Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
Chester marks Memorial Day with parade, commemorations
W ith a parade, prayers, gun salutes, speeches, wreath layings and other ceremonies, Chester marked Memorial Day on Friday, May 30 – the traditional “Decoration Day” that began in the aftermath of the Civil War. This year’s remembrance was held under sunny skies as bands from Chester-Andover Elementary and Green Mountain Union High schools played […]
Attorney General releases redacted Larochelle documents
By Shawn Cunningham Documents formally requested by The Chester Telegraph under Vermont’s Public Documents law were released by Vermont’s Attorney General over the weekend. The documents show that the Vermont State Police investigation of Chester Police officer Paul Larochelle concluded that the officer’s behavior was “inappropriate and unbecoming,” but that it did not warrant criminal […]
Gas spill forces garage teardown as soil, water cleanup continues
By Shawn Cunningham Homeowner Joel Brookes watches each day as trucks haul away more and more contaminated soil from his land following the May 16 tanker accident that spilled 2,500 gallons of gasoline into his garden. At first, the cleanup was a small affair, but as gasoline reached the Williams River on May 21, the […]
Select board hears from residents for, against transitional housing
By Shawn Cunningham A small number of Chester residents turned out at the Wednesday, May 21, Select Board meeting to voice concern over a proposal by the Justice Center of Springfield to buy or rent a four-bedroom house in Chester to serve as transitional housing for inmates being released from the prison in Springfield. Justice […]
‘The fuel has made the water’ – Fire Chief Matt Wilson
On Wednesday morning — May 21 — Joel Brookes was walking his dog Buddy near the Williams River behind his home on Route 11 near Goldthwaite Road. He smelled gasoline and looked down to see – clearly through the polarized lenses of his sunglasses – the sheen of gas pouring out of the bank below […]
Route 11 followups: Cleanup underway at gas tanker accident site; fire probe continues
9 .m. Wednesday, May 21: Gasoline from the accident has begun to reach the Williams River. Chester Fire and Police departments and the Springfield Fire department were on the scene putting down booms, as was homeowner Joel Brookes. The Agency of Natural Resources has been called to the scene. Read the update here. By Shawn […]
Developers outline new plan for Chester town solar farm
By Shawn Cunningham A new plan for the Chester town solar farm was unveiled Monday morning, as the Chester Select Board and about 10 residents gathered at the Jeffrey well site on Route 103 North to look at plans for the 500 mega kilowatt solar farm that will be built there – possibly as […]
An Epic prom 2014 for Green Mountain students
The theme for this year’s Green Mountain Union High School prom was Rustic Romance, and while everyone in attendance on Saturday night at the Epic restaurant at Okemo Mountain certainly dressed for a romantic mood, nary a one of the 70 or so students in attendance donned much that could be described as rustic. […]
A Photo Gallery: Crews work to right tractor-trailer in turnover
All photos by Shawn Cunningham. On the Cover: Damage is evident after the tractor-trailer was righted Friday evening. Here’s the link to the full story. We’ve updated the gallery with photos of crews righting the tractor-trailer Friday evening. Click a photo to launch gallery.
BREAKING: Tanker truck overturns at Route 11; eyewitness hears BOOM, sees sliding truck
UPDATE: 5:27 p.m. Click here for the photo gallery of the day’s events. UPDATE: 12:15 p.m. One school bus will be diverted from route. See bottom of story; UPDATE: 11:45 a.m.; UPDATE: 10:08 a.m.; UPDATE: 9:40 a.m. By Shawn Cunningham These are early reports meant to inform and help residents and drivers navigate throughout […]
Inmate transitional house proposed; water rates still up in air
By Shawn Cunningham Among several long time discussions – including water rates and the solar farm – Chester’s Select Board heard about a plan to place a transitional housing facility for up to three inmates in a house that is yet to be selected in Chester. Wendi Germain of the Springfield Justice Center appeared […]
An Analysis: Part 4: Chester’s proposed bylaws need further changes, enforcement
This is the last in a series of articles about the proposed Unified Development Bylaws, which revise and combine zoning regulations, subdivision regulations and flood hazard standards. Proposed changes will affect many landowners. At 7 p.m. Monday, May 19, the Chester Planning Commission will meet at Chester Town Hall, 556 Elm St., to hear […]
1822 Field Farm house in Chester destroyed in ‘suspicious’ early morning blaze
By Shawn Cunningham At 4:30 Monday morning, Chester firefighters responded to a house fire at the corner of Blue Hill Road and Route 11 west in Chester. The fire destroyed the brick and shingle-siding Field Farm, built in 1822 and owned by Ferren and Leah Bratton. Leah Bratton had been the director […]
Development Bylaws Part 3: Low noise limits, smaller signs among changes
This is the third in a series of articles on Chester’s proposed development bylaws, which include new zoning, subdivision and flood hazard mitigation regulations. To read the proposed bylaws click here and to see the town-wide zoning map click here. Read the first two articles in this series: Proposed Zoning Districts and Proposed Uses. By […]
Part 2 of proposed zoning changes: New land uses, DRB discretion
This is the second in a series of articles on Chester’s new development bylaws which include new zoning, subdivision and flood hazard mitigation regulations. To read the bylaws click here and to see the proposed town-wide zoning map click here. See last week’s Chester Telegraph for more details on new and changed zoning districts. For […]
Falling concrete caused temporary closure to I-91 in Rockingham
Photos and story by Shawn Cunningham ROCKINGHAM State Police and Rockingham volunteer firefighters responded to a report of concrete falling from the I-91 North bridge over Route 103 South around 3 p.m. Friday, according to VTrans spokesman Wayne Gammell. Firefighters on the scene reported that a passing motorist had noticed the shards of concrete […]
Chester board backs grant application for wet suits; continues to mull fairgrounds proposal
By Shawn Cunningham Answers were scarce as the Chester Select Board, during last Wednesday’s meeting, continued to discuss several topics including how to pay for water rescue gear, whether to move forward with a proposed festival venue and what to do about water and sewer rates. The last question was take off the agenda […]
Proposed zoning changes in Chester: Part I, Districts added, altered, eliminated
At 7 p.m. Monday May 19, the Chester Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at Chester Town Hall, 556 Elm St., to receive comments on the latest draft of the Unified Development Bylaws, which combines the rules for zoning, subdivision and flood hazard mitigation and has been in the works for about four years. In […]
Illegal burning sets Williams Road brush fire
By Shawn Cunningham The Chester Fire Department and eight other departments responded to a brush fire on Williams Road early Sunday afternoon. The fire, which covered approximately 2 acres, began when an illegal burn got out of control. “The conditions are very dry at this time of year,” said Chester Fire Chief Matt […]
Chester’s proposed development bylaws available for viewing here
The Chester Planning Commission will hold a public meeting on Monday, May 19, 2014 to take comments on the proposed Unified Development Bylaws it has been working on for more than a year. The bylaws are a combination of three documents that currently govern land use in Chester – the Zoning Regulations, the Flood Hazard […]
