MALONE:  Students Gain Sunny-Day Learning Opportunity— A new rooftop, six-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system has begun generating a portion of Franklin Academy’s electricity needs while enhancing the school’s science and technology curriculums, thanks to a grant secured by Gov. George Pataki and state Sen. Elizabeth Little. The $75,000 funding comes from New York’s share of the Petroleum Overcharge Restitution Fund. NYPA provided the solar panels and contract labor to install the system, which will generate electricity comparable to the needs of several homes. The students will be able to monitor the system on classroom computers, tracking data from a rooftop station that records wind speed, temperature and amount of sunlight. They will see real-time generation figures, cumulative totals and weather data while gaining knowledge about solar photovoltaic technology.

MASSENA:  Chamber Features St. Lawrence-FDR Tree Ornament— For a dozen or so years, Massena’s Chamber of Commerce has promoted North Country landmarks by selecting them for miniature reproductions as Christmas tree ornaments. This year, marking the panoramic view of the Power Authority’s St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project from the newly opened Hawkins Point Visitors Center, chamber officials captured the image, sealed it in clear plastic and reproduced 350 limited-edition copies for sale at selected outlets in the region. The colorful bulbs show portions of the project, in reality close to nine football fields long, crossing the U.S.-Canadian border in the St. Lawrence River’s northern channel. The St. Lawrence-FDR project was NYPA’s first generating project.

WHITE PLAINS:  NYPA Poster to Promote Literacy Drive— Earlier this year, Gov. George Pataki launched a new component of what has become a statewide series of events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy—the MLK Literacy Initiative and Book Drive. Power Authority employees contributed more than 1,000 books to the 2005 drive, prompted by a colorful poster created by a NYPA graphic communication specialist. The state Office of General Services’ literacy drive organizers have selected the NYPA poster to promote the entire 2006 statewide book initiative, timed around King’s mid-January birthday. The poster includes a headline from the drive’s organizers that hints at portions of a phrase King made memorable: “Be Judged by the Content of Your Mind.” Overall, the January-February 2005 statewide promotion reaped more than 45,000 donated books, targeted for school children up to 13 years old.

NEW YORK CITY:  NYPA Assists Staten Island Zoo Program— The Staten Island Zoo will take on the aura of a turn-of-the-century village this holiday season, thanks in part to a $2,500 contribution from the Power Authority. For the festivities, billed as a “Dickens of a Christmas,” the park will be decked out for nostalgia with colored lights and holiday wreaths on lampposts. Victorian-styled ladies in long, bustled dresses and gents in greatcoats and top hats will stroll the pathways that lead to a life-size replica of the famed children’s game “Candy Land” and the newly unveiled bronze likeness of Jalopy, a Galapagos turtle that resided at the zoo from 1936 to 1984. On Dec. 10 there will be a visit from St. Nick, complete with sled and reindeer; a reading of the fabled “A Visit from St. Nicholas”; an official tree-lighting ceremony; baked goods and crafts; and the sounds of the season from the Sound Shore Rotary Chorus and “Hands of Hope,” who sing and sign their songs for the hearing impaired. The decorations and festivities will continue through Jan. 1.

WHITE PLAINS:  NYPA Plays Host to City-Sponsored Events— The Power Authority’s White Plains office was the location for two community-oriented events in November sponsored by the city of White Plains. The first, a job fair for high school seniors organized by the city’s Youth Bureau, saw some 100 students learn about seasonal job offerings from such retail giants as Target, CVS, The Disney Store, Build-a-Bear and Daffy’s, in addition to positions with nearby restaurants and local movie theaters. In the other event, 150 area residents were feted at a volunteer recognition program led by White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino. Those in attendance called it “diversity at its best” as the leaders of the city’s various ethnic events and organizations were honored for their good works, including the Hispanic Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Columbus Day parades; the annual Cherry Blossom event by the Asian community; Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States; and the White Plains Beautification Committee. NYPA and Heineken USA received corporate honors for their support of the city’s annual July 4th celebration, which featured fireworks and a concert.

NORTH BLENHEIM:  Holiday Activities Set for Blenheim-Gilboa— The third annual “Festival of Trees” leads a program of holiday happenings scheduled for the visitors center at NYPA’s Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project in December. The exhibit, which includes 20 evergreens dressed in holiday fashion by local community groups, will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Jan. 2. On Dec. 10, from noon to 3 p.m., Santa Claus will visit the visitors center, and where Santa goes, so goes the paparazzi. He will pose for photographs with children and adults. Members of the nationally ranked women’s soccer team from SUNY Oneonta also will be on hand for photos and autographs. There also will be a display of live reindeer, and Clydesdale horses for sleigh or carriage rides. Admission to all events is free.

In the Community:  Ed Birdie, public and governmental affairs representative, spoke to the Howard Beach Kiwanis Club on the Power Authority’s initiatives in New York City, Dec. 1…Power Authority employees at the Clark Energy Center in Marcy collected 5,185 pounds of food for the Utica Community Food Bank. This is the 10th year that employees have contributed to the campaign.