Author Archive for Shawn Cunningham
Powden adds foreign language to nurse, principal cuts; refuses to release meeting recording
Editor’s Note: The Chester Telegraph attended the 6 p.m. Jan. 2 meeting of the Green Mountain Unified School District Finance Committee as it worked on the budget for the new school district. Unfortunately our reporter was unable to stay past 7 p.m., but the next morning requested a copy of the digital audio file recorded […]
Master Plan moves to implementation phase; Okemo Chamber seeks Chester board help
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Without final financial numbers for 2017 to finish its work on the budget, the regular meeting of the Chester Select Board handled a number of housekeeping items and heard a plea for help from the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. Executive Assistant Julie Hance told the […]
TRSU Super Powden proposes consolidating nurse, principal functions in new district
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC One agenda item out of more than a dozen – next year’s budget – sucked the oxygen out of the room at last Tuesday night’s meeting of the new Green Mountain Unified School District, held at Cavendish Town Elementary School. The audience of about 15 was unhappy […]
Ludlow residents petition for school merger re-vote, hope to keep BRHS alive
UPDATE: On Wednesday, Dec. 27, Ludlow’s Assistant Town Clerk and Treasurer Pamela Todt confirmed that the petition had 127 valid signatures and is therefore sufficient to cause a re-vote of the merger with Mount Holly. By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC With just two days left until a Dec. 28 deadline, voters in […]
Magic ‘Best in Snow’ again, continues work on upgrades
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC More than a foot of snow last Tuesday was an auspicious sign for the Magic Mountain ski area just days before opening, as its new owners continued to refurbish and upgrade the 57-year-old ski area in their second season of operation. But the news that came this […]
Storm yields another crop of accidents: ‘Slow down’ says VSP
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC “It’s pretty simple,” said Sgt. Chris Buckley of the Vermont State Police Westminster barracks, “you can’t continue to drive at 65 when the road is covered with snow.” Dozens of motorists learned that lesson during Tuesday’s storm as the VSP responded to 47 calls for crashes, cars […]
Colleagues escort Sgt. Phelps home before final goodbyes on Monday
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Members of area emergency services agencies and first responders honored Chester Police Sgt. Mark Phelps, who died on Monday, by escorting his remains to the Davis Funeral Home in Springfield from Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital in Lebanon, N.H. Just before 4 p.m., as dusk was just settling in, […]
Chester board hears culvert detour concerns, reviews 2018 budget
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC In a special hearing before the Dec. 6 Chester Select Board meeting, Popple Dungeon residents expressed their concerns about detours that would occur during replacement of a failed culvert that was insufficient to handle the water from Tropical Storm Irene. Aaron Guyette and Jason Keener of the […]
Tomasso property back on market after forestry foundation option lapses
Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC The 1,800-acre property in Chester that was the focus of so much attention and excitement as a possible “community forest” that would offer a number of recreational opportunities including hiking, mountain biking and expanded snowmobiling in addition to hunting and fishing is back on the market. Robert Perschel, […]
Missing Chester man found dead
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing, LLC A Chester man who was last seen on Oct. 24 was found dead in the woods off Green Mountain Turnpike on Saturday Dec. 9. According to Chester Police, the body of David MacTavish, who is also known as David “Milo” Mills, 54, was found by a hunter […]
American Legion donates flag pole for Chester Town Hall
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Chester’s American Legion Post 67 has donated a flag pole to the Town of Chester for Town Hall. On Thursday, it was presented to Town Manager David Pisha. In the late summer and early fall, Jeff Holden, who was representing the Legion, came to Chester’s Select Board […]
Grant will add nine holes, amenities to Chester disc golf course
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC By next summer, Chester will have an 18-hole disc golf course thanks to a Recreation Facilities grant from Vermont’s Department of Buildings and General Services. At the Pinnacle Recreation Area on Thursday, Dec. 7, state Rep. Tom Bock presented Town Manager David Pisha with a ceremonial check […]
After 11 years, GM Principal Ferenc to retire at school year’s end
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC As he sits at the conference table in the Green Mountain High School principal’s office, Tom Ferenc’s days are numbered. Last month, the long-time administrator told the GM school board that the 2017-18 school year would be his last at the helm of the Chester school. Beginning […]
System glitch downs VTel internet for 90 minutes this morning
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Computer cards that control large internet routers for Vermont Telephone Co. failed this morning, shutting down internet access for customers in large portions of the company’s coverage area for up to 90 minutes. VTel covers Vermont communities from Saxtons River to Killington, including Grafton and Chester. “It […]
Court hears motions in Chester/Ludlow sex assault cases
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC WHITE RIVER JUNCTION A Windsor County criminal court judge heard motions on Tuesday regarding taking depositions in the sexual assault cases against Chester teenager Ryan Stocker. In June, Stocker was charged with two counts of sexual assault in connection with incidents that happened in May 2017 and […]
Last-chance merger passes in Ludlow, Mt. Holly; BRHS to close by June 2020
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Perhaps seeing an outcome that might be inevitable, Ludlow and Mt. Holly residents went to the polls Tuesday and approved a plan that will merge all their schools into one district but will close Black River High School by June 2020 and tuition those students to other […]
Chester water rate hiked; bond plan to include road compactor
State looks at possible wetlands; Yosemite Fire House nears last hurdle
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC A mercifully short Chester Select Board meeting was made all the more remarkable on Wednesday, Nov. 15 by the fact that it was two meetings. Before its regular, third-Wednesday-of-the-month session, the board convened a quick meeting of the Chester Water Commission to raise the equivalent unit rate […]
Cavendish board addresses snowmobile crossings, other road issues
By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The Cavendish Select Board sprinted through its monthly meeting on Monday night considering a snowmobile club request, selecting a contractor from seven bidders and discussing several infrastructure issues all before entering an executive session less than a half hour into the meeting. Cavendish Green Mountain Snow Fleas […]
News analysis: What ‘yes’ and ‘no’ mean in Ludlow-Mt. Holly merger vote
By Shawn Cunningham ©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Tuesday, Nov. 28, voters in the towns of Ludlow and Mt. Holly will once again go to the polls to decide what course to take in educating their primary and secondary students. But according to merger consultant Dan French, this will be their last chance to control […]
Chester board begins budgeting, talks 911 addresses, Coleman plaque
By Shawn Cunningham ©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Select Board opened the 2018 budgeting season last Wednesday night with a review of a draft general fund budget and some confusion ensued. This is the first budget since the town upgraded its accounting software from QuickBooks to programs developed for municipalities by the New England […]
