Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
State panel finds ‘reasonable grounds’ in Chester Police discrimination case
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Vermont Human Rights Commission has found “reasonable grounds” that a Chester police officer illegally discriminated against a Black man when it stopped him in May of 2019, a claim that the Town of Chester strongly denies. The commission investigates allegations of discrimination under state law to […]
Pandemic postponed annual meetings take place under sunny skies After 3-month delay, Weston, GM school district meet
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC As the Covid-19 pandemic seems to be winding down, a number of municipalities are catching up with meetings (under sunny skies) that could not be held in their traditional March time slots this past winter. By the time the country was shutting down in mid-March 2020, most […]
Police ask help looking for missing Ludlow man
© 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Vermont State Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing Ludlow man. According to a VSP press release, Russell Nord, 76, was last seen in the area of East Hill Road in Ludlow around 7 p.m. on May 31. Nord was wearing a green baseball hat, […]
Move to oust GM vice chair Brown fails in a tie
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Just before the end of last Thursday’s meeting in the ongoing crisis that is the Green Mountain Unified School District board of directors, member Michael Studin moved to unseat board vice chair Deb Brown for actions he called “unbecoming of someone in a position of leadership.” The […]
GM board member wants much less detail in meeting minutes, destruction of notes, recordings
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC A member of the Green Mountain Unified School District Board of Directors wants that panel to streamline the minutes of its meetings, eliminating much of the detail of its discussions, and to destroy notes and recordings of those meetings after the minutes are approved. Some of those […]
Sign panel gives Chester wayfinding a go-ahead of sorts State will work with town to clear final hurtles
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC At its first meeting in more than a year and a half, Vermont’s Travel Information Council considered Chester’s long-waiting request to erect wayfinding signs as a downtown economic development move and gave the plan a partial but enthusiastic approval. The council is administered by the Agency of […]
Chester board names new Zoning Administrator Will tour sites proposed for community greenhouse
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC For the second time in six months, the Chester Select Board appointed a new zoning administrator for the town. The appointment took place at its meeting on Wednesday, May 19. The board took the unanimous recommendation of the Planning Commission and appointed Preston Bristow of Woodstock to […]
Cavendish schedules sewer repair with late summer paving
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Town of Cavendish is looking to resolve a longstanding sewer pipe problem on Main Street in Proctorsville this summer by piggybacking on the state’s work on Route 131 At Monday night’s Select Board meeting, Town Manager Brendan McNamara said that the 8-inch asbestos-cement sewer line between […]
2 TRSU schools to participate in state Covid testing program Senior prom to be held; TRSU joins SU consortium
Correction: In the story below The Telegraph reported that Green Mountain High School would hold a prom this year open to both juniors and seniors. This was a misunderstanding and in fact there will be a seniors only prom and the junior class will wait until next year to hold its prom. We regret any […]
Chester board OKs three events; wayfinding signs in limbo as state panel goes missing
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board was in an agreeable state of mind last Wednesday night, giving all three organizations that came before them the permissions and support they asked for including use of town property, police security and the nod to conduct a second coin drop on Route […]
Weston board mulls May 25 Town Meeting
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC While the Weston Select Board decided on Tuesday, May 25 for its annual meeting back in January and voted to warn the meeting for that date back on March 23, there seemed to be a fair amount of confusion around the event at last Tuesday’s regular meeting. […]
Chester Planning Commission takes a step toward consensus
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC While it may have been the most constructive meeting of the Chester Planning Commission since Feb. 17, the word “quagmire” best described the Monday night meeting right up to the final minutes when its members — less Barre Pinske who exited abruptly apparently upset at the direction […]
Chester High/GM alums postpone annual celebration to 2022
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Citing ongoing concern about the Covid-19 pandemic, Chester High/Green Mountain Alumni Association director Jon Clark, a 1977 graduate, says that the organization will again forgo holding its regular annual festivities — including the parade — this June, but will instead begin planning for the 2022 celebrations. The […]
Chester board reaffirms paper of record decision, adds The Commons as well Members call Press Association's claims 'condescending,' 'bullying'
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board reaffirmed its March 18 decision to name The Chester Telegraph the town’s paper of record last Wednesday, but also decided to add a printed paper – The Commons – for its required legal notices. The choice reflected the board’s displeasure with the way […]
After reorganization fracas, planning panel looks forward
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Two weeks after a contentious reorganization meeting, which saw the chair elected by a coin flip and the nomination of a vice chair as “a joke,” the Chester Planning Commission was back together on Monday night but seeming more restrained in front of a guest – Jason […]
After heated votes, GM board looks at what’s next
By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie ©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC Thursday’s meeting of the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District left few members — if any — feeling unbloodied from the voting process and the public’s reaction. During the meeting some members complained of receiving threats for voting ‘no’ to approving a one […]
A single vote changes and GM board appoints Keith Hill principal
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC In an often contentious and confusing meeting on Thursday night, the Green Mountain Unified School District Board looked at a bleak prospect and voted 5-4 to rescind its recent vote to reject its superintendent’s recommendation for a new high school principal. With four members continuing to stand […]
Six GM board members say what went into principal voting decisions
By Shawn Cunningham © 2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC The actual deliberations that went into the Green Mountain Unified School District board’s decision not to offer GM teacher Keith Hill a one-year contract as principal will remain shrouded by the executive session where they took place. But The Telegraph asked board members to share their personal […]
Chester board gets feedback on paper of record choice
By Shawn Cunningham © Telegraph Publishing LLC Before calling its meeting to order on the evening of Wednesday, April 7, the Chester Select Board held a forum to hear public comments on its decision to name The Chester Telegraph as the town’s paper of record for legally required public notices for the coming year. For […]
Chester board passes on reversing course on Mosher land
By Shawn Cunningham © Telegraph Publishing LLC At its March 17 meeting, the Chester Select Board heard from project managers who will consolidate the Thompson and Jewett bridges along Route 103 North into one bridge. Before getting deeply into the design phases of the project, they wanted to see if Chester would change course and […]
