RVTC students aid Chester Townscape beautification work

River Valley Tech Center student Joe Epler, in a safety harness, prunes branches from a tree on the Chester Green.

Chester Townscape, formerly known as the Chester Beautification Committee, has continued to bring together dedicated volunteers, organizations and town departments to improve the appearance and economic sustainability of Chester.

On Thursday, May 21, Chester Townscape arranged for  instructor John Harmer and seven horticulture students from River Valley Technical Center in Springfield to hold the first in a series of tree pruning sessions on the Chester Green.

Seniors Josh Blish, Joe Epler, Hunter Royce, Jarrett Sanderson and Dillon Seeley and juniors Josh Hoy and Bridick Pollard came over between classes, put on their climbing gear and, in just over an hour, cleaned several trees of dead and crossed branches at the south end of the Green. Town of Chester employees chipped the brush.

Early this month, Chester Townscape committee members planted impatiens among the daffodils that had provided such a glorious spring display of color along the stone wall bordering the Brookside Cemetery, Hearse House and Public Tomb. The impatiens flower from early summer to the frost.

And more recently, Townscape members trimmed junipers in the long planter between the Sunoco station and the Country Girl Diner and planted ever-blooming yellow Stella Doro daylilies donated by Jonathan and Carrol Otto.

The most recent Townscape beautification project is the creation of six wooden planters – designed by John Russell of Chester and built by Sunshine Acres – that now adorn the Route 103 bridge over the Williams River on the way from Chester Depot to the Stone Village.  The boxes will be watered by Jessie and Michael Alon of DaVallia who live nearby.