Windspire vote on October 4

On October 4 at 7pm, Far Hills Country Day School students will ask the Borough of Far Hills' Planning Board for a variance to install 4 vertical-axis "Windspires" on the hill outside the Athletic Center as part of the school's Energy Initiative. FHCDS will be represented by a team of eighth graders that have been working on the project since last winter.

"This experience is teaching our group a lot about how to make a successful argument," credits a Far Hills Country Day School eighth grader. "We have to know our stuff and be respectful of other people’s opinions. We are also learning that you might need to meet in the middle, if you can’t agree.”

In a high-wind year, the [http://windspireenergy.com/] Windspires could produce almost as much power as the school's existing solar array. The school believes the windspires will complement the solar array by producing power even at night, when the solar panels are not available. “Our students hope to carry through a “yes” vote at the October 4th Planning Board meeting, but even if they don’t succeed, they’ve gotten a tremendous education along the way,” says Ms. Wargo. “They have learned about themselves, about politics and compromise, and about being responsible stewards of the environment. And those are lessons that will serve them and others well for the rest of their lives.”

For more information about the Energy Initiative, contact Caitlin Wargo, Director of Sustainability and Energy Management at cwargo@fhcds.org. Far Hills Country Day School is a co-educational independent day school that has been serving students in prekindergarten through grade since 1929.