Sustainable Chester NJ

• hiker
• dog walker
• runner
• parent of young child
• sightseer
• history buff
• someone with limited mobility
• shopper
• equestrian
• outdoorsperson
• fisherman
• bicyclist
• caregiver
• rollerblader
• leisurely walker
• canoeist / kayaker
• scout leader
• teacher
• Chester resident or business owner

Chester’s Green Team presents “The Best of Chester: Fabulous Values for our Fabulous Shoppes,” a book of discount coupons to almost 50 Chester businesses, produced to help support our local economy. Coupon books are on sale now for $10 at participating retailers; use one coupon and it pays for itself! Great for teacher gifts and stocking stuffers! Please help to support our local economy.  Think local…buy local!

Books sell for $10 each at the following Chester business locations:

• Alex’s Cafe and Aztec Nights
• All Computers Go
• Alstede Farms
• Antiques by Chester Crafts
• Ballroom Dancing Like the Stars
• Black River Candy Shoppe
• Branded Screen Printing
• Chester Antique Mall
• Chester Crafts and Collectibles
• Chester Township Municipal Building
• Country Nursery
• Curves
• Elegant Custom Tailoring
• 5 Diva Girls
• Kurt’s Locksmith
• Learning RX
• Morris County Arts Workshop
• Plant Detectives
• Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
• School of Royal Yoga

The coupon book pays for itself with just one use! From there on out, it’s all savings.

This coupon book was made possible by a small grant from the Sustainable Jersey Small Grants program.

Are you a dog walker, biker, runner, hiker, horseback rider, history buff, or a parent pushing a stroller? Chester Borough and Township are collaborating on a plan to connect neighborhoods and parks through an integrated trail system. Your ideas are needed! Come share your thoughts for what to include at a public work session on Thurs. Oct. 20th, 7:00 pm at the Field House on Seminary Rd. Lots of fun writing on big maps of town! Bring along a friend; free refreshments in a great atmosphere.

Reprinted from PSE&G newsletter:

You can take the following steps to stay comfortable and conserve energy in hot weather:

• Turn off everything you’re not using, including TVs and computers.
• If health conditions permit, raise your air conditioner to 78 degrees. You can save 3 to 5 percent on air conditioning costs for each degree you raise the thermostat.
• Also use fans to circulate air. Portable and ceiling fans use a tenth of the electricity of an air conditioner and can make 78 degrees feel cooler than it actually is.
• Close blinds, shades and draperies facing the sun to block summer light and help fans and air conditioners cool more efficiently.
• Close doors leading to uncooled parts of your home. If you have central air conditioning, close off vents to unused rooms.
• Check to ensure that no furniture or other obstacles are blocking ducts or fans, which will enable cooled air to circulate more frequently.
• Cook and use other heat-generating appliances in the early morning and late evening hours whenever possible.

Local bike collection! Donate your old bikes on June 18th at CCM, 12:00-3:00 Parking Lot #1. Pedals for Progress ships 2-wheeler bikes in working order to impoverished people in developing countries. $10 fee to help with shipping costs. Bike helmets and sewing machines also accepted. For more info call (973) 285-8393.

The Chester Food Pantry helps close to 50 families in the Chester/Mendham area with monthly supplies of food and other necessary non-perishables.  The Food Pantry is an all-volunteer organization supported by local community donations. Typically, the summer months see a drop in donations.  As people go on vacations or just move on to other things, donations slow considerably.

Please help out by donating food to the Chester Food Pantry. There is an urgent need for:

Jelly, salad dressing, rice, ketchup, mayo, spaghetti sauce, peas, snacks, crackers, paper towels, side dishes, desserts, coffee, detergent, deodorant, mac & cheese, juice, shampoo, and toothbrushes.

There are convenient drop boxes at Chester Shop Rite, the Chester Library, Plant Detectives, and the Community Presbyterian Church in Chester. The Chester Food Pantry is open on Wednesday mornings, and is located next to the First Aid Squad at 100 North Road in Chester.

Thanks to the hard work of a dedicated team of volunteers, the Chester Community Garden is now under construction. The plots have been rototilled, water lines are going in, and the fence will be up in just a few days time. It is now time to open up registration to the public! Please go to the Chester Township website ‘Community Garden’ tab to view the registration form, regulations, and hold harmless agreement. Please take the time to read the regulations and make sure you are willing to abide by the rules before you decide to rent a plot.
You will need to print the registration form, regulations, and hold harmless agreement, fill them out, and mail or deliver them to the Chester Township municipal building along with your payment. The 120 plots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Chester Environmental Commission is sponsoring its tenth annual native plant sale this spring. This plant sale is not a fundraiser; the sole purpose is to help reintroduce native plants into our environment, and to help educate citizens about the importance and beauty of native plants. Native plant species have co-evolved with our native insects and other animals; by planting them we are helping to preserve the biodiversity of our ecosystem. Native plants are well adapted to local conditions and tend to need very little watering. Read more about the native plant sale here. Orders are due by April 29th, with a pick up date of May 7th.

Attention garden enthusiasts! The Chester Green Team, as part of its participation with the Sustainable Jersey program, would like to start a community garden in Chester. Community gardens are becoming increasingly popular throughout the United States as the demand for nutritious, locally grown food grows. Community gardens provide a large, sunny, fenced, deer-proof area in which residents can safely grow vegetables or flowers. To learn more about the Chester Community Garden, please attend the next meeting of the Environmental Commission at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, February 14th at the Township building, 1 Parker Road, Chester. Come out and show your support for gardening!

Here is a good article offering practical, low-cost advice on how to detect and fix air leaks in your home.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/13/garden/13prag.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1