Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
A BRUSH WITH THE GREATEST: 39 years ago, Muhammad Ali came to Chester
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC In the days following the death of Muhammad Ali on Friday, June 3, the airwaves, internet and print press have been filled with appreciations and recollections of the three-time world heavyweight champion’s life. And in a small house in a quiet Chester neighborhood, a few residents have […]
Two arraigned in Webster’s House animal cruelty case
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC WHITE RIVER JUNCTION On Tuesday morning, May 24, at Windsor County Superior Court, Mary Donaldson and Jessica “Remy” Fecteau of Webster’s House in Chester pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from an investigation into cruelty to animals at the shelter. According to court documents, Donaldson and […]
Red Nose Day raises funds for local kids in need
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing, LLC It can be tough to breathe wearing a plastic clown nose, but after 100 laps around the Chester green, Townsend Gilbert was still smiling. It was Chester’s first annual “Red Nose Day.” The annual event raises money for children in need and with 76 people coming out to participate throughout […]
Citing lack of information Chester board nixes firehouse, likely to revisit question
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Citing a lack of information on the process of transferring the Yosemite Firehouse to town ownership, the Chester Select Board defeated a motion to accept the building from the Chester Historical Society by a vote of 3 to 2 at its meeting on Wednesday May 18. The […]
Chester residents concerned over changes to zoning regulations
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC While a large portion of the time spent at last Monday’s Chester Planning Commission public hearing on changes to the town’s Unified Development Bylaws was concerned with commercial uses being added to residential districts, one of the recurring themes was the need to craft a document that […]
Special town meeting in Londonderry
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing, LLC There will be a special town meeting in Londonderry on Monday, May 23 at 7 p.m. at the Old Town Hall on Middletown Road. The purpose of the meeting is to revisit the land purchase proposed in an article (failed) at Town Meeting in March along with the amended article […]
Chester board tours firehouse, proposes panel on its future
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC ON THE COVER: From left, Select Board chair John DeBenedetti and Town Manager David Pisha. The Chester Select Board met Friday at 4 p.m. to tour the Yosemite Firehouse and talk about forming a fact finding committee to look at the potential and the pitfalls of the […]
Chester Select Board holds conflict of interest seminar
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The Chester Select Board will hold a special meeting on Thursday May 19 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 556 Elm Street. The meeting will be a seminar on conflict of interest conducted by Garrett Baxter, an attorney with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. This is a public […]
Reeds sell iconic Misty Valley Books to another Vt. independent
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC This morning, a Chester institution changed hands as Bill and Lynne Reed sold Misty Valley Books, which they have owned for 15 years, to Michael DeSanto and Renee Reiner, the owners of Phoenix Books, an independent bookseller with stores in Essex, Burlington and Rutland. In an interview […]
New uses in all districts in proposed Chester zoning changes; public hearing May 16
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Monday, May 16 at 7 p.m., the Chester Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., to receive comments on substantial alterations to the town’s zoning regulations less than two years after sweeping changes were adopted by the Chester Select Board. […]
Chester Select Board mulls offer to accept Yosemite Firehouse
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Saying that it needed an answer sooner than later because it has two other parties interested in the property, the Chester Historical Society formally offered to give the Yosemite Firehouse to the Town of Chester at the May 4 Select Board meeting. The organization included all of […]
Nine firms bid on Chester downtown masterplanning
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC When all of the responses to Chester’s Request for Proposals were opened on Friday, nine firms had put their names forward hoping to be the consultant who leads the town’s Village Center Master Plan process. Town Manager David Pisha and Executive Assistant Julie Hance said they were […]
Weston doctor arrested on drug fraud charges
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Vermont State Police are alleging that Dr. Melanie M. Canon, 49, of Weston prescribed opioid pain relievers to patients, then retrieved the drugs from the pharmacy, never delivered them and kept the drugs for her own use. In a press release today, Sgt. Thomas Mozzer of VSP’s Drug Diversion Unit […]
Construction springs up throughout Chester this summer
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC In addition to road closures for bridge work in Weston and culvert work in Andover with paving all around the area, Chester will be busy with construction on municipal and private jobs all summer. Work on a new Jiffy Mart and the Dollar General has begun and […]
Windham house destroyed in afternoon blaze
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC By the time firefighters reached the house at the top of Windham Springs Road Tuesday afternoon it was entirely ablaze, said Windham Fire Chief Rick Weitzel who was in command at the scene. “The walls were still standing, but the roof was gone and the garage was […]
Spate of fires — and an odd emergency call — take a toll on firefighters
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Monday morning, Chester Fire Chief Matt Wilson told a visitor that he hoped for “significant rain” to relieve the dry conditions that have contributed to a rash of brush and forest fires in recent days. In addition to working four days on two separate fires on […]
Chester to host Red Nose Day May 26; Hearse House rehab progresses
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC There are red letter days and red flag days, but having gotten the approval of the Chester Select Board to hold a walkathon on The Green at the April 20 meeting, a group of local volunteers will bring a “Red Nose Day” to town next month. Going […]
Ascutney motel on fire; at least 10 agencies respond
UPDATE: Ascutney command has reported that 15 rooms in the center of the motel have collapsed and that they are fighting the fires on the north and south ends of the building. More fire companies have been called to cover the stations of those already on the scene. © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Emergency scanner […]
UPDATE – Forest fire hits Missing Link Road
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than 25 pieces of firefighting equipment from 13 departments lined Missing Link Road (Route 5) in Springfield this afternoon as more than of 40 firefighters worked in the woods up the steep incline from the road. According to Springfield Fire Chief Russ Thompson, who was incident […]
3-alarm brush fire in Londonderry draws large response
UPDATE: The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation has posted today’s predicted fire danger as “High” for the state, but has noted that it may be “Very High” in southern Vermont due to higher winds. Open burning requires a permit from your town fire warden. By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Fire […]
