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Left in Andover: The Grange movement takes hold in tiny Vermont towns

Left in Andover: The Grange movement takes hold in tiny Vermont towns

By Susan Leader ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Obscured by a lush screen of greenery, the long narrow building in the heart of Andover village is easy to miss. But it is impossible for me to drive by it without my brain clicking on the song, “Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer due, I’m half crazy, […]

Chester Chatter: When simple entertainments were in the cards

Chester Chatter: When simple entertainments were in the cards

By Ruthie Douglas ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC In times gone by, folks living out on the dusty back roads had little time for enjoyment. When they did get a break, they often went a calling on their friends. Entertainment was very simple:  a long walk, especially at night, catching fireflies in glass jars; riding bicycles […]

Henry Homeyer: Vines, meet the trellis

Henry Homeyer: Vines, meet the trellis

By Henry Homeyer ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The story of Jack and his bean stalk fame really appealed to me as a boy, and still does. I love climbing vines and grow many including those that are perennial or annual flowers, and some vegetables. Vines are a great way to save space and to get […]

Derry Arts Society seeks local artist for exhibit

Derry Arts Society seeks local artist for exhibit

The Londonderry Arts and Historical Society’s annual Local Artists Exhibit runs from Aug. 7 to Sept. 4 at LAHS headquarters, The Custer Sharp House, 2461 Middletown Road, in Londonderry. Exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays , opening at 10 a.m. on  Saturday, Aug. 7. If you would like to exhibit, […]

Gus Bloch to perform at West River Farmers Market

Gus Bloch to perform at West River Farmers Market

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 24, the West River Farmers Market will host musician Gus Bloch, a solo acoustic artist playing a variety of styles of music including country, cowboy, folk revival, old time and classical jazz. His ability to engage children in his music is legendary. A seasoned and versatile […]

'An Iliad' an intense, engaging play kicks off return of live theater to southern Vermont

‘An Iliad’ an intense, engaging play kicks off return of live theater to southern Vermont

By Bob Behr ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Imagine this. The world you see is not all there is. Your world is really one of gods, goddesses, human men and women, and half-human/half-gods, all with big hearts, big egos, and a tendency to throw temper tantrums. Everyone’s got baggage, stories, agendas. It’s enough to make your […]

Blue skies for first of Chester Summer Music Series

Blue skies for first of Chester Summer Music Series

© 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Remarkably enough, last Thursday it didn’t rain and with warm temperatures and under blue skies more than 70 people gathered on the lawn of Chester’s Academy Building for the first of five concerts in this summer’s free music series, under the auspices of the Chester Rotary. The Stockwell Brothers played […]

Chester quilt artists honored at Billings artshow

Chester quilt artists honored at Billings artshow

Two Chester residents are among three quilters who have been recognized by the Billings Farm & Museum of Woodstock during its 35th Annual Quilt Exhibition, which is taking place now at the museum. The Juror’s Choice and Staff Choice awards were presented at the opening reception on Friday, July 16. The Quilt Exhibition is a […]

Planning for services, celebration for the late Delores Barbeau

Planning for services, celebration for the late Delores Barbeau

The community will celebrate the life of Dr. Delores Barbeau, co-founder of Neighborhood Connections with Gloria Dawson, Carol Olstad, and Carol Robbshaw to provide social services to the residents of the mountain towns of southern Vermont, in mid-August. Services and a community-wide celebration of Delores’ life will take place on the grounds of The Weston […]

Wantastiquet Rotary gives 6 $1,000 scholarships

Wantastiquet Rotary gives 6 $1,000 scholarships

The Wantastiquet Rotary Club, through generous donations from the community, awarded six $1,000 scholarships to students living within the mountain towns. Although 2020-2021 was a difficult year for the club to raise money because of the pandemic, its major scholarship fund-raiser was a No-Show St. Patrick Day Gala. Scholarship recipients are: Florence Njordge of Londonderry, […]

'Dine around BBQ' fund-raiser for Londonderry Arts & Historical Society to be held Aug. 13

