Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
Weston Ladies seek green for the Green with weekend concert – CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Nearly 34 years before the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote, the Vermont legislature gave nine Weston women the power to establish, own and maintain a park in the center of their town. And on Sunday, Sept. 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the successors […]
Jack’s Diner returns to Chester DRB with expanded plans
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC With lawyer Amanda George doing most of the talking Monday night on behalf of Jack’s Diner owner Jacques Dodier, the Chester Development Review Board began consideration of a new plan to complete the long-dormant project on Route 103 South. Dodier is asking for a conditional use permit […]
New owners work to upgrade the mountain without losing the ‘Magic’
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing, LLC With the issuance of an Act 250 permit on top of a successful first season, the new ownership group at Magic Mountain says it’s continuing to repair and upgrade the long-neglected ski resort while being careful to preserve its “throwback” character. Last year, a group of 13 […]
Conservancies eye Chester lands for preservation
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Sept.6 is shaping up to be a very big day for conservation in Chester. On that Wednesday, the Vermont River Conservancy hopes to close on its purchase of land that gives access to the Rainbow Rock swimming hole and turn it over to the town of Chester. […]
Solid waste money to fund planning, wayfinding in Chester; Sunoco proposal returns
By Shawn Cunningham ©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC With two unbudgeted projects on the horizon, the Chester Select Board, at its Aug. 16 meeting, weighed the use of a couple of pools of money that could pay for them or be set aside as investments. The monies are approximately $31,000 from a contingency fund held by […]
Car hits quilt shop building, interrupts Chester Select Board meeting
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Forty minutes into last night’s Chester Select Board meeting, just as Water and Sewer Superintendent Jeff Holden was outlining the progress those departments have made this year, board member Ben Whalen’s fire department beeper sounded and he left the meeting. Shortly thereafter, The Telegraph got a report […]
Can’t go to the eclipse? Make the most of it here
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Just a heads up. Next Monday afternoon it’s going to get pretty dark. Apparently the moon is going to pass in front of the sun for a couple of hours. And while it’s going to be dark here, down south it’ll be way dark. Wait, you knew […]
Billy Bob prevails in fierce match at Stone Hearth hot dog cookoff
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC With nine contestants vying for tube steak glory, Chef Billy Bob’s Big Easy was voted Top Dog of the sixth annual Hot Dog Cookoff held Sunday at the Stone Hearth Inn in Chester. The Free Range Restaurant’s Uncommon Reuben Dog took Best in Show. The event, which […]
AOT to Olsen: Interim paving on Rt. 11 to begin soon
© 2017 Telegraph Publishing, LLC State Rep. Oliver Olsen of Londonderry has shared an email in which Agency of Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn confirmed that work on the worst parts of Rt. 11 between Chester and Londonderry should begin shortly. “…if the weather holds, the contractor may begin paving this section of road on Thursday […]
Police arrest second burglary suspect
© 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Vermont State Police arrested a Westminster man Thursday on multiple charges for burglaries that took place in July. On Tuesday, police arrested Chelsea Oviatte, 22 of Springfield, on charges that she had burglarized a number of businesses along Route 5 in Westminster, Putney and Brattleboro, but they were unable to […]
Chester board OKs ‘audit’ of town zoning regs
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC After a couple of years of controversy over Chester’s zoning regulations and the way they are implemented, the town’s Select Board at its Aug. 2 meeting gave the go-ahead to an “audit” of the town’s development statutes. Noting that the town’s zoning code is old and that […]
Judge continues $100,000 bail for Stocker; police cite witnesses in latest case
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC WHITE RIVER JUNCTION Windsor County Superior Court Judge Theresa DiMauro continued the $100,000 bail imposed on Ryan Stocker over the weekend as he appeared for arraignment Monday on new charges in the latest of five involving forced sexual contact over the last two years. Stocker, who plead […]
Lawsuit pending, Jack’s Diner owner re-emerges to seek DRB OK
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Six years after Chester’s Development Review Board denied a conditional use permit for an expanded Jack’s Diner with apartments above it – and while the town of Chester is currently suing him for zoning violations – Jacques Dodier is back with a new application that will be […]
Battle of Bands set to cover medical expenses for Chester woman
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC After a near-death bout with infections, a Chester woman has a long road to recovery ahead and, this Saturday, members of the community will be holding a benefit Battle of the Bands at MacLaomainn’s Pub to help cover her large and growing medical bills. Just a few […]
Chester board OKs old waste district fund disbursement
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC With board chair Arne Jonynas under the weather and members Dan Cote and Heather Chase traveling, the July 19 Chester Select Board could have been canceled for lack of a quorum. But using a speaker phone — which is allowed by the state law that permits members […]
Weston Playhouse directing trio to step down next year
By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Thirty years after taking the reins as artistic directors at the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, Malcolm Ewen, Tim Fort and Steve Stettler announced today that they will be stepping down after the 2018 season. The announcement came in a press release this morning. In […]
Volunteers prep for annual book sale
© 2017 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The weather was warm and sunny on Friday afternoon as a host of volunteers laid out scores of cartons of books sorted by topic ahead of the Wilder Memorial Library’s annual book sale. The event is a fundraiser for Weston’s public library and will occur under the tents in Farrar […]
Court allows supervised work hours for Chester sex assault defendant
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC WHITE RIVER JUNCTION Chester resident Ryan Stocker appeared before the Windsor County Superior Court Criminal Division twice this week, the second and third time he has come into this courthouse since he was charged in late June with two counts of sexual assault, On Tuesday, he appeared […]
Chester Planning Commission reboots with new members
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Nearly five months after three resignations deprived it of a quorum, the Chester Planning Commission reorganized itself with four of its five seats filled on Monday, July 17. Newly appointed members Barre Pinske and Tim Roper were welcomed by commission chair Naomi Johnson who worked through introductions, […]
VSP investigates three Rockingham burglaries
© 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Vermont State Police from the Westminster Barracks are investigating two commercial and one residential burglary in the town of Rockingham. This morning at about 6:18, police were notified of a break-in and burglary at the Cambridgeport store at 997 Saxtons River Road in Cambridgeport. Police say that overnight, someone broke […]
