All Entries in the "Community and Arts Life" Category
The women behind the masks Three businesswomen sew kindness into every face mask
By Cynthia Prairie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing Three businesswomen have turned their sewing expertise into an act of kindness by creating washable, reusable face masks for friends, family and medical personnel throughout the region to help slow Covid-19 infections in Vermont. They are part of a force of individuals who have stepped up to fill a […]
Left in Andover: In tune with my musical side
By Susan Leader ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC As both the wife and mother of accomplished musicians, I am often asked if I play an instrument. My response is always a vigorous no. This is not, however, strictly accurate. I actually participated in grade school and junior high band as a flautist. But I never progressed […]
Chester Chatter: Keeping busy while cooped up
By Ruthie Douglas © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC When I first bought the home I still live in, everyone asked if I liked the picture window in the living room. I responded that it would be perfect when I got older to watch traffic and see what is happening farther down the road. Now that […]
Henry Homeyer: Feeling stuck in a room? Take to the trees and prune
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC We are lucky this March: no deep snow to keep us from approaching our fruit trees, ladder and clippers in hand. Some years we still have thigh-deep snow in March, which is the traditional time to prune our apples, pears, peaches and more. There is nothing magical about […]
Neighborly Advice: Maintain health, sanity and safety in the time of Covid-19
Our readers stepped up with suggestions to help each other manage our lives, maintain a modicum of normalcy, boost our morale, help our children and at times exceed our own expectations during the Covid-19 shutdowns. Thanks to all who shared their tips and photos. Maintain your health & sanity Amanda Stearns, Andover: Shopping is a […]
Left in Andover: The other side of Terrible Mtn.
By Susan Leader ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC I was born and still live at the sunny southern foot of Terrible Mountain. At 2,900 feet altitude, our mountain is neither exceptionally tall, nor harsh, ranking No. 214 in the state. The accepted explanation for its ominous name is the obstacle it presented to through-traffic between Andover […]
Chester Chatter: The gift of time
By Ruthie Douglas © 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The coronavirus has brought about a chance to enjoy our homes, a chance to spend time with family who we love. Because we are supposed to stay home, inside and not touching many things, another chance is open and offered to us. It’s a time to lay […]
Henry Homeyer: DIY spring decor to do at home
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The world seems to be in turmoil, recent news is disconcerting at best. But I stay cheerful, and you can too, by being creative and/or by enjoying the outdoors. Being outside always perks me up. I love looking at my snowdrops, winter aconite and crocus. For creativity, I […]
Businesses feel strain, adapt to Covid-19
By Cynthia Prairie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Throughout our Southern Vermont communities, many retail and tourist-dependent businesses began planning several weeks ago for the annual mudseason slowdown. At that time, word was just beginning to spread about the coronavirus that was wreaking havoc in China, and just barely touching Italy . Now that Covid-19 is […]
Free Range to offer free to-go family dinners Donations of produce, money sought to bolster effort
By Cynthia Prairie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Jason Tostrup, chef and owner of the Free Range restaurant in Chester, and Andover resident Chris Meyer are teaming up to ensure that Chester and Andover families — especially those with school children — are provided with some dinners over the next eight weeks of the Covid-19 crisis. […]
Left in Andover: Post WWII’s seagoing cowboys and the milk of kindness
By Susan Leader ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC One of the very first relief operations undertaken by the fledging United Nations, from its inception in 1945 through 1947, was to send several hundred boatloads of cows and horses to resupply war ravaged eastern Europe with livestock. This was a cooperative initiative with the Brethren Service Committee […]
Chester Chatter: How now brown cow?
By Ruthie Douglas © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC In the fall of 1959, while our new barns were being built, we were planning on the livestock. Don and I traveled down to Masschusetts to a huge farm auction. Don thought he would like to buy a few Brown Swiss to add to our herd. Brown […]
Henry Homeyer: naturalistic landscaping, at a glance
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC I recently attended a lecture and slide show by Dan Jaffe, horticulturalist at Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary in Wales, Massachusetts. Dan Jaffe is a talented and passionate gardener who single handedly maintains 75 acres of woodland, meadow and bog garden. Although building self-sustaining gardens on 75 acres sounds like […]
Cavendish Library adds, extends services in response to COVID-19
The Cavendish Fletcher Community Library is adding and extending services to help reduce the spread of viruses during this extraordinary season of cold, flu and the coronavirus that causes an illness called COVID-19. According to Library Director Kata Welch, the library is sanitizing all items that come into and go out of the library, and […]
Retiring Chester town manager honored at luncheon; Cavendish fund seeks grant applicants
Chester Town Manager Pisha retires Chester Town Manager David Pisha was honored at a luncheon at Town Hall on Friday as he prepared to embark on his retirement. Numerous town employees, officials and local residents stopped by to wish the best for Pisha, who served as Chester’s town manager for 11 years, and his wife […]
Left in Andover: A short history of hitting the road
By Susan Leader ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The only thing I really miss about my hitchhiking days in the late ‘60s and ‘70s was the space it offered to interact constantly with people of all different walks of life. Swapping stories face to face with the people who stopped to give me rides established a […]
Chester Chatter: Friendship takes wings
By Ruthie Douglas ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC My sister Marie and I became the best of friends with Willy, who I wrote about last week. When school began in late summer, Marie and I went off to school and Willy was left behind to wait for us to come home. Soon, our playtime changed. […]
Henry Homeyer: Bring it on! Spring flower edition
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC This year I went to my vegetable garden with a snow shovel, in late February. It was a warm, sunny day, and I was ready for spring. Now people say that old timers like me are more patient than young whipper-snappers, but I’m not sure that’s true. We […]
Ash tree ID training to be held March 10 to prep for emerald ash borer beetle infestation
From 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, a forestry representative from the state will be training people on how to take an inventory of ash trees in preparation for the infestation of the emerald ash borer beetle, which has already been found in Londonderry. The training will be held in the conference room […]
Left in Andover: The end of single-party politics
By Susan Leader ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Dad’s enormous wooden roll-top desk filled the northwest quadrant of the den at Popplewood Farm. He rescued it one winter in the late 1950s from the former Verd Mont Mills Co. factory in Ludlow. To get it into the house, we had to drag it on an old […]
