NORWAY – Planning for the Norway Summer Festival continued Tuesday morning with central organizer Anne Campbell addressing concerns of some merchants.

Campbell said the group began putting together a schedule at the meeting in the Downtown Norway Revitalization Group office.

“There is going to be something for everybody,” said Campbell, who is in her first year as the festival coordinator.

Campbell is concerned about the discontent some downtown merchants expressed toward the annual festival in previous years. She hopes to host a series of meetings for the more than 80 downtown merchants. The regular planning meetings will also be held at various times to allow for more public input. “Now it’s so much bigger,” said Campbell of the 31-year-old celebration begun by the Western Maine Art Group.

NASCAR retailer Da Zone, owned by Darryl Kissick, closed during last year’s art show. “The parking could be better managed,” he said. Kissick had to ask people to move their vehicles left for hours in two-hour parking spaces last year. He said, “I have nothing against artists, but it seems like we could do this a little different to be fair to the small businesses in the area.”

For Kissick, the weekend of July 12 should be his biggest of the year. He spends $3,000 that weekend advertising during the biggest race of the year at Oxford Plains Speedway.

“Not only don’t I make extra that weekend, I make a lot less,” Kissick said of his store profits in previous years. He said his customers can’t find parking and the regulars don’t want to deal with the traffic. Nevertheless, this year he plans to keep his store open as well as have a vending booth at the racetrack.

Woodman’s Sporting Goods owner Paul Brook also closed his store during last year’s festival. He does not plan to run any sales this year.

On the other hand, Barbara Traficonte, owner of the downtown art supply store 100 Acre Wood, will be one of many holding a weekend sale. Traficonte and her son, Steven, will be exhibiting their work in the Sidewalk Art Festival. She is one of the merchants who benefits from the event.

“There are more people on Main Street than any other day of the year. It’s a good day,” she said.

Kissick and others have expressed frustration at the high volume of people going into their stores just to use the bathroom. Festival organizers have already planned to increase public toilets’ visibility and signs.

Children’s activities are planned for every day of the festival in Witherall Park. Local singer, banjo-player and storyteller Mary Hargreaves will entertain children on Friday. A papermaking exercise by Richard Lee of Brunswick will also be held Friday. Saturday the young folks will be put to art-making with Georginna Grenier of the Boxberry School. Sunday, the OT to Play office on Paris Street is hosting a kids carnival.

Also discussed at the meeting was the location of the two stages. No definite plans are yet made, but there will be two stages: a large platform for Debi Irons’ dance performances and the larger musical performances, and a small stage to be set up for other featured musicians.

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