Chesbro kicks off ‘green’ weekend

After a catered reception that is free to the public, Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro will speak tonight to kick off the weekend’s second annual “It’s a Green Day” celebration.

The reception starts at 6 p.m. and Chesbro will speak at 7 at the Elk Valley Rancheria Community Center, 2332 Howland Hill Road.

Then on Saturday, dozens of vendors will set up shop at the fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to display environmental products and focus on ways to save money by saving energy.

“Green Day is important for Del Norte County because it helps the community focus on how people can participate in the green economic recovery,” Chesbro said.

Tonight, he will discuss how “green jobs” can help with a general economic recovery.

“Devel­op­ing ways that individuals can take steps to reduce their environmental impact has been a key part of my work for the last 25 years,” Chesbro said.

“Last year was a huge success,” said organizer Cindy Vosburg. “People came out of the woodwork.”

This year should bring more of the same, she said.

“We’ve had a 90 percent return rate on vendors from last year’s event,” Vosburg said. “And we have been getting new vendors as well.”

 “The scope of vendors is already amazing. We have everything from a vendor that crochets out of yarn from recycled bottles to Bernie Bishop’s Mazda.”

Added to this cornucopia of green is a new wrinkle on last year — the event will feature a free electronic waste collection site.

“People will be able to bring in their computers, and other electronics and dispose of them for free,” Vosburg said.

The event is sponsored by The Daily Triplicate, The Curry Coastal Pilot,  Elk Valley Rancheria and Pacific Power.

Also on Saturday, instructor Joe Gillespie and some of his students will demonstrate winter gardening techniques and solar and wind energy projects at Crescent Elk Middle School, 9th and G streets, from 4 to 6 p.m.

“Green means different things to different people,” Vosburg said. “We want this event to provide opportunities to explore what those definitions are.”