Category: Sarah Shemkus
U-Mass Students Engage in Heated Competition
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8-A group of students from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has moved into a new house in a rather unconventional location-the National Mall.
“It’s so exciting,” said team member Adrienne Schaefer, a junior. “I came here and I was amazed.”
Schaefer, and 23 of her UMass classmates, form one of the18 teams competing in the 2005 Solar Decathlon. The contest, sponsored by the Department of Energy, challenges college students to design, build and operate an entirely solar-powered house that combines aesthetics and practicality.
The Solar Village, as the collection of houses has been dubbed, is open to the public until Oct.16. Workshops, product demonstrations, and educational exhibits help visitors understand the everyday applications of the technology the homes employ.
“[The Decathlon] is about education and awareness, and a big part of that is just getting people involved,” said Dr. Gerald LeMay, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and the leader of the UMass team.
Construction began on the team’s small, yellow house began in May, after almost two years of planning.
“I liked seeing something that we designed and planned coming to life,” said Julian Plante, a team member who has been involved in the project since last September.
When it came time to move the house to Washington, however, challenges arose. The front half of the structure pulled on to the Mall at 4:45 on the morning of Sept. 29. The rear section, however, was delayed by an accident that required it to be loaded on to a new trailer, and followed late the next day.
Because the new trailer was lower to the ground than the original, the back hallway now sits two feet below the kitchen floor-a violation of the rule that houses must be wheelchair accessible. The team was therefore forced to cordon off the bedroom and bathroom, designating them as viewing-only areas.
“Our setbacks are kind of disappointing,” Schaefer said. “But its great that we still made it.”
By Tuesday, tile and carpeting were being installed, and by Thursday, the living room was furnished and the kitchen table was set with linen napkins and wine glasses.
Clouds and rain blocked the sun in Washington for much of the village’s opening weekend. However, the house continued to operate, thanks to 10 back-up batteries that store the excess energy collected on sunny days. LeMay said he was confident that the house could operate for the entire 8 days of competition with no additional sunlight.
The construction effort was aided by seven AmeriCorps volunteers working through Habitat for Humanity. Van Anderson, who works with Habitat, sees the partnership as a natural fit with his organization’s mission of providing affordable housing to low-income people.
“Green building is a part of. decreasing the day-to-day, and month-to-moth expenses our owners have to pay,” Anderson explained.
After the competition, the UMass team will be donating the house to Habitat for Humanity. The organization will then use the building to support Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, either by selling it and donating the proceeds, or by shipping the home directly to the Gulf Coast.
Two of the solar decathletes, Matthew and James Crisham, are former students at the University of New Orleans, who had to leave the city when the hurricane struck.
If the vinyl-sided house seems simple when compared to the curved cedar walls of the University of Maryland entry, or the dramatic modern lines of the entry from Spain, it is by design. The Massachusetts team wanted to show the ways that energy-efficient technology can be implemented in an average home.
“The visitors really like that aspect of our house,” said Solu Nwanze, a senior computer engineering major. “It was built to be lived in, not for show and decoration.”
The UMass team saved even more, thanks to donations of money, material, and time from a variety of community members.
Much of the building materials-including the carpeting, tiles, solar panels, windows, and electrical supplies-were donated or offered at a sharply discounted price. The pale yellow siding on the solar house was donated by Louann Jenkinson, a Rochester resident who was having it removed from her home.
“Keeping [the siding] out of the landfill keeps it out of our water system. And it just lasts forever,” said LeMay.
Several community members also participated in the construction, plumbing, and electrical work. Tim Lyden, a Dartmouth builder who has been involved in solar construction projects since the ’70s, and Jared Fortna, a UMass alumnus who now lives in Allston, traveled to Washington to assist with the building.
This year, each Solar Decathlon team received a grant of $5,000 from the Department of Energy. The Massachusetts team raised an additional $50,000 from a combination of sources including the university, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, various foundations, and individual donations.
