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.
New name, mascot for GM? Not yet, but Principal Broadley is developing a plan
By Cynthia Prairie © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC John Broadley wanted to give the school mascot/name issue some breathing room before bringing it back up again. In December, shortly after the name “Chieftains” was voted down 6 to 3 by a vote of the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District, Broadley, the new […]
Chester voters approve $3.975 million for budget; $39,811 for social programs Ballot voting til 7 p.m. today; officers to be elected
By Cynthia Prairie ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The 60 or so Chester voters attending Monday night’s Town Meeting in person approved, with a few objections, to raising $3.975 million in taxes to fund the town budget, a budget that Town Manager Julie Hance said is “what it takes to maintain the services that we now […]
New group seeks public input on events for Chester Town Hall Upstairs at Town Hall to hold open house on March 13
©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC A small group of volunteers is spearheading an effort to bring back music, theater and arts events to the 2nd floor of Chester Town Hall, 556 Elm St., the refurbished theater space that seats 245 and is currently used mostly for Select Board and other government meetings. The group, known as […]
Bridge #20 on Route 121/35 in Grafton down to one lane during replacement
©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Vermont Agency of Transportation announces a single-lane closure on Bridge #20 over the Saxtons River along Vermont Route 121 in Grafton beginning Friday, March 1. VTrans is in the process of replacing Bridge #20, which is located on VT 121/35 East, just east of the intersection with Fisher Hill Road. […]
Kendall to remain in Andover GMUSD seat — for now
By Cynthia Prairie ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Scott Kendall, Andover representative on the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District, has decided to hold on to his seat for the time being after announcing his intention to resign last December. His intention to resign meant that the town of Andover was facing electing a […]
Chester Republican Committee launches inaugural candidates’ event
©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC After years of dormancy, the newly revived Chester Republican Committee held its first event on Sunday, drawing an audience of about 35 residents to hear from several “conservative-leaning” candidates running for Chester Select Board and the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District. The event was held at the Chester […]
Chester gets $47,000 grant to remove, replace ash trees
By Cynthia Prairie ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Town of Chester has received a $47,000 federal grant that will allow it to remove more than 25 ash trees in the village in poor condition or subject to emerald ash borer. The grant also will allow the town to plant replacement trees and purchase a watering […]
Partisan candidates forum sparks concern in Chester New local GOP committee is hoping to grow dormant party
By Cynthia Prairie ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC A Chester candidates forum that has excluded half the candidates running for contested seats on the Chester Select Board and the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District is drawing concern that it could be injecting partisan politics into local elections that have not seen them in […]
Chester, Springfield, Mt. Holly among S. Vt. towns to get community planning grants Chester to study possible new neighborhood on town land
By Cynthia Prairie ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester, Springfield, Mount Holly, Putney and Winhall are among 31 recipients totaling $673,391 in Municipal Planning Grants offer by the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development. Municipal Planning Grant program funds are awarded annually and support local community revitalization and planning initiatives. Since 1998, the program has […]
North, South Village wastewater plans proposed for Londonderry
By Cynthia Prairie ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Dufresne Group of Springfield has recommended two community wastewater disposal systems for the North and South Villages of the town of Londonderry. Christina Haskins, a vice president and engineer with Dufresne, presented the engineering company’s findings and recommendations last Wednesday before a group of residents and business […]
Nine towns in S. Vermont to benefit from revitalization funds
©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Gov. Phil Scott and the Department of Economic Development announced the fourth and final round of Community Recovery and Revitalization Program grant winners. The 40 approved projects are expected to support 1,810 existing jobs, enable the creation of 117 new jobs, build or rehabilitate 75 housing units, and add 60 new […]
Vermont ranks 4th in country in percentage of adults identifying as LGBT
By Cynthia Prairie © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The state of Vermont ranks 4th in the percentage of LGBT adults per capita, behind Washington, D.C., Oregon and Delaware, according to a new study by the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute. Vermont has been considered a pioneer in gay rights, being the first in the […]
Editorial: Moving on from the Chieftain name
By Cynthia Prairie ©2023 Telegraph Publishing It’s time to move on from the chaos and drama that has plagued the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District since last March, when a reconstituted board took over and a volcano of anger and distrust over the future of the “Chieftain” name upended the normal flow […]
Flooding hits S. Vt.: Derry shops whacked again Dirt roads take the brunt of other damage
Video by David Lewis of Windham. The Chester Telegraph thanks all of our reporting partners who provided photos, video and insights into today’s events. See photo gallery below. To launch the gallery, click any image. By Cynthia Prairie and Shawn Cunningham ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Our southern Vermont region was hit with another rainstorm […]
Photo Gallery: Santa’s arrival sparks good cheer
©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC As dusk settled over Chester on Saturday, Chester Fire and Police escorted Santa down Main Street to the Green, with its white-lit trees and colorful Christmas tree. Their final destination was the brightly decorated Fullerton Inn to greet families and children who had come just to see him. Santa sat by […]
Tractor-trailer explosion forces home evacuation in N. Vermont town of Irasburg
Updated 9:40 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5. Updated 1:20 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4. ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC A major crash and explosion of a tractor trailer carrying 10,000 gallons of liquid propane in the Northern Vermont town of Irasburg forced nearby residents in both Irasburg and Coventry out of their homes on Monday morning, according to […]
Springfield murderer in girls’ kidnapping, deaths from 1979-1983 dies in Kentucky prison
©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Gary Schaefer, 72, of Springfield, a confessed murderer and suspected serial killer who committed his crimes in the area between 1979 and 1983, died on Nov. 26 while serving a 30 years-to-life sentence in a Kentucky state prison since May 1985. According to a press release, just after midnight on Nov. […]
Flood resiliency takes center stage at legislative forum in Weston Area residents anxious for solutions to persistent flooding
By Cynthia Prairie ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC WESTON Flood resiliency and mitigation was the major topic addressed during a gathering on Saturday of about 30 residents of Weston and surrounding towns for a discussion with state Rep. Kelly Pajala, and state Sens. Alison Clarkson, Dick McCormack and Becca White. McCormack, Clarkson and White represent Windsor […]
Chester’s Whiting Library welcomes new director
By Cynthia Prairie ©2023 Telegraph Publishing Chester’s Whiting Library has a new library director, Gail Zachariah, a Westminster resident and head of engagement and youth services at the Keene, N.H., Public Library for 23 years before her departure in August. She will be the second library director since Deirdre Doran resigned last spring. High school […]
Chester Police probe ‘Zoom-bombing’ at GM school board special meeting
By Cynthia Prairie ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester Police are investigating last Tuesday night’s Zoom-bombing of a school board special meeting that shut down the meeting for about eight minutes. The incident included pornographic video and vile racial epithets and lasted 48 seconds before it could be shut down. Some Zoom attendees were watching the […]
