Author Archive for Cherise Madigan
Journalist and photographer Cherise Madigan specializes in writing about outdoor recreation, the environment and travel. She has roots in Manchester and a history of reporting throughout Southern Vermont. Madigan is a graduate of Nazareth College of Rochester, earning her degree in Political Science summa cum laude in 2015.
Weston board to poll homeowners on flashing speed signs
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Weston Select Board decided at its Tuesday, March 9 meeting that it will be polling nearby homeowners concerning a prospective plan to place radar speed signs on either end of Route 100 entering downtown Weston, where multiple crashes near — or into — the town Green have […]
Derry board delays action on Hunter Excavating proposal on taking some Transfer Station waste
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Londonderry Select Board delayed a vote on a motion that would allow the town to begin coordinating a proposed organic waste agreement between Hunter Excavating Inc. and the town Transfer Station, pending review from Zoning Administrator Will Goodwin. According to Hunter, the plan promises benefits that “have […]
Derry residents set priorities including revitalizing villages, expanding affordable housing and creating a community center
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC At the second in a series of meetings about the future of Londonderry, residents identified three primary priorities for the coming years: expanding affordable housing, developing a community center and revitalizing the North and South village centers. The Thursday, Feb. 25 meeting followed an information session at the […]
Helipad letter prompts Weston board to push
for updated Town Plan, zoning regulations
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Weston Select Board took the first step toward updating the town’s zoning laws and Town Plan at its Feb. 23 meeting, prompted by a letter from Vermont’s Transportation Board regarding permitting for helipads and airstrips. Transportation board Helipad Letter In the letter, which you can read here, […]
Forest rangers ask for Derry help in controlling rogue footbridge, bike paths Cannabis vote still on burner; joint policing with Jamaica considered
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC US. Forest Service rangers are looking into a seemingly unsanctioned footbridge and adjoining bike paths constructed in Londonderry’s Sherwood Forest neighborhood, and on Monday they requested the town Select Board’s assistance in investigating and resolving the issue. Martina Barnes, USFS Manchester District ranger, told the Londonderry Select Board […]
Traffic safety around Green continues to concern Weston board
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Weston Select Board, at its Feb. 9 meeting, continued to explore options to improve traffic safety around the Weston Town Green at Vermont Route 100. Although the posted speed limit slows to 30 mph before vehicles enter downtown Weston, the area has seen a number of accidents […]
Slower rise in Covid-19 cases for s. Vt. towns
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The number of new cases in southern Vermont towns have begun to decline, although statewide case counts, deaths and hospitalizations remain on the rise. Springfield and Chester both saw the largest bumps in cases for the week between Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, with 19 and 7 more […]
Uptick in Covid cases in s. Vermont towns, with Manchester, Springfield leading in number
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Covid-19 cases continue to grow in Southern Vermont despite reports of decreasing case counts across the southern Vermont region, with Manchester recording 23 new cases between Jan. 20 and 27 and Springfield seeing 15 more cases with that time frame. Three area towns — Manchester, Winhall, and Dover […]
Derry board mulls cannabis vote, talks wastewater sites
By Cherise Madigan © 2021 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The Londonderry Select Board has committed to holding a special town meeting to vote on whether to opt into Vermont’s nascent retail cannabis market, as well as whether to adopt a previously rejected local option tax for revenue from retail sales. Cannabis was not the only contentious […]
Local state reps outline priorities for 2021 session
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Local state legislators returned remotely to Montpelier for the 2021 session, focusing on the Covid-19 pandemic and recovery efforts. To find out what local legislators were specifically addressing this session, The Telegraph spoke with Reps. Tom Bock of Chester (D-Windsor 3-1), Kelly Pajala of Londonderry (I-Windham-Bennington-Windsor), Linda Joy […]
Weston Select Board sets May 25 Town Meeting Details remain unsettled amid concern over loss of tradition
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Weston Select Board, expressing concerns about permanently losing Town Meeting Day, has decided to reschedule its Town Meeting this year tp Tuesday, May 25, although the details on where it will be held and how votes will be conducted won’t be revisited until the board’s March 23 […]
Covid cases vs. ‘case rates’: How population plays into local numbers
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Cases of Covid-19 are continuing to rise in area towns, with Springfield up by 22 to a total of 108 and Manchester up by 27 to 81 in the span of just one week. By comparison, Vermont statewide has experienced has seen its case count rise by 898 […]
Derry Board still mulls details of Town Meeting; opts for caretaker service, nixing full-time hire
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC A new Highway and Buildings maintenance position mulled by the Londonderry Select Board earlier this month will not come to fruition following criticism of the expenditure from some residents and board members. The proposed position, which would have totaled nearly $80,000 per year with benefits, will now be […]
Project Londonderry volunteers establish new non-profit organization Members work toward North Village Master Plan, seek community input
From the editor: To correct the record: The Chester Telegraph last week published an article on Project Londonderry saying that it was breaking from the town Planning Commission and forming a 501(c)(3). After that story appeared, organizers notified The Chester Telegraph that the 501(c)(3) organization recently established is actually known as The Community Fund for […]
Weston board reviews increased T&G tax rate, eyes Town Meeting delay
By Cherise Madigan ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Despite a decreased budget, the Taconic & Green Regional School District’s estimated tax rate is expected to increase by 3.9 cents in fiscal 2022, according to Weston’s representative on the district board, Deborah Lyneis. The increase will bump the current equalized rate of $1.603 to about $1.642, she […]
Project Londonderry volunteers establish new non-profit organization Members work toward North Village Master Plan, seek community input
From the editor: To correct the record: Project Londonderry organizers have notified The Chester Telegraph that the 501(c)(3) organization recently established is actually known as The Community Fund for Londonderry, and is separate from the Project Londonderry initiative, which remains a volunteer effort coordinated by the Town Planning Commission. The Community Fund for Londonderry is […]
Local Covid-19 numbers grow in post-holiday spikes
By Cherise Madigan © 2021 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The Vermont Department of Health announced 165 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, with 38 hospitalized, eight of whom are in intensive care. Now more than 500 new cases have been reported since Thursday, Dec. 31. Since Sunday, Vermont’s seven-day average positivity rate has risen from 2.3 […]
Derry board nixes new maintenance position, seeks volunteers
By Cherise Madigan © 2021 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The suggestion of a new Highway, Building and Grounds Maintenance employee drew a crowd to Londonderry’s virtual Select Board meeting on Monday night after a number of residents expressed opposition to the position’s cost in a year that has been financially difficult for many. The $20-per-hour full-time […]
Derry board ponders delay in Town Meeting; addresses property taxes and budgeting
By Cherise Madigan 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Londonderry’s 2021 Town Meeting may move to Pingree Park — and from March to May — if the state grants towns the ability to delay meetings due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And state legislators are working to make the one-time exception a reality, Town Clerk Kelly Pajala, who also […]
Slight hike in call for heating fuel help, but local programs expect more
By Cherise Madigan ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The call for heating assistance has increased this year, but not as dramatically as expected given the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, those who distribute such aid say. As the end of 2020 approaches and programs funded by the federal CARES Act begin to expire, however, those […]
