Author Archive for Cynthia Prairie
Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor more than 30 years. She has worked at such publications as the Raleigh Times, the Baltimore News American, the Buffalo Courier Express, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Patuxent Publishing chain of community newspapers in Maryland. She and her family moved to Chester, Vermont in 2004.
Editorial: Next step in openness: Process, clarity in school budgeting
By Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC With the satisfactory resolution of the Open Meeting Law violation and other issues, the Green Mountain Unified District Board of Directors seems to be getting a firm grip on its responsibilities, stepping away from the rubber-stamp function that seems expected by the Two Rivers Supervisory Union. But the […]
Editorial: The public wins out at GMUSD board
By Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Democracy is a rough ‘n’ tumble and startling beautiful occurrence. And it is rare to witness it being wrenched back from darkness. But last Thursday night, the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District did just that and handed a resounding victory to you, the public, when […]
After year delay, new CAES playground dedicated
©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Fund-raising and planning took quite a number of years. Then, last August, when Chester-Andover Elementary School and the volunteers of the Parent-Teacher Group were ready to welcome kids back to school and celebrate the brand new and very blue playground that they had labored so long for, a water line break […]
Tractor-trailer accident closes Route 103 North of Chester
Time: 8:14 p.m. June 11 A single-vehicle accident involving a tractor-trailer heading south on Route 103, just north of Chester’s Stone Village at Palmer Road, has stopped traffic in both directions. The accident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11. No one was injured. But Chester Fire Department personnel are concerned about fluid from […]
PEOPLE Pajala, Olsen talk politics?; Chester's Hannah Gustafson in title role in 'Snow Queen' at Paramount
©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester’s Hannah Gustafson stars in ‘Snow Queen’ at Paramount Hannah Gustafson of Chester will be dancing the title role of the Snow Queen when the Vermont Center for Dance Education will perform The Snow Queen on Sunday, June 9 at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland. Shows are at 1 and 6 […]
Sunday Artisans Alley Market debuts in Chester
By Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC It was a perfect sunny and cool Sunday morning for the inaugural opening of the Artisans Alley Market in Chester, conceived by Sharon Baker of Sharon’s on the Common to highlight local, small creators and bring more people into downtown Chester during the weekends. Seven vendors, selling everything […]
Grafton softens earlier language, delivers Route 35 petition to Chester
By Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC It took three months, but Grafton Select Board chair Joe Pollio finally delivered the long-awaited petition to Chester Town officials demanding the quick repair of Route 35 in Chester. There is one twist. The petition, whose last of 232 signatures was apparently gathered more than two months ago, […]
Business Ticker Boston Mag gives kudos to Woodcock Farm of Weston; new sign for Sharon's of Chester; Weston Playhouse gets $10,000 NEA grant
Boston Mag gives shoutout to Woodcock Farm Summer Snow cheese Weston’s Woodcock Farm Cheese Co.’s Summer Snow cheese got a shoutout from Boston Magazine in its Ultimate Guide to News England’s Cheese Revolution, in which writer Julia Clancy talks about the New England cheese scene, saying that it “is taking over the world.” One section […]
To the editor: Stratton Mtn. School thanks partners in SMS Gives Back
Thank you to everyone who helped us make Stratton Mountain School’s annual day of giving, SMS Gives Back, a success! Our 167 volunteers put in a cumulative 585 hours of service at 20 organizations throughout the region. Thank you to the following organizations who partnered with us: Bromley Manor Dorset Equine Rescue Equinox Terrace Flood […]
Green Up Day events in our communities
©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC ANDOVER Come help beautify Andover town grounds, clean our roadsides, and spruce up our cemeteries at Andover’s Green Up Day, held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 4. Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at the Andover Town Hall, 954 Andover Road. Vermont Coffee Company coffee and homemade doughnuts […]
Editorial: If you want changes in the school system, drop Facebook, attend board meetings
By Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Since the fall of 2015, The Chester Telegraph has reported extensively on the Two Rivers Supervisory Union, the Act 46 merger plans and votes, the school budgets, new school districts, etc., publishing more than 95 articles about the system in less than four years. These have been highly […]
Chester Alumni Association seeks help with 2019 parade
© 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Alumni Association is seeking participants, sponsors, donations of goods and services for its raffle and dollar donations for this year’s annual Alumni Day Parade and Barbeque, to be held on Saturday, June 8. If your business, organization or family would like to add a float or sponsor a […]
Rt. 35 petition to Chester stalled in Grafton Pollio says he's contacting Chester board; board says no word yet
By Cynthia Prairie ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Despite words that would indicate otherwise, there seems to be little movement on the part of the town of Grafton, which launched a petition drive more than 40 days ago to force the town of Chester to repair Route 35 or be taken to court. Chester officials have […]
Business Ticker Southern Pie moves in with Scoop Shop; Windham Foundation fined; Job Fair in Springfield in April
©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Southern Pie Company, at 287 Main St. next to Six Loose Ladies, has moved in with Main Street Coffee and Scoop Shoppe right up the street at 94 The Common, next door to the Free Range Restaurant. Both shops are owned and operated by Scott and Leslie Blair, who own […]
Explosion, fire destroy Derry guest house
Please see our updated article by clicking here. ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC An unoccupied guest house on a farm at 2843 Winhall Hollow Road in Londonderry exploded and burst into flames shortly before 10 a.m. this morning, bringing in firefighters from as far away as Rockingham and Manchester. No one was injured. The guest house, […]
Andover residents pass budget; elect full board following move of long-time member
By Cynthia Prairie © 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC With the departure of long-time Andover Select Board member Red Johnson to the hinterlands of Virginia, the board has been one member short. That was remedied at Town Meeting on Saturday morning, March 2, when the board was reshuffled a bit and newcomer Jed LaPrise was elected […]
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 […]
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. […]
