Downtown makets to become extra green
7/30/2008A free environmental fest and a jazz brunch will juice up the Erie Street Market/Toledo Farmers Market area on downtown s southern edge Saturday.
In addition to the bounty of local corn, tomatoes, peaches, and plums filling the farmers stalls, chefs from Bay Park Community Hospital will demonstrate pie-making from 9 a.m. to noon at the jazz brunch. Additional breakfast-type foods, made from seasonal produce, will be available for sampling. Filling the air with fresh, local jazz will be the Bob Rex Trio.
The environmental Frogtown Fair, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in and around the Erie Street Market, which shares a parking lot with the Farmers Market, will host kids activities, 40 local vendors, recycling of electronics, and other items.
The concept is to provide people with do-able ideas from local resources for greener living, said Timothy D. Murphy, the city s commissioner of environmental services.
Glass/mercury thermometers can be exchanged for free digital thermometers at the city s water distribution building, 401 South Erie St. At the same location, compact fluorescent light bulbs and household batteries can be recycled.
Electronic waste and document shredding will be offered at the Quilter Environmental Center, 348 South Erie. Accepted will be computers, monitors, terminals, laptops, hard drives, keyboards, computer mice, printers and modems, telephone equipment, cables, cell phones, fax machines, VCRs, DVD players, speakers, radios, electronic games, cameras, typewriters, and power tools. Televisions will be accepted for a $15 fee. Not accepted: microwaves, appliances, air conditioners.
Automobile gas caps will be checked for leaks and free replacement caps will be offered at the corner of Nebraska Avenue and South Erie across from Columbia Gas.
Forty local, green vendors will be in the Erie Street Market. Outside, Owens Corning will demonstrate eco-friendly insulation.
Rain barrels that have been pre-ordered may be picked up behind Woodchucks, 224 South Erie. For information on rain barrels, call 877-977-3135 or www.nerainbarrel.com.
Walking tours, at 10 a.m. and noon, to a nearby demonstration rain garden that uses barrels will depart from the round stage in the Civic Center Promenade area in the Erie Street Market.
Children s activities will be in Bay 3 of the Erie Street Market.
At 11 a.m., student models from John Casablancas will conduct an environmentally focused runway performance.
The Erie Street Market is at 237 South Erie St. For more information on the Frogtown Fair, contact the Toledo Division of Environmental Services at 419-936-3015 and env.information@toledo.oh.gov.
Contact Tahree Lane at: tlane@theblade.com or 419-724-6075.