LeMay calculated the cost of the house, if all the supplies had been bought at retail price, to be approximately $250,000.
“It’s just the generosity of everyone involved that let us get it built for $50,000,” said LeMay.
In 2007, the next time the event will be held, each team will be awarded $100,000.
LeMay said he looks forward to leading another team in 2007, building on the knowledge he has gained from this year’s experience.
For many of the team members, the experience has demonstrated how their actions and choices can affect the larger community. Several expressed interest in continuing to explore solar technology after graduating from UMass.
“You do your small part and everyone else does their part,” said Fortna, “and all of a sudden the whole country is doing much better.”
Fuel Funding Assistance Defeated
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6-As temperatures drop and the price of heating oil rises in New England, the Senate, late Wednesday night, rejected a measure that would have more than doubled federal fuel assistance funds for low-income people.
The measure, an amendment that would have increased funds for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to $5.1 billion, was thrown out when a procedural move prevented the measure from being voted on.
"The Republican leadership has sent a terrible message to Americans, because tonight politics was placed ahead of helping families," Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who sponsored the amendment, said in a press release.
The energy bill that President Bush signed in August authorized up to $5.1 billion for the assistance program, but the Senate currently plans to spend only $2.183 billion, an increase of $1 million from last year.
"Congress needs to stand up for the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, in a statement to the Standard-Times.
Last year, more than 9,000 households in the New Bedford area received federally funded heating assistance, and an additional 400 or 500 are waiting to apply for the coming winter, said Bruce Morell, executive director of People Acting in Community Endeavor, a local community assistance agency.
"We either need to have lower energy prices or higher funding for these programs if we're truly going to help these people make it through the winter," Morell said.
The average cost for a gallon of heating oil in Massachusetts is currently $2.57, an increase of 33 percent over last year's price, according to data from the Energy Information Administration.
The maximum benefit available last year was approximately $750 per household and included emergency funds beyond the original budget, said Morell. This year, he expects the assistance to top out at around $625.
"The scary part about this year is that . the maximum benefit level won't even buy a person a full tank of oil," said Morell.
Because much of the low-income housing in New Bedford is not energy efficient, residents may need as much as one tank each month to heat their houses sufficiently.
In September, Gov. Mitt Romney, along with Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, drafted a letter, signed by 26 other governors, which requested an additional $1.276 billion in emergency heating assistance funds. Gov. Romney planned to meet with Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) in Washington on Wednesday. Specter chairs the Appropriations Committee subcommittee that funds the program.
Sens. Kerry and Kennedy are considering further legislative steps to continue the fight.
"We have the ability to tell the elderly, and the disabled, and many others that we've heard them, and that we won't leave them shivering in the cold this winter," Sen. Kennedy said.
Frank, Kennedy Connect DeLay Indictment to GOP Corruption
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 - Tom DeLay's behavior is symbolic of larger ills within the Republican Party, members of the Massachusetts' congressional delegation argued on Wednesday in response to news that the now-former House Majority Leader was indicted in Texas for allegedly conspiring to break campaign finance laws.
"It is part of a pattern of arrogance and abuse of power that we have seen from the Republicans," said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass).
"Tom Delay's criminal indictment is a product of the GOP's culture of corruption," said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) in a statement to the Standard-Times. "The country deserves better, beginning with a change in leadership."
Sen. John Kerry's office did not release any comment.
Frank noted that in January Republicans changed their own party rules to make it permissible for an indicted leader to retain their position. The GOP subsequently reversed course under heavy criticism.
"It was an attempt to protect [DeLay] ahead of time," Frank said.
The indictment did force the congressman to step down, at least temporarily, from his leadership position. House Republicans selected Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) to replace DeLay as majority leader.
DeLay, who was admonished by the House ethics committee for inappropriate official behavior three times last year, is charged with violating state laws that restrict the use of corporate political donations to advocate the election or defeat of specific candidates.
