Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
Three bond issues pass by wide margins in Chester
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing, LLC Chester voters passed three bond issues totaling $669,000 by wide margins on Town Meeting Day. The bond to purchase a $110,000 compaction roller for the town’s nearly 100 miles of dirt roads, $115,000 for a sidewalk plow to be used downtown and $11,000 for a Hazmat trailer […]
Weston voters give GNAT a boost during relatively quiet Town Meeting
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC All of the articles presented in the warning of the Weston Town Meeting held on Tuesday morning passed by wide margins, but as is often the case, more discussion time was spent on small expense items than the large ones. One item that was discussed in quite […]
Agreeable Chester voters pass town articles with few questions
By Shawn Cunningham ©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Nary was heard a discouraging word during Monday evening’s town meeting in Chester, where about 80 voters showed up to Town Hall to voice their approval for every article presented by town government this year. Either voters think the town is on the right track or Town Manager […]
Andover voters question GMUSD school budget during Town Meeting
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Questions about education – budgets, taxes and board representation – took up the majority of the two-hour Andover town meeting on Saturday, March 3. The turnout was a bit sparser than recent meetings and, as usual, gray was the dominant hair color. Maddie Bodin was elected to […]
Fire damages Cavendish home that was harmed during Irene
UPDATE: A GoFundMe page has been set up for homeowners Martha and Mitchell Benoit. Click here to donate. By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC A fire that started in an attached garage heavily damaged a home on Rt. 131 east of Cavendish Village this afternoon. Around 1 p.m., Proctorsville and Cavendish firefighters were […]
Chester board delays zoning admin appointment, looks at solar farm request
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC The March 7 visit to the Chester Select Board by town attorney Jim Carroll just keeps getting busier. Carroll was already coming to discuss a junk yard ordinance and the mechanics of setting up a budget committee. But last Wednesday’s meeting the Chester Select Board added questions […]
TRSU central office, special ed. budgets OKd after three votes
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC It took three tries and some testy exchanges, but the the board of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union wrestled its way to a slightly smaller budget than proposed on the night of Thursday Feb. 22. Three weeks earlier, it had rejected the SU budget by a wide […]
Chester begins zoning audit
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing, LLC As it continues to work on the required update of the Town Plan, the Chester Planning Commission is also embarking – with the help of planning consultant Brandy Sexton – on an audit of Chester’s zoning regulations. The first steps in the work were unveiled at a […]
Cleaning chemical mishap sends 5 VCS workers to hospital for evaluation
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Shortly before noon on Sunday Feb. 18, the Weston Volunteer Fire Dept. responded to a call that was initially described as smoke in a section of the Vermont Country Store. On arrival, the firefighters found chlorine gas instead. Five store employees were taken to the hospital for […]
Sparks and smoke at Vermont Country Store bring quick response from firefighters
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing, LLC A smoking electrical panel at the Vermont Country Store brought several fire companies out early Wednesday afternoon, but fortunately there was no fire and no injuries. At 1:49 p.m., the Weston Volunteer Fire Department received a report of a smoking and sparking electrical panel at the Vermont […]
GMUSD board picks Conn. curriculum director as GM principal
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Green Mountain Unified School District board which — beginning in July — will oversee the education of children from Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester, chose a new principal for Green Mountain High School last night. After a two-hour deliberation, the board voted unanimously to negotiate a […]
Veteran Baba-a-Louis baker lands at Heritage Deli
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Nancy Lockerby has moved from the westside to the eastside of Chester, but she’s still making dough. After 37 years with Baba-A-Louis Bakery, which recently closed, Lockerby found a new home at the Heritage Deli & Bakery, 642 Rt. 103 S., where she will be making breads, […]
Chester House innkeeper’s calm helps to save historic structure
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester Fire Chief Matt Wilson credits the Chester House Inn owner’s calm demeanor and knowledge of firefighting in helping firefighters extinguish a chimney fire that had spread into the walls and roof and could have been much worse. There were no injuries and everyone including pets made […]
UPDATE: Meet GM principal candidates tonight before panel vote, but where?
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC If all goes according to plan tonight, the Green Mountain Unified School District board will choose one of the three finalists to replace Tom Ferenc as he retires as principal of the high school. And this afternoon will also be the only opportunity for parents and community […]
In Travelball circuit, high school girls make the pitch to colleges
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC PUTNEY Major league pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Florida and Arizona later this week, but a group of middle and high school girls – including three from Green Mountain and three from Springfield – have already been working out since November. This is Travel […]
Ludlow re-vote fails, merger will go forward, BRHS to close by mid-2020
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC A last ditch effort to keep Black River High School open fell short Tuesday night as the re-vote of the Ludlow/Mt. Holly merger failed. According to Ludlow Town Clerk Ulla Cook, the vote was 288 in favor of the merger and 231 against. Back on Nov. 28, […]
TRSU panel nixes Powden raise; full board rejects budget, demands clarity
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Thursday night, the Executive Committee of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union deleted from the TRSU budget Superintendent Meg Powden’s 5.58 percent raise that would have taken her salary from $125,580 to $132,590. Later, the full TRSU board sent the entire budget back to the central office […]
As Ludlow school re-vote nears, info meeting sparsely attended
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC A little over two months ago, voters in Ludlow and Mount Holly went to the polls and approved – by wide margins – a merger that would keep their elementary schools open but close Black River High School by July 2020. But, in late December, a group […]
School Budgets: What goes into the central office assessment?
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC In recent weeks, the finance committee of the new Green Mountain Unified School District deadlocked twice, refraining from recommending to the full board a budget put forward by the Two Rivers Supervisory Union. But the GMUSD board reluctantly approved that budget (with a token $30,000 reduction) noting […]
Chester Board approves budget after final cuts, appoints Master Plan group
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Having put the town budget back in the hands of Town Manager David Pisha to find savings across the town departments on Jan. 8, the Chester Select Board met on Jan. 17 to review the cuts and finalize the numbers. Due to smaller-than-expected surpluses (which could have […]
