CHESTERFIELD – Crews have been hard at work replacing sidewalks through the center of town.
The work is being conducted by Warner Brothers, a Sunderland highway and street construction company.
“This is all part of the $7 million Route 143 reconstruction project to repair Main Road all the way to the Williamsburg line, and do the sidewalks in town,” Town Administrator Sue Labrie said.
“We started planning for this last year and the poring of the concrete just started last week.” Labrie said. “It is a very time consuming process.”
Labrie said that during the planning stage, many residents expressed concern to the Select Board that a simple paved sidewalk would not fit the historical character of the town center.
Labrie said that Select Board Chairman Roger Fuller heard their concerns and worked with the state and engineers to make some changes and still stay within the budget.
“What they are doing is stamping a herringbone pattern into the pavement. I think it is going to look really pretty when it is done,” Labrie said.
Some of the sections of sidewalk are complete, sporting a red brick design, some are still being poured, and others are covered with plastic for a seven-day curing period.
The new sidewalks lead from the Chesterfield Community Center on Main Road across North Road and down to the Davenport Town Office Building, and from Russell Memorial Park on South Street down to the intersection of South and Main roads, then down Main Road opposite the Davenport Building.
Work on the sidewalks is expected to be completed by Oct. 1.
The Hilltown Artisans Guild is looking for artists and musicians to participate in an new art show called “Art in the Garden.”
The Guild traditionally hosts two shows a year at the Town Hall in Worthington. This year, however, they are branching out and teaming up with Richard Richardson, owner of the Three Sisters Sanctuary in Goshen.
“Three sisters is a beautiful place,” said Hilltown Artisan Guild member and organizer Trish Lafreniere said. “Richard has been wanting to do an art show up there so on Columbus Day Weekend, Oct. 8th and 9th, we re holding a juried art show and sale at the sanctuary.”
The guild is currently accepting applications from a variety of artists and musicians. There will be a “pop up” art event on Sunday, Aug. 21, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Three Sisters Sanctuary, where musicians and artists can come and tour the venue, find out more about the show and apply to participate.
Lafreniere said that artists should bring a representational piece of work with them if they want to sign up.
According to Lafreniere, the guild is looking for everything from painters to jewelers, quilters, weavers, potters and more.
“We are looking for nice quality art and we are opening the venue to any local artists that want to apply to participate,” Lafreniere said. “We have two big tents that they can have space in or they are welcome to bring their own tents.”
To rent space in one of the main tents for the October show, it is $60 for non-members of the guild and $50 for members. For artists with their own tents, the fee is $50 for non-members and $20 for members.
Lafreniere hopes to have 24 to 30 artists show their work.
“I think this is going to be a lot of fun,” Lafreniere said. “There will be food and music and it will be a great arts festival. We hope to make this an annual event.”
Three Sisters Sanctuary is located at 158 Cape St. (Route 112) in Goshen.
For Artists who cannot attend the pop up event next Sunday, they can apply for the Art in the Garden show at www.hilltownartisansguild.org
Musicians should visit www.threesisterssanctuary.com, or call 268-9284 and ask for Sarah.
Concerts at 7 has begun its August concert series which is free and open to the public.
Each Monday, concerts will be performed at the Plainfield Congregational Church at 356 West Main St.
The schedule is as follows:
Monday, Aug. 15: Astrid Schween, cello, and Chiao-Wen Cheng, piano, playing Bach, Schumann, and Rachmaninoff.
Monday, Aug. 22: The Borromeo String Quartet, playing Bach, Shostakovich and Beethoven.
Monday, Aug. 29: Mountain Streams, playing O’Connor, Griffes and Schubert.
Concerts at 7 is a volunteer nonprofit community arts program that sponsors this summer series of classical music concerts.
The group collaborates with talented area musicians to bring classical music to the Hilltowns and to encourage an appreciation of chamber music within local communities.
The free concerts are gift from the Plainfield Congregational Church to the community.
Ideas for this column on life in the Hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at fryan.gazette@gmail.com.