To the editor: Chester Christmas Committee thanks community for holiday participation

The newly formed Christmas in Chester Committee would like to extend our heartfelt and sincere gratitude to everyone who helped bring the holiday spirit to Chester this season. From generous donations of time and money to encouragement, creativity, and participation, this celebration truly reflected the strength of our community.

We thank the local businesses who sponsored Christmas trees on the Green and those who made generous contributions toward lighting and decorations throughout town.

A special shout-out goes to Steve Vertefeuille and Wayne Wickens for their tireless efforts to bring power — and light — to the Green. Thank you to Chester Townscape for always adding that special touch with wreaths, garlands, and greenery, and to Kingdom Valley Farms for donating the town Christmas tree.

Our gratitude also goes to Julian Sottovia of Matilda and Three Bears, John Keller and TJ Carroll for setting up and securing the tree and bringing it to life with lights. Thank you to Samantha Vertefeuille, Laurie Vertefeuille and Deb Aldrich for transforming the information booth into a magical space for Santa and his elf, and to Roy Spaulding and Otis Nelson for joyfully filling those roles.

Our sincere thanks to the Chester Police Department for ensuring safety during all the festivities, and to the Chester Fire Department for escorting Santa to town!

We also thank the Chester Baptist Church for bringing Christmas caroling back to the Town Green.
Thank you to Bev and Steve Groshens, Brayden Swenson, Dave Mutti, and Penny Hawkins for decorating the swinging bridge.

A heartfelt thanks to all who contributed to the first, 12 Gnomes of Christmas in Chester: Endless Creations, the Green Mountain Union High School Art Department, and Carolyn Niesuchoski. We are grateful to The Chester Telegraph for their generous cash prize donation and continued support of our community, and to the businesses and organizations that welcomed gnomes into their spaces and helped distribute collection cards and graphic support from Hannah Parker. Thank you to Marissa Bryant and Abby Hill for their work in creating a townwide calendar for the community.

We also extend our thanks to the Chester Conservation Committee and the Henshaw family for sponsoring a beautiful and festive solstice lantern hike on Brookside Trail.

On a personal note, thank you to my co-chairs for always being just a text message away and all the background work and support! Thank you, Julian Sottovia for his tireless work keeping the lights on; Iris Fischer, for your incredible efforts in creating Starry, Starry Night — a celebration not only for businesses, but for community; and finally, Cheryl LeClair, for all you did to help create the classic, serene and magical display on the Green.

Most of all, thank you to the Chester community for supporting every activity and event in Chester. This season was a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when we work together.

With sincere appreciation,
Christmas in Chester Committee
Carol Neff
Deb Aldrich
Laurie Vertefeuille