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QUEENS WEEKLY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2019
Astoria’s P.S. 171 installs new solar power system
BY MAX PARROTT
Astoria’s environmentalist
Councilman Costa
Constantinides began New
York City’s climate week by
assuring a student at P.S.
171 that she shouldn’t be
discouraged about having
difficulty in math because
when he was a student he
struggled in science.
“And now look — I’m
the chair of Environmental
Protection Committee,” said
Constantinides.
The councilman joined
with teachers and administrators
at P.S. 171 Peter
G. Van Alst. on Monday to
showcase the construction
of a solar panel grid capable
of powering half of the elementary’s
school’s energy
consumption per year.
The school is the first of
six in the district that will
receive solar panels within
the next two years. The
installation of the green
infrastructure will teach
students about the impact
of renewable energy in
addition cutting carbon
emissions.
Construction began last
month to attach 516 panels
onto the 9,000-square-feet
of rooftop space. The $1.5
million project on P.S. 171
secured the funding from
the City Council’s capital
budget.
“We need to prepare
our leaders–and our young
people are going to be our
leaders–to combat climate
change as they move along
in their school life. They are
the ones who are going to
have to deal with the effects
of rising seas and climate
change in general,” said
Constantinides.
The construction work
is slated to finish December,
and the panels are expected
to be operational by the following
spring. Once up and
running, the solar panels
are estimated to reduce the
building’s carbon emissions
by 50 metric tons of CO2 per
year.
Science teacher Fred
Salamone said that he was
already formulating plans
to use the new equipment in
his instruction. He said that
his classes were already
building solar panels and
using them to power tiny
motors. He’s also looking
forward to expanding his
sustainable infrastructure
instruction with the use of
a grant-funded hydroponic
science lab that the school is
building as well.
“When students come
up to me and ask me ‘Oh
Mr. Salamone, why do we do
this?’ I’ll come up here and
show them is exactly why
we do the things we do in the
classroom,” Salamone said.
The Department of Education
has worked with
environmental groups to
make sustainable energy
and focal point of its STEM
education curriculum. Several
city agencies partnered
to launch the Solar Schools
Education Program, which
trains teachers how to incorporate
solar infrastructure
into their lesson plans.
“We will enhance our
students’ learning of clean
energy by providing this
real world application to
their Science knowledge,”
said Lisa Stone, principal of
P.S. 171. “We are extremely
grateful to be working with
our councilman to make Astoria
a clean energy place to
live.”
Reach reporter Max Parrott
by e-mail at mparrott@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260-2507
Queens Botanical Garden celebrates renovated Unity Garden
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Flushing Queens Botanical
Garden (QBG) officials
and local leaders celebrated
on Thursday the official
opening of the newly renovated
Unity Garden with a
green ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Located in the Gardens
on Parade Section at QBG
(an area originally modeled
after the five-acre exhibit
showcased at the 1939-1940
New York World’s Fair) the
zone features a new design
with a circle of a lawn, surrounded
by six elegant 1964
World’s Fair-style benches,
pathways, and a combination
of plants that do well in
shade and sun.
QBG Executive Director
Susan Lacerte was joined
by Assemblymembers Nily
Rozic and Jeffrion Aubry,
who contributed a total of
$250,000 for the Unity Garden.
Special guests included
Borough President Melinda
Katz, Assemblyman David
Weprin, City Councilman
Jimmy Van Bramer and
QBG board members.
“I’m very happy to see
this happen,” said Pauline
Huang, QBG board chair.
“When we were here before,
this was a rock garden.
But now there are benches,
trees, a lot of designs. It happened
because of all of your
contributions, your passion
and efforts that made this
happened. This is the only
garden in Queens and am so
proud to be here today and
will be here forever.”
Installed in the 1970s, the
garden was in much need
of renovation, according
to Lacerte. In 2015, Lacerte
took a trip to Albany and
presented a capital proposal
to Aubry, and also received
support from Rozic. The
project was in part funded
by a grant from the lawmakers
and the remaining support
was provided by private
funds, totaling $375,000.
“It really was a team effort
to keep this place up and
running and for everyone
who has come to enjoy the
garden, we know and appreciate
all of the hard work,”
Rozic said. “$250,000 might
not sound like a lot, but
clearly fitting amongst this
Unity Garden it really goes
a long way in bringing the
outside in and inside out. It’s
all about creating the social
infrastructure for community
members to come sit,
enjoy and relax.”
For Aubry, it’s importance
to support hidden treasures
in communities that
may not get the spotlight as
much as other places in the
city, he said.
“We in Queens know that
it’s a special place a hidden
gem and a place where everyone
can come and find
solace, comfort and enjoy
the environment,” Aubry
said.
Renowned Botanical
Garden consultant W. Gary
Smith and landscape architect
Harriet Grimm created
the design of the Unity
Garden working in consort
with QBG Horticulture
staff Morgan Potter and her
team; local landscapers,
Scenic Designs, implemented
the renovation.
“It was a privilege getting
to work with such talented
designers,” Potter
said. “Gary Smith and Harriet
Grimm brought a fresh
and inspiring perspective to
the Garden, tying spaces together
and really setting in
motion the idea of the Gardens
on Parade as a unified
space. Plants flow from one
section to the next connecting
the gardens to each other,
but perhaps more importantly,
connecting people to
the space, an idea we’re running
with as we renovate
other nearby areas.
The Unity Garden also
incorporates existing trees
and shrubs in former Backyard
Garden, two faux bois
benches, and a variety of
ferns and perennials. One of
the trees is a rare Franklinia
tree (Franklinia alatamaha),
named after Benjamin
Franklin and no longer found
in the wild. Other highlights
include witch hazel, Japanese
painted ferns, and two
cherry plum trees. The circle
at the heart of the new design
is a symbol familiar to all
cultures and one that sends
a message of unity and welcome
to all who visit.
“When we walked in
and saw a bunch of little
children playing, you immediately
feel better about
the world. You feel a little
bit happier and this garden
and places like this are the
only thing that is going to
save us from the madness
in the world right now,” Van
Bramer said.
Students and staff at P.S. 171 look over the construction of solar panels on the school’s roof.
Photo: Max Parrott/QNS
The green ribbon-cutting ceremony officially marking the
opening of the Unity Garden Photo by Carlotta Mohamed
/schnepsmedia.com
