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.
Act 250 Commission hears Dollar General proposal, residents’ concerns
By Cynthia Prairie Emotion tinged the afternoon testimony of many of the 13 people who spoke against the proposed Dollar General store on Friday, Nov. 9 before an audience at Chester Town Hall that at one point numbering more than 50. One by one, Chester business owners, residents and a second homeowner — who had […]
Election Day proves busy for Chester voters; preferences reflect most of state
By the time the 2nd floor polling place doors opened at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, a line of patient Chester voters snaked down the stairs, out the front door of Town Hall and into a chilly but sunny day that continued to draw a steady stream of voters to cast their ballots. While the […]
Family center volunteers open new pantry doors, thrift shop to open Nov. 20
UPDATE: The Thrift Shop will open officially at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20. After weeks of hard work by eager volunteers from all over the area, the Chester-Andover Family Center has finally opened the doors to customers of its food pantry and moved most of its thrift shop goods into its new site at 908 […]
Stone Village featured in national history magazine
C hester is in the national spotlight for the fourth time* in slightly more than a year, this time with a photo-heavy, 6-page article on the Stone Village, running in the December edition of Early American Life. (Click photos to enlarge) The 42-year-old history magazine covers “everything before 1850 in America,” says its publisher, Tess […]
UPDATE: ‘Preliminary party status’ granted to 28 in Dollar General case
28 seek ‘party status’ in opposition to Dollar General Bulletin: Early Friday evening, the District Environmental Commission #2 sent out notice that “preliminary party status” has been granted to the 28 Chester residents and second-homeowners who are objecting to the construction of a 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store on Main Street. Preliminary party status will allow […]
Bridge building
Construction of the new Bartonsville Covered Bridge in Rockingham is moving right along, thanks to Cold River Bridges of Walpole, NH, the same company that rebuilt Chester’s two bridges along Main Street last summer. The latticework in “Town lattice truss” style bridge, named for its developer Ithiel Town, is being built from West Coast Douglas […]
To the editor: Wilton for state treasurer
Many of the letters in support of candidates come from the candidate asking the author of the letter to write it. I can assure that this letter of support does not have that as its origination or motivation. As the chair of the finance committee of the Rutland Board of Aldermen for three years, I […]
Dollar General’s Act 250 hearing set, public invited to seek ‘party status’
After five months of quiet, Zaremba Group LLC – the developer of a proposed 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store on Main Street across from the Country Girl Diner – has filed an application for the Act 250 permit (project No. 2S0699-3) it needs to proceed with its plans. The District 2 Environmental Commission, headquartered in Springfield, […]
Chester to seek Village Center Designation
By Cynthia Prairie Leanne Tingay, coordinator of the Vermont Downtown Program, came before the Chester Select Board on Wednesday Oct. 3 to urge the board to get behind efforts within the town to achieve a state Village Center Designation. And from the enthusiasm that the board expressed following her presentation, it appears that the town […]
Chester is Prettiest Painted Place in Vermont; makes Top 60 in nationals
Chester has been named among the Top 60 finalists of the Prettiest Painted Places competition, held by the Paint Quality Institute, and the only finalist from Vermont, making it the Prettiest Painted Place in the state. Two other Vermont towns applied: Bellows Falls and Stowe. The PQI is a 23-year-old organization aimed at educating consumers, […]
Community & Arts in Brief: French classes; Rotary Cabaret coming together; interim pastor at Congregation Church
New French classes at Misty Valley Books Misty Valley Books will again offer French classes beginning Monday, Oct. 15. The Learn French courses will run for six weeks. Intermediate classes will be held on Monday evenings, beginning Oct. 15. Beginners classes will be held on Tuesday evenings, beginning Oct. 16. Both classes will run from […]
Fire destroys Brooks-Lackie house, but memories remain
Photos by Bill Revill, Lew Watters and Kaitlin O’Shea. Story follows. By Cynthia Prairie An uninhabited house in the Stone Village burns down. Although few residents have ever seen the inside of it, many are moved to grief. Within minutes of posting photographs of the smoking ruins of the Brooks-Lackie House – or Kelley’s Tavern […]
Police Log for Aug. 22 – Sept. 13, 2012
Editor’s Note: The Chester Telegraph Police Log takes incidents directly from Chester Police reports. We do not identify individual victims of crimes nor those who have been arrested. Sunday, Aug. 18, 1:26 p.m. A complainant told of a possible impaired driver along Route 103 North. The driver was located. She is elderly and said that […]
To the editor: TARPS thanks all for a great Fall Festival
The Animal Rescue and Protection Society had a successful time at this year’s Chester Rotary Club’s Fall Festival on the Green and would like to express our appreciation. Thank you to everyone who visited to our booth. We are happy to report that quite a few of our cats found new, loving homes plus we raised a lot […]
Changes in store for Lisai’s Chester Market
With Photo Gallery and Story Below By Cynthia Prairie I t’s obvious. Just look at the grocery carts. Most of the full-sized, difficult-to-turn models have been replaced by shiny sub-compact, double-decker ones that save energy as customers easily maneuver them through the aisles at Lisai’s. And there has been and will be more. Change that is. […]
Sun shines on 38th Fall Festival on the Green
A persistent high fog finally broke after noon on Saturday, Sept. 22, to bring out the crowds to the Chester Rotary’s Fall Festival on the Green. It remained a beautiful weekend almost up to the end, when clouds rolled in to cast a similar chill Sunday afternoon that had dampened Saturday morning. Within the two […]
An Old Home Day photo gallery
After a year’s absence, Chester Old Home Day and Fireworks 2012 kicked off Saturday afternoon Sept. 1 under bright skies and cheery faces. The event, put on with the help of the Chester American Legion Post 67, the Ladies Auxiliary and the Sons of the American Legion, featured dance music by Sound Investment, fried dough, […]
Public offers suggestions on zoning regs; 2nd hearing set
By Cynthia Prairie Concerns about enlarged minimum property size, noise limits, property uses and the enforceability of zoning language drew about 30 Chester residents out on Monday night, Aug. 20, for the first of four public hearings to be held to take comment on proposed changes to the town’s zoning regulations. The hearing was held […]
Old Home Day, fireworks; meet Paige Turner At Misty Valley
Chester Old Home Day Sept. 1 Chester Old Home Day is set for Saturday, Sept. 1, at the American Legion property, Route 103 South. Activities begin at 3 p.m. with food, games and prizes. Live music by Sound Investment will be staged outside from 4:30 to 7:30. And fireworks will begin as darkness falls!
More brain drain at the Chester Development Review Board
By Cynthia Prairie For the fourth time in five months, an experienced member of the Development Review Board is gone. Bruce McEnaney resigned two weeks ago, after he took a job at the Jeld-Wen plant in Ludlow. This once again leaves two vacancies on the five-member board and only one person – Harry Goodell – […]
