Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
News analysis: Is GMUSD’s ‘no raises for anybody’ stance in flux? Two resignations point to disagreement
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC Two recent resignations appear to point to some dissension over the Green Mountain Unified School District’s position in bargaining with its teachers. Until recently, the board had taken a “no raises” stance due to the budget uncertainty brought on by the economic damage done by the Covid-19 […]
TRSU schools continue to plan reopening, release parent handbooks Home-schooling could remove $600,000 from GM District budget
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC With two weeks left before Vermont schools are scheduled to reopen, the Two Rivers Supervisory Union has issued handbooks for parents and students on what each of its two education options will look like when Sept. 8 arrives. But as with all things Covid-19, nothing is carved […]
Chester Zoning Administrator Normyle steps down; Hasbrouck named interim during search
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC With one member under the weather and another on vacation, the remaining three members of the Chester Select Board worked their way through a relatively light agenda that saw the public portion of the meeting end in about an hour. Town Manager Julie Hance told the board […]
Chester breaks ground for public safety building
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last week, after more than a decade of proposals and several unsuccessful votes, Chester broke ground for a new public safety building to house the Fire and Police departments as well as the town’s Ambulance Service approved by voters on Nov. 5, 2019. On Thursday, Aug. 13, […]
Schools hone opening plans as state adds to, changes guidance Next TRSU public forum to be held Thursday night on Zoom
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC As the clock ticks down to a Tuesday, Sept. 8 start date for Vermont schools, those in the Two Rivers Supervisory Union continue to work out the details of a plan to offer a hybrid approach to education this fall. But on Tuesday, Vermont Secretary of Education […]
Chester board OKs funding for marketing efforts, looks at speed limits
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC In introducing a marketing effort for Chester to the Select Board on Wednesday, Aug. 5, Bob Flint, executive director of the Springfield Regional Development Corporation, said it started with a call from Town Manager Julie Hance to see if there were opportunities the town should look into […]
Explainer: What is antigen testing?
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Antigen testing for the coronavirus has received a lot of attention in Vermont, when in early July more than 50 positive results came from a clinic in Manchester. This type of rapid testing was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in May on an emergency basis, […]
TRSU sets midweek ‘remote learning day’ as it hones re-opening plan Supt. Fierman schedules public meeting for Wednesday
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC As it continues to field questions from parents and hone its plans for reopening, the Two Rivers Supervisory Union will hold a third in a series of public forums to discuss the imminent reopening of schools. The forum will be held at 6 p.m. on Aug. 5 […]
Chester Planning Commission agenda for August 3
© Telegraph Publishing, LLC The Chester Planning Commission will hold a regular meeting via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. on Monday August 3, 2020. Below is its agenda. A link to join the meeting will be posted on the Town of Chester’s website home page 1. Review minutes from the July 20, 2020 meeting 2. Citizens […]
TRSU moves toward hybrid reopen Sept. 8 Second re-opening forum set for Wednesday night
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC At the beginning of a Zoom public forum last Tuesday, Two Rivers Supervisory Union Superintendent Lauren Fierman told the nearly 120 parents, community members and teachers attending that due to the nature of the pandemic almost everything they would talk about was subject to change. Since then, […]
Michigan man indicted for 2019 threat against GMUHS
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont announced in a press release on Friday, July 24 that a federal grand jury, sitting in Burlington has indicted Jason Graham, 24, of Michigan, for threatening Green Mountain Union High School in Chester in the winter of 2019. On […]
Missing Springfield man found dead in Chester
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC A Springfield man who went missing on July 18, 2020 was found dead yesterday afternoon off Route 103 north in Chester. According to a Chester Police press release, at about 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 23 police were notified that a vehicle belonging to Robert Redfield, 55, had been seen […]
GMUSD Board gets update on re-opening
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Most of the Green Mountain Unified School District board meeting on Thursday, July 17 was taken up with discussing how district schools will reopen for face-to-face learning late next month. So it was ironic that the final agenda point was a conversation on whether the board should […]
A hot Sunday for Chester firefighters
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester Fire Chief Matt Wilson had planned a quiet Sunday by the pool. But it was not to be. At 12:55 p.m., the Fire Department was called out for a tree that fell on Grafton Road, just south of High Street, taking down wires and knocking out […]
Covid retests return two positives out of 17, muddying picture of ‘outbreak’ in S. Vermont
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than 1,000 people sought testing in Manchester and Londonderry on Wednesday and Thursday as the extent of the Covid-19 outbreak in these southern Vermont communities grew more unclear with only two of six 17 retests coming back positive. (Updated at 11:40 a.m. Friday, July 17) A […]
After School summer camp closes temporarily out of caution
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC An outdoor summer camp run by the After School program of the Green Mountain and Ludlow Mount Holly school districts has closed for the rest of this week after a parent reported that a child was running a temperature. According to Go WILD camp director Venissa White, […]
A Complex Equation: Schools, Tech Center prepare for return of students Administrators work to minimize in-person risk but prep for remote learning if needed
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC This is the third in a series of articles on what schools will have to plan for when they open in the fall. To read Part 1 click here. To read Part 2 click here. No matter what anyone says about what will happen when schools reopen […]
Chester board continues discussion of policing policies with chief
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Three members of the Chester Select Board gathered at Town Hall last Wednesday for the first in-person meeting it has held since early April. The meeting was also held via Zoom for those who did not wisht0 or were unable to attend. The board continued its discussion […]
VSP on theft of Peru speed sign: Never mind
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC A speed sign on Route 11 near the Bromley Market that was reported stolen has turned up with “no foul play.” According to a Vermont State Police press release issued on Friday, July 3, the sign, which is owned by the Department of Public Safety and reported stolen on July, […]
Water quality testing underway in area rivers
Summer is in full swing with hot days, thunderstorms and lots of swimming. And with summer comes water quality testing for harmful bacteria. Sample bottles, thermometers, coolers, and paperwork in hand, Susan Brace and Frank Kelley headed out early Wednesday morning to collect samples. The goal of the water quality program is to monitor the […]
