Local solar guru Dave Strenski just wrote in to warn me that a Japanese firm was marketing solar bras.
I guess he’s concerned that they might put my jockstrap wind turbine company out of business.
Speaking of Dave, it seems as though he and Corinne, the manager of the Ypsi Food Coop, have been successful in getting a Michigan Energy Efficiency grant to double the number of solar panels at the Coop, and put 12 panels on the back of City Hall.
The good news is, the money that a lot of us (83 people) pledged to get the Solar City Hall project going, won’t be needed now. As I understand it, the state money will cover 100% of the project as it’s currently envisioned. The judges, from what I’m told, very much liked that a lot of us in the community had pledged our own money to get the project going, and that’s one of the reasons we were awarded the grant… I don’t know about the rest of you who pledged, but, assuming Dave’s up for it, I’d be happy to roll my $50 pledge over to another project, now that City Hall is done. (Assuming, of course, that Dave gets Historic District Commission approval for mounting the panels on City Hall.)
How about a Solar Senior Center and Rutherford Pool?
[Speaking of big, local alternative energy projects, I know I owe all of you an update on the Great Ypsi Bike Powered Film Series thing. We’ve made some progress since our first meeting, and I want to tell you about it, but I just haven’t had the time. Hopefully I can share something with you by the end of this week.]
Congratulations again to Dave, Corinne, Murph and everyone who played a part in the Solar CIty Hall initiative. I know that other communities are gravitating toward renewable energy, but, to my knowledge, Ypsi is one of the only ones where the effort isn’t being led by city government, but by residents themselves. My hope is that, sooner or later, people outside of Ypsi start taking notice of that fact. I think that we’d make a fine home for a company setting out to produce wind turbines or solar cells. We don’t just want to call ourselves a “green” city, we actually want to be a “green” city. I’ve got to think that will attract good things.
13 Comments
I’m not sure about the one in the front, but the two in the back are obviously identical twin solar powered sex robots. Is it possible that 2008 is the year where all Mark’s dreams come true?
Mark,
Actually, many of the pledger’s sent their $50 in. The last time I checked with the City we have $1050 in the “solar budget”. The proposal we wrote uses $1000 from the City budget, $3000 from the Ypsi Food Coop’s solar budget, plus the ~$36,000 from the State.
So –THANK YOU– to everyone that sent in the $50. I believe that having money “in hand” strengthen the proposal. It showed that the community is behind the project.
We can hold off on additional donations for now. When we finishes the Coop upgrade and the City Hall installation then we can start thinking about the next location.
Strenski
This is terrific news, Dave, wonderful! Way to go! And thanks to MM.com for spreading the news.
Solar Powered Sex Robots from Space is a great title. May I use it?
Dave- Thank you for confirming that there’s money in the account- preempts me wondering if my pledge payment got to the right place.
Very cool news about the grant!
Re: the Great Ypsi Bike Powered Film Series
Will an old car battery be of any use to you? I need to get rid of the one that my x-husband left in the garage.
Ypsi is one of the only ones where the effort isn’t being led by city government, but by residents themselves.
Anyone up for abolishing the city government?
In THIS town, from now on, it’s OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE … we don’t need no stinkin’ badges.
We are just learning this lesson the hard way and we’re doing just fine, so far. (Ron Paul would urge us on, I’d think.)
Congratulations on the grant, Dave, Others Involved, and the City.
On Bike Powered Movies. Yeah. What IS happening? Dave and I had a conversation in his house a month or so ago about this and it sounded like we had the electrical engineering worked out. Still needed a projector and screen.
Amazing things, but not applicable. We need something solve the problem.
Exactly. How many Puffs did that skinny waif need to fill out that corset?
Re: the Great Ypsi Bike Powered Film Series
I hope it happens this summer! What can I do to help at this point?
I’m all for solar power. But wouldn’t it make a heck of a lot more sense to put solar panels on the fire stations and a couple of schools instead?! When the stuff hits the fan, it’d be great to have essential services and a place for people to go (schools have food service facilities and could provide shelter for a lot of people!). Putting them on City Hall seems goofy.