Author Archive for Cynthia Prairie
Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor more than 40 years. Cynthia has worked at such publications as the Raleigh Times, the Baltimore News American, the Buffalo Courier Express, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Patuxent Publishing chain of community newspapers in Maryland, and has won numerous state awards for her reporting. As an editor, she has overseen her staffs to win many awards for indepth coverage. She and her family moved to Chester, Vermont in 2004.
Iberdrola sweetened the pot, but Windham residents stirred it
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Following the rollout on Tuesday of Iberdrola Renewables’ “sweetened deals” to the towns of Windham and Grafton, there were outcries that the Spanish wind company was “bribing” and “buying votes.” (See also, Iberdrola offers Grafton voters ‘partnership’ payments) However, the new proposals, which eliminated four of the 20 […]
Grafton board officially sets wind vote for Nov. 8
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 – Telegraph Publishing LLC The Grafton Select Board on Monday night voted unanimously to make Tuesday, Nov. 8, the date for the townwide vote on the Iberdrola wind project and also adopted the same language that Windham adopted for its vote. Registered voters in the Town of Grafton will be able […]
Grafton Planning Commission won’t present draft Town Plan to Select Board on Monday
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Grafton Planning Commission will not be presenting a draft Town Plan at the Monday, Oct. 3 Select Board meeting as the board had hoped, a development that Select Board chair Ron Pilette called “very disappointing.” The board has considered the Town Plan — even a draft — […]
Iberdrola schedules residents’ meetings in Windham, Grafton
©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Iberdrola Renewables has invited Windham and Grafton residents to two meetings next week that it will hold in their communities. The meetings, according to Iberdrola communication director Paul Copelman, will “present changes to the project footprint and to the community benefits package.” Residents will learn about the revised plans to both […]
Grafton board changes direction, shoots for wind vote on Nov. 8
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a surprising change, the Grafton Select Board now believes it may be able to hold a formal, binding vote of registered voters on the proposed Iberdrola wind project to coincide with the presidential election — Tuesday, Nov. 8. The Spanish wind company is proposing to construct 28, […]
Telegraph Business Ticker
New medical director at Hospitalist Medicine program at Springfield Hospital Springfield Hospital welcomes Marvin Malek, MD, MPH, to his new position as medical director of the Hospitalist Medicine program at Springfield Hospital. Dr. Malek received his Bachelor of Arts, with Distinction in all subjects from Cornell University. Thereafter, he received his Doctor of Medicine from […]
Grafton board says formal vote on wind project to occur in late 2016, early 2017
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC On a 3-to-1 vote, the Grafton Select Board agreed on Tuesday night to tell Iberdrola, the Spanish wind company, that it would not be ready to hold a vote of registered voters on the company’s controversial wind project until late 2016 or early 2017. This formal vote is […]
Chester Police Log for June 30 through Aug. 27, 2016
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Editor’s Note: The Chester Telegraph Police Log is a sampling of incidents directly from Chester Police reports. In general, we do not identify individual victims of crimes nor those who have been arrested. Thursday, June 30 A man contacted Chester Police to report that he had purchased $5,731 worth of […]
Telegraph Business Ticker
Phoenix bookseller noted for Syria support Phoenix Books – with locations in Essex, Burlington, Rutland and, most recently, Chester, has been cited by an industry press for its support of Syrian refugees. Phoenix’s senior bookseller in Rutland, Will Notte, is hoping to educate residents about Syria and its people, following the mayor’s proposal to let […]
Guide to the 2016 Chester Fall Festival
©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC F or one weekend every autumn, Chester, Vt.’s Green fills with more than 60 artists, craftspeople and food vendors to celebrate the arts in Vermont and the rich colors of fall foliage that burst upon the Green Mountain State. This year, the event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on […]
Telegraph Business Ticker
DeSanto to speak at Rotary evening event Michael DeSanto, new co-owner with his wife Renee Reiner of Misty Valley Books, will speak at the Chester Rotary’s First Thursday event, which starts at 5:15 p.m. Sept. 1. He’ll address how independent booksellers thrive in today’s economy. DeSanto and Reiner own Phoenix Books, with locations in Burlington, […]
Telegraph Business Ticker
SunCommon hosts pie event Becca White of SunCommon at the Southern Pie Company’s bakery cafe, 287 Main St. in Chester, from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday to talk about solar energy, tell them how to go solar at no upfront cost and offer attendees a free slice of pie or quiche. For more information, contact […]
Grafton begins crafting wind survey, sets up wind info panels
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Monday night’s Grafton Select Board meeting could have gone the way of many meetings in the past few years, turning into a pitched battle of finger-pointing and legal arguments, but board chair Ron Pilette wasn’t having it. Pilette moved the meeting forward, setting aside an ongoing ethics complaint […]
Bock wins Democratic Primary in Windsor 3-1; victory in November seems assured
By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Tom Bock sprinted to a victory over Melody Reed in the Democratic Primary for Vermont state representative from the Windsor 3-1 District, which includes Chester, Andover, Baltimore and North Springfield. Despite ballot counting glitches in Andover and Baltimore, by 9:30 p.m. it appeared that Bock […]
Grafton 2nd homeowners given voice in wind poll
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC After a long discussion, punctuated by comments from first- and second-homeowners alike urging that the Grafton Select Board act, the board on Monday night approved going forward with a nonbinding poll to find out how all town residents and taxpayers view the proposed Iberdrola industrial wind project as […]
Candidates for lt. gov., governor talk industrial wind power, citizen input at Grafton forum
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The small crowd gathered before even one candidate entered Grafton’s White Church on Monday night got the biggest treat of the day, when young Ripley Schemm practiced a solo soprano performance with one of the world’s most famous arias. Accompanied by his father on piano, Ripley, who is […]
The Telegraph Business Ticker
Onlyinyourstate.com, a tourism and business promotion website, has named Chester’s Country Girl Diner, 46 Route 103 South, on its list of 15 Vermont diners to visit. Congratulations to Kate Huntington and all the fine folks at Country Girl. You can see the complete list here. (But would someone please tell Only in Your State how […]
Editor’s note: Letters to the editor
During any political season, we naturally receive many letters to the editor endorsing one candidate or another. This year’s state primary will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 9. For fairness to all, The Chester Telegraph will not be running political endorsement letters to the editor between Tuesday, Aug. 2 and Aug. 9. Following the Primary, […]
Pilette, new chair to Grafton Select Board, moves wind info-gathering forward
By Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Monday’s Grafton Select Board meeting was a long one made up of fits and starts as Town Attorney Robin Stern attempted to instill order in what has habitually been easily-derailed proceedings. She was largely successful, thanks to newly elected Select Board chair Ron Pilette, who despite his own […]
Police continue hunt for thief of GMUHS class gift; donations, reward offered
Chester Police continue to run down clues in search of the thief who stole a 65-inch flat screen TV from Green Mountain Union High School late last Thursday night. The screen, valued at $1,000, was the gift from the Class of 2016, which graduated in June. It had a arrived at the school that day […]
