Beautification committee plants sunshine around Chester

 By Cynthia Prairie

From left, Lillian Willis, Rosann Sexton and Nancy Chute check their work one final time before sending the planters on their way. Click a photo to launch the gallery. Photos by Cynthia Prairie

It was a blooming  beautiful Thursday morning, May 29, when members of the recently formed Chester Beautification Committee gathered at Sunshine Acres garden center on Route 11 north to fill 34 large planters with soil and flowering plants — such as petunias, salvia and sun patiens.

The containers were then set out at various locations throughout Chester including the Green, Town Hall, the Chester Depot and private residences and businesses.

The seven-member team made quick work of the job, getting every pot ready to go within about 30 minutes, while other members planted the standing window boxes at Town Hall or marshaled forces to drop the planters in the proper locations.

Susie Forlie, foreground, and Jane Davis work on the Town Hall window planters.

This all-volunteer organization, under the auspices of the Chester Development Corp. Chester Economic Development Corp., has been seeking contributions to help purchase the large planters, that were placed in key locations in the town center. Among the donors — who purchased planters at $85 each — are Chester Bookworm, Chester Hardware, Chester Innkeepers Association, Chester Plumbing and Heating, The Chester Telegraph, Coleman Plumbing and Heating,  Dakin and Benelli PC, Drew’s All-Natural,  The Free Range Restaurant, Gassetts Group, Gilbert Financial, Newsbank Inc., Joan

Jane Davis, donning a hat worthy of the Preakness, and Nancy Rugg prepare another Town Hall window box.

and Don Morey, George Malin/UBS, Sarah Vail – Attorney at Law, and Lillian and David Willis. Other seasonal and long-term projects are in the works.

If you’d like to make a donation to the Chester Beautification Committee, including for the purchase of more planters,  contact Tory Spater at 802-875-2952 or tory@vermontel.net The committee also encourages widespread participation in this effort and welcomes suggestions of additional sites that would benefit from a planter to make Chester more appealing and attractive.

Make checks payable to: Chester Economic Development Corp. (Chester Beautification in the memo line). Send checks to P.O. Box 130, Chester, VT 05143, c/o Tory Spater.

Members of the Chester Beautification Committee are Nancy Chute, Jane Davis, Carol Gilbert, Cheryl LeClair, John McAveeney, Maureen McAveeney, Chris Meyer, Nancy Rugg, Rosann Sexton, Tory Spater, Barb Westine, Dale Williamson and Lillian Willis.

LeClair and Spater flank one of two planters at the Chester Depot donated by The Chester Telegraph.

Cheryl LeClair and Tory Spater offload a planter for placement at the pavilion across from Town Hall.