WMGLD Announces 9th Annual Essay Contest Winners

The Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (WMGLD) recently selected winners of the 9^th annual WMGLD Energy Conservation Essay Contest. Galvin Middle School 5^th graders Alejandro Borda, Sienna Catizone, James Cerulle, Fiona Goodwin, Lilah Hatheway, Kate Morrison, and Elaine Standley, and St. Joseph’s School 5^th grader Konrad Cuper were recently honored at an awards celebration at Wakefield Community Access Television studios in Wakefield.

The eight winning essays were selected from among more than 250 essays submitted by fifth graders at the Galvin Middle School and St. Joseph’s School following a visit to their schools by WMGLD General Manager Pete Dion. A total of 33 students, representing 30 Galvin Middle School students and three students from St. Joseph’s School, were selected as semi-finalists by a panel of judges which included teachers and WMGLD representatives.

In addition to the seven winners from the Galvin Middle School, the following students were selected as semi-finalists from the school: Lauren Mangarelli, Alisa Gersh, Hayden Quimby, Leah Paglierani, Brian Purcell, Chris Meadows, Jeff McGann, Alana Carney, Charlotte O'Neil, Brandon Muise, Linnea Rice, Jason Pace, Sofia Borda, Marc Laverdiere, Abigail Blair, Frankie Leone, Lucy Cremin, Tyler Nelson, Lazar Kaminsky, Julia Bielakiewicz, Sofia Macaluso, Ariannah Tringali, and Juliana Spaulding. In addition to the winner, the St. Joseph School semi-finalists included Courtney Fallon and Charlie Lemieux.

In his welcoming remarks, WMGLD General Manager Pete Dion congratulated the winners, as well as all students who participated by writing and essay about energy conservation and awareness.

“The panel of judges had a hard time choosing the semi-finalists and the winning essays,” the General Manager said. “All the essays really reflected the students’ commitment to conserving energy and reducing their carbon footprint.”

All students who submitted an essay received a WMGLD backpack, and each semi-finalist received an LED nightlight. The eight winners also received a special award certificate and a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.

Each winner read his or her essay during the ceremony which was recorded at the WCAT studios and has been broadcast on local cable access TV.

Thirty Galvin Middle School students were selected as semi-finalists in the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department’s 9^th annual Energy Conservation Essay Contest. Seven of those essays were selected as winners from among the more than 250 essays submitted by fifth graders at the Galvin Middle School and St. Joseph School. Three students, including one winner, were also selected as semi-finalists from St. Joseph School.

General Manager Pete Dion, (back row, center) congratulated the Galvin Middle School semi-finalists during a recent visit to the Galvin Middle School.

The Galvin Middle School students whose essays were selected for recognition include winners Alejandro Borda, Sienna Catizone, James Cerulle, Fiona Goodwin, Lilah Hatheway, Kate Morrison, and Elaine Standley, and semi-finalists Lauren Mangarelli, Alisa Gersh, Hayden Quimby, Leah Paglierani, Brian Purcell, Chris Meadows, Jeff McGann, Alana Carney, Charlotte O'Neil, Brandon Muise, Linnea Rice, Jason Pace, Sofia Borda, Marc Laverdiere, Abigail Blair, Frankie Leone, Lucy Cremin, Tyler Nelson, Lazar Kaminsky, Julia Bielakiewicz, Sofia Macaluso, Ariannah Tringali, and Juliana Spaulding.

The following are the winning essays:

The Luminator saver By: Lilah Hatheway
The whole world will be better if we start to conserve energy. Let’s get realistic. We need to start right now, right here. If we don’t start, there will be so much more pollution and global warming. That is why I have invented something to help it! It is called the Luminator Saver. The Luminator saver will help conserve energy kind of like a solar panel. The luminator saver would be in a lampshade or any other cover to a light. It will take the light energy (like a solar panel) out of the light in the light bulb. The light bulb would be powered by a battery that is charged by the sun. You would then put the battery in the light and turn it on. The luminator saver would power other things in your house such as appliances and other lights. This invention is very realistic. We could redesign a solar panel to take energy from any light. Next, we can design it to bend and fit into a lampshade. Along with fitting the Luminator Saver into a lampshade, we could design it to fit into any light cover. The Luminator saver will the world! We need to keep this earth healthy. Future generations depend on us. If we start using the Luminator saver, we can change the world.

