An energy van sponsored by the League of Women voters came to the Common on a Saturday in May with working exhibits on alternate energy sources, including a windmill that pumped water, a model of a solar greenhouse, a “hydro-hearth,” a working photovoltaic cell, and more.
Also in May the Energy Advisory Committee proposed converting the middle school’s heating system from electric to oil, at an estimated cost of $58,000. Projected annual savings were $10,500. At a public hearing on the proposal a Still River Road resident said that “to commit ourselves to oil any further would be a real hassle,” and warned about the threat of an oil embargo by foreign countries. A member of the Energy Committee said he would have recommended the use of solar energy if it had been economically feasible, and suggested that the proposal would buy time until the cost of solar systems became more reasonable.
At a May meeting of the Conservation Commission, newly elected Chairman Walter Levison said that one of his priorities was to encourage agriculture in town. “Agrictulure is neat,” he said. “We make money. It helps keep the town’s open feeling. It is a town industry and an important part of the tax base.”
—Based on reports in the old Harvard Post
