NORWAY — While Earth Day Norway is organized by the Center for Ecology-Based Economy, those at CEBE emphasize this is a community event and encourage residents, businesses and organizations to participate.

The fourth annual event runs from Tuesday, April 18, through Sunday, April 23, in downtown Norway and beyond. The celebration has expanded to multiple events across several days for 2017.

“We want to expand Earth Day every year because it’s our opportunity to stand up for the environment, especially these days,” said Zizi Vlaun, director of communications for CEBE. “We’d like everybody to be aware how important it is to take care of the planet we live in because it takes care of us. We also want people to come together as a community for the planet.”

“It’s about raising consciousness about the global ecosystem and about the Earth and how it is the thing we rely on and is the source of all life really,” added Scott Vlaun, executive director of CEBE.

He noted the rest of the 364 days of the year, people focus on the negative things happening as a result of climate change.

“The Earth is under so much stress. I think it’s really important to take a … week to focus on all of the positive things,” he added.

Zizi said CEBE wants to make the connection between local businesses and their responsibility in doing their part to be environmentally conscious. Scott noted two of those businesses in downtown Norway are Cafe Nomad and the Norway Brewing Company – both of which have events this week.

From 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 21, is a poetry reading and live music at Cafe Nomad, 445 Main St. The cafe held a poetry reading during one of the initial Earth Day Norway celebrations, but not last year, according to Zizi Vlaun. The Mountain Poets Society – which has been doing Poets on the Porch for the Norway Arts Festival for almost 20 years – will read from 7 to 8 p.m. at the cafe. This is the first time the cafe has hosted live music during Earth Day Norway. Earth Funk with Oen Kennedy and Rusty Wiltjer will play before and after the poets.

“The Norway Brewing Company a business that is doing it’s part by being environmentally conscious by buying local produce and local meats and dairy from local farmers,” Scott said, adding the Main Street brewery is celebrating its one-year anniversary also on Friday, coinciding with Earth Day Norway. “Having a local brewery in the area that grows their own hops and uses … blueberries from local farmers contributes our local food system.”

There are other new events for the 2017 version of Earth Day Norway.

TRASH BASH — New this year for Earth Day Norway is the Trash Bash, which are garbage cleanup events, scheduled for various Oxford Hills communities. Above, Jasper Vlaun and Fred Garbo clean up trash around Lake Pennesseewassee in 2016.

“This year we added a Trash Bash to the mix and encourage all of the 11 towns in the area to participate in cleaning up ecologically sensitive areas in their towns,” Zizi said. “Harrison has been leading the charge for three years now and is a great model for all of the towns.”

Last year, Harrison had 94 participants who collected more than 1,000 pounds of trash. The 2017 Harrison Earth Day cleanup is from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 17, at the Fire Station, at 34 School St. T-shirts will be given away to the first 75 people signed up and a barbecue will be held after.

Other trash bash events include:

• 8-10 a.m. meeting at the Waterford Town Common, ending at the Waterford Library, 633 Waterford Road, for refreshments.

• 8 a.m. Lake Pennesseewassee rest stop on Route 118, the members of the Western Foothills Land Trust and Norway Lake Association will pick up trash around the lake. Others can participate as well.

• 8 a.m. Oxford Recreation Center, 223 King St., Oxford and Otisfield residents will meet there for the cleanup.

The husband and wife duo pointed to CEBE’s vision statement, which will be touched upon before the Saturday, April 22 rally.

“We created a different vision for economic development, one based on the richness of our local ecology and the collective wisdom of our people. We envisioned a future of regenerating the Earth while growing our food, of public, electric, and human powered transport, of clean, distributed, renewable energy, and earth-inspired shelter crafted from local resources,” Scott said. “It was a model for community health and resilience, and for sustainable, human-scale development.

“I think a lot of people are starting to realize we can provide for our needs [and] regenerate Earth’s ecosystem at the same time,” he added. “It’s a whole different way of thinking and spending time observing nature.”

The rally will be held at 11 a.m. at Longley Square on Main Street and will be followed by the parade. Speakers at the rally include the Rev. Don Mayberry, the Rev. Sarah Shepley, Jesse Wall of TruStrength Athletics and Scott Vlaun.

Following the rally is food, fun and games at the Alan Day Community Garden at 26 Whitman St. Then from 2 to 5 p.m. is the Earth Community Concert at Longley Square with “homegrown music [by] Oxford Hills musicians,” Scott said. Providing the live entertainment are the Fedoras (which is made up of local elementary school students), the Youngerbloods, Naveah Dance Circus and Singepole Mountain Band.

“There will be dance music – a real celebration,” he added. “At that point we’re done talking and marching, we’re celebrating.”

The Vlauns thanked a number of Main Street businesses that help sponsor the event, along with volunteers Donna Landry, Carol Rothenberg, Oen Kennedy, Jessica Badone and Cindy Tinsley.

For a full list of Earth Day Norway events, see the side bar or visit www.facebook.com/pg/ecologybasedeconomy.

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