All Entries in the "Featured" Category
Side by Side: Scott education plans past and present
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC In the eight years that Gov. Phil Scott has been in office, his administration has produced two reports on reforming education in Vermont. These reports that are strikingly similar in conclusions, but very different in their origins. One was said to be the result of public input […]
TRSU began preparing for Trump budget cuts, funds freezes late last year
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles detailing the impact of the Trump administration’s actions on our communities. Because of fast moving directives from Washington, expect situations to be fluid. If you would like to share your story, please email cprairie@chestertelegraph.org. By Cynthia Prairie ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC How will the […]
It’s GM ‘Grizzlies’ as students vote for new mascot
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC The polls have closed, the votes have been counted and the result is in. Green Mountain Union High School’s new mascot is the grizzly bear. GM Principal John Broadley told The Telegraph on Sunday that the 200 plus students who voted to chose from five candidates picked the […]
Cavendish board talks road projects, speed limits and transfer station improvements Timko thanks board at his last meeting
By Lorien Strange © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC At Monday’s meeting of the Cavendish Select Board outgoing member George Timko thanked the board and said he hoped more people in Cavendish would get involved with local government. Timko has spent more than 20 years on the board and former board member Sandra Russo is running […]
Chester board denies driveway appeal, gets presentation on sidewalk study
By Shawn Cunningham ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC By a 3-1 vote last Wednesday, the Chester Select Board voted to deny an appeal by the owner of a Main Street property for a curb cut to install a new driveway. But while the vote sounds resolute, some board members spoke of how conflicted they were over […]
New GM High mascot to be chosen this week
By Lorien Strange ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Green Mountain Union High School students will be selecting a new mascot this week, more than a year since a contentious series of school board meetings ended with the demise of the original controversial mascot, the Chieftain. The original, 50-year-old mascot was considered racist and outdated and […]
Scott’s ed plan gets pushback at Future of Ed Commission meeting
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Zoie Saunders has had some bumpy days since moving to Vermont from Florida to take over the state’s Agency of Education. And Monday will go down as yet another one. During meetings of the State Board of Education and the Commission on the Future of Public Education […]
News Analysis: What’s the future for the commission on the Future of Public Education?
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last Wednesday, the Scott administration unveiled its plan – at least a rough sketch of a plan – for fixing all the problems of Vermont’s education system with a 45 minute slideshow by Agency of Education Secretary Zoie Saunders. And, depending on who you’re listening to, it […]
Chester board to re-approve budget after spreadsheet glitch
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC A programming glitch in Chester government Excel spreadsheets detailing the proposed 2025-26 operating budget is forcing the Select Board to revote that proposed budget this morning. The new budget will be slightly higher — about $50,000 — than the one that the board earlier approved to send […]
9% jump in GM District school budget proposed; elementary school restructuring plans firmed up
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Monday night’s special meeting of the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District had just two agenda items. The main reason for the meeting was to review the 2025-26 budget proposal ahead of the board’s regular meeting on Thursday, since the board needs to approve a […]
With legislature under way, Gov. Scott sets tone and Education Commission seeks path forward
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC With its interim report submitted and the holidays in the rear view mirror, the commission tasked with looking at the future of Vermont’s education system was getting down to looking at the work ahead on Jan. 6. Then, Gov. Phil Scott and the Democratic majority leaders in […]
Cavendish residents to vote on $2.45 million operational budget Select Board ponders appointing Town Clerk, Treasurer
By Lorien Strange ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Echoes of last year’s changes to Town Meeting ran through the Monday, Jan. 13 Cavendish Select Board meeting as the board approved the FY 26 budget, moved the date of the Town Informational Meeting, and discussed the future of the Town Clerk and Town Treasurer positions. Like many […]
Chester board OKs rural zoning changes; talks 2025 budget, water meter upgrades
By Shawn Cunningham © 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC An amendment to Chester’s rural zoning regulations that’s been under consideration since July, with several hearings where it was criticized by residents and Select Board members alike, was finally adopted after one of its most controversial proposals was dropped. The 4 to 1 vote approving the at […]
One select board meeting, 3 contentious issues and a glitch
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board had its hands full at its Wednesday, Dec. 18 meeting as it again took on controversial changes to rural zoning but put off a vote, handed down a determination in a long-standing Class 4 roads dispute and learned that sometimes delaying a decision […]
GM board discusses budgets, bonds and mascots
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Green Mountain Unified School District Board continued last Thursday night discussing the 2025/26 budget with Superintendent Layne Millington and Business Manager Cheryl Hammond. The meeting was held in the Green Mountain High School Library. Millington outlined a number of actions that may be taken by the […]
Flurry of customers brings success to Chester’s first ‘Starry, Starry Night’ event
©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC It was a frigid Saturday evening — one that made holding a camera near impossible. But it was brightened by lights adorning trees, the gazebo and many of the shops on the Green in Chester. And that bone-freezing cold quickly dissipated from the warm and welcoming atmosphere inside the shops, which […]
Future of Ed panel wrestles over report to legislature
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC We can only improve the lives of kids and taxpayers if we are all rowing in the same direction,” said Emilie Kornheiser, who chairs the Commission on the Future of Education’s finance subcommittee, at its Dec. 9 meeting. The topic was what form the upcoming report to […]
Chester building owner seeks driveway permit to stop neighbor ‘harassment’
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC It’s unusual for a permit to put in a driveway to find its way to a select board for a decision, but in the case of 116 Main St. in Chester the situation itself is unusual. Also known as the Henry Office Building, the 1880s structure at […]
Preliminary Future of Ed report set to offer many options, but make no recommendations Rep. Conlon goes off script claiming 'strong policy proposals'; 5.9% tax increase predicted in Dec. 1 letter
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC There were two takeaways from Monday’s meeting of the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont. The commission was given the charge to look at the education system as a whole – including funding it – with a final report due in December 2025 and […]
Holiday events throughout the region Tree sales and lightings, musical events, shopping, craft workshops, visits with Santa and much more
By Stacia Spaulding ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Do you need a Christmas tree or some hand-crafted gifts? Are the kids excited to meet Santa? How about a relaxing evening filled with holiday music? The Telegraph has brought all the holiday events in the region together in one place. Our Calendar of Events contains additional information […]
