Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
No surprises in primary races for state Senate, House
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Yesterday’s primary election results, while predictable in many cases, set the ballot for state and local races in the Tuesday Nov. 5 election, which will include a much-contested presidential contest. In the race for three Senate seats representing Windsor County, Democrats tapped incumbents Rebecca White of Harford […]
Chester board OKs court action against Julian quarries, neighbors want more
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC At last Wednesday’s meeting, the Chester Select Board authorized Zoning Administrator Preston Bristow to start enforcement actions in court against two of Julian Materials’ violations of the stipulation the company negotiated with the town this past spring. And, at the same meeting, neighbors of the Julian quarries […]
Biting dog to be put down after board hears complaint
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC An aggressive dog that neighbors in the Andover Road and Potash Brook Road area have complained about will be put down after the Chester Select Board found it to be “vicious” following a hearing last Friday evening. At a meeting in April, Karen Orchitt told the board […]
Ed Commission creates group to fix school financing Hears public criticism of members' 'hidden agenda'
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC At the third meeting out of 30 budgeted by the Vermont legislature, about half of the members of the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont assembled as the “steering group” on Monday and got down to making some decisions on how their work will […]
The Future of Public Education in Vt. – a big lift on short time
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Toward the end of this year’s session, the Vermont legislature passed a bill – H-887, also known as the “yield bill” which made adjustments to rein in tax increase for this year by finding other sources of income. It also established a commission to recommend fixes problems […]
Chester planners hear objections to proposed rural zoning changes
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC An a recent press release announcing a public hearing for a proposed zoning amendment, Chester Planning Commission chair Hugh Quinn wrote that the commission “encourages and welcomes all community feedback.” On Monday night, they indeed received some from several residents who attended in person or via Zoom. […]
‘Nobody is looking to close Cavendish’ – A tale of two meetings
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing Last week, two meetings looked at the same topic, but the tone of each could not have been more different. At issue is a proposal to move the 6th grades out of the elementary schools and create a grades 6 to 8 middle school. Currently, the middle school […]
Chester board considers water meter upgrade, adopts animal ordinance
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Meeting as the town’s Water Commissioners last Wednesday, the Chester Select Board heard a presentation on new metering technology that Superintendent Jeff Holden says will upgrade a system that is outdated and near the end of its useful life. The commission is considering a $95,000 upgrade for […]
Ludlow Fire Chief Kolenda ‘retires,’ gets a ‘ride home’ parade
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Ludlow Fire Chief Peter Kolenda started his career in firefighting in 1970 as a junior firefighter in Proctorsville. He was just 11 years old. This past Sunday, he “retired” as chief, but said he’d stay on as a Ludlow firefighter just so he could “be the old […]
STR owner criticizes ordinance prior to Chester board’s adoption of it
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Coming into last Wednesday’s Chester Select Board meeting it was expected that the board would be voting to adopt the updated Short-Term Rental Ordinance it has been working on since September of last year. During that time – from October to April – there was a six-month […]
State police identify remains found in Cavendish as man missing since 2010
The skull found in the woods of Cavendish by a hunter in 2020 has been identified using DNA testing as man missing since June of 2010. According to the Vermont State Police, the remains were identified as those of Bryan Gomez of Cavendish, who was 48 years old when he disappeared. A neighbor reported him […]
After civil public hearing, Derry board rejects proposed zoning regs, returning them to planners
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC With more than 120 people in the Town Hall on Monday night and the memory of the heated exchanges when community members pushed back on proposed updates to Londonderry’s zoning regulations, many expected a fairly contentious hearing on the issue. But with Moderator Doug Friant running the […]
Rain forecast clears, allowing GMUHS Class of 2024 graduates outdoors
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC It was raining at 7 a.m. on Friday. That evening’s graduation ceremony was already set up in the gym at Green Mountain Union High School rather than outdoors in front of the school, where it is traditionally held. That was a disappointment for those graduating and their […]
Chester board hones proposed regulations on ‘nuisance animals’
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The lion’s share of the Chester Select Board’s June 5 meeting was taken up with the question of how to make an “nuisance animal” ordinance that isn’t a bit of a nuisance itself. The impetus for this was the problem that a herd of goats roaming at […]
GM and Ludlow-Mount Holly districts pass budgets with higher turnout
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Residents in the two school districts that comprise the Two Rivers Supervisory Union went to the polls for the third time in as many months on Tuesday, this time passing their much-downsized budgets to run four elementary schools and one high school, with a much higher turnout. […]
Andover Select Board agenda for June 10
The Andover Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday June 10 at the Andover Town Office, 953 Weston-Andover Road. Below is the board’s agenda. 1. Call Meeting to Order. 2. Act on Agenda. 3. Act on Minutes of May 28th meeting. 4. Public Comment (Time allowance: Five minutes per visitor, […]
Third time school budget votes for GM and LMH on Tuesday June 4
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Tuesday June 4, voters in the Green Mountain and Ludlow-Mount Holly school districts will go to the polls to weigh in on school budgets for a third time in as many months. Those budgets are intended to fund the operation of five schools in six towns. […]
GM school board wrestles with better use of its three school buildings
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last week’s Green Mountain Unified School District’s Restructuring Committee meeting was like experiencing a time warp, with the discussion re-litigating portions of the Act 46 merger that created the district more than seven years ago. The original charge for the committee was to come up with ideas […]
Londonderry zoning proposal sparks community pushback, a board resignation
By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The row during last week’s Londonderry Select Board special meeting over proposed zoning regulations, which caused one board member to resign, continued on Monday night as more than 100 residents crowded into the Town Office meeting room, then spilled into the hallway and outdoors. […]
Tree truck crashes in Chester; no one injured
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC A tree trimming rig belonging to a contractor working for Green Mountain Power lost its brakes this afternoon and crashed on Route 35 in Chester. According to Chester Police, the driver of a TTS Tree Service boom truck that was towing a chipper lost his brakes as […]