"It is clear that people close to him violated the law," Frank said. "I am skeptical that he didn't know what his top aides were doing. . Obviously what needs to be done now is a fair trial."
House Increases Aid Opportunities for Students Displaced by Hurricanes
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28-Students and colleges affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita may be receiving a $36 million influx of federal financial aid as a result of a bill the House passed on Tuesday.
"I support this commonsense step that will provide immediate relief," said Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.), speaking on the House floor Tuesday.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has enrolled two students who were displaced by Katrina. The pair, brothers from the University of New Orleans, arrived on campus on Sept. 12 and started classes the same day.
"Their experience since they got to UMass Dartmouth has been super," said Steve Briggs, director of undergraduate admissions. "I think they feel really comfortable."
More than 100,000 students from dozens of colleges and universities have been affected by the recent hurricanes, according to estimates from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Hundreds of institutions of higher learning around the country are providing assistance to displaced students.
The Natural Disaster Student Aid Fairness Act has two main components: it would provide aid directly to affected students, and it would allow colleges and universities to receive additional funds without having to match the federal contribution.
Schools accepting displaced students would have to apply for the waiver of the matching obligation, though the requirements to qualify are not expected to be too stringent.
"It's not going to be overly proscriptive, because the goal is to be able to meet the needs of the schools that are enrolling these students," said committee spokeswoman Alexa Marrero.
Money for the initiative would come from unclaimed student aid that, under current law, is returned to the Treasury at the end of the year. The bill would require these funds to be distributed instead to students and institutions affected by the hurricane. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
New Bedford Area Residents Rally Against War
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 - On a swath of grass just east of the Washington Monument, hundreds of small wooden crosses were laid out in careful rows. Many of the white markers, representing the United States military men and women who have died since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, were adorned with flowers or miniature American flags.
Dave Dionne surveyed the scene and asked, "Why isn't the whole country enraged by this?"
Dionne, a Westport selectman, was one of several area residents who joined the thousands of demonstrators that packed into the area behind the White House on Saturday to protest America's continuing involvement in Iraq.
Organized by antiwar coalitions ANSWER and United for Peace and Justice, Saturday's demonstration was expected to attract more than 100,000 protesters. Similar events also were planned across the globe in such cities as Los Angeles, London, Paris and Seattle.
The event included an all-day festival, a rally in the late morning, and an afternoon march that wound past the White House. White tents dotted the crowd, offering stickers, t-shirts, and anti-war pamphlets. Participants of every age, race, and religion carried colorful signs encouraging "Global Justice, Not War" and declaring that "Peace is Patriotic."
"I think that we represent millions of people world-wide," said Elizabeth Bennett of Fairhaven. "There's always an effect when people stand up for what's right and just and loving." Bennett was joined at the event by her parents Jean and Arthur Bennett of New Bedford.
Most of the New Bedford area demonstrators left Massachusetts on Friday and traveled to the capital overnight on buses arranged by protest organizers, arriving at 8 in the morning. The buses were scheduled to leave Saturday for an all-night ride home.
"It's a long day but it's worth it to be with people who are united in the same cause," said Amy Schusser, a New Bedford resident.
Dionne however, left New England more than a week ago, riding his bike more than 550 miles from Kingston, Rhode Island, staying in hotels and campgrounds as he proceeded.
"I wanted to make a statement about how we can do things without fossil fuels," explained Dionne. "Bush is like the corrupt father in a dysfunctional family-he promotes the denial of our oil addiction."
The local protesters were united in passionate opposition not just to the war, but also to the president himself. Jean Bennett carried a bright yellow sign urging his impeachment.
"Bush is the worst president we have ever had and the most dangerous man in the world," Ann Sheehan of Dartmouth said.
Despite their anger, the New Bedford contingent was optimistic about their chances of effecting change.
"We really believe that if enough people feel [that the war is wrong], then something will have to change," said Arthur Bennett.
