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12/26/2017 11:00 PMJanuary
The Chester year started off with the Chester Hose Company Juniors recycling Christmas trees to raise funds to pay for training camp at the Connecticut Fire Academy and Eagle Scout Zane Bouregy restoring and rededicating the flagpole and Veterans Memorial at Cedar Lake.
State Representative Bob Siegrist (R-36) was sworn in to represent the 36th General Assembly District, which includes the communities of Chester, Deep River, Haddam, and Essex.
Towns in the Region 4 School District saw some school funds returned this year. Following its annual audit, the Board of Education approved a report that reflected a surplus of $157,046 from the 2015-’16 academic year. The surplus was split and distributed to the district’s sinking funds and refunded to the member towns.
Chester Library implemented the Books to Home program for those who want to come to the library, but cannot for a variety of reasons, such as lack of a vehicle, health problems, age, or other kinds of rehabilitation.
Chester retail icon Ceramica began winding down business in preparation of closing in 2017 after decades on Main Street.
February
Music & More at Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek (CBSRZ) in Chester opened its ninth season on Feb. 5 with jazz singer Kathy Kosins.
The Valley Regional girls’ basketball team recorded one of its biggest wins and qualified for both the Shoreline Conference Tournament and the Class M State Tournament.
The Chester Carnivale was back after a year of construction that caused the event to have a one-year hiatus. Leslie Strauss was inaugurated as grand marshal for the Tractor Parade at Chester Carnivale. Strauss was the creator of Winter Carnivale and chaired the event for 25 years.
The largest snowstorm since 2015 brought an estimated 12 to 13 inches of snow accumulation to the tri-town area.
Chester held a special Town Meeting to vote on the Chester Streetlight Conversion Project. After a presentation by Tanko Streetlighting, Inc., three motions were approved unanimously by attendees: to authorize the purchase of the town’s streetlights from Eversource, to enter into a contract with Tanko to audit the streetlight inventory and replace the lights with LED fixtures, and to execute an agreement for a Connecticut Energy Fund loan to fund the project, which is estimated to save the town $30,000 a year.
The John Winthrop Middle School Math Counts team competed at the annual Eastern Chapter Competition at the Coast Guard Academy. John Winthrop placed fourth overall among the teams.
Marcus Abbott, resident production designer at the Ivoryton Playhouse, oversaw updates to the curtain, lighting, and stage floor at the Chester Meeting House.
March
Kath Davies, camp director at Camp Hazen YMCA in Chester, was chosen as one of two United States delegates to attend the Eastern Platform Camp Conference sponsored by the YMCA of Europe. The conference is designed to help Eastern European countries develop overnight camping programs for YMCA facilities in Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, and Moldova.
The Valley Regional boys’ basketball team dropped a 62-44 decision at Shoreline Conference foe Coginchaug in its regular season finale and missed qualifying for the Class S State Tournament by one win with a record of 7-13.
Elementary schools in Region 4 celebrated all the ways in which books can bring people together through the works of Dr. Seuss and Read Across America activities.
Four mock trial teams from John Winthrop Middle School competed in a regional competition in Wallingford. John Winthrop did well, but no teams were able to win both their Prosecution and Defense.
The a cappella singing group the Maccabeats performed at Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek in Chester.
Allison Dowe of Chester was appointed executive director of Middlesex Hospital Homecare. She succeeds former executive director Debra Healey, who retired earlier in 2017.
The Valley 5th-grade girls’ basketball team won the Neil Holack Tournament in Waterford on the weekend of March 4 and 5. The girls finished their season with an overall record of 16-5.
April
With enrollment rising, the Regional School District 4 proposed a budget for 2017-’18 of $18,313,368, a $642,819 or 3.3 percent increase over the previous year’s budget of $17,670,549.
According to Chester Harbor Management Commission Program Manager Joel Severance, the Lower Connecticut River Pumpout Boat Program, which services seven towns from the East Haddam Bridge to Long Island Sound, removed 110,000 gallons of waste from recreational boats during the 2016 boating season—26.6 percent more than the year before.
The Chester Rotary Club held its Longest Dinner Table benefit dance in conjunction with the Chester Hose Company on April 1.
The Chester Hose Company collected non-perishable food items in partnership with the Shoreline Soup Kitchens’ sixth annual Fire Department Food Drive to benefit individuals in need in the wider shoreline community.
Acting on a recommendation from the Chester Energy Task Force, Camp Hazen YMCA undertook an improvement last April of lighting and electrical equipment in its Bunting Dining Hall.
Brooke DellaRocco of Chester was crowned Junior Miss Connecticut East Coast USA in Trumbull.
May
The $20,063,066 Region 4 education budget was passed in light turnout on May 2. Chester and Essex supported the budget—Essex by an almost three to one margin (198 “Yes” to 73 “No”) while Deep River voters opposed the measure with 179 votes against and 128 for.
The Valley Debate Team placed second in the state debate tournament, after winning the negative against Westfield Academy.
