Area middle school students advance to Regional Junior Solar Sprint Competition

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On Saturday, May 19, more than 50 middle school students from across Berkshire County and their families gathered at Reid Middle School in Pittsfield to enter their model solar cars in the annual Berkshire Junior Solar Sprint (JSS). The Center for Ecological Technology (CET), coordinator of the event, is pleased to announce that the top 12 teams advanced to the Northeast Junior Solar Sprint Championship to be held on June 10 at the Springfield Science Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts. Middle school students from the Berkshire region will join students from New England, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Washington DC. CET coordinated the JSS event with support from Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Gas Company, Energy Federation, Inc., Western Massachusetts Electric Company, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and the U.S. Department of Energy. Additional contributors were Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, South Street Servicenter, Bob’s Elm Street Service, Bunnell Auto Parts and Haddad Motors. The Junior Solar Sprint is a fun and educational competition for students in grades 5-8 who work in teams to build miniature vehicles powered by the sun and learn first-hand about non-polluting transportation. This year rain forced students indoors where they replaced solar panels with batteries to power their solar vehicles. “It was a great event, in spite of the rain,” said coordinator Cynthia Grippaldi. “Students had a lot of fun and learned firsthand that solar vehicles need battery back-up to run on cloudy days and at night.” Student cars were judged in four categories—innovative design, craftsmanship, technical merit, and performance (speed). The top three winners in each category are eligible to compete in the regional championship. “We are thrilled by the creativity and enthusiasm of so many students, and excited that several now have the opportunity to participate in the regional event,” said Nancy Nylen of CET. “It’s great to see students and teachers working together on projects, and then to see their family and friends cheer them on at the solar sprint event. And we owe a big thanks to our generous sponsors for making this possible.” Students participating in the JSS came from Adams Memorial Middle School, Conte Middle School in North Adams, Clarksburg Elementary School, Herberg Middle School and Reid Middle School in Pittsfield, Monument Valley Middle School in Great Barrington, and Richmond Consolidated School. Berkshire Junior Solar Sprint Results – 2007 Award - Car #, School, Name of Car, Students Innovation 1st place: - #52 — Reid Middle School: "The Racing Piranhas"—John Krebs, Caroline Nadeau 2nd place: - #22 — Monument Valley Middle School: "322"—Bobby Teggi, Travis Wilton 3rd place: - #45 — Richmond: "Zoomer" - Kelsey Marzotto (tie) - #10 — Clarksburg: “Candy Coated Turniquette”—Brody Moran, Genavieve Twomey Craftsmanship 1st place: - #33 — Herberg Middle School: "Fluffy Bunnies"—Leslie Martin, Emily Vigard 2nd place: - #30 — Herberg: "Spotted Lizard" —Nicole Chaves, Emily Murray 3rd place: - #70 — Adams Middle School: "Jive Turkey"—Greg Bosworth, Antonio Cardeno, Andrew Galisa Technical Merit 1st place: - #23 — Monument Valley: "Brewstewcar"—Alfred Brewer, Louisa Carman, Annarose Stewart 2nd place: - #40 — Richmond: "The Lemon"—Megan Doerle, Sara Massery 3rd place: - #33 — Herberg: "Fluffy Bunnies"— Leslie Martin, Emily Vigard Speed 1st place: - #54 — Reid: "Cricker"—Jordyn Biagiotti, Andrea Moreau, Diedre Lindsey 2nd place: - #60 — Conte Middle School: "Blue Streak"—Michael Reese 3rd place: - #52 — Reid: "The Racing Piranhas"—John Krebs, Caroline Nadeau The Berkshire JSS is an annual event. For more information about the JSS or solar energy curriculum, contact Cynthia Grippaldi at CET, (413)-445-4556 ext. 25 or Nancy Nylen at nancyn@cetonline.org. CET is a 30-year-old community organization working with citizens and organizations to promote energy conservation and environmental education in western Massachusetts. CET is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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