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.
Town Meeting reverts to Town Hall; Pellett runs for selectboard
Only 25 to 30 voters braved the icy roads on Monday night, Jan. 23, to vote at Green Mountain Union High School on two articles that will change the date and place of this year’s town meeting, Town Clerk Deb Aldrich said today. The meeting lasted for about five minutes, she added. On a quick […]
Chester in 2010: A Snapshot
We are mostly white, middle-aged and female and most of us live in a home that we either own or is owned by a family member. This is Chester 2010, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Census, which are being released throughout the year. Among our population of 3,154 (up 110 residents […]
Residents Testify Against Dollar General
By Cynthia Prairie Monday’s hearing on the conditional use permit sought to allow construction of a Dollar General store was more emotional and contentious than previous ones, this time with several members of the Development Review Board expressing doubt about the project and more Chester residents testifying against it. Within the next two weeks, the […]
New Voices at Misty Valley Books
Misty Valley Books presents its 18th Annual New Voices Authors Weekend on Saturday, Jan. 28. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., everyone is invited to go cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing with the authors at the Grafton Ponds (843-2231) 2 p.m., join the authors for their readings and a reception. This year, to be held at the Vermont […]
Handmade Quilts for Sale at Family Center
Chester fiber artist Dorothy Riley Blomberg has donated eight colorful handmade quilts for sale to benefit the Chester Andover Family Center, 656 Depot St. The finely crafted quilts are suitable for a baby’s bed or as an artistic wall hanging. The quilts are on sale for $20 to $50 with all proceeds going to the […]
Town Meeting Place, Date Change Proposed; Correction
T he Chester Selectboard will be holding a meeting for the legal voters of Chester at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 at the auditorium of Green Mountain Union High School to vote on two proposals: Article 1: To see if the Town will vote to change the date and time of the annual Town […]
Jack’s Diner Denied Conditional Use Permit
By Cynthia Prairie The Chester Development Review Board has denied a conditional use permit for the expansion of Jack’s Diner, 521 Main St. Town zoning administrator Michael Normyle said the permit was denied in late November on the grounds that Dodier “missed several hearings and has not been responsive, has not provided the requested information […]
Impact of Dollar General concerns Lisai
‘Lucky I didn’t see a meat counter or a deli,” said Lisai’s Grocery store owner Lonnie Lisai, after viewing the Dollar General’s interior plan Monday night, Dec. 12. “There’s a lot of overlap” between what his store offers and what a new 9,100-square-foot Dollar General would offer, he added. “About 90% (overlap) … aside from […]
Chester Rotary Donates Personalized Books
Twenty-five students from Chester-Andover Elementary School received personalized books on Tuesday, Dec. 6 with the support of John Holmes, a Chester Rotarian, whose interest is to improve literacy. Each of the students’ names are woven into a personalized story that includes family members and pets. “These personalized books develop a sense of appreciation for reading,” […]
Overture to Christmas ‘best ever’
The 26th Annual Overture to Christmas promises to be the best ever, declares Pat Budnick, of Motel in the Meadow, who helped to organize the weeklong celebration. In rapid succession, she begins to tick off events: “ceramics with Melissa, bow making with Nancy, caroling with Stan, the senior dinner – Jack Carroll helps with that, […]
Smart Growth Chester testifies against Dollar General
Monday’s Development Review Board hearing was to be an opportunity for a local group to testify on a Dollar General store proposed to be built next to Zachary’s Pizza House. But, for almost half of the two-hour hearing, it became semantics gymnastics when the developer’s attorney repeatedly questioned one witness on her characterization of New […]
School Board Won’t Alter ’07 Stand on Quarry
The majority of the board of Green Mountain Union High School decided Thursday night, Nov. 10, that it would not alter its 2007 position on the quarry next door, on 139 acres owned by O’Neil Sand & Gravel. Owner Amy O’Neil said her company is considering seeking an amended permit for blasting at a gravel […]
O’Neils Return with New Gravel Pit Proposal
Is a curtailed project on the same property the same as an earlier proposal or is it a new project in and of itself? That is the question surrounding a proposal posed by Amy and Mike O’Neil Wednesday night before the Chester Select Board and a small group of concerned residents. The O’Neils, who live […]
Andrew Ladd Scholarship Wine Tasting & Auction
It’s The 3rd Annual Wine Tasting Benefit
Cabaret Dinner to Benefit GMUHS
What good is sitting alone in your room on Halloween weekend? If you don’t want to go out in costume who could ask for anything more than an evening of comedy skits, music, singing and dancing?
Updated Dollar General Proposal
The Zaremba Group returned to the Chester Development Review Board Monday night, Oct. 10, with altered plans for a proposed Dollar General Store for the Zachary’s Pizza House site that it claims are in line with the town plan and its zoning regulations. Before those issues could be addressed, however, the DRB approved the subdivision […]
Jack’s Diner expansion; Dollar General update
Two commercial development issues drew more than 30 Chester residents to Town Hall Monday night, Sept. 26, as the Development Review Board attempted to address construction plans for each, both of which sit along Route 103 South. The more contentious of the two, an expansion of Jack’s Diner, 521 Main St., would allow for seating of […]
Dollar General hearings rescheduled; help for flood victims
The Chester Development Review Board has rescheduled a hearing on subdividing the Zachary’s Pizza House property to accommodate a 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store to Monday Sept. 26. The meeting had been set for Monday Sept. 12. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 556 Elm St. The hearing on the Dollar […]
Food and Donation Drive to Benefit Irene Flood Victims
Chester resident Cortney Donohue is organizing the Chester Vermont Food and Donation Drive scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 3, to collect, sort and distribute food and household items to help flood victims in the Chester, Cavendish and Ludlow areas of Vermont. The drive will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the American Legion Post […]
Dollar General proposed for Zachary’s property
The Chester Development Review Board is in the process of assessing plans by the corporation that owns the Dollar General chain to build a 9,100-square-foot store on the eastern edge of the parking lot of Zachary’s Pizza House, 319 Main St. The 10-acre parcel along VT Rt. 103, which is owned by Zachary’s, would be […]
