Betty Matthews Driving past a place, hearing a song or seeing something that is familiar can bring back wonderful memories followed by a little sadness. Elizabeth “Betty” Matthews, 92, died Friday, Dec. 28. She is mostly known for her service and working to create a sense of place for Chester. Some 19 years ago, after reading about a couple of community groups in the western part of the county, I wrote an editorial about Chester and the southeastern part of Chesterfield as being the stepchild of county administration. With no official group to represent the Chester area about what was…

Jeff Samuels stands on the new Co-op Trail that he helped build. Those who love to take a hike now have a new option. The Co-op Trail officially opened Jan. 1 at Pocahontas State Park. Jeff Samuels, director of the Friends of Pocahontas State Park’s trails committee, said the trail is currently 3 miles although another mile is planned later this year. The Co-op Trail runs along the north shore of Swift Creek Lake and begins near the Pocahontas boat ramp. The trail intersects several other trails too, including a three-quarter mile loop located near the eastern edge of the…

Conservation officer Alberto Medina inspects some trout. Jon Hart follows the same routine he has followed for the past 18 years. He dresses in his crisp, clean uniform, puts a bulletproof vest on and heads out the door to work. Hart is a conservation police officer with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. He has served in Chesterfield for the past two years after moving from the Mecklenburg area. Officials say that conservation police officers patrol the vast and diverse geographical expanses of the commonwealth. They are ever-vigilant in enforcing the laws related to hunting, fishing, and boating,…

ABOVE: Hunter Faison shows a tree he removed while trail building at Pocahontas State Park recently. On a hot, humid August day in the depths of Pocahontas State Park, a group of young people with the Youth Conservation Corps helped build a new hiking trail. “We’re doing something productive,” 16-year-old Daryl Brown said, smiling as he gazed at the fresh path winding through forest vegetation. “I didn’t want to be here at first, but it ended up being fun. The hard work is worth it.” “When we get older and have our own kids, we can show them what we made…