Featured Articles

Chester board to consider Act 250 ‘tier status’; rural areas to see tighter rules

By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Wednesday, the Chester Select Board will hold a meeting with only one topic to be discussed in the public: “Adopt Municipal Resolution on Tier 1B Status.” This is part of a new law that exempts downtowns and village centers from Act 250 regulations to increase the […]

Candidates’ Night forum in Chester on Tuesday Feb. 17

© 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Tuesday evening, Feb. 17, the Town of Chester will host an opportunity for voters to meet and hear from candidates running for seats on  the boards of the Whiting Library and Green Mountain Unified School District as well as the Chester Select Board. The candidate forum will take place […]

Class 4 roads continue to generate dust-ups for Chester board

By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board is having quite a moment with Class 4 roads, a subject that heats up from time to time like a dormant volcano. While the board has been working on a policy for the use of those ancient rights of way — which the […]

Small Chester group gathers in vigil for 2nd Minnesota killing

By Cynthia Prairie ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC He lived and died 1,300 miles to the west, in a climate familiar to all, in cold and snowy Minneapolis, Minn. No one at Monday night’s vigil on Chester’s Green knew him. But the 17 people who showed up in 19-degree weather during a late afternoon snow squall […]

Peru Fair ends but warm memories will live on

By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie* © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC After more than 40 years in, the annual Peru Fair’s 2025 edition was its last, organizers recently announced, much to the surprise of many vendors and fairgoers. The fair began as a tag sale in 1978 according to the organization’s website. In a Jan. […]

Chester Board adds vote on local option tax to Town Meeting warning

By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than a year after it was originally brought up and after several months of discussion with the public, the Chester Select Board decided at its Jan. 7 meeting to put the question of adding 1 percent to the current sales tax on rooms, meals and alcohol […]

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  • To the editor: Charlton focused on what is good for Vermont

    To the editor: Charlton focused on what is good for Vermont

    I’ve read four letters to the editor in The Chester Telegraph about Rep. Tom Charlton’s constituents conversation Friday, Feb. 6, which I attended. I will add that I am not a constituent but like to learn what is going on in Montpelier. Rep. Charlton spoke for close to two hours. The first 30 minutes focused […]

  • To the editor: Jonynas brings years of valuable service to Chester Select Board

    To the editor: Jonynas brings years of valuable service to Chester Select Board

    We are writing to express our strong support for Arne Jonynas as he seeks re-election to the Chester Select Board. During his time in office, Arne has demonstrated integrity, steady leadership, sound judgment and a deep commitment to the residents of Chester. Serving on a select board requires careful attention to budgets, infrastructure, public safety […]

  • Op-ed: The education governance debate is about more than maps

    Op-ed: The education governance debate is about more than maps

    By Jack Hoffman Vermont’s current education debate seems stuck on what to do first: Overhaul the governance structure and then reform the funding system, or do something about spending and then re-draw school district maps? Governance should be the priority, but it’s not about the maps. The first question is whether Montpelier is going to […]

  • To the editor: Benelli would serve Chester students, families on GM school board

    To the editor: Benelli would serve Chester students, families on GM school board

    Patricia Benelli, my former law partner, would be a thoughtful member of the Green Mountain Union School District board of directors. She is experienced in education as a former teacher and involved in many activities throughout the Chester community, including Justice of the Peace, Trustee of the Whiting Library and member of the Chester Board […]

  • Op-ed: How I became a conservative

    Op-ed: How I became a conservative

    By Madeline Bodin ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC I was standing in the cold and the rain on the lawn of the Vermont State House. I was clutching a sign that said, “Protect the US Constitution” in red, white and blue letters. I had colored in some of the letters to look like a flag. As […]

  • To the editor: Are requests for donations at Town Meeting too much?

    To the editor: Are requests for donations at Town Meeting too much?