All of the area participants seemed to advocate an immediate withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.
"I think it's important to be here because I think its time we end this war now-not two years from now, not 15 months from now-but now," said Richard Drolet, another New Bedford resident.
An opposition rally for war supporters also was planned for this weekend in Washington. Dionne, however, does not feel that opposing the war is the same as being against the soldiers who are fighting it.
"Many people in this crowd have family members in the armed services," Dionne said. "They truly understand what it means to support the troops."
Indeed, shortly before noon, Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq and who many credit with reinvigorating antiwar sentiment in the country, took to the stage in the middle of the crowd and led the protesters in chanting "Not one more."
Jean Bennett pointed towards the air where the refrain echoed over the amassed demonstrators, and said, " That's why I came."
Controversy and Challenges with New Head Start Bill
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -Despite a controversial amendment that weakened Democratic support for the measure, the House Thursday passed a bill authorizing a $45 million increase in funding for Head Start.
The House passed an amendment largely along party lines that would allow faith-based Head Start providers to discriminate on the basis of religion in hiring
"The notion that a Baptist shouldn't have to hire a Jew... I can't imagine it," said Rep. Barney Frank (D- Mass.), who voted against the bill because of the amendment. "I think this issue is a very fundamental principle in America."
The bill also included provisions designed to strengthen accountability, increase the focus on academic success, and create more competition among the agencies that provide services.
The bill passed by a vote of 231-184.
The Senate passed its version of the bill in May. That version does not contain the controversial provisions about religious discrimination. It remains unclear whether House and Senate negotiators will leave those sections in when they meet to reconcile the differences in the two bills.
Widely considered one of the most successful federal programs, Head Start provides academic readiness, nutritional, health, and social support services for low-income children ages five and under. The program served more than 905,000 students nationwide and more than 13,000 Massachusetts children in 2004.
New Bedford's Head Start agency serves 343 children at two sites, one on Madison Street and the other on Smith Street, and has a waiting list of 50, according to Karen Surprenant, director of the agency.
The act attempts to create a stronger system of financial oversight and transparency, in response to fraud complaints reported by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm.
"We've heard alarming reports from across the country that Head Start funds . are being used inappropriately or [are] simply unaccounted for," said Alexa Marrero, spokeswoman for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Local officials, however, said that several changes intended to solve this problem in fact compromise an agency's ability to provide the best possible service to needy families.
The bill requires individual Head Start agencies with performance problems to compete for continued funding against other agencies.
"The goal is that the highest quality program available is going to be providing services for the child," said Marrero.
Some, however, believe that the provisions are unnecessarily harsh.
"We want to see programs that are poorly performing have an opportunity to make a correction" before losing their grant," said Nancy Topping-Tailby, executive director of the Massachusetts Head Start Association. Changing programs could destabilize the community connections the program tries to achieve, she said.
Another major point of contention is the changing role of the parent-driven policy councils that traditionally provide significant guidance to individual agencies.
The councils currently have significant responsibility for financial matters, hiring and firing staff, and reviewing policy and procedure, said Topping-Tailby. The new bill, she explained, restricts these responsibilities, diminishing parents' input into the running of the program.
"I think that parent involvement has really contributed to the success of [the program]," said Surprenant. "I would hate to lose that."
The bill also requires that 50 percent of Head Start teachers at any agency hold at least an associate's degree, which is a two-year degree from a community college, and that nationwide half of the teachers hold bachelor's degrees.
"[This] provides some degree of flexibility for local groups but ensures that, across the board, we are increasing the level of qualification," Marrero said.
Topping-Tailby and Surprenant, however, said that the bill offers no additional funding for this goal, making it more difficult to achieve.
"There's a lot of movement out of Head Start when people get their degrees and are able to get jobs in the public school system for more money," said Topping-Tailby.
