Archive for 2020
Distance learning, meal delivery begin within GM school district
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Shortly after 7 a.m. on Thursday, buses rolled up in front of the Green Mountain High School in Chester as staff members pushed carts and sheet pan racks filled with boxes of bagged meals through the wet snow for students who are staying home until at least […]
Vermont announces first 2 deaths from Covid-19
By Cynthia Prairie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Gov. Phil Scott called an emergency press conference in Montpelier this evening with Vermont Health Secretary Mark Levine to announce that the state has experienced its first two deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, the state has said that 22 people have tested positive for the virus, which […]
GMUSD Board agenda for March 19
The Green Mountain Unified School District Board will hold its regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday March 19 at Two Rivers Supervisory Union, 609 VT-103 in Ludlow and remotely by electronic means. Contact the Two Rivers Supervisory Union for instructions on connecting to the the meeting at 875-3365 I. CALL TO ORDER: a. Roll […]
Chester Select Board agenda for March 18
The Chester Select Board will hold its regular meeting on Wednesday March 18 at its new time of 6 p.m. in the Chester Town Hall, 556 Elm Street. Below is its agenda. 1. Approve Minutes from the March 4, 2020 Selectboard Meeting 2. Citizen Comments 3. Old Business 4. Discussion regarding Academy Building Lease 5. […]
Weston cemetery commish loses seat as non-voter
By Bruce Frauman © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Resident Donald Hart told the Weston Select Board on Tuesday, March 10 that one of the elections on Town Meeting Day the previous week was illegal. Judy Poissant had been elected to a five-year term on the Cemetery Commission but is not registered to vote in Weston, […]
Home Work: Flood Brook teachers, admin, students prep for learning under Covid-19
By Bruce Frauman ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Flood Brook School Principal Neal McIntyre on Monday, March 16 met with his teaching and administrative staffs to plan for the state-mandated closing of all schools, which started today, Wednesday, March 18. On Sunday, Gov. Phil Scott had ordered all K-12 schools closed at least until April 6 […]
To the editor: Family Center changes process for food pickup
The Chester-Andover Family Center is putting new procedures in place regarding how we carry out our mission to make a difference in our community by providing resources for financial assistance, supplemental, nutritional food, affordable clothing and household goods. Beginning immediately, our Thrift Shop will be closed until Thursday, April 16. We will continue to provide […]
To the editor: Humane Society closes to public
The Springfield Humane Society will be closed to the public, including all volunteers, effective Wednesday, March 18. Adoptions will be handled online, and appointments will made once an application has been processed and approved. Please go to our website, our Facebook page, and our Petfinder page to see pets we have for adoption. Fill out […]
Businesses feel strain, adapt to Covid-19
By Cynthia Prairie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Throughout our Southern Vermont communities, many retail and tourist-dependent businesses began planning several weeks ago for the annual mudseason slowdown. At that time, word was just beginning to spread about the coronavirus that was wreaking havoc in China, and just barely touching Italy . Now that Covid-19 is […]
Area restaurants offer take-out during shutdown A directory of local eateries
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Even before Gov. Phil Scott’s order to close all bars and restaurants to sit-down service statewide from 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 17 til at least Monday, April 6, Southern Vermont restaurants were already making that change, creating limited menus and taking phone orders only for pickup and delivery. For those […]
Scott closes child care centers to most starting Wednesday, COVID positives up to 17 Urges private centers, orders others to care for children of 'essential persons'
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC It was a seemingly quiet day on the Vermont coronavirus beat with scarcely a peep from the any of the authorities involved in containing the pandemic. Until 6:57 p.m. when the Health Department sent out its daily update with numbers but no statement that the state had […]
Chester DRB meeting agenda for March 23
The Chester Development Review Board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, March 23 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St. Below is its agenda. 1) Review draft minutes from the March 9th meeting 2) Citizens comments 3) Deliberative session to review previous or current matters
Restaurants ordered closed, state agencies, courts alter operating processes Wrap-up of today's government changes that may impact you
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Gathering the news now is a bit like drinking from a fire hose. Here are today’s updates. On a normal news day, any one of these would be a big story. Monday morning, Gov. Phil Scott held a press conference with members of his cabinet to answer […]
UPDATE: State announces 4 new COVID-19 cases for a total of 12
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC UPDATE MARCH 16 1:45 P.M. The Vermont Department of Health Laboratory reported another four cases of the new coronavirus COVID-19. All are Vermont residents. To date, the lab has reported eight positive cases among Vermonters, and four cases among people not from Vermont. These Vermont lab results […]
To the editor: Cavendish Library to close but continue offering some services
Out of concern for the community, the Cavendish Fletcher Community Library will close to the public until further notice. All library programs are cancelled until Monday, April 6, when the library board will make a further determination. During this time, we will be stocking the library entrance way with free books and movies, refreshed daily. […]
Free Range to offer free to-go family dinners Donations of produce, money sought to bolster effort
By Cynthia Prairie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Jason Tostrup, chef and owner of the Free Range restaurant in Chester, and Andover resident Chris Meyer are teaming up to ensure that Chester and Andover families — especially those with school children — are provided with some dinners over the next eight weeks of the Covid-19 crisis. […]
Obituary: Marina Dorothy Kelley, 19, of Chester
Marina Dorothy Kelley, 19, daughter of Frank and Julie Kelley and granddaughter of Richard and Brenda Dansingburg, all of Chester, passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, March 14, 2020. She lived her life with a unique genetic, neurological disorder, facing her challenges with a similarly unique flair. Unable to walk, she played, skied, […]
Share your solutions: Coping under COVID-19
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC How are you coping with the changes that are taking place as our world tries to deal with the coronavirus pandemic? What tips would you like to share with your neighbors to help us all deal with the challenges such as school closings for parents and children, the problems caused […]
Op-ed: Trust in government depends on transparency Sunshine Week spotlights the importance of access to public information
By Jim Condos Secretary of State Trust in government is at an all-time low. As you can see playing out before our eyes in the news today, integrity is at a premium in times of crisis. Truth and transparency are necessary to effective leadership. In Vermont, we take great pride in having a government that […]
Left in Andover: Post WWII’s seagoing cowboys and the milk of kindness
By Susan Leader ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC One of the very first relief operations undertaken by the fledging United Nations, from its inception in 1945 through 1947, was to send several hundred boatloads of cows and horses to resupply war ravaged eastern Europe with livestock. This was a cooperative initiative with the Brethren Service Committee […]