Light Department Essay By: Kate Morrison

My invention is called the Smart Window. This window does not need a WiFi connection. Inside is a thermostat and motor so the window can close or open when it is the right temperature. It will make your life a whole lot easier because you will not have to worry about closing or opening your windows. Prices go up from there. You can find the window at The Home Depot. Smart Window is a window that you set a temperature for. When your house reaches that temperature the window closes itself or opens itself so you do not waste heat and energy. You can set the temperature before you leave your house and when you come back, your house will be at a perfect temperature. My invention is not complicated. As a bonus you get a moisture sensor that will shut your window when it rains. I think all homeowners could benefit from using my windows over time they will save money on their heating and cooling bills. GO TO THE HOME DEPOT AND GET ONE!!!!

Sun Phone By: Elaine Standley
My invention is a sun phone. It is just like your normal smartphone, but special. You still use it the same, but charge it different. It has a small solar panel embedded in the back of the phone, so when you place it in the sun, it charges. If the sun phone was made, it would conserve a lot of energy and money. This phone would use solar power instead of a normal charger, which uses fossil fuels. An average phone charger takes up 12 watts of energy every time you charge your phone! Using these chargers takes up money and pollutes the air. Solar energy is good for the Earth and does not make you waste money ruining the Earth with fossil fuels. Solar energy is a renewable source of energy, which means that It will never run out. Right now we are relying on fossil fuels to live and fossil fuels are a nonrenewable energy source, so it is used faster that it is made. That is not good. What would we do once it all runs out? We need to use more renewable energy.

The sun phone works by placing it screen down in a sunny spot. When the light and heat from the sun hit the solar panel on the back, it charges. If it is cloudy or night time, you can also hook it onto a normal charger, but I would recommend charging it when it is still sunny, so you do not need to use a fossil fuel charger. Also, you should not put a case on the back because it may not charge as well. The sun phone is also portable, because you do not have to worry about forgetting a charger. Phones are small, so It would not need that big of a solar panel. Lights can be plugged into solar panels, so why not phones? I think that a solar powered phone would be better than a solar powered charger, because It is more efficient to just have it in the phone. The sun phone could really happen. Phones are small so they do not need much power. If it is dark outside, you could still use a normal charger if you have to. The solar panel can be small because phones are small and do not need much charging. Also, solar panels and phones are real so, I think that it is possible to wire a solar panel into a phone. There could also be a special protection on the back of the phone so nothing happens to the solar panel. I think that the sun phone would help conserve energy in many ways.

Light Department Essay: Lunar Panels By: Alejandro Borda
If you use the Sun’s energy during the day, you must use solar panels. Why not have energy like that at night? Introducing the Lunar Panel, the nighttime solar panel. Highly recommended with a daylight sensor. When you use all of that solar energy during the day, you can power all of your needs and wants. You probably think all of that solar energy during the day may be enough. But why not have a little more? The more energy you have the more power you have to power all of your stuff! Have nighttime lunar energy!

For the fact that the Sun reflects light to the Moon, that makes the Moon visible. During the night, the panels will collect the same exact energy they would get from the Sun, but from the Moon. The panel will be built and specialized so that it can collect the energy from the Moon. Sure it won’t be as much energy as the solar panels make during the day, but it’s still perfectly good renewable energy. That energy can go inside of a daylight sensor. The daylight sensor can power light immediately during the night. If you don’t have a daylight sensor don’t you worry at all. All of that energy can be used for heat, power, and anything else you use with solar energy.

As long as you buy a Lunar Panel, you can have nighttime lunar energy. Believe me when I say that the Lunar Panel could work. It’s only a benefit and easier way to get more energy. As long as there’s a visible Moon in sight, energy is at hand. When the Moon is on, so are the panels. Whether it’s a waxing gibbous moon or a waning crescent moon, you can get energy.

