All Entries in the "Chester" Category
Dakin, Whalen, Gustafson take Chester Select Board seats; road bond issue passes in Chester
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Veteran office holder Leigh Dakin cruised to a write-in victory over political newcomer Scott Blair, co-owner of the Southern Pie Company and the Main Street Coffee & Scoop Shoppe, on Tuesday evening making the composition of the Chester Select Board 40 percent female for the first time. […]
Chester voters establish emergency reserve fund, pass climate resolution
By Leah M. Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than 120 Chester residents turned out on Monday night for Town Meeting, passing 21 articles, including setting up a town reserve fund and a much discussed climate resolution, and tabling one before adjourning the meeting after two and a half hours. Tabled was […]
Chester updated on Depot St. sidewalk project
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The main event at Wednesday’s Chester Select Board meeting – a public hearing on the federally funded sidewalk project along Depot Street – almost didn’t happen when the presenters were unable to make their PowerPoint presentation work. But when the situation seemed darkest, outgoing board member Dan […]
1 incumbent, 2 write-ins vie for Chester seats Whelan hopes to retain Select Board post as Dakin, Blair seek victory as write-ins
Over the last four years, Chester’s races for Select Board have gotten a bit more competitive than in years past, bringing in contenders for the open seats as more voters seek to get involved in government. But when Ben Whalen petitioned to be on the March 5 ballot to seek a fourth one-year seat on […]
Ben Whalen: Chester needs to be good for people and business
By Shawn Cunningham ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Ben Whalen is seeking a fourth one-year term on the Chester Select Board after having won low-key campaigns in contested elections in 2016 and 2017 and an uncontested one in 2018. This year, Whalen’s name stands alone on the ballot for two one-year terms after incumbent Lee Gustafson […]
Scott Blair: Chester is a family town, not just a historic place
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Scott Blair sees Chester as a family town that attracts tourists, but he does not see tourism as the town’s primary economic driver. Instead, he says, that economic driver is small business and he believes the town needs to do a better job encouraging them. “The town […]
Leigh Dakin: Role of Select Board in economic development should be high
By Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Leigh Dakin is ready to get back into the game. In the 1980s, she served nine years on the Chester Select Board and, more recently, six as a state representative in Montpelier. With her new grandson, she’s been enjoying a retirement from a long career in nursing. But […]
Pisha rebukes Grafton board on Rt. 35 facts Grafton Administrator Kearns seeks 'date certain' on repairs
By Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a forceful letter, Chester Town Manager David Pisha has rebuked the Grafton Select Board for discussing Chester’s plans regarding repairs to Route 35 without calling the town first “to find out the facts.” “That is not how I would expect neighbors to behave,” he wrote in a […]
Grafton board chair ‘as private citizen’ starts drive to force Chester to repair Route 35
By Cynthia Prairie and Shawn Cunningham ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Members of the Grafton Select Board are hoping to push the Chester Select Board to expedite repairs to Route 35 from the Williams River bridge to the Grafton line, after its chairman, Joe Pollio, mounted a petition drive that could possibly lead to court action. […]
Chester board picks ‘design/build’ for emergency services building Reviews no bid contract with Russell Construction in executive session
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board voted to go with a “design-build” process rather than traditional bidding for the proposed emergency services building, but not without objections by one member. “I believe in process and I don’t think we did our due diligence here,” said board member Heather Chase, […]
Chester gets state grant for EV charging station Hopes to have Cobleigh site up by late summer
By Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester is one of nine towns and organizations to be awarded a state grant to install an electric vehicle charging station. Gov. Phil Scott announced the $400,000 in Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Grant Program awards last week. Town Administrative Assistant Julie Hance, who wrote the grant proposal for […]
Michigan authorities arrest man in GM threat
© 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC A 23-year-old Michigan man was arrested yesterday in connection with an online threat made against a Green Mountain High School student and against the school on Monday, according to Vermont State Police. Police have said that the threat made on Monday, Feb. 4 was traced to a person “in the […]
When a child’s text message of love is ominous A mother and son tell their story
By Cynthia Prairie © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Heidi Skinner was at her computer Thursday morning researching colleges for her 18-year-old daughter Camille when a text message came in from her 14-year-old son Isaiah. Besides Camille and Isaiah, Skinner has another child at GM, 12-year-old Hannah. It was 11:27 a.m. and Isaiah wrote, “I love […]
GM High in lockdown; students moved to Legion
Here are links to the latest stories on the school lockdown. – When a child’s text message of love is ominous – Chief Cloud confirms two GM threats are related Green Mountain High School received a call this morning, Thursday, Feb. 7, that prompted school officials to call police. The Telegraph could not determine the […]
GM threat came from Midwest Concerned GM, CAES parents kept children home
© 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester Police have identified the person making a threat against Green Mountain High School as someone in the Midwest, according to Principal Lauren Fierman. Fierman issued a press release on Tuesday that gave a bit more information about the threat, which had many parents concerned enough to keep their children […]
Police probe threat against Green Mountain High
© 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Two Rivers Supervisory Union is saying that a “threat directed at” Green Mountain High School has prompted a police probe today and police presence on campus when classes resume tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 5. According to a TRSU press release, Chief Richard Cloud of the Chester Police Department today informed […]
No candidate for one Chester Select Board seat Hopefuls also lacking for nine other positions
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester Select Board member Dan Cote, serving a three-year term, apparently is not running again, but incumbent member Lee Gustafson, who has served two one-year terms, is running for that three-year term. And Ben Whalen is seeking re-election to a one-year term. However, by deadline at 5 […]
Open posts in Chester as Town Meeting approaches
© Telegraph Publishing LLC On March 5, 2019, Chester voters will have the opportunity to chose people to represent them in town government and on the school board. Anyone interested in serving in an elected office will need to petition to have his or her name put on the ballot. Petition forms for the positions […]
Chester Board OKs sending budget to voters $4.059 million plan would add 1.25 cents to property tax rate
By Shawn Cunningham © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC With little fanfare and one dissenting vote, the Chester Select Board approved sending the 2019 general fund budget, with a $49,767 increase over last year, to the voters on Monday, March 4. The $4.059 million budget requires a tax increase of 1.25 cents per hundred of assessed value […]
Ryan Stocker arraigned on two new charges Recordings of prison phone calls led police to 4th victim
By Shawn Cunningham ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC WHITE RIVER JUNCTION Authorities have added two new felony charges and a fourth victim to the cases against Ryan Stocker of Chester. Stocker, 20, was arrested on Thursday and arraigned this afternoon in Windsor County Superior Court Criminal Division in White River Junction. Stocker was first charged as […]
