All Entries in the "Featured" Category
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 […]
4th public-private solar proposal aired; economic development plan suggested; Missing Link Bridge in question
By Shawn Cunningham During its April 3 meeting, the Chester Select Board heard from a fourth company proposing to put a solar farm on town land on Route 103N across from Trebo Road, discussed a four-page economic development plan for the town and considered not replacing Missing Link Bridge, this following 20 minutes of correcting […]
Teens step in to rebuild preschoolers’ damaged milk jug igloo
By Greg Hart Sports editor A milk jug igloo built for a class of preschoolers and torn apart within two days of its completion has been reconstructed by a group of teenagers, much to the delight of the little ones and their teachers. On Monday, April 1, Chester Community Preschool teacher assistant Kathleen Karl posted […]
Sugar house spark ignites hillside fire
Richard Root of Green Mountain Turnpike was just finishing up sugaring for the season, cleaning and rinsing his equipment around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 7th, when he noticed smoke. The hillside adjacent to his sugar house had caught fire – due to a stray spark from his smokestack. According to Root, within 10 minutes, the […]
Chester loves ‘Chicago’ and ‘Chicago’ loves Chester
The three performances of Green Mountain Union High School’s production of Bob Fosse’s Chicago took Chester by storm last Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Below is a photo gallery taken at two performances. We also have video of three numbers: Roxie; All I Care About; and When Velma Takes the Stand. Set in the 1920s […]
Red feeders have local guano harvesters seeing green
By Shawn Cunningham As April 1st arrives, the advent of spring makes many think ahead to a season of rebirth and growth. Gardeners are starting plants indoors and planning vegetable beds, while sugarhouses steam and farmers prepare their manure spreaders. At the same time, one little known part of Vermont’s agricultural economy prepares for the […]
Free classes help parents find positive solutions
By Rebecca Salem When Nancy Pennell was a young mother with four children, she knew she needed help. “I found a parenting group and … each time I was in a challenging situation with my kids, it was like having a whole cadre of women alongside of me,” she says. It is this experience, combined […]
Potential biomass traffic alarms Select Board; board responds to SoVerA letter
By Karen Zuppinger Speaking at the Chester Select Board meeting on Wednesday, March 20, Tom Kennedy, of the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission, addressed the board’s concerns about the amount of truck traffic that may be driving through Chester as a result of a biomass plant proposed for North Springfield. Chairman John DeBenedetti said […]
Citing deadline and lack of Select Board support, SoVerA pulls astronomical observatory offer
By Cynthia Prairie In a letter to the Chester Select Board, the Southern Vermont Astronomy Group has withdrawn its offer to donate to Chester, and then operate a publicly accessible astronomical observatory on town land. The letter, dated March 12, states that in October 2012, SoVerA received initial enthusiastic support from town manager David Pisha, […]
Jamie Townsend: A bold ‘farmer artist’ outside and in
ON THE COVER: The front of R.B. Erskine’s has become an outdoor art gallery with the addition of artist Jamie Townsend’s work. “My customers really like them a lot,” says shop owner Mike Erskine. All photos by Karen Zuppinger unless otherwise noted. A photo gallery is set within the article. By Karen Zuppinger It’s a […]
Fire truck vote set; 4th solar firm presents farm plan
By Karen Zuppinger After addressing the issue at Town Meeting, the Select Board at its meeting on Wednesday, March 6, said it is moving forward with leasing a new fire truck. Town Manager David Pisha will send the contract to town attorney James Carroll for review. Barring any setbacks, the Select Board will vote on […]
Bock, Jonynas re-elected to Select Board; school budgets pass
A political newcomer failed to overtake incumbents Tom Bock and Arne Jonynas, both of whom handily won re-election to one-year terms on the Chester Select Board in Tuesday’s vote. Tami Wilkins Ravlin, a lifelong Chester resident, did garner a respectable 225 votes compared to Jonynas’ 278 and Bock’s 288. With only 496 voters going to […]
TOWN MEETING: Voters agree to purchase new grader, dump truck and police SUV
ON THE COVER: Chester’s annual Town Meeting gets under way. Photo by Claudio Veliz By Cynthia Prairie It was a relatively pain-free Town Meeting in Chester Monday night, with about 110 voters showing up to support almost unanimously every one of 13 fiscal articles that had to be voted on, including raising $2.4 million in […]
Act 250 panel gives Dollar General land-use permit
By Cynthia Prairie The District Environmental Commission on Wednesday gave the Zaremba Group the necessary land-use permit to build a 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store on 1.4 acres on Main Street in Chester. Still, the commission also placed several requirements on the developers and the store itself, including: adding a “Stop Ahead” sign on Route 103 […]
Two solar farms slated for Chester
By Karen Zuppinger Two large solar farm projects are making their way into Chester. Representatives from three of the four companies involved attended the Select Board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 20 to make presentations and answer questions. The biggest company, Solar Renewable Energy LLC, will locate its project near Route 103 North and Trebo Road. […]
Political newcomer challenges Select Board incumbents
On the cover: from left, Tami Ravlin, Arne Jonynas and Tom Bock. All photos by Cynthia Prairie The Chester Telegraph recently interviewed the three candidates who are vying for two seats on the Chester Select Board, incumbents Tom Bock and Arne Jonynas and political newcomer and lifelong Chester resident Tami Wilkins Ravlin. Discussions centered around […]
Everything’s coming up roses at Chester Flowers
Aflorist shop on Valentine’s Day can be a mix of artists’ studio, take-out restaurant, couples counselor and NASA mission control. Few retail settings perform such hire wire acts of timing and aesthetics. And tomorrow Diane Stocker and Cheryl LeClair of Chester Flowers will be working to make a lot of sweethearts happy. Their small shop […]
Select Board considers special town meeting to OK fire truck purchase
By Karen Zuppinger The Chester Select Board agreed last Wednesday to consider holding a special town meeting to allow voters to decide whether to allocate $250,000 for a new fire truck. The Chester Fire Department hopes to get approval for the truck now, but pay for it in 2014, thereby saving the town about $10,000. […]
With a little human intervention, an ice sculpture grows
Is it a work of art, a science demonstration or just cool? One Popple Dungeon resident has harnessed the power of gravity to raise this blue column near his home this winter. Peter Delaney, who lives two miles from the Grafton Road, said that he had seen this done before and decided to use the […]
Misty Valley’s New Voices draws 200
Two hundred people attended Misty Valley Books’ 19th Annual New Voices 2013 authors event at the First Universalist Parish in the Stone Village on Saturday, Jan. 26. Misty Valley Books co-owner Bill Reed said the discussions during and after the event were lively and the comments following the event he called “glowing.” Bruce Johnson of […]
