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.â€
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 Turniquetteâ€â€”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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Kwanzaa Celebration Set Saturday in Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Women of Color Giving Circle and the Rites of Passage and Empowerment Program will present their annual community Kwanzaa celebration at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28, at Zion Lutheran Church, 74 First St.
Kwanzaa is a non-religious celebration held Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. The holiday celebrates African and African American culture, with an emphasis on seven principles geared toward uplift and empowerment.
The program, which will be held in the Zion Common Room, will include a youth panel discussion on the topic, "Where do we go from here," featuring Roos Bajnath, Brian Annor-Bash, Ronny Brizan, Patrick Gordon, Olivia Nda, Sadiya Quetti, and Gloria Williams.
The evening's performances will include a special guest, jazz and blues singer Samirah Evans; selections from Abby Percy and James Ryan; and an African dance and drum presentation led by Noel Staples-Freeman.
There is a suggested fee of $20 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. Also, Kwanzaa-themed T-shirts will be on sale for $25-$35.
For more information, contact Shirley Edgerton at 413-496-4602.
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