Author Archive for Cynthia Prairie
Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor more than 40 years. Cynthia has worked at such publications as the Raleigh Times, the Baltimore News American, the Buffalo Courier Express, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Patuxent Publishing chain of community newspapers in Maryland, and has won numerous state awards for her reporting. As an editor, she has overseen her staffs to win many awards for indepth coverage. She and her family moved to Chester, Vermont in 2004.
After decision hiccup, town agrees to seek grant, loan for exterior repairs to Whiting Library
By Cynthia Prairie The Chester Select Board last Wednesday, July 17, walked back on earlier suggestions that the Whiting Library Board of Trustees come up with more than the original $10,000 it had pledged toward major repairs of the library building. It instead agreed to apply for a federal grant and loan and put in […]
‘Next to Normal’ a next-to-perfect production that should not be missed
By Karen Zuppinger Weston Playhouse opened its second main stage production of the season with the 2010 Pulitzer Prize and 2009 Tony award winning musical Next to Normal. The story centers around Diana (played by Heidi Blickenstaff), her 18-year struggle with mental illness and its impact on her family. The production is next to perfect, […]
Select Board sets tax rate, talks asphalt sidewalks
By Karen Zuppinger At a busy July 3rd meeting, the Chester Select Board set this year’s tax rates, approved a $10,000 contract to create a new town government website, held a required public comment meeting on the replacement of repair and of sidewalks and approved applying for a loan to design upgrades to the drinking […]
Recent storms raising e. coli levels in area rivers
The Southeastern Vermont Watershed Alliance began its annual water quality testing on Wednesday, June 19th, with Wednesday, July 3 as its second river sampling day. Throughout the summer season, volunteers from SeVWA take water samples from specific spots in the Williams, Saxtons, West and Rock rivers and the North Branch and Whetstone brooks, testing for […]
Mary Bittner: making strides to fight leukemia
By Karen Zuppinger Mary Bittner is looking for a fight. Running along the Green Mountain Turnpike, the Chester resident is in training, preparing to battle a grueling half marathon in the fall on the hilly streets of San Francisco. But her fight isn’t with the streets of San Francisco. It’s with leukemia, a blood cancer […]
Pinnacle playset OK’d despite Suursoo’s fiscal objections
By Karen Zuppinger Expecting a pro forma go-ahead for an already-approved toddler playground project at the Pinnacle Recreation Area, Matt McCarthy and Julie Hance found themselves in a protracted tug of war with Select Board member Derek Suursoo at the June 19 Chester Select Board meeting. The project, when first presented to the board, was […]
A fresh start, a new name for the WAAWWE market
By Cynthia Prairie It’s 10 days to relaunch and the four women around the picnic table are excited. Not only does it seem that the summer has finally taken hold in Southern Vermont, but their surroundings are in disarray, a happy dishevelment of reconstruction, rebuilding, renewal. Across the parking lot, the bright and […]
Stormy Monday downs trees in Chester
By Karen Zuppinger Chester was hit with several storms on Monday, June 17 that produced hail and gusting winds strong enough to toss lawn furniture and topple trees, damaging roofs and fences. Charlea Baker returned to her River Street home to find an 80-foot-tall, 90-year-old Norway spruce crushing her neighbor’s fence. “I couldn’t believe my […]
Judge sends Dollar General OK back to DRB for clarifications
UPDATE: Chester to convene DRB hearing to get clarifications. See the 2nd section below for the press release. By Cynthia Prairie The judge reviewing the Chester Development Review Board’s April 2012 approval of a Dollar General store for Main Street has remanded the decision back to the DRB for a number clarifications. In effect, the […]
Solar firm changes fence, number of panels for Trebo Road project
After making specific changes to its initial plans, Solar Renewable Energy Development LLC has presented a Memorandum of Understanding to the Chester Select Board in hopes of quick approval of the certificate of public good so that it could move ahead with its solar farm installation at Trebo Road off Route 103 North. The certificate […]
Noise levels, lot sizes continue to vex zoning reg process
By Karen Zuppinger The Chester Select Board continued its public review of the proposed Unified Development Bylaws (combining zoning, subdivision and flood prevention regulations) at its Wednesday, June 5th meeting. Although Article 4: Development Review Procedures was on the agenda, the board also chose to revisit the issues of minimum lots sizes and noise standards. […]
Alumni roll into town for weekend of golf, parties, parade and more
By Karen Zuppinger The Chester High School/Green Mountain Union High School Alumni Association kicks of its annual alumni weekend celebration on the morning of Friday June 7 with a golf tournament at Tater Hill Golf Club on Popple Dungeon Road. “This is one of our most popular events,” says association President Karl Lauren. “We often […]
New Two Rivers SU readies to move to Fletcher Farm House
By Cynthia Prairie The new Two Rivers Supervisory Union will begin operating this summer out of buildings at Fletcher Farm, 611 Vt. Route 103 in Ludlow. The new consolidated school union will be taking over the two-story, 3,360-square-foot Fletcher Farm House, which was renovated in 2007, and 800-square-feet of space in the Roost, one of […]
Abandoned property, noise regulations of concern in proposed development regs
By Karen Zuppinger The Chester Select Board tackled details within Article 3 (General Use Standards) of the proposed Chester Unified Development Bylaws during its regular board meeting last Wednesday, seeking clarification on a number of sections. Select board member Arne Jonynas asked if Section 3.6 on Damaged Structures and their disposal applied to abandoned properties or […]
Boy injured after entering substation, knocks out power to 7,000
By Cynthia Prairie A power outage yesterday afternoon that affected almost 7,000 Green Mountain Power customers — 2,773 in Chester alone — occurred when a youth entered a “locked and secure” Springfield substation and “came in contact with energized electrical equipment,” GMP spokeswoman Dotty Schnure said last night. Schnure added, “Our hearts go out to […]
Airing of zoning proposals continue, Fire Department seeks uniform, training funds
By Karen Zuppinger Jason Rasmussen of the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission attended last Wednesday’s Chester Select Board meeting, bringing along a video presentation to help explain some of the proposed changes to the Unified Development Bylaws. During this particular meeting, the Select Board was seeking public comment on Article 1, which establishes authority […]
Toddler playset in works at Pinnacle; CAES parents seek ‘Structure’ replacement
ON THE COVER: A new Pinnacle playset will be placed between the Pavilion and the ballfields, to the west of the tennis courts./ Photo by Karen Zuppinger. By Karen Zuppinger Chester may be getting two new playgrounds in the next two years, adding a new one at the Pinnacle for toddlers and possibly replacing the […]
Residents express concerns about development during hearing on proposed bylaws
By Cynthia Prairie A handful of Chester residents testified last Wednesday before the Select Board on changes they would like to see to the proposed Unified Development Bylaws, which for the first time will include zoning and subdivision regulations and flooding protection within one document. For the public hearing, Select Board member Tom Bock moved […]
Boston Marathon story: A motorman’s job, a wife’s anguish
By Cynthia Prairie Sarah Ringquist-Paulicelli of Hanover, Mass., her four children and a nephew came to Chester last weekend for a nine-day visit with her mother, Sharon Baker, owner of the Country on the Common clothing store. Sarah’s husband, John, planned to join them for a two-night visit Monday evening, after work. But at 3:05 […]
Neighbors of proposed solar farm seek smaller fence
By Cynthia Prairie Good fences may make good neighbors, but aesthetically pleasing fences could go a long way to making happy neighbors. That was the opinion of several Chester residents whose properties border a planned solar farm near Trebo Road. They were attending a preliminary hearing for the Public Service Board Monday night at Chester-Andover […]
