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Chester Master Plan steering committee expands to 10; other appointments on hold

Chester Master Plan steering committee expands to 10; other appointments on hold

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The long awaited master planning process for downtown Chester is about to begin its year-long run and at its Oct. 5 meeting, the town’s Select Board was slated to appoint its steering committee, but there was a twist. As late as Wednesday morning at the Chester Economic […]

Chester board hears about affordable housing, public trees and historic buildings

Chester board hears about affordable housing, public trees and historic buildings

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board did a lot of listening at its Sept. 21 meeting, with presentations on affordable housing and public trees as well as monthly financial updates and more than half an hour of public comments. Wendy Harrison, director of Development and Community Relations for the […]

A taxing day in Chester

A taxing day in Chester

© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Paying your annual property taxes is no fun, but collecting them is no picnic either as The Telegraph found when visiting the Chester Town Clerk’s office on Sept. 15 just two and a half hours before the deadline. Nevertheless, Town Clerk Deb Aldrich and Assistant Town Clerk Julie Hance put […]

Chester board considers sex offender ordinance

Chester board considers sex offender ordinance

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Two items on the agenda for Sept. 7 meeting of the Chester Select Board brought out interested residents: a proposed ordinance to limit where sex offenders could live in Chester and a discussion of whether 19 roads that are plowed and maintained by the town are in […]

Jack Coleman, force behind Chester's Players Guild, Overture to Christmas, dies at 95

Jack Coleman, force behind Chester’s Players Guild, Overture to Christmas, dies at 95

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC To the wider world, John Royston Coleman was the accomplished economist, college president, central banker, foundation executive and author who took off for the hills of Vermont to run a country inn. But to people in Chester — where he settled to run The Inn at Long […]

Fallen tree on power lines shuts down Route 11

Fallen tree on power lines shuts down Route 11

By Shawn Cunningham © Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Fire Department was called out at about 7 a.m. this morning for a tree that had fallen from the hillside on Route 11 just west of Adams Road. According to Fire Department Capt. Ben Whalen, the tree was laying on the power lines, which were arcing. […]

Chester water rates increase; Coach Road water pipes to be 'looped'

Chester water rates increase; Coach Road water pipes to be ‘looped’

By Christian Avard © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester residents and second homeowners will be seeing an increase in water rates with their next bill. Acting as the town’s Water Commissioners, the Chester Select Board approved a $2 water rate increase at its Aug. 17 meeting. Water users will be charged $46 per equivalent unit […]

Another water rate hike on tap in Chester; Select Board ethics policy debate continues

Another water rate hike on tap in Chester; Select Board ethics policy debate continues

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board, at its Wednesday, Aug. 3 meeting, decided not to act on a recommendation from Town Manager David Pisha to approve a water rate increase. Instead, the five-member panel will warn the rate increase for the next meeting — Aug. 17 — and make […]

Bock wins Democratic Primary in Windsor 3-1; victory in November seems assured

Bock wins Democratic Primary in Windsor 3-1; victory in November seems assured

By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Tom Bock sprinted to a victory over Melody Reed in the Democratic Primary for Vermont state representative from the Windsor 3-1 District, which includes Chester, Andover, Baltimore and North Springfield. Despite ballot counting glitches in Andover and Baltimore, by 9:30 p.m. it appeared that Bock […]

14 in Chester honored for 20-plus years of service

14 in Chester honored for 20-plus years of service

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Before getting down to a regular agenda on Wednesday, Aug. 3, the Chester Select Board took a few minutes to recognize 14 people who have served the town of Chester for as many as 35 years. The Vermont Public Service Award is given every five years by […]

Two superload trucks knock out power, Internet, cable in separate Chester accidents

Two superload trucks knock out power, Internet, cable in separate Chester accidents

© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Two “superloads,” being driven from Ohio, brought down fiber-optic lines along Route 103 just north of the Stone Village, and electric, fiber-optic and cable lines on Route 103 South at Sylvan Road, in separate but almost simultaneous accidents late this afternoon. Superloads are even larger than the common wideloads seen […]

Grafton group seeks to sway Chester board against wind project

Grafton group seeks to sway Chester board against wind project

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The July 20 Chester Select Board was a presentation-rich environment, with information on an impending townwide reappraisal and an offer to donate the north shore of the Rainbow Rock swimming hole to the town. The longest, however, was a PowerPoint presentation by opponents of the wind project […]

Truck closes Route 11 in midday accident

Truck closes Route 11 in midday accident

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC At about noon today, Wednesday, July 20, a concrete pumping truck traveling west on Route 11 in Londonderry ran off the highway, crashed into some trees and wound up half overturned in the ditch. The accident closed the road for the entire afternoon and remained closed at […]

In Chester, man arrested in assault, troopers save OD victim

In Chester, man arrested in assault, troopers save OD victim

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Friday night was a busy one for Chester Police with two major incidents back to back. At about 10:30 p.m., Chester Police, Vermont State Police and Springfield Police responded to a home in the area of Highland Court where an argument between a man and a woman […]

Police continue hunt for thief of GMUHS class gift; donations, reward offered

Police continue hunt for thief of GMUHS class gift; donations, reward offered

Chester Police continue to run down clues in search of the thief who stole a 65-inch flat screen TV from Green Mountain Union High School late last Thursday night. The screen, valued at $1,000, was the gift from the Class of 2016, which graduated in June. It had a arrived at the school that day […]

Chester tax rates decline; water tank, pipeline contracts awarded

Chester tax rates decline; water tank, pipeline contracts awarded

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a busy meeting on Wednesday night, the Chester Select Board set this year’s tax rate, heard a report from the town’s outside auditor, approved hiring several  contractors for master planning and for work on the water system, made three Development Review Board appointments, got updates on […]

Chester temporarily chlorinates public water

Chester temporarily chlorinates public water

Temporary chlorination of Chester’s public water system began this evening — Friday, July 8 — to prevent problems that could be caused by the continuing water pipe replacement work, pressure testing and flushing that has been taking place along Route 103, says Jeff Holden, Chester’s water and sewer superintendent. He adds that residents shouldn’t experience […]

Burglar steals GMUHS graduating class gift

Burglar steals GMUHS graduating class gift

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Police Department is looking for the person who broke into Green Mountain Union High School last night and stole the gift that the Class of 2016 had given to the school at graduation last month. At about 11:45 p.m. Thursday, July 7, Chester Police responded […]

Chester residents slow Planning Board action on development bylaws

Chester residents slow Planning Board action on development bylaws

By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The June 20 Chester Planning Commission meeting was a testy affair as the board tried to wrap up the changes to the Unified Development Bylaws and move the process toward Select Board adoption while a group of residents questioned a number of the board’s procedural as well […]

On lawyer's advice, Chester board moves toward claiming Yosemite

On lawyer’s advice, Chester board moves toward claiming Yosemite

By Shawn Cunningham ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board voted on Monday night to have the town’s attorney begin the process of a “quiet title action” to establish a clear title to the Yosemite Firehouse as a first step toward owning the property. The about-face from earlier meetings came when James Carroll — […]