wednesday, March 14, compared to $2.454 a week earlier, AAA reported. Last Wednesday's price was also about 25 cents above the state's average of $2.243 reported by AAA on the same day of 2006.

The national average for a gallon of self-service unleaded gas increased about the same last week. AAA reported that the coast-to-coast average price reached $2.545 on Wednesday. Seven days earlier, the national average was $2.500. On March 14, 2006, the AAA national average of $2.363 for self-service regular gas was about 18 cents lower than last Wednesday's price.