Workshop on Solar Energy at the MCLA

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Solar energy for your home or business is the focus of a free workshop presented by the Center for Ecological Technology (CETsm) to highlight solar energy and exciting new funding opportunities. Anyone who is curious about what’s involved in using the power of the sun is encouraged to attend the informational workshop, which will be presented in North Adams on Thursday, March 2nd at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, at the Sullivan Lounge in the Amsler Center. Registration will begin at 6:30 p.m. The workshop will start promptly at 7 p.m. and will end by 9:00 p.m. Chris Vreeland, a registered professional engineer, will be the featured speaker. The workshop is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is encouraged. Skyrocketing energy costs and concern about the effects of fossils fuels on our health and environment are leading many people to conserve and seek local, clean sources of energy. Over the past two years, dozens of solar electric systems have been installed on homes, schools and public buildings in the Berkshires, and there is growing interest are in solar hot water systems. CET’s workshop is a way to find out if a solar energy system is a good fit. Those who attend will learn the basics of using energy from the sun to create electricity or heat water. They will also learn how solar panels work, the components of a solar electric system, how to determine whether they have a good site and how to gain additional benefits through energy efficient improvements. Also covered will be average prices for solar electric and solar hot water systems, and how to find local contractors who install systems. The workshop will showcase systems that have recently been installed in the Berkshires. A highlight of the workshop will be information about financial incentives available from Massachusetts and the federal government. Mr. Vreeland will give an overview of those incentives and will summarize a new program offered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to help homeowners and small businesses pay for renewable energy systems. Please pre-register if you are interested in attending. To find out more or to pre-register, contact Cynthia Grippaldi, at 413-445-4556 ext. 25 or email Nancy at: nancyn@cetonline.org. For those who can’t attend the North Adams event, the solar energy workshop will be repeated on April 4th at Simon’s Rock College in Great Barrington. CET is a non-profit energy and resource conservation organization that has served western Massachusetts since 1976. CET receives funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. CET is an equal opportunity service provider. This workshop is made possible through grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
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Lanesborough Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."
 
The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School. 
 
The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday. 
 
The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season. 
 
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations. 
 
"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said  interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.  
 
"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."
 
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