Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
Chester boards meet to kick off Town Plan revisions Planners want public input early and often
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC With work on a new Town Plan just getting under way, last week the Chester Select Board hosted a meeting of several of its appointed boards to share their thoughts on the plan and the process to rewrite the current version. In Vermont, any town that has […]
Green Mountain graduates 47 as thunderstorms avoid Chester Photo gallery of an evening to remember
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC The possibility of rain passed by mid-afternoon Friday and the sun was shining through high clouds as 44 members of the Class of 2026 marched out to Pomp and Circumstance and took their seats set up on the lawn of the high school. A little over an […]
Chester Economic Development Commission agenda for June 24
The Chester Economic Development Commission will hold its regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday June 24 at Town Hall, 556 Elm Street and remotely via Zoom. Below is the Commission’s agenda 1. Approve Minutes from Previous Meeting (May 27, 2026) 2. Citizen Comments 3. Discuss / Approve updates to business directory 4. Discuss / […]
News Analysis: Transforming Vermont’s education system, again As House bill 955 enters the final stretch, here's what's coming at us
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC As this article is being written, H. 955 is still just a bill. Before it can begin “transforming Vermont’s education system,” it must be checked and double checked for typos and other errors before being sent on to Gov. Phil Scott. His staff will also give it […]
GM outlines $3 million PCB remediation this summer
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC It was June 2023 when the Green Mountain Unified School District board heard that its high school was contaminated with Polychlorinated Biphenyls or PCBs. “Unfortunately, this will dominate our conversation for the foreseeable future, ” Facilities Director Todd Parah said at that time. Fast forward to a […]
GM school bus runs into ditch, jostling students on route to Cavendish
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC A Green Mountain School District bus driver, heading north from Chester, pulled over to settle down some rambunctious students just after 3 this Friday afternoon but ended up in the ditch on Route 103 in the Proctorsville Gulf, jostling the passengers as he came to a stop. […]
GMUSD board wrestles with bullying and governance
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Last Thursday’s Green Mountain Unified School District Board meeting took up the second half of the behemoth agenda that the board started the week before. Before beginning the meeting, board chair Lisa Sanders of Cavendish asked that only one person speak at a time, with no side […]
Andover Select Board agenda for June 8
The Andover Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday June 8 at the 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 May 11th meeting. 4. Public Comment (Time allowance: Five minutes per visitor, 10 […]
Chester ‘All boards/committees’ meeting agenda for June 9
The Chester Select Board will hold an “All Boards” meeting as the town begins to work on the next iteration of its town plan. The meeting will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St. and remotely via Zoom. Aside from the Select Board, the meeting […]
GMUSD board hears of bullying, threats to inclusion at high school Board accepts resignations of two principals
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC While new GMUSD board chair Lisa Sanders played catch-up on a backlog of work by splitting the agenda and scheduling an additional meeting for May, the board got an earful from the public and continued its combative internal dynamic at its May 21 confab. The board will […]
Chester begins Town Plan update; ‘all boards’ public meeting on June 9 to coordinate effort
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a couple of weeks, Chester will hold an “all boards” meeting, bringing together many of the boards, committees and commissions that work on issues facing the town. That Tuesday, June 9 public meeting will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Town Hall and remotely […]
Chester board hears that audits will show no deficits, reservoir dam recommendations
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC At last Wednesday’s meeting, the Chester Select Board got a bit of good news when Town Manager Julie Hance announced that there was no negative fund balance or deficit for 2024 or 2025. Back in January, Hance said that although the town received a clean audit for […]
GM budget passes by wide margin; Cavendish Elementary principal resigns
****Article updated at 5 p.m. Wednesday with quote from Superintendent Layne Millington.**** By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC On March 3 – Town Meeting Day – 1,013 residents of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester went to the polls and by a margin of 37 votes defeated the budget proposal put forward by […]
What to know about the GMUSD budget re-vote
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a little less than a week, residents of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester will get a second chance to vote on the proposed budget of the Green Mountain Unified School District. The district runs two elementary schools and a single high/middle school. On March 3, voters […]
Repeals of Act 181 portions zip through Legislature '...a lot of things went sideways ... but this solves the problem, for now'
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Vermont Legislature sometimes gets the reputation for being ponderously slow but last week it showed it could move lightning fast when large numbers of people are up in arms about the effects of a law — and it’s an election year. As regular readers will know, […]
Andover Select Board agenda for May 11
The Andover Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday May 11 at the Andover Town Office, 953 Weston-Andover Road 1. Call Meeting to Order. 2. Act on Agenda. 3. Act on Minutes of April 27th meeting. 4. Public Comment (Time allowance: Five minutes per visitor, 10 minutes per topic): Members […]
House Environment committee votes to move Act 181 repeal bill forward
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC By a roll call vote this morning (Thursday, April 30), the Vermont House Committee on the Environment unanimously approved a heavily revised version of Senate bill 325 and sent it on to the full House. The newly minted legislation, among other things, repeals Act 181’s Road Rule […]
Rural Caucus hears update on Act 181 changes
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Vermont Legislature’s Rural Caucus — which recently sent a letter to House Speaker Jill Krowinski urging the repeal of portions of Act 181 — heard an update this morning from Rep. Rob North on the status of that move. North, of Ferrisburg, sits on the House […]
Judge clears way for Piri murder trial early next year Five week trial expected, complicating scheduling
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC A Windham County Superior Court judge has denied a defense motion to dismiss second-degree murder charges against Jozsef Piri, paving the way for a five week long trial sometime early in 2027. Piri is accused of shooting and killing Roberto Fonseca-Rivera – a Boston truck driver – […]
Chester Fire & EMS receive VFW commendations Manchester Post recognizes first responders to mark its 80th anniversary
By Shawn Cunningham © 2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC On April 9, Steve Leach — a representative of the Harned-Fowler VFW Post 6471 of Manchester — visited Chester’s Public Safety Building to present the fire and ambulance departments with VFW Community Service certificates. Leach said that April 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of Post 6471’s National […]