Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
Chester Citizen Police Advisory Committee holds its first meeting
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC The newly appointed members of Chester’s Citizen Police Advisory Committee came together for an initial meeting Tuesday night at the Public Safety Building on Pleasant Street. The committee’s members — Frank Kelley, Samantha Snedorf-Bailey, Roy Spaulding, Wendi Germain and Vincent Buckholz — were appointed by the Chester […]
GM board hears complaints that Chieftain name violates policy
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Tuesday night, Chester resident Matt Gorsky told the Green Mountain Unified School Board that the harm in using the Chieftain name is “in the inescapable connection between it and 50 years of a racist mascot depicting people this country has conducted cultural genocide against….” He was […]
Fierman to TRSU board: departures are for individual personal reasons
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC At the regular monthly meeting of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union Board last Thursday, Superintendent Lauren Fierman briefed that body on the recent spate of administrators departing the system. “I know from the outside it looks like as though there must be something awful happening that all […]
ARPA tour stops at Sugar Bob’s in Chester
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Rob Hausslein had his mini evaporator – a demonstrator model fired by propane – steaming when his guests arrived at the former Baba A Louis Bakery that has become home to Sugar Bob’s – Hausslein’s rapidly expanding food company. The sap was boiling as Hausslein explained how […]
Potash Brook residents list concerns about neighbor’s behavior
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Residents of the Potash Brook Road area brought a long list of complaints to the Chester Select Board last Wednesday concerning a neighbor they say has problems with mental illness that have manifested in break-ins, thefts and other criminal and nuisance behaviors. However, all who spoke said […]
3 complaints target ‘Chieftains’ name; to be considered at April 11 hearing GM District Board, AOE to contemplate next steps
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC At a special meeting next week, the Green Mountain Unified School District Board will hear three complaints alleging that the continuing use of the “Chieftain” name for the Green Mountain Union High School is a violation of a school district policy adopted earlier this year. This “quasi-judicial” […]
Hill, Donohue departures from GM mark latest changes at TRSU 3 of 5 schools must find new principals; 1 coming on board
By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Green Mountain High Principal Keith Hill has announced that he is leaving the school at the end of this school year, almost two years to the day that he was first appointed in April 2021. He announced to parents of students his decision in […]
5 chosen for Chester Police Advisory Committee
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC At it’s March 22 meeting, the Chester Select Board chose five of the 10 residents interviewed to serve on a new committee to advise the town’s Police Department and communicate with their community. After the interviews, the board went into executive session to discuss the appointments, then […]
Residents near Julian quarries haul in truckload of complaints to Chester board
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Gassetts residents turned out in force for the Chester Select Board’s Wednesday, March 22 meeting to complain that quarry operations in their area is in violation of its permits and that the noise, traffic, unsafe blasting and pollution have become too much to bear. Listed on […]
Short-term rentals: Towns’ pace for regulation between snail and speedy State legislature, however, puts the onus on local jurisdictions
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC While the growth in the number of homes in area towns that are being converted into short-term rentals — like Airbnb and VRBO — is concerning to many residents, state and local governments are moving at different paces to address the trend. The Vermont legislature has taken […]
Chester native Travis Van Alstyne awarded grant to complete film on Romaine Tenney
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC A Chester native who has been painstakingly working on a short, animated film, Love of the Land, since 2019 has been recognized for his work with a $4,100 grant from Vermont Public’s “Made Here Fund.” The grant will help Travis Van Alstyne, who now lives in Burlington, […]
Election results: Andover, Cavendish, Chester, Grafton, Weston, GM District budget
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC Residents in area towns made some big changes and rejected others as Town Meeting 2023 unfolded. Chester voters chose two new select board members out of a field of five — Arianna Knapp and Peter Hudkins — and gave that body the power to appoint the town […]
Chester votes to make clerk, treasurer appointed posts; approves $3.7 million town budget
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than 85 residents turned out — in person and via Zoom — for Chester’s annual Town Meeting on Monday night. Town Moderator Bill Dakin kept the evening moving with most of the questions passing without debate or discussion. Those on Zoom were not allowed to vote […]
Prosecutor concerned over ‘lingering’ Rt. 103 murder case Two to three week spring 2024 trial is anticipated
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than three years after the murder of Boston trucker Roberto Fonseca-Rivera, Windham County Deputy State’s Attorney Steven Brown told Judge Katherine Hayes that he was concerned that the case against Jozsef Piri is not moving at the pace the prosecution thinks it should and that it […]
NOTICE: Andover postpones Town Meeting to Tuesday, March 7
Due to the snow forecast and out of concern for everyone’s safety, the Andover Select Board called an emergency meeting today and voted unanimously to postpone Andover’s annual Town Meeting until 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 7 at the Andover Town Hall. Feel free to contact the Andover Town Office clerk@vermontel.net with any questions.
Select Board candidates outline views in Chester forum
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC On a snowy, slushy Tuesday night, 35 Chester residents turned out at Town Hall to hear four of the five candidates running for two one-year seats on the town’s Select Board say why they want to be elected. SAPA-TV streamed the event which was available to residents […]
Chester board OKs Canal St. site for town gardens Group will work under Rec Dept. for community grow plots
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC After two years of back and forth discussions, the Chester Select Board voted last Wednesday to allow the Chester Community Greenhouse and Gardens group to use a portion of town land at the end of Canal Street for public garden plots. Rather than signing a lease or […]
GM board hears of racial bias incidents; reinstates Chieftain name 8th grader, family tell of school inaction; board considers rebranding 'Chieftains'
By Shawn Cunningham ©2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC In an emotionally charged meeting Thursday night, the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District heard from an 8th grade student and her grandmother who said that stress from racism that the girl has experienced since coming to the school last year has gotten to the point […]
Fuel to the Fire: Recent reports on gas stoves fail rural Vermont Propane and natural gas are not the same, but have been lumped together in news coverage
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC If you’ve read a major newspaper or watched the news on television or listened on the radio, you’ve likely heard that your gas stove is emitting toxic chemicals and other substances that can injure your health — even when the stove is not being used. But […]
Five seeking two seats on Chester Select Board Elimination of elected treasurer, clerk to be voted on March 6
By Shawn Cunningham © 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC While there’s often a challenger for two of the one-year seats on the Chester Select Board, this year brings an unusually large group of candidates. With incumbents Ben Whalen and Leigh Dakin deciding not to run for re-election, seven residents took out petitions to run and five […]