Light Department Essay By: Sienna Catizone

What is energy conservation and why is it important? I am always saying energy is great and I use it for so many things, but I also wonder are we going to run out? We get so muh of our energy from sources like coal, oil, and natural gases, but these things are actually running out so we need to save energy. We can still use energy, but we just have to conserve energy whenever we can. Energy conservation is when you reduce the amount of energy you use. Energy conservation is important because it lets us use energy and also save it. Invention If we want to save energy we could use another invention to help. My invention is a machine that turns dirty water like toilet water, dish water, and bath water into steam to power your house. You turn the machine on and it heats the water until it becomes steam through a process called evaporation. The waste stays in a container that you have to clean every few months. You can put it in a garage or outside as long as it can connect to your house with the tube. The steam will go through the tube so it will not smell bad and be safe. The machine can be different sizes depending on how big your house is. It is black and round, that can weigh from sixty to a hundred pounds, and it is made up of glass, a metal heater engine, and plastic. My machine is
important because it will save energy in our homes and make our lives easier.

Concluding Saving energy is very important for all of us. If we are going to save energy everybody needs to help. However, by conserving energy and upcoming new inventions will help. We use so much water by taking showers, cleaning dishes, washing our hands, and so much more. At least some of it should be used to power your house. Even though we have so many inventions we still can save energy by just turning off the lights once in a while when they are not needed.

Light Department Essay By: James Cerulle
Electricity is being wasted briskly, and we need to conserve that energy! Energy conservation is the electrifying way that you can help conserve energy. For example, when you switch off a light when you’re finished using it, you are conserving energy. But, if you leave the light on and you’re ignoring it by not turning it off, you are wasting that energy. Don’t leave a sink running, don’t leave a television on, and don’t leave devices on either. If you do these things, WATT a good person you are! Energy conservation is important because without energy sources like non-renewable resources, water, electricity, nutrients, etc., our life would be a lot more difficult and we would not be right as rain. Electricity powers devices, lights, batteries, and other electrifying systems. Water gives us a liquid to drink, something to bathe in, and used for other various things. Non-renewable resources are used as fuel for many machines. We also use fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil, and still use them today for cars, fireplaces, and for other places and objects. We need to stop wasting and start conserving energy! To help solve this difficulty, I’ve concocted a new and electrifying device, the electricity sensor! It is a small device that can be attached to walls (also plugs) and tracks the quantity of electricity that is being consumed. You can turn it on or off with the two buttons located below the electricity sensor! All you need is two batteries to spark the light into the sensor to
make it work. In the center is a graph that shows the amount of electricity that is being used every minute or two. When the line goes up high, a shockingly large amount of electricity is being consumed. While it is low, not a lot of electricity is being used up. The electricity sensor tracks this electricity by using the antenna on top. It also works outside and doesn’t harm the environment at all, so your furry little friends have nothing to worry about! It doesn’t track anything but electricity being used from handheld devices, television, computers, etc. To make it, we use plastic, wires, an antenna, and very a sticky substance that can easily stick and unstick from walls. Let’s lift the cover off of the sensor. There is a projector that uses diminutive electricity and displays the line graph. It does contain wires, but doesn’t sense the electricity that it is using. The sensor uses electricity as sparingly as possible as to not burn out the power in the batteries. Keep the cover on securely. Nobody has invented it, and it can definitely work in real life, as it is realistic. My electricity sensor will spark the light in people and inspire them to conserve electricity! The electricity sensor will help change the world and inspire people to continue conserving energy. It is critical to conserve energy because we need all sorts of useful energy sources like non-renewable resources, water and nutrients to stay active and healthy, electricity, and others. Remember, there are over 7.4 billion people on Earth, and they need to use these helpful energy sources as well! With the electricity sensor, there will be a new way to conserve electricity just by checking how much electricity your devices are consuming! You can also save
your money because these little helpers only range from $10 to $20! However, taxes are included. The sensor is 99.9% safe and works on it’s own with the help of batteries. Lastly, you can also make a difference by helping to maintain the electricity supply! Not just electricity, but other energy supplies too! All you have to do is turn off device and lights that you aren’t using. You can also turn off sinks, cars, and other electrifying and useful objects! Keep plants happy and healthy so they don’t die with plenty of nutrients. With your help, we can keep the electricity supply going strong! Conserving energy is important, and my shocking electricity sensor is just the thing that can help you do so!