    Town Meeting is Monday evening, March 2 at Chester Town Hall, 556 Elm St. It begins at 6 p.m. We have lived in Chester in the same house for 57 years. Living in Chester has been wonderful.  We had good jobs, a few in Chester and our children received an excellent education. The services in the […]

  • To the editor: De-escalation begins with those who hold the power

    To the editor: De-escalation begins with those who hold the power

    How we frame responsibility and fault in a crisis is critical to democracy. It shapes who we hold accountable and what changes we demand. When we talk about de-escalation, the first responsibility lies with those who are using state force with lethal consequences — not with civilians exercising multiple constitutional freedoms, including the First Amendment […]

  • To the editor: Vermont Senate, government take actions to protect its residents

    To the editor: Vermont Senate, government take actions to protect its residents

    Saturday, Feb. 7 marked a full year of Woodstock area residents, non-residents and visitors, meeting daily, noon to 1 p.m., at Tribou Park in Woodstock to peacefully protest the assaults on our country’s democracy by our current federal administration. Undaunted by foul weather, this tenacious group, with their creative signs and determined spirits, stand up […]

  • To the editor: Rep. Charlton should stand with constituents

    To the editor: Rep. Charlton should stand with constituents

    Rep. Tom Charlton on Friday evening held a meeting with his constituents at Chester Town Hall. His first order of business was to explain his vote against a resolution critical of ICE actions in U.S. cities. Despite his soft-spoken demeanor, Rep. Charlton’s words quickly became unsettling. He repeatedly attempted to conjure a false equivalence between […]

  • To the editor: Are Charlton's loyalties with Constitution or Trump administration?

    To the editor: Are Charlton’s loyalties with Constitution or Trump administration?

    I attended state Rep. Tom Charlton’s pubic forum on Friday, Feb. 6. I was dismayed when he attempted to equate protesters armed with phone cameras and whistles to the physical assaults, property damage, kidnapping and murder by ICE agents. The thousands of protesters across the country have shown remarkable restraint in the face of horrendous […]

  • To the editor: Charlton's vote sorely disappointing

    To the editor: Charlton’s vote sorely disappointing

    I’ve never had the opportunity to chat with state Rep. Tom Charlton, but my impressions from afar have been pretty positive. That said, I’m very disappointed in my state representative right now. Just as I was thinking that more people are seeing the true colors of the Trump administration and about how to bridge our […]

  • To the editor: An open letter to Sheriff Palmer

    To the editor: An open letter to Sheriff Palmer

    To Sheriff Ryan Palmer: We write to you in our capacity as the elected representatives and senators of Windsor County during a moment of significant challenge for both the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department and the broader community it serves. Let it be clear from the outset that we respect the principle of due process and […]

  • Andover Select Board agenda for Feb. 9

    Andover Select Board agenda for Feb. 9

    The Andover Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday Feb. 9, 2026 at the Andover Town Office, 953 Weston-Andover Road. Below is the board’s agenda. 1. Call Meeting to Order. 2. Act on Agenda. 3. Act on Minutes of January 26th meeting. 4. Public Comment (Time allowance: Five minutes per […]

  • Art exhibit and 'soup to nuts' lunch in Chester Feb. 14

    Art exhibit and ‘soup to nuts’ lunch in Chester Feb. 14

    First Universalist Parish of Chester, 211 North St. in the historic Stone Village, will sponsor an exhibit featuring original art by members of the Stone Village Art Guild and a Soup to Nuts Lunch prepared by parish members on Saturday, Feb 14. The Art Exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and […]

  • To the editor: Charlton misses an opportunity to condemn government violence against citizens

    To the editor: Charlton misses an opportunity to condemn government violence against citizens

    On Jan. 29, Rep. Tom Charlton voted no to the Vermont’s state legislature’s expression of approval for Gov. Scott’s statement regarding ICE’s actions in Minnesota. His explanation was that the governor “missed an opportunity to call for de-escalation on all sides.”  (The full text of the resolution can be read here.) This explanation is in […]

  • Vocal trio In the Rough performs Feb. 15 in Weston

    Vocal trio In the Rough performs Feb. 15 in Weston

    Old Parish Church, Wilder Memorial Library and Little Yellow House Studio present A Midwinter Afternoon with In The Rough at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Old Parish Church, 100 Main St. in Weston. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. In The Rough (Lisa Brigantino, Lori Brigantino and Andover resident Susan Haefner) has been […]

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