RSSArchive for 2024

To the editor: Why is Sen. Clarkson taxing Vermonters?

To the editor: Why is Sen. Clarkson taxing Vermonters?

It likely comes as no surprise to you that Vermont is the third most taxed state in America.  By comparison, Wyoming has nearly the same population yet pays roughly half in taxes as Vermont.  This year, we just slogged through one of the most painful increases in property taxes, which could have been avoided were […]

Ronald Boston, 68, of S. Londonderry

Ronald Boston, 68, of S. Londonderry

Ronald DeWitt Boston, age 68, passed away in his South Londonderry home on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024. He was an active member of the community and was known for his wicked sense of humor, his love of dogs and his unwavering generosity. Ronald passed peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his loving family. In lieu […]

Truck takes down wires on Rt. 11 leaving hundreds without power

Truck takes down wires on Rt. 11 leaving hundreds without power

UPDATE: Route 11 is open to one lane as of 6:30 p.m. Please drive slowly By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Lights flickered and internet service sputtered throughout Chester and Andover around 1:30 p.m. today as a truck carrying an oversized load snagged wires on Route 11 near Motel in the Meadow in […]

GMUSD board mulls finances, new bond effort, restructuring

GMUSD board mulls finances, new bond effort, restructuring

By Shawn Cunningham ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Late summer board meetings are often sparsely populated, with both members and the public on vacation,  and light on topics to tackle. But while the former was true of the Thursday, Aug. 15 Green Mountain Unified School District board meeting, the latter was not. With just five members […]

Blue Flames Concert and Picnic on Weston Green Aug. 24

Blue Flames Concert and Picnic on Weston Green Aug. 24

The annual Blue Flames Steel Band Concert and Community Picnic will be held on the Weston Green from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24, with a rain date of Sunday, Aug. 25. Bring a picnic, family and friends and come listen to some wonderful music. For the 15th year, the band is donating […]

Springfield Rotary donates outerwear to Springfield, Chester Head Start programs

Springfield Rotary donates outerwear to Springfield, Chester Head Start programs

Springfield Rotary Club President Deb Cox, using an annual $1,000 matching grant, purchased outerwear for children ages 3 to 6 who attended the Springfield and Chester Head Start programs. Cox said that inappropriate outerwear  is a barrier to children’s physical activity in child-care settings. To bring awareness to the need, the club was able to […]

Ludlow Firefighters 5K fund-raiser set for Aug. 31

Ludlow Firefighters 5K fund-raiser set for Aug. 31

The Ludlow Firefighters Association is hosting the 2nd annual 5 Alarm  5K Road Race and Walk at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, with day-of registration to begin at 7:30 a.m. The road race will begin at the Ludlow Community Center,  37 Main St. Preregistration is $20-$25; day-of registration is $30. Children 11 and under […]

Register now for Resilience Through Understanding

Register now for Resilience Through Understanding Wellness education for middle- and high-school students

Area middle- and high-school students are invited to register for the fall/winter season of The Collaborative’s flagship wellness education program, Resilience Through Understanding, which will run from September through February. Registration costs $50; scholarships covering up to the full amount are widely available. RTU is a youth substance misuse prevention and asset-building educational program that […]

FOLA's Silent Movie Fest returns Aug. 24 with 'The Last Laugh'

FOLA’s Silent Movie Fest returns Aug. 24 with ‘The Last Laugh’ Come celebrate the 100th anniversary of this classic comedy

FOLA’s annual Classic Silent Movie Festival returns at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24 in the Heald Auditorium on the second floor of Ludlow Town Hall, 37 South Depot St. The main feature will be the classic comedy The Last Laugh, which was filmed 100 years ago this year. This German film (with English subtitles) […]

Cavendish resident named new head at Expeditionary School in Ludlow

Cavendish resident named new head at Expeditionary School in Ludlow

With the start of the 2024-2025 school year on Wednesday, Aug. 28, the Expeditionary School at Black River, located in Ludlow, announces two new appointments. Michael Kell of Cavendish has been named the Head of School to guide the vision of ESBR. Kell has an extensive array of educational background and is always eager for […]

