Turbine goes up at school

BY TODD L. DISHER
Frontiersman
Published on Friday, November 6, 2009 4:29 PM AKST

PALMER — Teaching the Valley’s best and brightest just got a little more energy efficient.

At noon today, officials from the Mat-Su Borough School District, Matanuska Electric Association and Susitna Energy Systems raised an electricity-generating wind turbine on the campus of Sherrod Elementary School.

The idea began in the playground, principal Mark Hoffman said. Sherrod’s recreational area is laid out to match the map of Alaska. A line of boulders marks the Aleutian Islands. A dirt hill marks Denali. A plaque signs the end of the Iditarod in Nome.

(Use arrows above to view more photos)

Hoffman said he heard about the plans to put wind turbines on Fire Island. He started thinking about putting mock windmills to teach the students about alternative energy.

“The project grew from there,” he said.

See more of this story in Sunday's Frontiersman

Comments

5 comment(s)

    Rusty wrote on Nov 7, 2009 10:37 AM:

    " Todd, did you ask who paid for all of this? Did the taxpayers get soaked again for another boondoggle? Of course on the other hand, maybe this thing will teach the kids what a hidiously inefficient concept these things are. "

    Oops wrote on Nov 7, 2009 10:05 AM:

    " Here we go. If you haven't noticed in Palmer (in town) the Palmer Wasilla Hwy and Parks wind turbines are popping up!!! Remember all the flack over cell towers? now we have turbines popping up everywhere without a clue. It's the norm for the Valley, the feel good high. I for one want this to stop. Let's think about a plan, "Pristine" Palmer has been fight big box stores and growth but let's allow turbines off Alaska St right in town? Can we not take it to the river bed? "

    Life after BP wrote on Nov 7, 2009 9:28 AM:

    " Good move. We visit relatives in West Texas from time to tine and their schools have real wind turbines in their school playground and have been using them for years.

    YOU DON"T NEED MOCK WIND TURBINES YOU NEED REAL ONES! "

    bob wrote on Nov 7, 2009 6:10 AM:

    " Todd, I want to know what they cost because I'm interested in putting one at my home. pLease tell us more "

    Houston Resident wrote on Nov 6, 2009 6:15 PM:

    " Very cool! "

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