It's WINDSday| June 1, 2022

Celebrating the Power of Wind, Clean Energy and a Green Environment

The city’s environmental studies program graduates its first class this spring, and oh will they miss the “high energy” Jake Holston.

Jake had two internships during his senior year, one being a podcast on Spotify called “Turbine Talks” where he recruited and interviewed experts from Dominion Energy and elsewhere to educate a wide audience on the CVOW project and offshore wind power in general. And he also worked with Convert Solar where he helped teams outfit homes with solar panels, enhancing their energy efficiency.

That experience so stoked Jake that he designed and constructed a solar paneled portable laptop station and donated it to the Environmental Studies program, which will remain at the Brock Center for laptop charging and other uses. 

In fact Jake will be powering his own laptop with the solar panel on June 15 (5-9pm) on the plaza of the Sandler Center during YNot WINDSday, which will feature our official WINDSdays show band, Brasswind. Stop by and quiz this talented future master electrician about his invention and why sun and wind are the energy sources of the future. Graduation gifts are optional.

450 fifth graders at six Title I elementary schools in Virginia Beach got lessons in environmental science this past school year from some budding experts in that field.

Fresh off taking a NOAA course in “meaningful watershed education,” several VB Environmental Sciences’ students taught the youngsters about the big outdoors, the instruction based on SOL’s and standardized tests the kids would later take. The high schoolers spent a week at each of the primary schools, “building equity and interest in career fields around sustainability and the environment,” says Environmental Sciences Program coordinator Chris Freeman.

Freeman calls it “vertical integration with students teaching students so that one generation can inspire the next to move to a greener future.” We call it a smart way to educate.  

The official concert band of WINDSdays is, who else, Tidewater Winds (TW), 65 talented woodwind, brass, and percussion musicians from across the region, masterfully conducted by Maestro John Brewington.

The Winds were in good form on May 22 at the 24^th Street Park for “Pinocchio,” a free concert that also featured the Hampton-based Rainbow Puppets (www.rainbowpuppets.com) and narrator, WINDSday Warrior, TW board member and former Channel 13 reporter Kathryn Barrett. “Kathryn really helped visualize the story and established a strong connection with the audience,” says TW Exec Director Michael Williams.

Pinocchio, which will tour VB schools next spring, is a part of a novel initiative to “ensure students experience the arts up close and improve their social skills,” says Williams. IMGoing, Slover Library, ODU’s Early Learning Center, and the City of VB are among the partners. TW will host four WINDSday concerts this summer at Chesapeake City Park (July 13, 20, 27 and August 3), all at 7pm. www.tidewaterwinds.org. 

Take off Friday June 10 for the annual Parade of Sail, kickoff event for Haborfest in downtown Norfolk. A group of WINDSday Warriors will be aboard a replica of the Godspeed, which sailed from England to the New World in 1606-07.

When we dock around noon behind Waterside, come see us. And look out for our June 15 It’s WINDSday for some great harbor photos. 

360IT Partners has helped businesses across Hampton Roads deal with their IT issues since 1995. President of the Town Center area company is Martin Joseph, who was past chair of the Hampton Roads Chamber and as you can tell from the sticker, a proud WINDSday Partner.

Email [email protected] about how to be a partner too and then read about yourself in our newsletter. 

L-r, Anthem singer DJ Griffin, D Nachnani of Coastal Edge and pianist Jayson Brown

The most moving part of the annual Steel Pier Surf Classic (and youth art show), sponsored by WINDSday Partner Coastal Edge, was the Paddle Out on Memorial Day. 50 boarders, some groms, said a prayer for our lost vets and tossed carnations into the ocean.