N.H. man sentenced in scam of Windsor woman

N.H. man sentenced in scam of Windsor woman

©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC A 42-year-old New Hampshire man has been sentenced to six months in prison and three years of supervised released after pleading guilty to interstate transportation of a stolen check in relation to a scam perpetrated upon a Windsor, Vt., woman. Nicholas Melanson, of Manchester, N.H., was sentenced on Monday, Aug. 12 […]

Brass Connection returns to Weston Aug. 25

Brass Connection returns to Weston Aug. 25

The Sundays on the Hill Concert Series welcomes back Brass Connection at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25. All concerts are held in the Old Parish Church, 100 Main St. in Weston. This brass quintet will take the audience on a musical odyssey. The eclectic pops-style program will draw from classical, ragtime, Dixieland, blues, patriotic […]

After Tuesday crime spree, Bellows Falls man arrested, charged with robbing Springfield bank

After Tuesday crime spree, Bellows Falls man arrested, charged with robbing Springfield bank

Stephen Loewe, 42, of Bellows Falls, has been charged with robbing the Claremont Savings Bank in Springfield on Tuesday, Aug. 13, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont.  Loewe had his initial appearance in federal court Thursday afternoon and is being detained in federal custody. A hearing will be held next […]

Chester resident named exec director of Neighborhood Connections

Chester resident named exec director of Neighborhood Connections

Neighborhood Connections announces that Thom Simmons of Chester has stepped into the role of executive director of the Londonderry-based organization. Simmons has a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector, most recently serving as Nutrition & Wellness director of Senior Solutions, the Area Agency on Aging for Southeastern Vermont. His background includes chairing the business […]

Charles Robert Lauren, 70, of Chester

Charles Robert Lauren, 70, of Chester

Charles Robert Lauren passed away peacefully at the Jack Byrne Center in Lebanon, N.H., surrounded by his family and friends on Aug. 13, 2024 after a year-long struggle with cancer. Charlie was a true Vermonter. Charlie was born on Jan. 29, 1954 in Springfield to Arnold and Dorothy Lauren of Andover. He grew up in […]

No surprises in primary races for state Senate, House

No surprises in primary races for state Senate, House

By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Yesterday’s primary election results, while predictable in many cases, set the ballot for state and local races in the Tuesday Nov. 5 election, which will include a much-contested presidential contest. In the race for three Senate seats representing Windsor County, Democrats tapped incumbents Rebecca White of Harford […]

Chester board OKs court action against Julian quarries, neighbors want more

Chester board OKs court action against Julian quarries, neighbors want more

By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC At last Wednesday’s meeting, the Chester Select Board authorized Zoning Administrator Preston Bristow to start enforcement actions in court against two of Julian Materials’ violations of the stipulation the company negotiated with the town this past spring. And, at the same meeting, neighbors of the Julian quarries […]

Biting dog to be put down after board hears complaint

Biting dog to be put down after board hears complaint

By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC An aggressive dog that neighbors in the Andover Road and Potash Brook Road area have complained about will be put down after the Chester Select Board found it to be “vicious” following a hearing last Friday evening. At a meeting in April, Karen Orchitt told the board […]

A quick guide to help you deter bears

A quick guide to help you deter bears

By Lorien Strange ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Every year, beginning in late August, black bears start looking for nutrient-dense food to prepare for hibernation. How much they search in neighborhoods and dooryards is highly dependent on the action humans take to deter the bears. Here’s what you can do to make sure that it has […]

Plenty of bear sightings, but not necessarily more bears in our southern Vermont towns

Plenty of bear sightings, but not necessarily more bears in our southern Vermont towns

By Lorien Strange ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Everyone seems to have a bear story these days. If you haven’t seen one — or four  — this season, just check your social media feed to find that these lumbering animals are local internet sensations. So how big is the Vermont bear population now and are we […]