Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
News Analysis: Next steps for GMUSD after bond defeat
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last Tuesday’s 47-vote defeat of a bond issue to renovate three school buildings that make up the Green Mountain Unified School District is on the agenda for that board’s monthly meeting on Thursday, Nov. 17 as members and administrators figure out where to go from here. At […]
Andover’s ‘High Bridge’ re-opens on time
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC T bridge replacement project on Weston-Andover Road, a worry for the Andover Select Board for many years, has finished on time and reopened after an 11-week closure. The town and the construction company held a ribbon cutting on Friday, Nov. 4 to mark the occasion. The 84-foot […]
Mail-in ballots, large in-person turnout make for busy election day Props 2 and 5 pass, Democratic candidates win Windsor Senate seats, sheriff's office
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Town clerks across the area on Election Day morning said that especially large numbers of voters had cast ballots early, returning the general election ballots sent to them by the Vermont Secretary of State. At the same time, they noted there was also steady traffic at polling […]
$20M school renovation bond fails by 47 votes
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC The $20 million bond intended to pay for renovating the three school buildings of the Green Mountain Unified School District was narrowly defeated Tuesday evening by a vote of 808 in favor to 855 opposed, a defeat that school officials called “disappointing.” The lower vote totals may […]
Details on GM school bond highlight aging systems
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC A number of readers have asked for more details on the prices of the elements that go into the total price of the bond. According to Eric Lafayette, of general contractor Energy Efficient Investments, their process is to generate estimates based on current jobs they are working, […]
Voters weigh in with questions on school bond
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last Thursday evening, the Green Mountain Unified School District held a “walk through” at Green Mountain High School in Chester to give voters the chance to see why board members believe the proposed $20 million renovation bond that will come before them on Nov. 8 is necessary. […]
3 area villages to get ARPA funds for wastewater projects Grafton, North & South Londonderry among 12 recipients
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Wastewater projects in three area villages — Grafton, South Londonderry and North Londonderry — will receive American Rescue Plan Act funding to the tune of almost $4 million each, Gov. Phil Scott announced last week. The funding, which is coming through the state’s Village Water and Wastewater […]
What’s in the GM renovation bond: Elementary schools to see upgrades in heating systems
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Both Cavendish Town and Chester-Andover elementary schools are slated to get upgrades to their fire alarm systems, should the bond proposal pass. Cavendish Town’s portion of the upgrade is worth $1.7 million; Chester-Andover’s is $2.6 million. Todd Parah, facilities director for Two Rivers Supervisory Union, says this […]
Chester board mulls gardens, housing, short-term rentals in wide ranging meeting
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Coming in at just under three hours in length, the Oct. 19 Chester Select Board meeting got through a packed agenda that included a request for a lease to use the Canal Street well site for a community garden, a discussion of how to approach the lack […]
Holey mission: Bonny Hudson finds the holy grail of apple cider doughnuts
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC If you want the doughnuts up front by 8, you have to start at 4:30,” says Bonny Hudson as the deep fryers bring the soy oil up to temperature in the kitchen of Smitty’s Chester Market. It’s a little after 7 on a recent Saturday morning in […]
What’s in the $20 million GM school renovation bond? Part 1 of 2: We take a look at plans for Green Mountain High
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC With just about three weeks before the end of mail-in voting and the Tuesday, Nov. 8 Election Day, the public can weigh in on the proposed $20 million bond to renovate the three schools in the Green Mountain School District. Board members, administration and school staff are […]
Chester board hears pros and cons of short-term rentals, ordinance Will look at ordinance again after lawyer's review
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last Wednesday’s Chester Select Board review of a proposed ordinance that would require the registration of short-term rentals – like those marketed online by Airbnb and VRBO – brought out those in favor of regulation and those defending their income stream, as well as an emotional appeal […]
Already voted? There’s still the Green Mountain School District renovation bond
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC By now, registered voters in Vermont should have received their general election ballots by mail and many have either returned them or dropped them off with their town clerk. But there’s another vote remaining that was not part of the mailing from the state of Vermont. Voters […]
Different approaches: How are area towns addressing the issue of short-term rentals?
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC As public concern grows around the proliferation of short-term rentals in area towns, select boards and planning panels have begun to take action. But while towns like Killington and Woodstock have established rental registries and regulations, local governments have either taken an incremental approach or only just […]
Chester Police Dept. study finds communication lacking, training procedures outdated
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Police Department needs to improve its communication with the public as well as bring its policies and related training procedures into the 21st century, according to a number of recommendations in an assessment of the town’s Police Department written by Jim Baker, a former director […]
Chester boards up ‘health hazard’ Hennessey house
By Shawn Cunningham © Telegraph Publishing LLC On Tuesday afternoon, employees of the Town of Chester boarded up the house at 138 Cummings Road to keep people from staying in the house that the town says has no running water or working septic and is surrounded by a junk yard containing hazardous materials. The house […]
Chester Fire Department wins $450,000 grant to replace old tanker truck
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Town of Chester will be awarded a grant worth more than $450,000 toward the purchase of a new tanker for the Fire Department. The grant comes through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program and is the largest ever awarded to a Vermont municipality, according to a […]
Chester board bars occupancy at Cummings Rd. residence Health order mandates clean up
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC At its Sept. 7 meeting, the Chester Select Board heard testimony regarding the state of the property at 138 Cummings Road owned by John Hennessey, then approved a health order that bans occupancy at the residence until a major clean up is done and mandates ongoing measures […]
Popple Dungeon bridge reopening missed again Residents continue to take the long way home
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester residents who live west of the intersection of Popple Dungeon and Zezza roads are still taking the long way home as Alpine Construction has yet to open the new bridge over the South Branch of the Williams River, which was slated to be usable on Tuesday. […]
GM board votes to put $20 million renovation bond before district voters
By Shawn Cunningham © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Aug. 25, the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District decided to move forward with a multi-year, $20.5 million project to renovate its three school buildings. The vote was 6-1 — with three members absent — to put a 20 year bond before the voters […]
