By JEFF EPSTEIN
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CHESTER, Vt. — Chester knows about floods. A few have hurt the area over the years, such as one in 2018 that resulted in the temporary closure of a school.
The latest impact is the Gassetts Grange on Rt 103, which was damaged by water and ice on Jan. 24. The Chester fire department quickly got on the scene, but it was apparent the grange had to close.
“We went to see the damage Jan 25th … and we got this heartbreaking surprise,” said Donna King, the grange’s treasurer.
They think that the nearby Williams River had a small ice dam from the freezing weather that night, and it broke, sending ice and water into the basement of the grange building of at least 2,500 square feet.
Worse yet, a large oil tank in the basement tipped over, releasing some of its oil. An agency called the National Recovery Center came and pumped out most of it, leaving some floating on water to help prevent ground contamination, said King.
The oil tank is now horizontal up on blocks in the basement.
At a meeting Monday night at the neighboring Burtonsville Grange, about a dozen members of the two granges traded ideas on how to proceed.
The building is now sealed and cannot be entered. A structural engineer needs to examine the building and decide what needs to be done.
“We can’t plan anything concrete until we know what we can do,” said Gassetts Grange member Dave Walker. Once they know the cost, he said, “our first job is to go to the state.”
Some state programs exist to help granges, and a loan or a grant may be possible, some members said.
But as King read off the list of bills due, it became clear that the local organization that helps its members in times of crisis is now itself in need of help.
In addition to making donations to the Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, and other community groups, the grange puts on breakfasts, bingo nights, and dances. Grange folks are now considering what they can do along those lines to raise funds for their own grange.
Apparently there are some musicians in the membership (and some amplifiers and microphones lay alone and abandoned in the dark, sealed basement.) Perhaps the grange could use Chester Town Hall or another facility for a dance, a few suggested.
For now, Gassetts Grange will continue to meet at Burtonsville Grange. Some concerns about the cost of doing so were quickly cut off; the Burtonsville hosts made it clear their neighbor grange was welcome to meet there at no cost during the emergency.
The Gassetts folks gratefully accepted the hospitality. After all, grange folks look out for each other. It’s what they do.
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