Author Archive for The Chester Telegraph
Drought-stricken Vermont now under a burn ban
Starting at noon today, Monday, Sept. 22, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation has issued an order for all Town Forest Fire Wardens to cease issuing burning permits. The order will remain in effect until it is revoked. The order may be revoked on a statewide basis or on a county-by-county basis, depending […]
Invasives Part 1: Eliminating invasive plants is a good start to reclaiming biodiversity in Vermont
By Will Danforth ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Do you care about the natural world in Vermont? Then let’s tackle foreign invasive plants. Invasive, non-native plants are one of the biggest threats to biodiversity — the vtinvasives.org site says, “Monitoring for and treating invasive terrestrial plants is one of the most important things you can do […]
College News
The following students have been named to the Champlain College Online Dean’s List for achieving a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in the summer 2025 semester. Taylor Bowers of Springfield and Willem Bargfrede of Chester. The following students have been named to the summer 2025 President’s List at Southern New Hampshire University in […]
To the editor: Let Vermont politics remain civil
The recent murder of Charlie Kirk is a stark and tragic reminder of just how fragile our democracy and our civil society can be when disagreements cross the line into violence. Let me be clear: I fundamentally reject much of the rhetoric Kirk stood for. His words often carried racism, homophobia, and misogyny views that […]
Chester Select Board agenda for Sept. 17
The Chester Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., and via Zoom. To join the meeting go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81988842129 Below is its agenda 1. Approval of minutes from the Select Board meeting dated Sept. 3, 2025 and Special Select Board meeting dated […]
Chester GOP holds reorganization caucus Sept. 16 Other town GOP caucuses also set for late September
Registered voters of Chester are welcome to join the Chester Republican Committee in holding its Republican Town Re-Organization Caucus and Meeting, at 6 p.m. Tuesday Sept. 16 at the Fullerton Inn Meeting Room, 40 The Common, in Chester. The committee is electing seven officers/delegates and seven alternates to represent Chester, the largest Republican town committee […]
Ernest ‘Ernie’ Foster, 84, of Weston
Ernest “Ernie” Foster, 84, passed away at his Weston home on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, leaving behind a lifetime of hard work, devotion and love for his family. Born on Nov. 25, 1940, to Hugh and Rachel (Gardner) Foster, Ernie grew up in Weston on the family farm, where he learned the value of hard […]
Andover Dems to hold reorganizing caucus
The Andover Democratic Committee is holding a reorganization caucus at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Andover Town Hall, 953 Weston-Andover Road. In Vermont, political parties must reorganize in September of every odd-numbered year. Parties organize by electing members at town caucuses, then sending representatives to county committees. County committees then send representatives […]
To the editor: Secretary of State lying about election security
In a recent radio interview, our Secretary of State, Sara Copland Hanzas, painted a dishonestly rosy picture of Vermont’s current elections system. She responded to the host’s question about potential “ballot stuffing” by saying, “We have very detailed election procedures that our town and city clerks follow to a T, which means that whether they’re […]
Op-Ed: Two events, two parties, intersecting viewpoints
By Nicholas Boke What a contrast. A couple of hundred southern Vermont Democrats gathered — for the fourth time since Donald Trump was elected — on the Chester Green on Labor Day for Workers over Billionaires, a honk-and-wave that included speeches by several state senators and a couple of Vermont labor union spokespeople. The following […]
First case of mosquito-borne virus found in Windsor County resident
On Monday, Sept. 8, Vermont health officials have confirmed the first case of Jamestown Canyon virus in a person in Vermont. Through laboratory testing and reporting by their health care provider, that person has been identified as a resident of Windsor County. The Jamestown Canyon virus is spread to people through the bite of an […]
Andover Select Board agenda for Sept. 8
The Andover Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday Sept. 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 August 25th meeting. 4. Public Comment (Time allowance: Five minutes per visitor, 10 […]
S. Derry resident James Wilbur honored by Wharton alums for volunteerism
James Wilbur of South Londonderry recently was awarded a Crandall Challenge Citation at the Wharton School in Pennsylvania. The award recognizes those serving the public as a volunteer with the goal of making a difference. Leaders of the Wharton Graduate Society, a group of about 10,000 who graduated at least 45 years ago from the […]
Chester Select Board agenda for Sept. 3 To be preceded by Water Commissioners meeting
The Chester Select Board will meet following the Water & Sewer Commissioners meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3. The meetings will be held at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., and via Zoom by clicking here. Below are their agendas Water & Sewer Commissioners 1. Citizen’s Comments 2. Findings of No Significant […]
College News
Abbigale Williams of Andover is among 13 Elmira College student-athletes recognized by the Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association as All-America Scholar Athletes for the 2024-25. Williams earned the Individual Scholar-Athlete title. In addition, Elmira College earned Team GPA honors with a team GPA of 3.428. Karson Barclay of Londonderry is among the University of Rhode Island’s […]
To the editor: Solar proposal a sign of Chester’s, state’s progress
Solar technology has become a frequent target in the Trump era culture wars with most of the attacks including misinformation or disinformation. A recent comment in response to a Telegraph story about a proposed solar facility in Chester was no exception. An individual inferred that solar power is not needed in Vermont because our forests […]
David F. Willis, 85, of Chester Memorial service set for Oct. 25 at St. Luke's
David Field Willis Sr., 85, of Chester, passed away on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. Born April 25, 1940, in Portland, Maine, he was the son of Elizabeth Lounsbury Field and Samuel Arnold Willis II and brother of Deborah. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Lillian Beery Willis; his son David and his […]
Andover Select Board agenda for Aug. 25
The Andover Select Board will hold its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday Aug. 25 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 August 11th meeting. 4. Public Comment (Time allowance: Five minutes per visitor, 10 […]
Chester Select Board agenda for Aug. 20 Following Water Commissioners meeting
The Chester Select Board will meet following on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at Town Hall, 556 Elm St., and via Zoom, following the Water Commissioners meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. To join the meeting go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81988842129 Below is the Water Commissioners’ agenda. 1. Citizen’s Comments 2. Findings of No Significant Impact Hearing; Sewer Force […]
To the editor: Londonderry Rescue warns that high temperatures are a continuing threat
With a month to six weeks more of potentially dangerous heat until fall, here is a brief discussion of heat illness and treatment. Heat illness can be a serious medical situation resulting from the body’s inability to cope with a high heat load. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are two of the most common illnesses […]