Two Chester brothers and one Centerbrook resident recently earned the rank of eagle scout. James Rutty, Sam Rutty, and Zane Bouregy achieved their eagle scout status by completing projects in the towns of Chester and Haddam Neck.
Chester Girl Scout Troop 67507 donated a Little Free Library to Bushy Hill Nature Center.
Francesca Daniels and Alex Fortier, seniors at Valley Regional High School (VRHS), were awarded the High School Scholar-Athlete Award from Connecticut Association of Schools and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for both their athletic talent and academic excellence.
Valley Junior Max Klin was the student honored by VRHS at the Shoreline Conference for excellence in social studies.
The Warriors’ boys’ lacrosse squad recorded a 10-6 victory versus Haddam-Killingworth in the Shoreline Conference Tournament final. The victory marks the first conference tourney title for Valley Regional.
At public information sessions held May 11 and 13, the Chester Library Building Committee shared its plans for revitalizing the North Quarter Park and the possible new library to be built there. Chester voters adopted the proposed budget for fiscal year 2017-’18 at a special town meeting on May 25. The total budget amount is $13,249,738, which is a $120,070 or 0.91 percent spending increase over last year’s budget.
June
The Chester Historical Society’s Museum at the Mill opened with a reception on June 2, showcasing new installations throughout its three floors.
The Chester Land Trust bought a portion of the property owned by Judge Constance Baker Motley in Chester to convert into a preserve and honor her memory and her legacy as a civil rights hero.
The Chester Democratic Town Committee announced its unanimous endorsement of First Selectman Lauren Gister and Selectman Charlene Janecek as its candidates to run for re-election on Nov. 7.
The Chester, Deep River, Essex, and Region 4 Public Schools announced the appointment of Kimberly Allen to the position of business manager. Allen replaced Garth Sawyer, who was the business manager for the Chester, Deep River, Essex, and Region 4 Schools for 10 years.
After months of research and planning, trial and error, John Winthrop Middle School Lego Robotics club successfully installed a pollinator garden at Deep River Farms on June 8. VRHS was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a school of excellence. VRHS received a Silver Award and ranked 21 out of 288 public high schools in Connecticut.
The three top-ranking seniors in the VRHS graduating class of 2017 were Caitlin Lent of Deep River, Charlotte Boland of Ivoryton, and Monique Johnson of Chester. The three top seniors were the featured speakers at commencement exercises on June 19.
July
The Chester Rotary Club’s annual Four on the Fourth race began at the Chester Center flagpole and wrapped up with prizes, festivities, and live music.
Master wildlife conservationist Paul Colburn came to Chester on July 24, to give a presentation on Connecticut’s natural history and also discuss the current state of the state’s wildlife.
August
The Chester Republican Town Committee announced the endorsement of Selectman Carolyn Linn for first selectman and James Grzybowski for selectman in November’s election.
Chester Village West hosted a painting party on Aug. 21 in support of Alzheimer’s research, led by local artist Gloria Nilsson.
Teams from Deep River, Chester, and Essex played in the fourth annual Tri-Town Vintage Baseball game using 1857 rules. This year, Deep River took the title from the round-robin Tournament.
Tyson Stoddard, who was most recently the supervisor of special services, started his first year as principal at Chester Elementary school.
September
The Rotary Club of Chester hosted the 47th Lobster Festival at the Chester Fairgrounds on Sept. 9.
The third annual Cruise Blues and Brews was held Sept. 30 at the Chester Fairgrounds. The event featured autos from vintage cars, to classic muscle cars of the l950s, to more recent Chevy Corvettes and Ford Mustangs. The event benefits the At Risk Boys Fund.
Aaron Manor hosted its annual Grandparents Day and Miniature Horse Show on Sept. 10.
Girl Scout Juliette Linares of Chester received her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a girl scout can earn.
October
At a Chester Meeting House packed with the members of the Board of Finance, residents, and the library committee reviewed the proposed Chester Library project. The board voted to not approve the expenditure of $7.5 million for the Library/North Quarter Park project.
Chester candidates for first selectman put their platforms to debate on Oct. 17, in front an eager crowd at the Chester Meeting House ahead of elections on Nov. 7.
Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek celebrated a new book, House of Peace and Justice, The First 100 Years of Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek by author Ellen Nodelman. To honor the launch of the book, a free event was held on Oct. 29.
November
An International Rotary District grant was awarded to the Chester Rotary Club to assist with providing Chester Elementary School a new salt-water aquarium. The 180-gallon tank replaces an aged 55-gallon tank and is now settled into the school’s Learning and Relaxation Center.
First Selectman Lauren Gister (D) kept her seat, as did Selectman Charlene Jancek (D), in the Nov. 7 municipal election. Carolyn Linn lost her seat as selectman; James Grzybowski (R) won a seat on the board.
December
Chester Winter Carnivale organizers have decided that the highly popular event will not happen in 2018. After 27 years, the Carnivale has grown so much that the sponsoring merchants are unable to foot the bill that includes the fees State Police Troop F requires to maintain public safety.