Eco-awareness center stage at Riverfest
By MARTIN C. BRICKETTO
Staff Writer
FRENCHTOWN -- The
The
sunnier side of that relationship was in full bloom this weekend during Riverfest, sponsored by the Frenchtown Business and
Professional Association.
Hundreds
of residents and out-of-towners have flocked to
"I
think people really like this town; it's a sweetie," said Cleo Sharplin, owner of Alchemy Clothing on Bridge Street and
one of Riverfest's co-chairs. "What we're trying
to do is acquaint people with the town so they come back."
This
Labor Day weekend marks the event's third year, and organizers said it was
shaping up to be the best.
Whereas
the first two years were marked by rain, vendors and attendees this year had
clear skies, cool temperatures and a breeze.
"It's
been marvelous," said Bob Myhre, a senior member
of the Frenchtown Lion's Club. The organization used the event to raise money
for its charitable efforts throughout the year.
Besides
the help from Mother Nature, Sam Phillips, the other RiverFest
co-chair and owner of The Studio on
During
the past three years, calls have grown louder across the country for
alternative energy sources and stepped-up energy conservation because of
environmental dilemmas such as global warming.
"The
first year we had to push people to become vendors for the environmental stuff.
This year, people were calling us," Phillips said.
One such vendor, Michael Hathaway, said
his Readington-based business, Revival Construction
Co., focuses on "conscientious renovation."
That means using building materials
from the surrounding area, recycled materials from older buildings and
situating houses properly to ensure they effectively use natural resources such
as the sun and wind, he said.
"The green movement is gaining
steam, I think, because it's pretty easy," Hathaway said.
Among
the dozens participating in the fest Sunday morning, Greg and Dawn Morello of Flemington said they were in town to take a walk
by the river.
"Being
next to the river is always a plus," Dawn Morello
said about the borough.
The
historic look of the borough itself is the perfect companion to the river and
tow path along it, organizers said.
"It
never got developed much in the last part of the last century, so you've preserved
a lot of the small-town, quaint qualities of it," Phillips said.
The
RiverFest continues at
· Martin C. Bricketto
can be reached at (908) 707-3176 or mbricket@gannett.com