RSSArchive for April, 2012

Select Board appointment error throws Dollar General OK into question

Select Board appointment error throws Dollar General OK into question

By Cynthia Prairie Confusion on the part of the Select Board over when appointments to the Development Review Board are made could throw into question the DRB’s recent decision to allow a Dollar General store to be built, as well as other actions it may have taken since the beginning of March. (You can read […]

Kelley named Vermont History Teacher of the Year

Kelley named Vermont History Teacher of the Year

By Stephen Seitz The spotlight of recognition shone on Chester-Andover Elementary School teacher Frank Kelley recently, as he was named Gilder Lehrman Vermont History Teacher of the Year for 2011-2012. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is a nonprofit organization that promotes the study of American history and provides resources to help teachers. Each […]

CVPS must repay ratepayers $21 million

By Leigh Dakin The repayment of the $21 million loan to CVPS from ratepayers has emerged as a hot issue in the closing days of this legislative session.  Early on, I joined as a co-sponsor of the House bill to require this repayment. For me, this is a simple question of fairness and fulfilling a […]

Bourque leaving GM School Board after 7 years

Bourque leaving GM School Board after 7 years

By Rebecca Salem After seven years serving as chair of the Green Mountain Union High School Board, Bill Bourque will be stepping down in July. He and his family are moving west – from Andover to Manchester, VT. Bourque became chairman of the school board shortly after joining in 2005. At that time, he was […]

The Telegraph Poll: Should the Dollar General be built in Chester, will you shop there?

DRB approves Dollar General proposal

DRB approves Dollar General proposal

By Cynthia Prairie The Chester Development Review Board has approved the proposal for a 9,100-square-foot Dollar General store on a 1.4-acre empty parcel southeast of Main Street Pizza, former home to Zachary’s Pizza House. The decision was 3 to 2, and voted on Monday night, April 16. The DRB did place 35 conditions upon the […]

Plan your Green Up Day, May 5th

Plan your Green Up Day, May 5th

Every spring, Green Up Vermont sponsors a day of road cleaning to sweep away the winter’s trash. This year, volunteers will be Greening Up on Saturday, May 5th. Anyone interested in helping with a section of one of Chester’s roads can contact the Town’s Green Up coordinator, Frank Kelley at fjmkelley@gmail.com. He will put you […]

Green Mountain Honor Roll announced for 3rd quarter

Green Mountain Honor Roll announced for 3rd quarter

Green Mountain Union High School has announced its Honor Roll for the 3rd Quarter. Honors Middle School Honors are earned by those students with one off-setting grade not below a C-. (There must be an A+, A, or A- to offset the one grade of a C+, C or C-). High School Honors means that […]

Lego assembly clicks at St. Luke's

Lego assembly clicks at St. Luke’s

About 75 children and adults were present as 33 Lego scene creations were entered in St. Luke’s Episcopal Church’s Lego scene contest on Saturday April 14th.  The contest was open to children from pre-K to grade 6 with the proceeds going to benefit St. Luke’s and the Whiting Library Children’s Room.  The church was abuzz […]

15 from GMUHS named to National Honor Society

15 from GMUHS named to National Honor Society

Fifteen students from Green Mountain Union High School have been named to the National Honor Society, Flamstead Chapter, announced Ally Oswald, NHS adviser and GMUHS guidance counselor. The 91-year-old National Honor Society, with chapters in all 50 states, honors students who have “demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Character,” according to […]

To the Editor: An open letter to the Development Review Board

The process that began – for me at least – on July 25, 2011 with a hearing on subdividing the Zachary’s Pizza House property to build a 9,100-square-foot Dollar General is coming to a head. You, the members of Chester’s Development Review Board, will soon announce the results of your deliberations on the issue. Those […]

Easter Bunny arrives in Chester

Easter Bunny arrives in Chester

The Easter Bunny hopped into Chester Saturday morning under blue skies and to the welcoming smiles of 75 kids and their parents, as the Chester Rotary once again hosted its Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Chester-Andover Elementary School. Chocolate eggs were spread like grass seed across lawn, garden and the Castle playground by Rotary members, […]

Jersey Girls to be featured at Beard Foundation Dinner in NYC

Jersey Girls to be featured at Beard Foundation Dinner in NYC

By Cynthia Prairie Chester’s own Jersey Girls Dairy will receive the honor of being featured by the James Beard Foundation at one of its rare Chef-Farmer Dinners, to be prepared by Chef Jason Tostrup of the Weathersfield Inn.  The dinner, which will be held on June 4 at the foundation headquarters — the late James […]

Restoration brightens, gives accessibility to Stone Church

Restoration brightens, gives accessibility to Stone Church

By Cynthia Prairie When congregants returned in January to the historic First Universalist Parish in the Stone Village after a four-month restoration project, they were met with jewel red carpeting and sunny yellow walls that draw eyes to the stunning stained glass windows. But the major aspects of the $270,000 project involved adding safety features […]

State to continue to push Green Mountain Care

State to continue to push Green Mountain Care

Rep. Dakin reassures as Supreme Court decides federal law By Stephen Seitz Whatever the U.S. Supreme Court decides to do about health care, the state will do its best to go forward with its Green Mountain Care plan, according to state Rep. Leigh Dakin. Dakin gave her assessment Monday, April 2 at the Fullerton Inn, […]

To the Editor: Mental Health Bill Welcomed

My perspective concerning mental health matters comes, firstly, as a family member of persons who fell into the public mental health system. It is also informed by my own experiences within the mental health system as well. In my view, when someone is experiencing a crisis of one fashion or another, including acute episodes of […]