Energy Saver By: Fiona Goodwin
Energy we have an unlimited amount or do we? Over half of the world energy supply is fossil fuels and fossil fuels aren’t a renewable energy source. Does this mean that we have to stop using lights, electronics, stoves, microwaves etc? No. It just means that we should be cautious on how much energy we are using. My invention can help with that. My invention is a energy meter with sensors that are connected to all the outlets in your home. What it does is it can tell what devices and objects you are using that consume energy and tells you if you’re in the “Good, OK or Bad zone” If you are in the Bad Zone it will let out a light beep like a microwave and tell you what devices are on. It will inform you how much energy each outlet is using up. This invention is very realistic. You and get sensors on the wires of your outlet and they will gather data and send it to that main panel and tell you which outlet it is. This invention is good for you, your family, and the environment.


The Power of Nuclear By: Konrad Cuper

Winterfield U.S.A. was a peaceful town that conserved lots of energy. They did this by turning off the lights whenever they weren’t in the room, keeping the doors closed when the heat or air conditioning was on, using natural light as much as possible, and using the sun to dry clothing whenever it’s sensible. In addition the citizens of Winterfield recycled all types of paper, plastic, and glass materials and each had their own compost bin to reduce waste; this saved money for Winterfield residents by not having to go to the store to buy soul for their gardens. As for it’s energy source, Winterfield got most of its power from the nuclear power plant 37 miles away. The nuclear plant hasn’t had a single accident since Nuclear Ned came. Nuclear Ned saves lives in many ways such as using his powers to man the uranium mine and bringing the uranium back to the plant to be turned into tiny pellets that are individually worth 150 gallons of oil. Dr. Fossil didn’t like this because his oil and coal weren’t selling well. Dr. Fossil was an oil tycoon who lived on the outskirts of Winterfield. He was jealous of the success of the nuclear plant and planned to sabotage it so it would never operate again. Dr. Fossil had a long Pinocchio nose that went together like wine and cheese with a lazy eye, sideburns, and an overbite. He was as tall as Frankenstein and had the walk to go with it. He was as thin as a strand of spaghetti and never took off his sharp green suit.
Dr. Fossil’s first idea to close down the nuclear facility was to try to convince Nuclear Ned to close the nuclear plant. Dr. Fossil used words like, “We both pollute the environment. Don’t you see the smoke coming out of your towers?” “That’s just steam coming from the cooling water, which is involved in the process of making nuclear energy,” explained Nuclear Ned. “Than what about the nuclear waste?” asked Dr. Fossil. “It is true that nuclear waste is a danger to our environment,” confessed Nuclear Ned, “but as we speak scientists are thinking of ways to get rid of the waste.” “Fine, so be it” said Dr. Fossil, “I’ll find another way.” Dr. Fossil’s second idea was to convince the mayor to completely convert Winterfield from nuclear energy to oil. “Why should I convert to oil and coal if nuclear energy is doing so well?” asked Mayor Smith. “Nuclear energy is bound to have an accident before long” announced Dr. Fossil. “But we haven’t had a single accident since Nuclear Ned came,” uttered Mayor Smith. “Now let’s be sensible,” explained Dr. Fossil, “You can’t run a town on nuclear energy alone!” “I agree,” confessed Mayor Smith, but that doesn’t mean I need to completely convert the town to oil; we can just use as much as we need.” “Drats!” exclaimed Dr. Fossil “Another plan failed!” With that Dr. Fossil planned to go undercover and personally sabotage the cooling towers from the inside. Once he successfully acquired his disguise, Dr. Fossil entered the plant and made his way to the control room when he stopped dead in his tracks because he saw Nuclear Ned at the controls, for little did Dr. Fossil know, it was Nuclear Ned’s
shift at the controls! “May I see your identification?” announced Nuclear Ned heroically. Dr. Fossil paniced, he stole an I.D. to get in. Not knowing what to do he lunged for the controls and hit every single button. “Mwa ha ha ha ha!” cackled Dr. Fossil, “My plan has succeeded and there’s nothing you can do to stop it!” It looked like Dr. Fossil had won, but thinking quickly Nuclear Ned flew over to the tower and cooled it down using his icy breath. Nuclear Ned arrested Dr. Fossil and forced him to work at the recycling center separating trash from recyclables. He ended up really liking it and making all sorts of things out of recyclable materials. He made rugs and fleeces out of plastic bottles. He also made new glass, paper, and aluminum out of old glass, paper and aluminum. Dr. Fossil also repurposed his coal mine to store nuclear waste and created new solar powered toys out of recyclable materials. Everything was right in Winterfield U.S.A. The End.