‘Dine around BBQ’ fund-raiser for Londonderry Arts & Historical Society to be held Aug. 13

The Londonderry Arts and Historical Society is hosting a Dine-around-a-Barbecue fund-raiser at the Custer Sharp House, 2461 Middletown Road, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13. Local chefs Annie Campbell and Sharon Crossman are preparing assorted creative burgers. Guests can choose from the Bernadine, the  Custer Sharp, the  Route 11 and the Middletown […]

Derry Congregational Church to hold annual Whale of a Sale July 30 & 31

Derry Congregational Church to hold annual Whale of a Sale July 30 & 31

The Second Congregational Church’s annual Whale of a Sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday July 30 and Saturday July 31 at the church, 2051 Vermont Route 11, in Londonderry. Highlights this year include:  Chairs, chairs, and more chairs! Also featured are many beautiful lamps, bookcases, a fine collection of prints/frames […]

Left in Andover: When Middletown was a lively village center

Left in Andover: When Middletown was a lively village center

By Susan Leader ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Middletown Road and Middletown Cemetery are vestiges of a once vibrant village center within the greater town of Andover. Over the course of history, Middletown boasted a substantial meeting house, a store and Post Office, a schoolhouse, several blacksmith shops and a tavern. I was born into this […]

Chester Chatter: A night out at the Park Theater

Chester Chatter: A night out at the Park Theater

By Ruthie Douglas ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Sundays on the farm were Ma and Pop’s day off.  It meant that Don and I had to step in to do all the chores, including the milking, by ourselves. We scurried through the jobs because Sundays were also Don and my time to go to the movies. […]

Henry Homeyer: Keeping weeds at bay with mulch

Henry Homeyer: Keeping weeds at bay with mulch

By Henry Homeyer ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Mulch is commonly used to help suppress weeds and to hold in soil moisture in dry times. There are many different kinds of mulch and it is important to get the right kind, and to apply it properly if you wish to get the benefits of mulch. The […]

Tri Mountain Lions announces winners of July 3 Duck Race

Tri Mountain Lions announces winners of July 3 Duck Race

The Tri-Mountain Lions Club, based in Londonderry, held its Duck Race on Saturday, July 3 raising funds for its efforts including providing glasses and vision care for local residents. The lucky winners of 2021 Duck Race are: First Place winning $175: Jon Foster of Mount Holly; Second Place winning $125: Elizabeth Grant of Winhall; and […]

Area Realtors board offers free document shredding

Area Realtors board offers free document shredding

The South Central Vermont Board Of Realtors is joining with other local Vermont Realtor boards to offer a statewide Consumer Safety Day on Saturday, July 31. Realtors have contracted SecurShred to provide a mobile unit for the on site shredding of personal documents (maximum 5 boxes per household) at three locations throughout our area: 9 […]

Left in Andover: The miracle of farmers markets

Left in Andover: The miracle of farmers markets

By Susan Leader ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC I first experienced the magic of a traditional farmers market on a trip to Morocco’s Ourika Mountains in 1978. Farmers, potters and camel dealers converged upon a desolate high mountain plain. In an age old ritual of trade and sociability, a public square formed. Then poof, a few […]

Chester Chatter: Once a farmer, always a farmer

Chester Chatter: Once a farmer, always a farmer

By Ruthie Douglas ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Small farm living was a good way of life. When Don and I were first married, we considered other ways that we might earn a living besides farming. But we went with farming on his parents family farm. Don, his brother George and their father bought the farm […]

Self-guided tours of six gardens on July 17

Self-guided tours of six gardens on July 17 Proceeds of Mountain Garden Walks benefit education fund

On Saturday, July 17, Mountain Garden Walks offers a self-guided walking tour of six enchanting gardens in Londonderry and Weston, each capturing the beauty of Vermont’s perennial, woodland and native plants surrounded by stonewalls, bogs and expansive vistas of mountains and meadows. Most of all, these spectacular gardens reflect the environment of our Vermont landscape. […]