Good Neighbors
We’ve learned from the Courier (July 4, 2010) that Duke Energy and The Shaw Group (the company building the new generating plant at Cliffside) have, over a prior school year, donated $44,000 to Cliffside school. And…
This school year Duke and Shaw each purchased one Promethean Interactive Whiteboard for installation in two classes.
These contributions enabled Cliffside to complete their goal of having this interactive tool in every classroom. Last school year Duke Energy contributed $44,000 that was used to purchase computers now used in an extra ‘open lab’ for students and teachers to access.
“These funds were also used to purchase a play structure and playground area for kindergarten and first grade students.
The local Duke Energy plant and employees continue to help in other ways than these projects. Duke funds the Cliffside Senior Citizens Thanksgiving meal held each year. Duke assumed funding of this project after two Cone Mills plants closed. This past year was the fourth year of Duke’s involvement with Cliffside School. Duke employees also volunteer their time and efforts in other school projects such as building a ladder structure for their physical education program and helping with beautification projects for the school grounds.
An aerial view of the Duke Energy project in progress. The relatively tiny old plant can be seen at the upper center, between the river and the black pile of pulverized coal.
The black “S” in the foreground is a mile-long string of coal cars waiting to be emptied. These plants burn an enormous amount of this nonrenewable resource. Duke is trying to avoid using “mountain-top” coal (mined by slicing off mountain tops in Appalachia). Let’s pray they succeed, and other energy companies follow their lead. Mountain tops won’t grow back.
