Students groups are coming up winners.

PositionLOCAL NEWS

Byline: Betty Lilyestrom

COLUMN: LEICESTER NOTEBOOK

School has been out for two weeks in Leicester, but word is still coming in about awards earned by local student groups for projects completed during the past year.

Double winners for their efforts were members of the 2007 Leicester High School Envirothon Team, who took home both the Community Action Service Award and the Community Research Award given by Massachusetts Envirothon.

The team, coached by teacher Joanne Bernier, included juniors Marcela Jiminez, Jessica Robinson and Julie Johnson, sophomores Tom Killoran and Dylan Baker, and freshman Alyssa Hammond. They focused their research efforts on conserving energy and finding possible sources of renewable energy.

"After extensive research into our energy consumption through an energy audit, (Massachusetts Technology Collaborative) advisory and review of our electric bills, our team decided that our best resource would be conservation while reviewing possible alternative energy available to us that would be both energy saving, doable and cost effective," the team wrote in its report to the Envirothon.

During the school year, team members recruited other students to sign a carpooling pledge they developed last year.

They also approached all of the school bus drivers and got them all to sign a pledge, agreeing not to idle their vehicles unnecessarily.

They acquired 57 percent more signatures for carpooling this year, which resulted in a significant decrease in the number of cars in the school parking lot.

The group applied for an MTC grant and acquired the services of an engineer to assess whether Leicester would be a good site for alternative energy sources.

"We found wind would not work because we need to erect a 260-foot wind turbine and due to our proximity to the Worcester Airport, we are not allowed to go above 200 feet. Therefore, right now that's out," the team wrote. "We looked towards solar power, and with the large expanse of flat roof located at the high school, it is possible. Our concern is the initial expense. If we could secure enough funding initially, we could make this work."

The team created a brochure to promote conservation and to provide education on renewable energy, and distributed copies to all students at the high school.

No mention was made on whether copies were made available to the Board of Selectmen, who last week approved a cost-free study of the possible value of bringing some form of renewable energy to...

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