Federal Funding Heats Up for Local Fire Departments
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 - Four area fire departments are gearing up to improve their facilities, purchase vehicles and provide better equipment for their firefighters, thanks to more than $712,000 in federal grants from the Department of Homeland Security.
Fire departments in Dartmouth, Rochester, Wareham and Westport received grants as part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.
"The importance of this program is that it affords us the opportunity to have important pieces of equipment . that we could never afford without such assistance," said Lt. Allen Manley of the Westport Fire Department.
The grant program was started in 2001 to provide federal assistance to local fire departments' efforts to protect citizens. Since its inception the program has awarded approximately $2.5 billion to emergency response agencies across the nation.
"The administration recognizes the firefighters are the front line of the first-response community," said Department of Homeland Security spokesman Mark Short.
Westport, which also received a grant in 2003, will be using its award of $554,800 to buy a vehicle equipped with a 500-gallon water tank, pumping equipment and an aerial ladder.
"This gives us a tool we really need," Manley said.
Wareham's department expects to use its grant of more than $49,896 to purchase protective equipment that will make its firefighters better able to fight the brush and forest fires they commonly face in the fall and early spring. In 2003, Wareham used a Homeland Security grant to purchase breathing apparatuses for its firefighters.
Rochester, which also was awarded grants in 2003 and 2004, received $76,000, also to be used for protective equipment. The Dartmouth fire department will use its $31,635 award to modify its facilities.
Fire department officials say they will continue to apply for these grants in future years.
New Hope for Opponents of LNG Facility
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 - Opponents of the proposed liquefied natural gas facility in Fall River were given hope this week when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission indefinitely extended the deadline for considering appeals to the project's approval.
In a statement Thursday, Sens. John Kerry and Edward Kennedy, along with Reps. Barney Frank and James McGovern, approved of the deadline extension and encouraged the commission to reverse its earlier ruling.
"This misguided project should never be built," Sen. Kennedy said. "[The commission] now has a chance to correct its mistake and finally put to rest the idea of siting an LNG facility in Fall River."
The City of Fall River, the Navy and other opponents filed appeals to the project authorization early last month. The commission initially had until Thursday to issue a final decision, and failure to act by that date would have been considered an automatic rejection of the appeal.
On Sept. 12, however, the commission issued a procedural order to extend that deadline, allowing continued consideration of the appeals.
"We just don't know how significant this is going to be," said Steven Adamske, a spokesman for Frank.
Opponents of the facility should not yet consider this a victory, said Tamara Young-Allen, spokeswoman for the commission.
"All it means is that the commission needs more time," Young said.
The facility, proposed by Weaver's Cove Energy, was authorized by the commission on July 15. Since the original authorization, however, the Navy has raised national security objections, and local resistance has grown, Adamske said.
In addition, recent legislation sponsored by Frank and McGovern protects the Brightman Street Bridge from removal, effectively preventing LNG tankers from reaching the facility's proposed location.
"I hope that the FERC will use this extension to look at the new national security and
economic data as a basis to reverse the approval of this ill-advised project," Frank said in the statement.
Critics of the project note the possibility of spills, fires and explosions at the facility. They also say that such a facility would be a tempting target for terrorists.
According to Weaver's Cove Energy, however, an LNG facility in Fall River would have few safety or security risks while providing valuable jobs and tax revenues to the community.
Company spokesman Jim Grasso said he is confident that the authorization will stand. "We need the gas and these facilities need to be sited somewhere," he said.
Coast Guard Budget Unanimously Approved by House
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 -- The House of Representatives voted unanimously on Thursday to authorize a budget of $8.7 billion for the Coast Guard. Significant portions of the money will be used to fund search and rescue missions and upgrade outdated vessels.
"The indisputable fact is that the demands on the Coast Guard have vastly outpaced its resources," Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., said, before the vote. "That's why it is incredibly important that we . encourage the purchase of additional cutters and aircraft."
The measure passed by a vote of 415-0. The figure would represent a $1.4 billion increase in funding over the current budget.
