by Liz O'Donnell

The Towns of Dedham and Westwood are gearing up to host the Dedham Westwood Green Fair on Saturday, May 16 at the Dedham Middle School. The event is free and will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. rain or shine.

The Dedham Westwood Green Fair is a joint effort of the Dedham Sustainability Advisory Committee and the Westwood Environmental Action Committee. Residents of both towns have shown an interest in living sustainable lifestyles, conserving energy and saving money in the process. As a result, this past winter the two towns decided to combine efforts to create a regional event and share resources. A team of residents from both towns have organized the fair and many local vendors and organizations have donated time and services to make the day a success. The purpose of the fair is to educate and engage local residents on the benefits of sustainability.

The planning committee has planned a full slate of activities for all age groups. Children can plant seedlings, do arts and crafts, and hear from Hale Reservation's Nature Jay. Senior citizens can learn about weatherizing their homes and saving money during a seminar at 10:30 a.m. People of all ages can attend seminars and meet with vendors to learn about recycling, composting, solar power, energy efficient cars and more. Vendors include Green City Growers, GoGreen Lawn Care, Simply Safer Lawn, Evergreen Solar, Solar Flair, Best Buy, Owens Corning Fiberglass, Prime Auto Group and Poirier. Fair attendees can also take tours of the Dedham Middle School, an energy efficient building, throughout the day.

At 1 p.m. State Representative Paul McMurtry will emcee a "green" fashion show featuring gently worn clothing from Glad Rags in Westwood, Savers in West Roxbury and The Closet Exchange of Needham. Modeling the outfits will be Sarah MacDonald and Carmen Delloiacono from the Dedham Board of Selectman, Nancy Hyde from the Westwood Board of Selectman, Westwood resident and Emmy award winner, Brad Hatfield, Dedham student Lyndsey Grier, and Westwood resident Mary Joyce, who works at the ECEC in Dedham.

Residents are encouraged to bring documents they want shredded. Doc Shredding will be there to help people dispose of sensitive papers in an environmentally responsible way. People are also encouraged to ride their bikes to the event and take advantage of a bike clinic hosted by Dedham Bike & Leather.  In addition, drawings will be held for an energy efficient television and other prizes.

The two towns hope residents will stop by for an hour or for the whole day to meet neighbors, gather valuable information and have fun.