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Eversource Challenge finalists in all categories and grade levels will be honored at a special awards ceremony in early May, and winners will receive Amazon gift cards.

Eversource Hosts Seventh Annual Student Challenge

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Writing a poem, drawing a cartoon strip, or creating a superhero are just three ways Eversource is encouraging students to demonstrate their knowledge of energy efficiency.

The energy company is reminding students that submissions are still being accepted for its seventh annual Student Challenge. The contest promotes energy conservation, energy efficiency and sustainability and is open to kindergarten to high school students in its Massachusetts electric communities. The deadline for registration is March 17. All entries must be received or postmarked by March 27.

"From posters and poems to persuasive speeches and community projects, Massachusetts students continue to impress us year after year with their entries and 'energy smarts,' " said Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Penni Conner. "We are excited to see this year’s entries, and we encourage students who have not yet entered to register to do so before the March 17 deadline."

Students in grades K-8 are assigned grade-specific challenges and asked to submit entries in the form of a poster (grades K-2), limerick (grade 3), an outdoor billboard (grade 4), a narrative and an image of an energy-saving super-hero (grade 5), a letter to parents (grade 6), a news article (grade 7), or public service announcement (grade 8).



Students competing in grades 9-12 will create a persuasive image that advocates for an energy topic. Options include a short poem (125 words or less) or a cartoon strip (12 cells or less) that addresses energy efficiency, a renewable energy source, or environmental concern.

Eversource Challenge finalists in all categories and grade levels will be honored at a special awards ceremony in early May, and winners will receive Amazon gift cards. All entries are judged on the use of accurate and scientific facts, creativity, readability, persuasiveness, originality, and appearance. Students’ submissions are judged against those from the same grade levels in their community. Finalists will be honored at an awards ceremony on May 9 at the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Boston.

For applications, guidelines and more information about the Eversource Challenge, visit the website.

 

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Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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