Delahunt, himself a former Coast Guard member, expressed concern that some or the service's equipment is dangerously outdated. "Many of these legacy assets are riddled with structural defects, putting Coast Guard personnel - and the people who call on them for help - at risk," he said.
The Wood's Hole Coast Guard group, the most likely to respond to calls from New Bedford fishermen, saved the lives of 158 people in 2004, according to Coast Guard data provided by Ensign Eric Leese. The unit located at Air Station Cape Cod in Falmouth performed 283 search and rescue missions in 2004, said Steven Broderick, legislative assistant to Delahunt.
Approximately 570 fishing vessels are registered to the ports of New Bedford and the surrounding towns, one of the most productive fishing regions in the country, according to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.
In the budget submitted to Congress, $966 million was requested for the Integrated Deepwater System, a comprehensive set of improvements to the Coast Guard's systems, ships and aircraft.
The Coast Guard originally requested a budget of $8.15 billion, but it was increased in the House Transportation Committee by 6.7 percent. The additional funds are intended to accelerate the upgrades, said Steven Broderick, legislative assistant to Delahunt.
"In New England we're talking about the ships that patrol fishing grounds [and] the helicopters and the aircraft," said Jolie Shifflet, a spokeswoman from Coast Guard headquarters. "Our ships and aircraft are getting old and need to be replaced."
The program could bring new, long-range aircraft, unmanned vehicles and more modern cutters to Air Station Cape Cod.
"They're trying to upgrade their assets," Broderick said. "They've got cutters going back to World War II protecting the coastline."
The authorization vote today is only a preliminary step in the budget process. The requested funds still need to be included in the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill and approved by both the House and Senate.
Hurricane Katrina also has put additional strain on the Coast Guard's capacity to successfully perform search and rescue missions. House members from both parties praised the efforts on the Gulf Coast.
"It has truly been one of the Coast Guard's finest hours-and all Americans are profoundly grateful," Delahunt said.
Frank Advocates For Home Heating Assistance
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 -As home heating oil prices threaten to rise by a third and top $2.50 per gallon in New England this winter, Reps. Barney Frank, James McGovern and William Delahunt joined a bipartisan group of House members from across the country Wednesday in advocating an increase in federal fuel assistance funds for low-income people.
"The congressman is extremely supportive of the [federal program] and has opposed efforts over the last few years to cut the funds," Frank spokesman Steven Adamske said.
The Massachusetts representatives were among 78 House members (including all of the Commonwealth's 10 legislators) who signed a letter requesting more money for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps low-income, elderly and disabled people with their home energy costs.
A similar letter was sent to the Senate Budget Committee in March, but the committee did not act on it.
The signers asked that the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill include $4 billion for the program, a 45 percent increase over this year's appropriation. The current bill calls for $2.183 billion for the program.
"As the nation faces an unprecedented and unexpected surge in home energy prices due in part to the devastating tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, it is critical that the level of funding provided for this program be revisited in light of the new circumstances," the letter read in part.
The New Bedford area has more than 11,000 residents who are eligible for fuel assistance, according to Fran Stubbs, fuel program director for People Acting in Community Endeavor, a local community assistance agency.
"We're getting phone calls from new people constantly," Stubbs said.
The Energy Information Administration projects oil costs to rise 32 percent in the Northeast this winter, hitting a level that would be difficult for many to afford, even with assistance, Stubbs said.
She estimated that the maximum benefit available under the federal program would pay for only one average tank of oil. Because much of the low-income housing in New Bedford is not energy efficient, residents may need as much as one tank each month to heat their houses sufficiently.
"By December 1 they may have exhausted their benefit," Stubbs said. "Some people are currently without service because last year's fuel prices were so high . and they'll be facing shut-off again this year."
The House members who signed the letter acknowledged the importance of providing adequate funds to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, but emphasized the necessity of assisting those in need across the country.
